Good Venue Thread

[ontapmedia]

I was just reading a thread speaking about some pretty horrible venues. I wanted to strike a balance and maybe create a resource for clixers.

I live in San Diego and a former New Yorker. I moved out here only 8 months ago. Hero Clix has actually been extremely helpful in helping me make friends and build a life 3000 miles away from what I knew.

SAN DIEGO has about 5 venues I've played at.

Game Empire ***** 5 Stars
Game Empire on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. is the best IMHO
About 12-20 people show up every Monday night. games begin at 6:30PM. Last week off the month is a DC event and Marvel rules the roost otherwise. Ages of participants range from 10 - 50 years of age. I'm 29 and honestly the kids here aren't bad behaved. they are polite and extremely bright.
The venue observes strict no mixing rules in terms of DC, Marvel.

Prize support is always LE's but boosters are always broken out and everyone gets a pick of a figure including uniques if they are pulled. Worst score gets first pick (not bad in my opinion) Fellowship is drawn randomly upon a dice roll. Also gift certificates are given to 2nd and 3rd runners up.

Well run, really nice venue with tons of space, nice players always glad to see new players and they are welcomed warmly.

Game Town ***1/2 3 and a half stars
Great Judge (Chris), great store, Gets a good crowd but the venue is simply too small. Located in quaint Old Town San Diego.


Wizards of the Coast Mission Valley Mall ***1/2 stars
Lots of space, friendly judge (Gavin) My only real complaint is that there is really no plan in what game will be played. Will there be a scenario? Is it constructed or sealed? What the point value? Nobody knows till you get there. That's a pain bringing your entire collection with you.

Cosmic Oddessy in National City *** 3/4 3 and 3/4 stars
Extremely knowledgable judge Shane runs the venue at a small yet comfortable comic store. Not a huge turn out but it tends to have interesting scenarios that change from week to week. Scenarios create interesting and fun gameplay.

Game Keeper in La Jolla -* (NEGATIVE STAR)
I cant speak badly enough about this venue. I played and came in second place during the Clobbering Time Marquee and still dont have my LE's I had also traded the winner my Nick Fury I had pulled during the sealed event. I still see that player and he still hasn't gotten his LE either so I got screwed twice. The venue treats clix players like garbage in comparisson to how they treat Yugi-Oh and Pokemon players.
This is all on the ocassion that they even go through with the event after sceduling it. Grrrrrrrrrr. I really hate this venue.

Name of the Game **
The First venue I played. Unreliable judging. Workers seem to care less about the event and therefore the clix customers.
They did give me the first place LE Dimitri for the Xplosion when no one else showed up. I had won Shadow cat the day before at Wizards of the Coast. I hear they're getting some new judging so perhaps they will improve. One can Hope.

[Syphon35]

I recently moved to Fresno Ca, and they only have one real "game store" here - Epic Worlds.

I have not played in any official tournaments, but the guys that run the store (it is a comic book store and a game store sharing the same space) are very friendly, fair traders, and run good stores.

They have a closet full of scenery for you to use when you play, and a half dozen tables that they make available to anyone - free of charge. I know they run tournaments (the recently had a Mech Clix one) and the people who come to play seem pretty cool too - no bad experiences yet.

[gopperhopper]

Hey in central Texas one of the best comic/gaming stores that I have been to is Heroes and Fantasies-New Braunfels. The staff is great and they the issue of space that is not a problem there, they have a seperate store just for tournaments and open play.

[drop19]

Paladin Gaming in Bakersfield is a really great shop running tournaments once a week on average, sometimes twice. Official prize support won't hit until the start of July, but there have been some great tournaments with anywhere between 16-28 players showing up. The judges are fair and try to find the most reasonable solution should an issue come up that isn't clearly covered in the FAQs. As far as atmosphere, the store has a ton of space and can easily accomodate as many as 30 players. They have snacks and soda stuff available which is always a bonus as well.

I feel way shill-tastic after this post, but in the two months this shop has been around it's really been a blessing to a town starved for any sort of RPG shop for years now.

[Draggor]

Lets give some places on the other side of the world some credit. The best place I've played at is Unlimited Hobbies Blacktown. It's a gaming shop that also has a resident gaming club so they have their own terrain, tables etc. Food and drink provided, lots of space, good staff and judegs. Heroclix tournaments are held there every two weeks with other players around for friendly games all the time. They charge 5 dollars entry for constructed events which goes towards buying extra prizes. That way everyone who plays gets something. Le's for first and fellowship and sometimes second place too. Fellowship is based on a voting system, you give your opponent a score of 1- 10 after each game with the highest scorer over all getting fellowship. Lots of good players with a variety of skills go here. Usually 8 to 12 players at each event, no cheesy teams, nobody I hate playing against. ***** rating

[the-brain]

I live out in the middle of nowhere in St. Marys, Georgia. The only place here is called Wajawant Comics Plus. This place is great, they always have tourneys (at least one a day since they play so many different games). The owners are good people who trade well and give bulk-rate prices. The coolest thing, though is that on Mondays the shop is closed, but if you ask Jason he'll open the store to play what we call "Life-Sized MechWar". (Basically, the shop stays closed and we use the whole place to play 2000 point games of MW with up to 8 people.)

[gnrlturner]

I live in San Luis Obispo and there is only two venues that I go to. Games Exchange in Los Osos and The Game Room in Grover City...err Beach. Both are really cool and I haven't had any problems. I've heard that the Santa Maria Kids cheat, but I haven't been able to play them yet.

