Good morning fellow xwing players.

Sorry this maybe a long post but this has been building up for a long time.

I live in a small provine eastern Canada, Prince Edward Island

I've been trying to get an xwing community going here now for over a year

I've tried at one store and it never took off.

I found another store Merlyns Toys and collectables which at the time just opened a couple months prior.

The store owner was wanting to get a xwing night going, so I thought this is great.

We started doing xwing miniatures Thursday night.

For the small province we were having good attendance by the second week (6 players)

People were happy. People were having fun. Things were going great for the most part

I was helping people learn the game. I had a lot of fun just talking xwing.

So then the Store owner got a couple of tournament kit in. Everyone seemed so excited. I would be bombarded with questions of "What do you think of this" or "Do you think this would work well?" etc etc.

People were building lists and having fun.

But I notice something.

The store owner would be having fun, until the moment Han landed on an asteroid (He loves han and always flies him)

As soon as han landed on the rock he'd say "Well that's game over" and would kind of fuss. Kind of mad me feel bad for him as I could see he wasn't having fun, and obviously made a real bad choice

At the time he was winning with one of my bwings destroyed and he still had all his ships on the board.

So we had our first tournament and it went well. People had fun, and we a good number of people all got something. (Instead of giving one player 4 cloak tokens we gave them two so more could get some, because really who needs four lol and people were happy with that)

One day talking to the owner. We were talking about how the xwing community is a great bunch, not a bunch of win at all costs type players. He then told me about how he use to play Warhammer (A game I never played) He told me he went to a tourny once with it, and when he set up, the TO said "Oh that's where your going to set up?" and kind of sneered.

Within the first turn I guess he lost his major unit and the game was lost. He basically put his most important piece in a bad spot and his opponent took advantage of that. Now to me that's just a newbie mistake. Something that you learn after awhile of what not to do But he said it left a bad taste in his mouth and he never played Warhammer again.

So anyway people are still playing. His xwing sales are going through the roof. Wave 6 is released and he gets 12 of everything and it sold out in a day. That's unbelievable for here honestly. I was so happy to see this. We finally have a xwing group.

The stuff is flying off the shelves.

We then have a second tourny. We fill the store. 12 players with some coming from out of province. The store is filled. Everyone has a good time from the looks of it.

We then have another tourny a few weeks later only 8 with 5 showing from out of province, and then the xwing community dies over night.

I noticed in our first tourny the store owner attitude changes in one of his game when his Han flies onto a rock. Even though he is winning. He then goes on to say he wasn't explained the rules about debris. He has been told a few times about this in the past actually

He later tells me again about his Warhammer experience and how that ruined warhammer for him and he doesn't want that to happen in xwing. But I notice that when he is winning he is laughing and having a great time, but the moment something bad happens such as Han flying over a rock his attitude would do a complete 180.

Now I'm not too sure exactly what happened after our last tourny, but I continue to go on thursday nights for awhile with usually no more than 2-4 players if lucky. Some nights nobody.

I see some people are selling/trading off some of their stuff.

Now some friends on mine think maybe the store owner didn't like having good players from away come, and may have drove away some of the others here. As a couple were competitive in magic the gathering. People came from away and knew what they were doing. I myself don't know, but up until this point everyone was so enthusiastic about tournys.

But that's not the real kicker

So I ask the store owner this spring about getting the summer kit (WIth Dash and Recon alt art) I said if we don't get the numbers for the tourny I'll cover the cost.

He said he would.

Finally it is available to order. I ask the store owner about getting it and he tells me he was already asked by the distrubuter and he told them he didn't want it. Basically he didn't want to "jump through their hoops" as he put it, having to print off form and fax it in which he didn't like. Couldn't email it he said.

I told him I would have done that no problem.

My cousin who is also buying heavily into armada who purchased everything from this store was told by the store owner that he is no longer going to order anything in FFG product wise unless people pay upfront. This is after he bought the armada core and all of wave 1.

He also noticed at times when he'd go into the store the store owner playing the game and when he tried to point out rule errors was ignored.

I too have had some incidents in the past with the store owner when trying to explain certain rules that even when showing him the FAQ he would still not quite understand

So then I find out later that the store owner has received 2-3 summer xwing kits and the massing of sullest for armada.

He posted for the xwing tourny the day of it and was an epicteam tournament and goes from 6-9pm

When my cousin asked was told if there was enough people he could play. Basically it was the store owner, and 3 others who attended. All close to the owner.

