I sent them a message today, asking them why they never host Armada events despite supporting it in their league play.

Will you be running any Armada Organized Play events such as this? https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/10/25/join-the-corellian-campaign/

I asked last night about an Armada Store Championship event and was told you wouldn't be running one. This is extremely disappointing as I thought you supported this game as evidenced by that you include it in your league play.

I am looking forward to playing in an organized play event like the Corellian Campaign.

I have a membership with your store, but I have yet to see any events for Armada. I am not seeing value in it currently if I get no entry fees waved as you don't host events in my primary interest.

Please let me know if you plan to host any Armada Organized Play events. I was under the impression when I paid for my membership that this game was supported. It is listed in your league play, therefore it is reasonable to think Organized Play events would be part of that. (You have Organized Play for your other leagues, just not Armada).

If Armada is not supported at your store as I was your website led me to believe, it will may be time for me to re-evaluate my membership.

This was their response.

I understand your disappointment, particularly if Armada is your primary game. While our memberships do get you discounts on particular events, that was never intended to be the primary benefit or focus of membership. Ultimately, a membership is entry into our league system for all of our games.

Unfortunately, Armada is not well suited for tournaments or events due to the game length. This has made it particularly difficult for us to host tournaments or events. We love Armada, but it really just doesn't fit into our league or event capabilities. For this reason, we have decided to stop supporting Armada through our league and events starting in January. (emphasis added)

While we definitely appreciate you being a member, we completely understand if our lack of support for Armada makes a membership with us less interesting for you. If you'd like to cancel your membership, you can do so in store any time or just let me know here and I can get you squared away.

If you have any questions, please let me know. All the best,

Zach

So not only am I annoyed by the dishonest bait-n-switch (free entry into events was the biggest selling point of their so-called $15/month "membership"), we have official word that one of the bigger FFG mouthpiece stores has completely abandoned Armada. It's also pretty dishonest for them to say they ever supported Armada events since they haven't had one in the last 6 months.

It's also quite disingenuous for them to say it's about game length. On most nights they have plenty of empty tables.

Craptacular. To add insult to injury they never answer their phones, nor return phone messages. I have to actually drive there to cancel. I don't recommend them to any one purchasing locally or online.

Edit: They did finally cancel my membership without me having to go into the store.

Not being facetious here when I say this: that's quite a bummer :/

Never heard of this place, but it sucks they don't support Armada.

Never heard of this place, but it sucks they don't support Armada.

Team Covenant does a lot of online sales, and they do X-Wing videos from worlds and nationals.

I follow them on Youtube to watch certain games, they have not really supported Armada that much (if at all) on there, its a bit shame as they are one of the big recognisable names in gaming

Don't think it's fair for you to blacklist them to the entire community because they stopped supporting Armada.

There are 2 places in the RTP area that don't hold tournaments yet the community still makes the rounds to each of the stores on a monthly-ish basis.

The best way to get Armada into a store is to prove there are the numbers to support the game and people are willing to invest their money in the store, not buying products online, like Amazon and eBay, and going to the store to play.

Don't think it's fair for you to blacklist them to the entire community because they stopped supporting Armada.

There are 2 places in the RTP area that don't hold tournaments yet the community still makes the rounds to each of the stores on a monthly-ish basis.

The best way to get Armada into a store is to prove there are the numbers to support the game and people are willing to invest their money in the store, not buying products online, like Amazon and eBay, and going to the store to play.

5-6 months of paying membership dues on the promise of getting free entry into events that never get scheduled? When they schedule events for every other game in their league play? Yeah, I'd say it's fair to argue that the store isn't upfront about their products and services. Failure to do basic customer service such as answer a business phone during business hours? Yeah, that's a reason to tell people to shop elsewhere.

If you read the email from Zach, it's not that there aren't numbers to support it. It's that they'd rather focus on other games. And it's not like the Corellian conflict would take up too much space.

Don't think it's fair for you to blacklist them to the entire community because they stopped supporting Armada.

There are 2 places in the RTP area that don't hold tournaments yet the community still makes the rounds to each of the stores on a monthly-ish basis.

The best way to get Armada into a store is to prove there are the numbers to support the game and people are willing to invest their money in the store, not buying products online, like Amazon and eBay, and going to the store to play.