[Valandar]

Memphis Tennessee... Big Tom is awesome.

[Xavier PhD]

Originally posted by gopperhopper
Hey in central Texas one of the best comic/gaming stores that I have been to is Heroes and Fantasies-New Braunfels. The staff is great and they the issue of space that is not a problem there, they have a seperate store just for tournaments and open play.

agreed, the new braunfels venue has a great judge and very friendly players. I've only been there once, but it was a great venue and i hope to come back soon for good competition.

although the $7 entry fee is the steepest i've seen around these parts to enter a heroclix tournament.

[gopperhopper]

hey xavier the thing about the 7$ is that 5$ goes into a "pot" to buy boosters and all for 1-4 places, the more people that show up, the better prizes are offered. Thats why this place ROCKS!! ANd Xavier come down every Saturday. Sorry to everyone else.

[Terman8er]

I have played at a few in the Atlanta area. Here are my ratings for them.

Age of Excalibur (Jonesboro) 4 stars
-My regular venue, I am the promary Judge throught the summer, giving the regular Judge a break. Aside from a lack of space, a small store, everything is great. And I make sure everyone goes home with something.

T & T Toys (Gwinett) 5 stars
-Everything about this place ROCKS! Huge playing area, great prize support and friendly players. Only wish I lived closer.

Champions (Smyrna) 3 1/2 stars
-I have only played there once and it lasted only 2 rounds (came in third). Limited space (tables are rather narrow) but good support from the owner and the players are very friendly.

The Dragon's Horde (Stone Mountain) 2 1/2 stars
-This place, only played there once, gets a lower ranking due to atmosphere...or lack there of. The players and the Judge were great. It seemed that the store was a WWII left over though...eww.....prize support? Yeah...OK.

[Xavier PhD]

Originally posted by gopperhopper
ANd Xavier come down every Saturday. Sorry to everyone else.

haha i wish i could, but new braunfels is a bit far of a drive, but you can expect me or my brother coming down in a few weeks for sure.

good venue: xcalibur in San Antonio, Texas
judge: top notch, probably the most well versed judge concerning the rules in SA. He ALWAYS runs tournaments that are not rushed and have ample rounds. also he follows the official rules EXACTLY. no screwy house rules that only long time venue players know about. this makes it extremely easy for new people that play to join in. tournament always runs without a hitch, on time and very fun thanks to this judge.

store: amazingly nice and cooperative. unlike other stores they seem to realize that the more hospitable they are, the more loyal customers they get. the store has lots of place to play and sometimes throws in a booster or two for the 2nd and another random player. NO CHARGE FOR THE TOURNAMENT... i've found it quite disturbing that some stores (especially a chain of stores in SA that will remain nameless) charge money to play for free LE's... but maybe thats because i'm spoiled by xcalibur.

competition: probably the best comp in SA. i'd say an average crowd of 15 or so. some of the players i noticed do take the game a little too seriously, but overall the atmosphere is fun while being competitive between players. i'd say almost every player is moderate to advanced skill level, insuring a challange every round.

---------------------

for anyone in SA or coming in from out of town for the weekend, definitely hit this place up for top notch heroclix comp.

[scowlingone]

Two venues in Victoria, BC, Canada:

Yellowjacket Comics: **** Four stars. Lots of tournaments, no entry fee, always have prize support, very friendly staff, knowledgeable store envoy and very supportive of the players. They lose one star only because they very rarely get tourneys started on time and their gaming space is very crowded because their store is quite narrow.

Curious Comics: **** Four stars. Again, lots of tournaments, no entry fee, always have prize support, very friendly staff, knowlegeable store envoy and very supportive of the players. They lose one star only because they schedule some really weird times for some of their tourneys (like 5:30 on a Sunday evening or 1:00 pm on a Friday afternoon to attract the kids during the summer, making it hard for us working stiffs to attend).

The local non-venue envoys are also really great; Jon is the town's 'main' envoy for many WK games, including HeroClix, and he's very knowledgeable and fair. Jeremy does some judging of HeroClix events at Curious and, again, is very knowledgeable and fair. And sometimes if they're not judging, they'll play, and both are great players, too.

Really, we've got it all in this town.

[sniksder]

Two venues in the Orlando, FL area stand out

Every Saturday at 1 at "The Gathering Place" in Casselberry, FL - Great Judge Hideyoshi, usually have between 8 to 10 people, always have LE's.

And "Coliseum of Comics" in Orlando, also another great judge Todosi, usually 2 tournaments a week Saturdays and Wed/Thur during the week, you pay a small fee here to play but most of the people playing usually walk away with either a LE of booster, great place as well.

[GMSLegion]

I'm going to second Termin8r's five-star rating for T&T Toys in Duluth. Without question the best prize support I've ever heard of, and a really great store staff. The place is louder than a Chuck E. Cheese fulla kids having birthdays, but there are some great folks playing good games.

I'll also agree that Champion deserves 3-&-a half. I'm not wholly pleased with the gaming experience there, but the prize support is pretty darn good. Heroclix clearly isn't as important to the shop as MechWarrior.

Great Escape gets 4 stars from me. While one of the worst comic shops in north Georgia, they do a fabulous job with tournies: lots of silly themes and scenarios, a good number of prizes, very friendly folks and a really great play area -- a vacant space once occupied by a travel agent with isolated rooms. Also, your $3 entry fee goes into a fund to laminate the maps and buy chairs.