Another post a few weeks later. Again puts the post on facebook the day of, says 16 players off site, and sold out

ok, so why post an event the day of if you are already sold out?

Again my cousin asks him about it and gets a lengthy reply back.

The long story short is we are too good and drove away the new players.

That kind of hurts.

My cousin has been itching for the massin of sullest tourny in armada and has been asking the store owner about it.

Told him he had been playing around with some builds, and was excited for it

Now today he has the date posted for the Massing of Sullest. Again Starts at 6pm when the store closes at 9, but it's all pre built squads designed by the store owner.

Even that made me mad.

So the store owner is having the Massing of Sullest, and is designing the squads himself. So you come in and either pick or are handed a squad to play.

Plus if I know the owner it'll be played on a 3x3 area and Im sure the rules...well may as well be no rules

I had sent Lion Rampant a lengthy email about this store, but doubt they'd care. That's the Canadian distrubutor.

Im mad, but also sad that this drama crap has had to happen in my area.

All I wanted was to find a place around here to play a game I love and enjoy.

My cousin is furious about the massing of sullest event. Basically saying that the 500 bucks plus he spent at this store cannot be used?

He thinks the owner did this because he mentioned about how he has been playing around with builds for armada.

It'll probably only be the store owner and 2-3 others who are close to him be there.

He's clearly not going by FFG OP rules that is for sure.

I'll end my rant here for now. lol Got to take kids to birthday party lol

Edit

On page 3 I posted a link to this Facebook event massing of Sullust just for anyone interested to see the shenanigans that goes on here

Also send an email to FFG OP. Total BS

Lion rampant will care. That's why I told you to contact them and FFG organized play. I'm friends with one of the LRI owners on Facebook too so can reach out to her too. Store is not receptive to building a community or playing by the rules judging by his response today.

Yeah, that place seems like it sucks. Also surprised someone can be the /owner/ of a ******* board game store and be one of those 12 year olds that pouts when he starts to lose.

Thanks Toqtamish

I did write them a lengthy letter and so is my cousin.

Im hurt, sad, mad at this place. The store owner. I spent a small fortune there, and to be treated like this is really not cool.

I gave him some huge xwing sales and then just feel like was thrown out the door because "Im too good" Which im not lol. If I was I wouldn't have gotten 9th in regionals lol

I personally think the owner didn't like the competitiveplayer base

I also didn't like when he'd say "Oh just fly whatever Krynn is flying and you'll win" I told him numerous times the game doesn't work like that, but that would be his attitude

Yeah, that place seems like it sucks. Also surprised someone can be the /owner/ of a ******* board game store and be one of those 12 year olds that pouts when he starts to lose.

You really have no idea about the majority of people who start these type of stores, do you? Most often, they have more experience and love for the hobby than business sense.

My advice for times like these; keep calm, stay frosty, and remember where your towel is.

Ya well I was thinking of going in there just to get back some of my boards that o left there.

I bought some 3x3 boards to use when I use to play there and left them there

Do it.

Pick up your boards.

The store owner is defenseless.

Pick up your boards with all of your hatred, and your transition to the Dark side will be compl- ahem, I mean....

Pick up your boards in a nice way. Yep. Nice.

No Dark side here.

What you have there is a "player/owner store". By that, the owner is more of a player than an owner of a retail outlet. Oftentimes, these are the worst stores to frequent; the owners are more concerned with playing some games than selling products and making money.

This game, and many like it, have specialty stores that sell products you cannot otherwise find in brick-and-mortar outlets. They cater to customers that enjoy the product in the store.

There are so many people who cannot grasp the concept of this business model. Our beloved game stores are just retail outlets that are nothing more than a specialized Walmart.

So this owner is not only a player/owner, but a toxic player at that. I recommend finding another store. If there isn't another available, start running events anywhere you can. Got a garage that would house 20 players? Then you don't need a store! This is especially true thanks to online stores that sell the products.

Might be better off playing in someone's home.

Sounds like a complete tool! Are there any other nearby stores you can get to for games? The only way you get better at playing the game is by playing people who are better than you.

That sounds painfull! I am pretty lucky to have an online retailer nearby that does a lot for the community. My local store sells a ton of X-Wing, but only builds community for 40k and Netrunner. That is kind of annoying for me, but your problems beat that by a long shot!

Scummy circumstances, sorry you have to deal with it. This story actually makes me appreciate that no owners in my area play it.

Well thanks guys and gals.

It really is too bad

I don't know what is wrong with people

I feel like he's a 8 year old kid in a grown man's body.

