I went today to do a little painting and to have a refresher session on the SBG.

Upon setting my paints up, I'm told I would have to leave the store if I wanted to use my Vallejo paints, as they aren't 'covered' by them under their insurance. I was like and basically said that that's fine but I came down to paint so you're gonna have to supply me with paint.

So after I got a few layers onto my Black Numenoreans, the staff guy sets me up a short game of LotR to refresh me on the system. Might I add that I made it clear I had a vague understanding of the rules at this point.

There were numerous things that set off alarm bells, including:

* Elf bows shoot 18" and are S2, according to him.
* Goblins move 6".
* When he Shielded, he was allowed to be supported by a spear.
* When I used a Two Handed, he said I could be supported by a spear.
* He was convinced spearmen were part of the combat, for both sides, when it came to the shoot phase. I understood you could aim at the spear/pike warrior as long as you weren't rolling an in the way for the guy he was supporting.
* Apparantly, Elves don't have hand weapons. I challenged him on this, saying that unless their wargear dictates them 'unarmed', they didn't suffer the -1. But he was adamant they did.

I could be wrong for some of those , but seriously... if they're hoping to pull in the punters when the Hobbit comes out, they need to try a bit harder than that.

There were a number of other smaller gaffs, but wow. Anyone any thoughts?

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Namarie

I am not surprised about the Vallejo paints issue, in fact I am puzzled why they didn't ask you to leave. As for their salesman not knowing their own product, it's saddening but not uncommon and not just with GW - you get good salesmen and bad salesmen in any industry. I am sure they would have someone else who knows a lot more about the game than this guy, but some of the gaffs are a bit straight forward.

The blokes at my GW are a mixed bunch - one or two are brilliant guys and I have nothing but respect for them, but the casuals... mmm.

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Dagster

In fairness its my first real time in a GW other than buying the odd thing, so I didn't know about the paints being an issue.

And well, this was the 'go-to' LotR guy. The manager.

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Namarie

I'd go back and show him the rulebok. Strange though it may be he doesn't know the rules, and even though it's his job, you coul educate him on the subject. You obviously didn't like the fact he was wrong so many times, now is your chance to make sure it doesn't happen to others.

The paint thing... I guess it's fair for them to not allow it, although you'd have to be pretty ****hurt as a company to actually make a big deal out of it. You bought the mini's already so.:p

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"Mickey, my friend!"

Yeah, it's put me off painting there in the future - I doubt if it wasn't fairly quiet he'd have let me use the store paint, as I doubt they just let anybody use their huge selection on a regular basis. About 90% of my paints are Vallejo, and after trying the GW equivalents today, I'm sticking by that - GW are too watery! I like to water down my paint, not wait for it to dry out to be useable.

I remembered two more

* Dwarves and Hobbits move 3"!
* A two-handed -1 can take you below 1 to 0!

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Namarie

Wait, you can take your miniatures to Games Workshop and paint there for free?

All of those are wrong, except that elves do count as having hand weapons.

So the GW paints are fine except you want to water it down yourself?

Didn't they have a rulebook lying around to prove him wrong on the spot?
Oh well he'll catch up when the new models arrive I guess

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Operation future in full swing.

In regards to the paint issue, GW has the right to ask their patrons not to use a competitor's product while in their store. It would be like going to a restaurant, but eating food clearly labeled from a different restaurant.

On a different note, the manager probably thought you are totally hot and wanted to impress you. Unfortunately, he did not know the product well and underestimated your intelligence. Sorry about your bad experience and hope it will be better next time.

....so can you paint at GW for free?

as long as you don't use Vallejo paints you can

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Commission Availability : BOOKED SOLID (again lol)

More of my work at

www.ShadowandFlame.co.uk

Sounds like you had fun then I regurlary go into GW to paint, handy place to go with little distractions. If any turn up, I usually help with the beginners because I have a better understanding that the staff.

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12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

He was wrong on every single one of those.

GW staff are a mixed bunch, in theory they're supposed to be familiar with the rules of each of the three core games, in practice they usually play only 40k or maybe 40k and Fantasy so know those rules (or at least know them reasonably well). Most don't play LotR and just don't know the rules at all. Maybe they''ll try to bring the level of LotR knowledge up when The Hobbit comes out so they can demo the game, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I've been asked to set up a regular LotR night at a local independent game store around when The Hobbit comes out, GW stores might be well advised to try something similar. Get a local *player* who knows the rules back to front and put them in charge.

He was the manager? Then he deserves to be hung up by his thumbs and have dice thrown at him! What a prat.

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Dagster

I quite agree with Dagorlad. How disappointing. Hopefully the Hobbit will pull things up.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

I had the same experience with WOTR, except my manager was nice enough to realize he didn't know anything... I ended up teaching him the rules.

It's the natural result of no-one playing LOTR.

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"... Telchar wrought it in the deeps of time."
-On Andùril, The Lord of the Rings

Well, we'll have to try and turn that around by organising a worldwide campaign and running games in GW stores and other venues.

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Dagster

So Goblins moved twice as fast as Dwarves?! Yikes!


The One Ring and its members would like to challenge all GW employees to a day of LotR SBG battles in the interests of educating them about the game and expanding their awareness of it

Yeah, and every time they get the rules wrong, we get a $5 store credit.

Which would naturally result in them donating a substantial portion of the upcoming Hobbit releases.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”