Finally, despite being the best comic shop in tha ATL with the best staff, Dr. No's gets only 2 stars for its stinktastic prize support. If I did not live two miles from this shop, I would not play here.

[Colesy Kid]

Does anyone live in Ontario Canada?

I have yet to play at the only venue in Peterborough (Jeffs) but I would if anyone has any positive input about it...please tell.

Also if you are from the area...do you think another venue would survive?


Cheers for the help

[the_doughboy]

You've probably heard some of us talk about Comic Warehouse in Brampton its not too bad, plenty of players, good staff, they sell pretty good singles, have a good price on boosters, a nice place to play, up front, in the Comic Cafe instead of in a dingy basement.

The Judge is great too: Xanth (Yes I'm looking for brownie points.) And it produces some good players too because the competition is awesome.

[ontapmedia]

I'm really glad people are responmding to this post and think it serves a great purpose.

I wish they posted a list like this on HCRealms (as I think they have less of an obligation to list every venue without casting any shade on them.) I think Customer reviews really give you a fair understanding of what to expect.

Especially when I read about people driving 45-2 hours and ending up having a bad experience or no experience at all. I played a game once where my opponent was a 14 year old who's mom had driven him from Yuma Arizona because the competition was not good there.

I hate to tell you but he didn't win one of three games. I hope he had fun anyway.

So please keep up the great reports.

I think it'd be cool if HCRealms being a community site adopted this thread or gave it, it's own spot permanatly so clixers can always find out if it's worth making the trip before going.

But Keep in mind. at least 50% of the experience is yourself. IF we want a venue to be good we have to make our own effort to make it better. By participating and by telling the venue how it could be better in a polite and corrective criticism manner

[Xavier PhD]

i defenitely think they should start up a forum for venue reviews. and then they should make sub forums for each region so it would be easier to find the venue that you are looking for... this would be a great resource for people that want to play tournaments... and maybe wizkids might pay attention too.

[Kell31]

I personally have to vote for GREEN BRAIN COMICS, in Dearborn, Michigan. The staff here is always thinking of new ways to make sure the gamers are happy. Sometimes we all chip in so everyone gets in the very least a booster. Also they make sure to handle the prize support well. Every so oftne there is a hickup but the owners listen to the gamers and try to resolve all issues. Also because it is a good core of guys you will usually find the first place player giving away his prize if he already has it instead or running to Evilbay.com. All in all this venue rocks and is only getting better. I just wish i had more time to play.

[boneyard]

The group I've been playing with in San Jose, CA is based out of "Brian's Books" though the playing location moves around.

While the caliber of the players is very high, they are all very friendly and willing to help out new players. They made me feel very welcome right away!

Prize support has been there (no stolen LE's showing up on ebay!) and the judging is very fair!

[mathmonk]

South Jersey (Moorestown)

I've only played @ one venue, Odyssey, but give it 3 stars.
The judge and group there get 5
(we are moving next month to Wizards in the mall due to "circumstances beyond our control" ;)

Oh yeah, we have only had 2 or 3 powergamers ever show up, and if they came back, they left their FIre####s at home ;)

[b5garak]

Here are the Venue's that I think are worth checking out

Chardon Cards & Comics / Chardon, OH (East of Cleveland, OH) ****1/2

This venue is outstanding, both Judges here are fair and everyone is real nice. The only negative thing I have to say is about one of the Players, but the venue can't be responsible for that.

Goblin Trading Company / Cleveland,OH *****

This venue is outstanding, all the players are real cool to clix with. The Judge is cool and knowledgeable about all wizkids products

North Shore Comics / Northbrook, IL ****

I have only been here once, but I have liked what I saw. They even have a Junior Division for kids under 15 to keep out all of those powergamers.

Crooked Hat Games / Schaumburg. IL ******

I have only been here once, but this Venue is the best place I have played. I had a friend who was new to the game and everyone helped him out during a tournament. I mentioned this place before in a post way back in April. It's a real treat.


Someone needs to start a thread about venues to Avoid, I've got a couple in mind.

[ontapmedia]

I started this thread as a more balanced list of venues. So my suggestion is to post reviews of the venue in your area. One post with all the venues and give a brief description of each. If you only play one venue that;s fine tell us what your thoughts are on it. what makes it special? What could they improve upon?

Hey if HCRealms moderators are reading please consider this list or creating one like it in a permanent fashion here on the site.

I like Xavier's idea of a search venue option tied in with a read/post your opinions on the venue.

[ontapmedia]

keep this thread alive

[DieselEMT]

Massque Collectables (Northridge, CA) is a great venue. Great prize support and an owner/judge who obviously really enjoys and is trying to rally support behind HeroClix. Case in point: the shop was overrun by a dozen Yu-Ji-Oh-playing kids on a rainy, miserable Saturday, but he cleared room for just four of us to throw down then offered 1st, 2nd and Fellowship Prizes.

I encourage anyone in the LA area to check 'em out at www.mqc.biz.

[b5garak]

Anyone got anymore?

[Squee]

The Heroes and Fantasies on bandera in SA is real nice too. they have a good staff and it is nicley run. the one one bitters is the closest to me but the never get anybody to show up.(at least when i come:cry: )

[RayRayJ]

A shout-out to mah boyz at Pandemonium in Garden City, MI. It's where even a thug can get his click on on a Sattaday aftanoon, when tha drive-bys is usually tha most prevalent. But know dat it barbecue season Ima have ta cut back, but mosta da peeps be cool, an tha comp be tight. I ain't tha world's greatest Clicka but I kin holds mah own. It's competitive but usually stops short a bein' cutthroat. An Jeff an Mark be solid judge pieces. An if iny a y'all wants a piece of the RayRay to tha J, just bring ya a$$ on ova to Pandemonium, 1pm on Sattadayz. Ova!

