hold me closer...tiny dancer

What is it with miniatures? People seem to be playing them (specifically the D&D / Star Wars variety...everybody already knows Games Workshop has an audience). I know Wizards doesn't exactly throw the money behind these games like, say for instance, freaking Magic, but they do offer sanctioned events and prereleases. Evidently, people go to these things. From what I understand, they are held in dank basements at bingo halls or, possibly, darkened back alleys. You would think there is some kind of stigma about grown men playing with little plastic dolls (and you can't even call it a hobby, cause they come prepainted). All kidding aside (no really), if this audience exists (which it does) and they want to play for something (which they do), why is it like pulling teeth to get more than four of them in a room together. Every store seems to have events for these games, yet every store seems to come up a dude or two shy of actually holding it. Could you imagine if you only needed four guys to hold a Magic tournament? Any given store could have about fifty different tournaments a night. I know a community exists on the interwebs, where players gather and discuss strategies and army builds and how mean their mom is. So why can't they all just decide on one store at which to meet once a week. It doesn't seem like it should be so hard to accomplish. "Hey Joe, wanna play minis at FILL-IN-YOUR-LOCAL-STORE on Saturday?" "Why yes Bob, let's get the rest of the gang to come along." See, easy.

choose...but choose wisely
06/03/2008 03:37AM

This Saturday, June 7th, is Worldwide D&D Gameday. It just so happens that this Saturday, June 7th, is also Magic the Gathering Regionals. For some people, this means nothing, as they are either not into D&D or not into Magic (not into either, you say, well, that's a lie and they know it). This strikes of bad planning by WOTC...or do they want you to pick favorites? Perhaps this is their way of "feeling out" their audience. Perhaps they want to know which side of the geek fence you stand on. Perhaps they don't give a rat's ass about any of you and just want to get your money coming and going. The cynics in the house will likely agree that "this isn't your daddy's WOTC" and the money angle is the real reason. I, as some may know, am a cynic. Considering the box o' crap I received to promote the 4.0 release, one would assume it was a miniatures game. I think the big brains in Seattle have come to a realization most game retailers reached several years ago...NOBODY BUYS RPGS. Now, before the forum catches on fire, let me explain. With the advent of "the interwebs", most games can be had by Googling the title and choosing your favorite Torrent client. Most informed buyers will simply wait until someone else buys the books, cracks the spines and scans the mothers. Can you do that with a little plastic man? How about with a card game that doesn't allow copies/proxies of cards? I may be way off the mark or simply pissed that I can't go to Regionals (yeah, I wanted to go, so sue me). Just think about it when you come in to pick up your copy of 4.0 (or, more likely, while you wait for it to finish downloading).

i'm in the papers ma
05/27/2008 01:15PM

For those of you who live in and around Haddon Township, you may be familiar with the "What's on" newspaper. This local publication covers events and people from the area on a twice monthly basis. One of the reps from the paper came out to do a write up on the store about two months ago (which I never saw, as I don't receive the thing...but I digress). Recently, another person came around to get some info on the events we hold and the types of games we play. This new article should appear in the Friday, June 6th edition, with some info on the MtG events as well as the upcoming D&D gameday. I just wanted to let everyone know this was coming out, so you can add it to your burgeoning collection of Natural 20 ephemera (or cut out the pic of me in front of the store for your scrapbook and/or shrine).

so yeah...more magic news
05/12/2008 03:53AM

After much deliberation, I have decided to make some changes to the MTG events. I will be following in the footsteps of greater men than I by offering one pack per player in prize support. If none of you can do simple math, that means there will be 16 packs available to top finishers in a 16 man draft (don't ask me the breakdown, though, that math is beyond my grade school education). It was also brought to my attention that FNM cards should be awarded randomly after the top 2 finishers receive theirs. This one is probably not going to sit well with the good players out there, but I figure I might as well conform all the way, so this will also be changed for Fridays. As always, because I'm a sucker for peer pressure, I will continue to hand out DCI promo cards and other fun stuff to people who just can't seem to break that 5th place barrier. If any of you have an opinion on this change (or just want to advise me that I buckle like a belt) shoot me an email or post your comments in the forum (but be advised, I'm Irish so I burn easily).