5-6 months of paying membership dues on the promise of getting free entry into events that are never get scheduled? When they schedule events for every other game in their league play? Yeah, I'd say it's fair to argue that the store isn't upfront about their products and services.

Sounds like they were scheduling events, just the ones you didn't want to go to. Not to mention they are likely a "for-profit" entity that has the right to hold whatever events they want, and they do not need to do anything to make you happy. Why invest the time and money into Armada when it won't pay off for them? More so, when you once complained about having to pay more for Armada online when FFG raised prices to internet vendors. Why should a game store support a game when it's players won't support them?

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

I get it, you're angry you spent money on nothing, but this is not the way to get Armada into new stores and new locations.

I honestly feel like the excuse they give is pretty appropriate. Armada does just take a long time to play, I'm sure it's difficult to run tournaments. It's a bummer, but I understand it.

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

Well it sounds very much like they are happy with that and the community has a right to know that.

Clearly there is a gap in the market for a different store nearby. Time to focus on a potential community base.

THEY blacklisted ud, not the other way round.

Don't think it's fair for you to blacklist them to the entire community because they stopped supporting Armada.

There are 2 places in the RTP area that don't hold tournaments yet the community still makes the rounds to each of the stores on a monthly-ish basis.

The best way to get Armada into a store is to prove there are the numbers to support the game and people are willing to invest their money in the store, not buying products online, like Amazon and eBay, and going to the store to play.

5-6 months of paying membership dues on the promise of getting free entry into events that are never get scheduled? When they schedule events for every other game in their league play? Yeah, I'd say it's fair to argue that the store isn't upfront about their products and services.

Sounds like they were scheduling events, just the ones you didn't want to go to. Not to mention they are likely a "for-profit" entity that has the right to hold whatever events they want, and they do not need to do anything to make you happy. Why invest the time and money into Armada when it won't pay off for them? More so, when you once complained about having to pay more for Armada online when FFG raised prices to internet vendors. Why should a game store support a game when it's players won't support them?

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

I get it, you're angry you spent money on nothing, but this is not the way to get Armada into new stores and new locations.

It's called bait and switch, and bad customer service. When I signed up as a member, I told them the only game I played was Armada. Armada is the only "league game" they didn't schedule events for. All-in-all, a lousy deal.

Criticizing me for complaining about higher prices on online sales is a bit strange here, as TeamCovenant is also an FFG online retailer.

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

Well it sounds very much like they are happy with that and the community has a right to know that.

Clearly there is a gap in the market for a different store nearby. Time to focus on a potential community base.

It's fine and dandy for a store to say they don't want to run Armada events. It sucks for sure. It will drive Armada players to a new store where they can accumulate. But to attack said game store for not hosting the events you want is petty and selfish.

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

Well it sounds very much like they are happy with that and the community has a right to know that.

Clearly there is a gap in the market for a different store nearby. Time to focus on a potential community base.

It's fine and dandy for a store to say they don't want to run Armada events. It sucks for sure. It will drive Armada players to a new store where they can accumulate. But to attack said game store for not hosting the events you want is petty and selfish.

If league games are offered events, and the #1 pitch for membership is free entry into events, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that said store will host an event for Armada. In fact, I told the store rep that I only played Armada, and was again sold on free entry to events.

Note that this isn't the only reason I list for not shopping there. Refusing to answer a business phone during business hours, making someone drive into the store to end a recurring charge (they corrected that), are also indicators of poor customer service.

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

Well it sounds very much like they are happy with that and the community has a right to know that.

Clearly there is a gap in the market for a different store nearby. Time to focus on a potential community base.

It's fine and dandy for a store to say they don't want to run Armada events. It sucks for sure. It will drive Armada players to a new store where they can accumulate. But to attack said game store for not hosting the events you want is petty and selfish.

Attack?

All I see is Ted telling players to look for armada elsewhere...

If you play xwing then go and enjoy. If you play armada, and are thus reading the armada forum, then dont bother.

Nothing petty in that.

That does stink. But I can see the argument due to tournament length with 2+ hour matches. Not that it makes paying that dues any better.

Seems like they're all in on Destiny right now for sure. As popular as that game is out of the gate, and it's collectible nature, I'll bet they're going all-in there.

Incidentally, I'm just getting into Armada. How long do tournaments usually take, and how many games can you actualy get in? I'm coming from X-wing.