[Skandranon]

Hey, are there any people out here in Kingston, Ontario? I feel so alone, only a few people to play with...

[Hippie_Rob]

I play at a couple of venues

The Game Zone, Spring Lake , NC
Great venue, lots of space, and great people to play with.
the entry fee is to simply buy a booster pack, take the highest pointed figure or Unique and place it in the "pot", along with 2 or 3(for bigger turnouts)LEs. 1st place gets first pick and a free booster, 2nd place gets next pick and a free booster, 3rd through however many are left get to pick from the pot, so everyone goes home with something.

The Hobbit , Fayetteville, NC
This is not a tourney venue, but they do offer a free environment and lots of space to play. Every Saturday they open up the bingo hall right next door, everyone is invited and any game can be seen being played there at any time. Gothic, Crimson Skies, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Heroclix, Magic the Gathering, and lots of games I've never even heard of. Plus the staff there get an A+ for service.

[Thorgrin]

Dragon's Lair in Round Rock, TX is a great venue! Judges always there on time, even have a backup system in case a judge is running late or can't make it (well the judges know each other, so it's easy to substitute). Everything is on the up and up and plenty of tables to play.

[ontapmedia]

Fullerton, CA

Hey,

I played a new venue out of my neck of the woods yesterday so here's a new review.

I played at 21st Century Comics in Fullerton California. It is a real great comic store and shop for related items. They get a pretty decent crowd. I think there were about 12-15 people there. Game was 500 points and was officiated by Billy.

It was a bit different because the games were played outside on tables not large enough to support the maps. Some cardboard was provided but was not completely satisfactory.

The games seemed rush or inconsistently timed. Crowd was very nice. I played three players Aaron, Isreal, and Joe and they were all great players with fantastic sportmanship.

I was a little unclear with how they score thier games because they had you double your victory point and add that to your survivors total. I'm not used to that set up.

Overall the venue was good but would have appreciated if it was run more organized. So I'm giving it **** 4 out of 5 stars.

-Ontapmedia.

[AZS]

I've been to just about every venue in my area, and aside from one hypocritical stand out, just about all of them have been exceptional.

Brave New Worlds in Jenkintown is my main haunt. They have a lot of space and a friendly crowd. The attendance has been on the rise too, up to 12 players recently (from an average of 6 or 8.)

NeoQuest games is good. The people are friendly and the games are held regularly.

Out in Jersey, Stormwatch comics is a little cramped, but they get a fantastic turn out for regular Monday night tournaments. And you won’t find a nicer Judge or Store owner anywhere else.

Garden of Earthly Delights is an unfortunately named store, but they make up for it with really friendly people and regular tournaments every single Friday night.

Down in Delaware Days Of Knights game room seems straight out of “Dork Tower” with D&D kids and yugio, but they have some good players that always give me a fun game. And they hold unusual tournaments that are typically large (1000 pts) and themed, for added fun.

Challenging “Garden” for strangest name is Captain Blue Hen Comics down the block for Days of Knights. They hold their tournaments in a coffee house, so there’s always fresh brew and a scone for sympathy after losing a game.

For my own plug, I’m starting games in Blue Bell Pa (near Norristown and King of Prussia) at Infinite Quests. The owners are really excited to be hosting HC, and they have lot of space for games on Thursday nights. (twice a month, check WK for dates.) :)

I’m sure I’ve missed a few places, and sorry if I did. But just about everywhere I’ve been has been great, so I’m pretty lucky to live in an area with so many fine venues.

[ontapmedia]

Hey I just want to make sure people are seeing this thread and are understanding how valued their opinions can be here. So please tellus about your city and you opinions on thier venues. If you were unimpressed give some ideas of what needs to be improved. Try to refrain from non-helpful comments like "such and such place Sux!!!!" Tell us why it sucks what can it do to improve. What does it need and how will that effect your satisfaction with the gaming experience.

keep posting, - T.

[kingma15]

I live in Sydney, Australia.

I have played at two gaming venues and have found them both to be outstanding!

The Phantom Zone. This is a comic book store with two chains in the Sydney metro area. They used to run at Chatswood, but are moving to the Parramatta store for the next tourney. Top place to play, friendly judge and group of people. Highly recommended.
http://www.phantomzone.com.au

I also play at the Western Suburbs Games Society, at 94 Kildare Road Blacktown. Once again, superb judges and a great bunch of guys to play against.

Both venues have LEs as prizes, and a lucky (or unlucky - depending on who you get) dip for figures at the end of the competition.

I think the friendly atmosphere at these two venues have contributed to my newfound plastic crack addiction!

I would strongly suggest you check out these places if you live in Sydney

[ontapmedia]

great review Kingma15.

[webtroll]

Why not, I can throw in on this one. I live and play in around a 60 mile area. I drive a long way into work, so I have no fear of driving a ways to go to a venue. And so the list begins:

Misty Mountain (Madison, WI) *****
While I would love to plug my own venue, this is the best of the best. Lots of gaming space, the Judge is a great guy that even went so far as to buy three boosters for last night's CJ sealed so a kid who showed up expecting a constructed could play. (In a display of karma he got Martian Manhunter.) No charge to play, so only the two LEs for prizes, but the store is great and all the players are top notch.