I'll say one nice thing, he was good with my boy and I respect him for that, but the way me, and small few others have been treated, I'm not happy

Honestly I feel now that I'm not around and others there is Noone to enforce rules and I guess they just want to play however they want.

With the store owner getting top spot now since he has no competition.

I am going to write lion rampant again and suggest they request back the mass of Sullust.

Since he's doing it on a Thursday starting at 6 closes at 9 maybe 10 and is making his own squads.

There is a guideline to be followed I believe

I'd love to do it at my place but I live outside of town, and I don't know anywhere that is big enough

I mainly play with my cousin at his place or another friend, and vassal.

I may go to another store that I am now buying from but I'm not going to push for a community anymore.

I'll just go if and when I know someone wants to play.

I do know couple others who would like to play

Pretty sad and don't want another fiasco like this

Really wish there was a community like others have.

I have a solution, by out the losers store. I'd rather see you run it and I have no idea who you are. There's a unusually high concentration of gaming stores in my area so I get to see all kinds of weird stuff go down. And bad tournament organization is a common place issue. When it's an issue in the hands of the one who shouldn't even be involved in organizing due to conflict of interests issues of being the owner is a major problem. Stores should host the events that a non-inhouse individual organizes and at most sponsor the event by covering the cost of material and space rental.

Lol

I'd love to buy him out, sadly that's probably a little more than I can afford

Plus he'd probably want more than its worth.

I don't think I'd have the good business sense to run a store, plus PEI is a pretty small province 100k population and there is only a few small stores like this

mtg is their main source of income and I don't like that game

Maybe if I won the lottery I'd open up one but I couldn't win even if I had a Flux capacitor

****, I feel for you.

I also had the problem, that X-Wing in my area died. Mainly because of lack of tournaments. Since we also didnt have any particular weekly game night.

I took the effort to single handedly create community.

Had help from local store - they provide me with kits.

I search for place to play, and gather the players.

First it was only closest friends, for whom I provided fleets, now I have got some friends to buy at least core sets, others heavily hooked to game (but they still use only my stuff), and finnaly, got in touch with communities from Neighbor countries, so they also come to our monthly tournaments.

Basically started with the single wish to play competitive X-Wing, with no other known player in Country.

Now I've got with sheer effort in 6 months to this: http://rollingdicewithsurges.blogspot.com/2015/10/x-wing-regional-tournament-iii-iv.html

I also have the skill level problem, when playing against local players. But they luckily don't mind the beatings I sometimes provide. They think of me as some kinda final boss, that they have to beat to master X-Wing.

Can someone provide ffg email I could write to them about this?

I just sent lion rampant a second email.

With little more details

But I will write ffg

Thanks

Yeah, that place seems like it sucks. Also surprised someone can be the /owner/ of a ******* board game store and be one of those 12 year olds that pouts when he starts to lose.

I'm not sure what those asterisks are censoring, but I can assure you that gamestore/comicstore owners being immature babies is VERY common.

I'm the cousin Krynn refers to in the original post. I have spent over 500$ on Armada stuff alone (much more on X-Wing and other stuff) in this store. I was also involved with the creation of the X-Wing/Armada community in this store and hosted one of this stores tournaments.

I tolerated the other abuses of Tournament Kits from this store and gave the owner the benefit of doubt.

I feel I can no longer turn a blind eye to it when I'm told the Sullest tournament will be very limited seating (likely as few as 4 players) and the Builds will be assigned.

I have been searching for the appropriate people to contact. If anyone knows for sure the contact information I should use please let me know.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/more/contact/

That owner sounds terrible. The best thing after letting FFG know is to sit back and let the store implode. People like that who can't handle a loss on a game table don't stick around in business very long.

The store owner sounds like a bit of a ****, but...

Honestly I feel now that I'm not around and others there is Noone to enforce rules and I guess they just want to play however they want.

you need to be so careful with this. Enforcing the rules for games that you're not participating in is such a socially delicate issue, especially when you're not part of the establishment.

The store owner sounds like a bit of a ****, but...

Honestly I feel now that I'm not around and others there is Noone to enforce rules and I guess they just want to play however they want.

you need to be so careful with this. Enforcing the rules for games that you're not participating in is such a socially delicate issue, especially when you're not part of the establishment.

If there are no rules, there is no game. Someone has to stand for the rules.

Working change can be awkward and tricky without experience: and even with it, it takes time.

You need to be conversational, patient, attentive, persistent, and thick-skinned.

Start with a small group, form a following, go bigger.

And know when to come back another day.