If a store "runs" an advertised event, but doesn't do it according to the tournament rules, is there anyone whom we should notify? This is of especial concern to me with store championships coming up and other "Competitive level" events. The example I want to speak about was one store's treatment of the Massing at Sullust event.

Specifically for the Massing at Sullust, was it a US Event, or a Non-US Event?

Your best bet is to hit the contacts for that event:

US Event: [email protected]


And then outside:

• Canada – Lion Rampant , [email protected]
• Denmark, Netherlands – Bergsala Enigma , [email protected]
• United Kingdom – Esdevium , [email protected]
  
  

That will get the "who knows" out there.

The threat of screwing up the sullust thing deliberately, illegally, or profiteeringly, was apparently a restriction or ban on future FFG promotional material and tournament packs.

So those are the people to notify.

I would assume you'd email [email protected]. In terms of what they could/would meaningfully do about it, I can't say. You also need to consider if getting events pulled from a particular venue (which would seem to be the strongest possible punishment) does more harm than good to your local meta.

If it was regard to a rule a TO made during a game or specifically breaking rules, you would report to above mentioned. However getting your local game store banned from events could upset not only local players, it could adjust the local meta, or help to kill it completely. I would weight and balance your response. I have seen people get a game store pulled from official events in another tabletop game and basically kill the game off, they did this because they did not agree with the calls the TO made. That is my two cents.

There's a big difference between Calls being made and some of the things we had happen with Sullust.

We had some stores that were Charging people to play in the Sullust Tournament, but the "Prize" was the ability to Pay Inflated Prices for the Prizes .

That isn't acceptable in any stretch of the imagination.

There's a big difference between Calls being made and some of the things we had happen with Sullust.

We had some stores that were Charging people to play in the Sullust Tournament, but the "Prize" was the ability to Pay Inflated Prices for the Prizes .

That isn't acceptable in any stretch of the imagination.

I agree that is not kosher and I would report that to FFG. Your meta will sour when official events are run in such a sketchy fashion.

I agree shutting a store out shouldn't be a quick reaction to one bad tourney. However this was more than that. Their first Armada tournament didn't happen. It was advertised, the poster from the event kit filled out and posted on their bulletin board, but when I showed up no one knew about it. And "no one" includes the store staff who basically looked at the poster on the wall and said: "huh."

The Sullust event did run, but wasn't promoted at all. When the event started, the store owner said he was doubling the entry fee to cover the cost of the kit. I understand the reasons, but didn't agree since it was their lack of promotion that kept the numbers down. Other stores in the area had plenty of people show. Even this I wasn't planning on reporting.

No staff at the store play Armada so there is no one there knowledgeable about the game. When Sullust started, the store owner left, leaving one other staff watching the store and no one running, judging, or assisting with the tournament. This is unacceptable for a nationally-run competitive-level event like Sullust. Personally I also think it would be wrong for a casual event using a seasonal kit, but I know many would disagree.

I think a store should supply a TO for events, even if it isn't a member of the staff. I think that's what FFG expects as well. Having a TO play in an event is fine, so long as there is a knowledgeable neutral judge for issues arising during games involving the TO. This is in the tournament rules.

I don't think my one complaint/report will or should get the store banned. But I do think it needs to be reported, so that if other people also report the improper running of events FFG can decide if the store is helping or hurting the Armada community.

Historical note: I went to a game store (closed many years ago) for a league in another game. The people at the store had some "interesting" interpretations of the rules (that favored their chosen factions). The younger regulars at the store had no idea what the correct rules were and that other gamers at other stores played differently. This led to some serious disillusionment when those kids visited other locations, and a bad rep for the game in general in the area.