Pegasus Games (Madison, WI) ****
There are only a couple of things that really take this place down in my opinion. The space is an issue. I hate having to fold maps to play, so occassionally there are issues there. And the staff sometimes can get on a clixters nerves. Competition is normally good, occassionally there is a hunter come to town with his Firelord's in hand, but otherwise a good place.

Mr. Underhill's Games and Diversions (Johnson Creek, WI ) ****
I do like this place. The Judge is always doing scenarios and mixing it up and there are always at least 12 to 16 people there. They do only run two tournaments a month, but for your buy in there are always boosters thrown into the mix. The one thing I could see changed would be more space. Normally there are three to four people on a map, which leads to some bum-rushing on your friendly, neighborhood troll -- which leads to Brother Troll toting in with "Dr. Boom" in tow. But the play is competitive and always fun -- even when fending off the world. :)

Kryptonite Kollektibles (Janesville, WI) ***
The same group as the Johnson Creek store (for the most part), although they run faster rounds and the Judge is the same guy, the staff there is not what you would call "customer service oriented" to say the least. While it is close by and the players are mostly the same group, between the staff, some louder more obnoxious youngsters (that don't make it to the Creek) and that it conflicts with MechWarrior Wednesday, I cannot play here often.

Emerald Dragonfly (Fort Atkinson, WI) see below
<insert src="shameless_plug.mp3"> This is my venue. I judge here and own it. It is a storage space area above my wife's crafts and collectibles shop (stained glass mostly) that I run MechWarrior and HeroClix at. Not high tech, and when my wife lets the dog out he comes up to visit, but it lends to a nice homey feel. We usually pull in about 6 to 8 people including local kids who never make it in to the larger towns for tournaments (unless I drive them). Good fun, and we always insure all players leave with a figure or two.

The Last Square (Madison, WI) ***
Players here are good. Sportsmans all around and enjoy the game. The staff here are good -- they treat customers well, and do what they can to help promote a good play area. The space really knocks this down. They normally only have room to run two maps at a time. This may have changed as I don't go there often, but a troll has to spend time with his family some time. Personally I would be more than willing to give this place another try, and intend to do so for the upcoming marquee (along with a number of the other venues listed above). ;)

That covers the places I know of. More to come as I make it out to other venues...

[ontapmedia]

Webtroll, thanks for contributing

[webtroll]

Whatever Doom wills of me... :cheeky:

[Hotwheelsguy]

Hello all, I work at a comic book Store in Moreno Valley Ca. We have tournaments every other Saturday. Anyone is welcome to join. Tournaments are free to play. There will be one this Saturday July 5th. Hope to see some new faces there.

[WudluvaCold1]

Like ontapmedia I also live in the san diego area. and have only been able to get to one tournament it was at wizrds of the coast. It was really fun, all the players were really kind to newcomers like myself. Last week I planned to go back and play in the weekend tournament and wanted to find out if there was a theme. So I called , first the lady who answered the phone was clueless she didnt even know about any tournaments, so she asked a co worker .came back on the phone said yes there is a heroclix tourney. Then i asked what was the theme (because I only have Marvel) she put down the phone. And i could hear her talking cocky poopy doody so I hung up, and didnt go to the tourny ,but I glad to know there are different venues I could go to

[mathmonk]

Judge for our venue was forced to change locations, (**** owners). The group form Odyssey in moorestown, NJ has moved successfully to Wizards in the mall.
Unfortunately wizards charges about a dollar over retail for Clix :-( Also, our larger numbers are really pushing the small space alloted in the back of the store...
Otherwise four stars

[JimB]

Looking for players for friendly games in Holland, Michigan. We can play either Marvel or DC, I prefer Marvel though.

[bladesword]

grand forks nd has two great venues

barry's collectable corner
and
software ect/game stop

[doobie711]

The best place i've found in louisville is called pet shop comics. The owner is one of the nicest people i've met. For instance: every other tournament i've been in they charge you $5 just to get in and you get a l.e. if you end up 1st and 2nd, but up there it's $5 but you get a box of whatever set you want just for playing and i've even seen the owner give away l.e.s for 1st-4th. He has dc tournaments every tuesday and marvel every friday. i've only been in 3 tournaments there but theres always a prety good crowd of like 16 people. Oh yeah, and i've heard alot of people complain on here about turtling and people stalling to get the victory, well that doesn't happen there because he plays each person gets 10 turns and whoever is ahead after that wins. If you live near louisville you should give it a try sometime.

[Mr.Splatter]

Which of the ATL locales is clickin today on the 27th?

[4AD_Punk]

COMIC CASTLE is the best place to play Heroclix in Austin, Texas. Tourneys every Wednesday and Saturday with a good community of nice guys that won't cut your throat over petty aspects of the game.

[Kryptic]

ya i wish there was as many places to hold tournies and play out here as there are in your areas. i mean i've recently started playing but theres absolutely no places to go that arent like a hour or so away that i can think of or actually find. i live in garden grove [orange country in south] cali and there isnt 1 anywhere. if anyone knows of a place that actually holds these tournaments or just even free play please pm me of post it here so i can see if i can get to it somehow.
thnx
Kryptic

[Kryptic]

ya i wish there was as many places to hold tournies and play out here as there are in your areas. i mean i've recently started playing but theres absolutely no places to go that arent like a hour or so away that i can think of or actually find. i live in garden grove [orange country in south] cali and there isnt 1 anywhere. if anyone knows of a place that actually holds these tournaments or just even free play please pm me of post it here so i can see if i can get to it somehow.
thnx
Kryptic

[ontapmedia]

Hey Kryptic,
I'm new to California myself. I live in San Diego and we have about 5 locations here. I have played in Orange County However in Fullerton at 21st Century Comics. But if you haven't by all means go to the wizkidsgames.com site and type in your information in the event search section. It should throw back some locations within your area.