I’m a big shocked at the idea that Armada games are too long to support in a tourney. The Armada game is recommended at 2 hours 15 minutes. In general as a rule, it is cut down to 2 hours locally. That happens to be the exact same timing that 40K, and Warmahordes runs on (2 hour game length).

The run there own store the way they want to, but it doesn’t appear logically sound to me.

That does stink. But I can see the argument due to tournament length with 2+ hour matches. Not that it makes paying that dues any better.

Seems like they're all in on Destiny right now for sure. As popular as that game is out of the gate, and it's collectible nature, I'll bet they're going all-in there.

Incidentally, I'm just getting into Armada. How long do tournaments usually take, and how many games can you actualy get in? I'm coming from X-wing.

3 games is the norm. Typically 8-9 hours depending on breaks.

"Unfortunately, Armada is not well suited for tournaments or events due to the game length. This has made it particularly difficult for us to host tournaments or events."

Lolwut? As opposed to what? Warmachine? 40k? Those games both can take considerable time to play, and typical 40k matches can take MUCH longer than an Armada game. Remember Warhammer Fantasy? Forget about it!

I am sorry, but if they didn't even post a single tournament after 2 months then I wouldn't have continued paying. I would question why they haven't posted any. Not to say you are in the wrong, but 6 months with no tournament? That's absurd. Best advice I would offer is to get a bunch of players to play on a big day simply to take up space and show off the game.

I think the original poster is justified. You can read between the lines in that post and from their actions. They just didn't want to support Armada. Length of games is simply a cop-out and an exercise in excuse-making. Now, every store, organization, and even an individual person has to make conscious choices about where to spend their time, money, and efforts. So its also fair for them to decide where to devote those precious resources. I'd just rather have them call a spade a spade than make excuses over game length.

What I can encourage you with is that I've had some success community building, and once you show you can get things going, stores will come behind you. I get a lot more support now than I did six months ago. Armada has a few strong pockets of play across the country, but in the rest, it really takes some community building to get it going. And that's a different talent than merely being able to play the game.

I support his decision, that's not how you run a hobby shop, nice way to alienate your customers. If it were me, I wouldn't go back at all (even for stuff they do support).... Having been in the business before, if you were to do that where I live you wouldn't have customers.

Let's keep it Hothy (frosty)!

@SoonerTed... I feel for ya!

FACT: SoonerTed told the best community that Team Covenant is not going to support League/Organized Play in Armada.

Guesstimate "Fact": Everyone knows that MtG (and other card games) are the cash cows that likely keep your FLGS in operation (they take up little retail space so probably have the highest income per capita). While X-Wing is the miniatures cash cow, I totally predict that Destiny will shatter X-Wing in terms of FFG profits.

All in all, SoonerTed had a negative experience and he shared an anecdote with us. Everyone (retailer/customer) is free to spend their time and resources however they see fit (the beauty of freedom).

If TeamCovenant actively supports a game that you are into, it's likely that you'll have/had positive experiences.

POSITIVE: That being said, I feel fortunate that FFG does support Armada in its Organized Play. Honestly, I don't know how many capital ships are left, etc... I am hopeful that we see the SSD at some point.

Just a little tid-bit: I think as a community, we really ought to just look at the facts (i.e. gamelength complaints) and start trying to push more taskforce/patrol (i.e. 3x3) games at our LGS's. I call it the drug-dealer strategy- introduce them to a small bit of prack, then bring on the multi-week commitment CC leagues!

This post will not help this store pick up Armada again.

Well it sounds very much like they are happy with that and the community has a right to know that.

Clearly there is a gap in the market for a different store nearby. Time to focus on a potential community base.

It's fine and dandy for a store to say they don't want to run Armada events. It sucks for sure. It will drive Armada players to a new store where they can accumulate. But to attack said game store for not hosting the events you want is petty and selfish.

I think that you are missing the key, which is that he paid for an implied service that they did not supply. Not doing Armada is not what he is complaining about. He is complaining about saying that they would do Armada (or implying it), taking his money on the understanding (implied) that they would do Armada, not doing Armada, and not refunding said money.

Sadly, only the hottest and more popular games get support, even from pretty niche game stores. Destiny is going to suck the air out of many games.