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Hey All,

I recently went up to my local GW and was told that there was a possibility I would not be able to enter some of my scratchbuilds as the rules seem to change every year. While I understand this to a point, many of my conversions rely on GW spru and plasticard with GW bits all over. I personally feel like my models represent GW pretty well, but I get it, they want their models on display.

Does anyone have any kind of reference material on how the rules historically work in these kinds of situations? I seem to get a mixed bag of results when searching online. Also, if I am not using a competitor's models / bits, do things like plasticard count against you in the whole "has to be X% GW models" thing?

Just seems odd as some of my older apocalypse books sport quite a bit of custom made models and terrain.

 Novasetri wrote:
Just seems odd as some of my older apocalypse books sport quite a bit of custom made models and terrain.

That was back when GW used to care about marketing and selling an awesome gaming experience instead of selling plastic toys to kids as efficiently as possible. Modern GW would never allow that kind of thing in their books.

Well that's somewhat disheartening. I called their customer care and was told that there was more leniency on terrain than actual models. maybe i'll just have my models based with a ton of gene steelers being run over or something. that should cover the 80% gw models or whatever percentage they use.

 Novasetri wrote:
I recently went up to my local GW and was told that there was a possibility I would not be able to enter some of my scratchbuilds as the rules seem to change every year.

What is it in particular you are trying to "enter" with your models?

I would ask them in particular what the "rules" are now that are obviously GW shop rules not big rule book rules.

In the long distant past, as long as the model contained no competitor parts it was OK to enter a tournament since it would meet photography requirements.

Agreed with Peregrine that the focus for GW is selling models so unless the majority of the model is made up of parts as a "kit-bash" economical use of bits would be discouraged as a business model.

What is it in particular you are trying to "enter" with your models?

I would ask them in particular what the "rules" are now that are obviously GW shop rules not big rule book rules.

In the long distant past, as long as the model contained no competitor parts it was OK to enter a tournament since it would meet photography requirements.

Agreed with Peregrine that the focus for GW is selling models so unless the majority of the model is made up of parts as a "kit-bash" economical use of bits would be discouraged as a business model.

Right now these are the models in question. Like I said, I totally get it from a business standpoint. Just looking for clarity so I can start planning my board. It seems like the decision will ultimately be up to the manager of the store.

Ah the Ork "Doom Wheel", I was looking at that in another thread somewhere.

For promoting the hobby it would be stupid to exclude.

Your "trukk" is like a walker upside-down or an almost siege tower. Awesome on both counts anyway.

Get the manager to state or give a copy of "exactly" what these rules are. Hard to comply to a "law" when you do not know what it is.

It sounds like you plan on entering some competition or tournament (you still did not answer what the "entry" is for) and the manager is warning you that he does not have the rules yet from corporate GW but there is a chance they may exclude your models.

 Talizvar wrote:
Ah the Ork "Doom Wheel", I was looking at that in another thread somewhere.

For promoting the hobby it would be stupid to exclude.

Your "trukk" is like a walker upside-down or an almost siege tower. Awesome on both counts anyway.

Get the manager to state or give a copy of "exactly" what these rules are. Hard to comply to a "law" when you do not know what it is.

It sounds like you plan on entering some competition or tournament (you still did not answer what the "entry" is for) and the manager is warning you that he does not have the rules yet from corporate GW but there is a chance they may exclude your models.

Thanks Talizvar! The entry is for the local armies on parade at the GW store. It's just a painting / modeling competition, nothing huge. I would be more understanding if it was an actual tournament, having to apply special rules for the vehicles, but it's all really just for show so I would hope there is more leaway.

Thanks again, hopefully he'll get the rules in sooner than later.

 Talizvar wrote:
For promoting the hobby it would be stupid to exclude.

GW store events aren't about promoting the hobby, they're about filling the employee's sales quota. You can't buy a copy of that scratchbuilt vehicle off the shelf, and seeing an awesome scratchbuild might inspire a customer to build one of their own instead of buying more space marine starter sets. Maybe if your scratchbuilt model was made from five or so of the most expensive kits the store sells (and nothing else, we can't be telling customers that there's a larger hobby outside of the GW store) with all of the pieces clearly identifiable they might allow it. But otherwise it isn't helping the store owner meet their sales quota, and therefore they have no reason to allow it.

 Peregrine wrote:

 Talizvar wrote:
For promoting the hobby it would be stupid to exclude.

<snip> Maybe if your scratchbuilt model was made from five or so of the most expensive kits the store sells (and nothing else, we can't be telling customers that there's a larger hobby outside of the GW store) with all of the pieces clearly identifiable they might allow it. But otherwise it isn't helping the store owner meet their sales quota, and therefore they have no reason to allow it.

I should submit my Medusa build, some 4 kits to make it (spare bits I happened to have and had an idea), Forgeworld does not count if you take sales from them... BUT yes, I think that is what I was pointing to when I said "kitbash" where if the majority of the parts came from a bought model it all should be good. Just next time make the whole thing from the Baneblade kit. Oddly enough, it was not that long ago a fellow in GW was making a doom-wheel in some WD Canadian supplemental rag. Funny how the corporate goals change so quickly.