Good Luck, - Terrence

[hair10]

I'm the primary envoy for Acme Comics in Peoria, IL so I won't do any rating (I figure I'm kind of biased!), but I'll give a quick run down of some things I see....

Acme itself doesn't have room to run tourneys so they are held at the Peoria Pizza Works, which is actually pretty cool cause they have great food!

Acme's staff is always very friendly and they give a slight discount on boosters and other merchandise during the tourney.

There is never a charge to play.

Acme doesn't want to run many sealed tourneys (I specifically asked when I became a judge and started scheduling events). They feel that people want to play with the figs that they have and with the armies they build and not be forced into buying more of what they may not need. Way cool! Acme is more interested in player/customer satisfaction than making money from the events!

I usually run scenarios (specific build conditions for armies). It's very rarely anything simple like "300 pt Marvel". It's usually something like brusier brawls, team affiliation games, etc. It keeps the cheese down. Not that a lot of cheese ends up here.

Although competative, my player base is very friendly and we rarely have a cheese problem. Players are always helping each other out and generally have a good time (even when loosing).

If you're in the area and would like to play, drop me a line at superheroclix@hotmail.com.

[four_winds]

Geckos Comics,Kailua *****(5 stars)
We have the BEST venue on the island.Anywhere from 6-15 players on a thursday,ages 10-50,me being 30 next wednesday and no power gamers.Theres never an entry fee except for the marquee and our judge mordantos always mixes up if its going to be DC or Marvel, point build totals and interesting and fun scenarios.At the end of every tourney everyone who didnt win 1st or fellowship get to pull a random fig from mordantos' extras and Ive scored some sweet figs that I liked more than the prize LE's.The owner and guys who run Geckos are cool as ice and always willing to help with comics between games.This is bar none the best place to play in Hawaii an if any of you do come to visit,bring your clix and check us out,you wont be dissapointed.Remember to tell 'em Alika (four_winds) sent you.Aloha!

[mathmonk]

hair, I think you would see a lot of cheese, playing at a pizza place...

sorry, couldn't resist

[CquinnO27]

Originally posted by Xavier PhD
good venue: xcalibur in San Antonio, Texas
judge: top notch, probably the most well versed judge concerning the rules in SA. He ALWAYS runs tournaments that are not rushed and have ample rounds. also he follows the official rules EXACTLY. no screwy house rules that only long time venue players know about. this makes it extremely easy for new people that play to join in. tournament always runs without a hitch, on time and very fun thanks to this judge.

store: amazingly nice and cooperative. unlike other stores they seem to realize that the more hospitable they are, the more loyal customers they get. the store has lots of place to play and sometimes throws in a booster or two for the 2nd and another random player. NO CHARGE FOR THE TOURNAMENT... i've found it quite disturbing that some stores (especially a chain of stores in SA that will remain nameless) charge money to play for free LE's... but maybe thats because i'm spoiled by xcalibur.

competition: probably the best comp in SA. i'd say an average crowd of 15 or so. some of the players i noticed do take the game a little too seriously, but overall the atmosphere is fun while being competitive between players. i'd say almost every player is moderate to advanced skill level, insuring a challange every round.




I do not play that much any more, but I agree. The judge for this venue is probably the most helpful and fair judge I have met. He is very keen on getting new comers into the hobby. Very fun guy to know and play under. I have been to a few other venues in San Antonio but they don't come close.
Highly recommend checking it out if you live in the SA area.

[Marc Spector]

Man I wished I had a really good venue to go to around here but all three venues that have tournament sanctioned play haven't worked well for me. There is one in the mall that has pretty decent judge, but for one thing some of the regulars would tell about these off the wall rulings he made that were false. the other thing is that he only holds one sanctioned tourney a week and the other is an unsanctioned tourney is judged by the the manager who doesn't know much about the rules. The second one I haven't really tried but there is one gamer there that keeps me from going based on the horror stories of this guy cheating and not much being done about it because he is a judge (I thought judges couldn't play in tourneys or at least the rules say so). The last one is only place I go to for sanctioned play but sometimes I wished I didn't. The kids can be rude, some of them cheat , and one them whines to me over stupid stuff. One example is when there was no prize support and boosters were handed out instead, the judge/employee was about to hand him booster with GL on it, but then handed me the GL booster and gave the kid a booster with Penguin. It turns out he pulled Vet Penguin as his best and I got Despero. Since then, he complains to me of how I owe him a Despero and it should have been his. The latest problem I've had is that no one will show because they all hate the new rules (which by the way they haven't even tried and even in effect yet) and sanctioned tourneys have been cancelled even though I'm the only one who has been showing. I'm not sure if anyone can help me on this, but is the venue/judge supposed to hand out 1st and sportsmanship to the person that shows for the tourney if he/she is only one person? I thought they were required to although I'm still not sure. I still find it a little unfair that this venue can post its sanctioned tourney days and then cancel them because not enough people will play. At least they could call me, since they have my number, to tell me there is notourney because I don't live a couple blocks from the store like all these kids seem to.

[bladestalker]

judges can play in tourneys.

can't they?

[hair10]

Originally posted by mathmonk
hair, I think you would see a lot of cheese, playing at a pizza place...
Heh. Yah, you'd think so, wouldn't you. :)

Originally posted by Marc Spector
I'm not sure if anyone can help me on this, but is the venue/judge supposed to hand out 1st and sportsmanship to the person that shows for the tourney if he/she is only one person? I thought they were required to although I'm still not sure.
If only one person shows, he gets the 1st place prize. If two show, you play the game to see who gets first and who gets fellowship (really 2nd place if only 2 people there). Any prize support that isn't given out is held onto and should be given away at another tourney.

Originally posted by bladestalker
judges can play in tourneys.

can't they?
No. The only time I will play in a tourney is if I have an odd number of players and someone is getting a bye. I'll play that player if he wants to play. But he doesn't get any points from our game, it's just to give him something to do while waiting for the others. His points are an average of all the other winning players points.

[Oldguynewbie]

they can't play in their own tourneys, or tourneys being held during the same time they're listed as running a tourney.

[bladestalker]

I don't recall seeing that in the envoy info.

[hair10]

Maybe I misread the question. Judges can play in tourneys as long as it's not their own tourney that they are running. Anyone else's tourney is fair game.

[Marc Spector]

I see. The way I interpreted the rule as posted in the general rules (i think it's in the general tournament rules) is that judges and venues can't play period. it didn't sound right but I wasn't sure. Sorry to all the judges that I may have scared. As for what you said about prize support Hair, can they be allowed to not give prize support even if I am the only one who shows for a tourney?

[hair10]

Originally posted by Marc Spector
As for what you said about prize support Hair, can they be allowed to not give prize support even if I am the only one who shows for a tourney?
Nope. If someone shows, they have to give out prize support.

[bladestalker]

here's my scenario.

a) I'm the judge, three guys show for a tourney. no one wants a Buy.

b) I'm the judge who drives 200+ miles to run a tourney, everyone asks me to play. Again everyone hates a buy.

I do so. lose. :) then drive 200+ miles home.

PS I like to give my LE's as second place. So far I've run 6 tourneys, with no prize support from Wizkids.

how in teh wrong am I.

[hair10]

Marc Spector... If any judge or envoy gives you any flak about it, tell them to look at a post by Magister (James Carrott) in the Envoy Announcement forum of WK site. The post is called "Fewer than four registered players at an event?" In it, James states...

"If only one player shows up at your event, that player is the winner of the tournament, and receives the first place prize. If two or more players show up, you must run the entire tournament and award the prizes accordingly. The event may be cancelled if no players show up at all, in which case just report the event accordingly. Any "leftover" prize support must be awarded to players at a WizKids sanctioned event (venue-supported is fine)--it may not be kept by the venue or envoy and may not under any circumstances be sold."

I keep hearing about venues/judges that turn people away if only a couple show up. Or they don't run the event saying it was "cancelled". This is absolutely against WK policy. If anything like this happens, report it to Wizkids ASAP.

[bladestalker]

As a player I've arrived at tourneys where just that happened.

sucks arriving and getting an LE for nothing. Gave that one to another store in town for free.

[Marc Spector]

Thanks Hair. Sadly this has been happening the past couple weeks. Sadly whoever is working seems to be the judge and doesn't keep on the rules. I'll bring that up next time that happens. Thanks again

[ontapmedia]

Without offense can we try to keep the discussion here on topic for reports on venues around the world and / or country.

I started this thread as a information based area to help new players and all players really make better choices on where they can have a great and fun experience playing this great game.

While I respect your opinions on judging and how best to delegate LE's and prizes and what constitutes as proper distribution it really deserves it's own thread.

I would prefer to keep this thread to post on people's rating of a venue and overview of location within the person's destination.

Ie: I live in San Diego and formerly lived in New York City. I typed in reports of venues in those places and many others saw the value in this thread and continued to follow the trend so please keep the thread going "on topic"

Let's not allow this thread to fall to misplaced conversations that are worthy of their own threads. So by all means have these conversations either on another thread or in a Private message but not here. Thanks. - Terrence

[hair10]

No problem Terrence... anyone know of a good venue/judge in the St. Louis area? My brother just got into playing and he's just on the IL side of STL.

[bladestalker]

got it.

High Octane Games in Kamloops BC Canada is great!!

So Is Imperial Hobbies in Richmond BC Canada.

[Criosphinx]

Originally posted by doobie711
The best place i've found in louisville is called pet shop comics. The owner is one of the nicest people i've met. For instance: every other tournament i've been in they charge you $5 just to get in and you get a l.e. if you end up 1st and 2nd, but up there it's $5 but you get a box of whatever set you want just for playing and i've even seen the owner give away l.e.s for 1st-4th. He has dc tournaments every tuesday and marvel every friday. i've only been in 3 tournaments there but theres always a prety good crowd of like 16 people. Oh yeah, and i've heard alot of people complain on here about turtling and people stalling to get the victory, well that doesn't happen there because he plays each person gets 10 turns and whoever is ahead after that wins. If you live near louisville you should give it a try sometime.

I've actually played at Pet Shop once myself. I believe it was a 300 Marvel, ALL Vets. tourney. Maybe you were there? It was a bit ago, so maybe not. And MOST of the people there are very nice guys. I'm sure you're one of the nice ones, right? ^_^ One thing I liked was the way they did bye rounds, making it more fair than just a lousy 300.

However, the very best judge that I've ever seen in Louisville is Jonathan... I don't know his last name. He used to run his events at Something To Do in the Oxmoor Mall before it shut down. He was a FANTASTIC judge in the best meaning of the word. Very fair, very attentive, and EVERYBODY got a prize (all 17 of us). He started running stuff again somewhere else, but I'm not sure where. I'll have to check that out...

[calmlikeabomb]

A really good venue if ur in san francisco, ca on tuesdays is Gamescape:cool:. its a kick ### store.they also host othere games like mechwarrior,warhammer fantasy and 40k.:laugh:

[Summoner Geek]

Underground Games in Charlotte, NC is a great place to play. Playes there are friendly and easy-going (no power gamers) The facilities are great and they have different tournament ideas every week. You can check them out at
www.undergroundgamesofcharlotte.com

[ontapmedia]

Keep this thread alive

[Big_Fish]

YA!! Whooooo High Octane! awesome store run by awesome people, the tournaments are always fun, and they give LEs for first and sportsmanship, sometimes to random people too, Loads of fun, only problem is when tournament days clash with magic tournaments,....Those Kids are really annoying

[ontapmedia]

Big Fish ... how about telling us where you are in the world so we know where High Octane is?

What days do they run their tournaments?

[lukebuchanan]

Anyone live in S.C.? I used to go to all the venues in Greenville S.C., but now that I live in Spartanburg I go to

Heroes Haven.....Chesnee S.C. ****1/2

Four and a half out of five because their kid always winds up throwing my pieces!:) They give out LE's for first, open 3-4 boosters for everyone else and have a great time doing it. They even poll us as to what we want the next tourney formats to be. Great place, and Borderlands in Greenville is where I'm going to start playing again.

Luke B. Appreciative

[ontapmedia]

great review Lukebuchanan.

[lorudan]

Just got into Heroclix and now fiending for a place to play. I bought my first figures at Gamescape in San Francisco, where they play, but a 50 mile round trip drive and a 5 dollar bridge toll is steep =P. The local stores ARE selling heroclix..theres gotta be folks playing here!

PS Every time i try and use that player lookup on the wizkids site it "operation aborted" errors me...and this does nto happen at any other site i visit...

[ontapmedia]

Hey have you tried to just look through the California searches.

Don't type a city or zip. Just put in the state and search through the listings.

Most things are listed as San Diego but some are listed by their neighborhoods.

So some times a more general search is more helpful.

- Terrence

[mageknight]

The store FAN-TASTIC the place Dunnellon Florida. I give it a ***** i just like the store. There are tournaments every tuesday from 5:00 to 7:00. Entry is free but right now we only have about 4 people playing.

[Coz77]

For all the Aussies out there, I play at Burwood in Sydney NSW and its a great venue. We get between 10 to 20 players each weekend depending on whats going on and its a great crowd. So for any locals looking for a game, we are a great crowd, come along and join us.

Also, for any clix players living in Australia, the Australian nationals are being held over the June long weekend at Centrepoint convention centre in Sydney. There are 3 seperate nationals with DC on saturday, Marvel on Sunday, and Indy on monday with a Galactus up for grabs. Its going to be a great weekend.

Please see www.gamescape.com.au for detils.

Its going to rock!

[mageknight]

Never mind my post my venue is closing :(.

[Cheng]

I started a thread looking for venues in Northern CA, where I'm relocating, but it was pulled (the mods continue their quest to alienate as many members as possible and drag this site down).

Anyway, I saw a review for Game Scape in San Fran, which I might try, but I'll be in Fremont. Any reviews closer to that area?

[Dr_Banner]

Do any of you good fellows know anywhere to play in Los Angeles? I have only ever played with my friends, and I want to know if i'm any good at all.

[ontapmedia]

Hey Doc,

Sorry I live in SD. Are you coming to the con?

In any case it's not uncommon to be beaten for awhile in tournament play because we have all played the game a bit differently till we saw how certain rules or powers were used in tournament play. Interpetation of powers and game mechanics in tournament play are often misunderstood in home play.

Cheng ... any updates on venues or have you been too busy adjusting to your new set up?

- T.

[hail_eris]

Jeez, doesn't anyone else play in Chicago? RavenProject's events up at Pastimes have a lock on the 'burbs, but the absolute best venue in the city proper is Watchtower Comics on Lawrence and Western. Tournaments every Saturday (like clockwork), a great mix of people (all levels of competition - and do not underestimate the kids - one of them walked home with Galactus a couple weeks ago with a well-constructed, original team and extremely solid play), and a downright lactose intolerance of cheese. Adam, the shop owner, is genuinely good people. They frequently order takeout from one of the neighborhood restaurants to keep gamers fed, and getting a bye just means that someone will challenge you to a game of Vs. or D&D minis. They've been hosting tournaments for almost two years, but word is just starting to get out about the place. There are a few regulars who spend two hours on the subway just to get there - the atmosphere is really that good...

[amory]

I was just recently turned on to Hero-Clix by a friend, and now the only problem is I can't find anywhere to play or buy. Anyone know of any venues in the Houston area?

[Kryptic]

just a Q. What exactly are battle royals and what are the rules for them? ANyone know? Cuz i plan on playing in them on Fri. until sun and im not sure what I need to bring. THnx in advance for the help.

[fewilcox]

Originally posted by Kryptic
just a Q. What exactly are battle royals and what are the rules for them? ANyone know? Cuz i plan on playing in them on Fri. until sun and im not sure what I need to bring. THnx in advance for the help.

Battle Royale is sealed so all you'll need to take is the price of one booster (and dice and counters and such). The players are divided in to pods of four people. The four people draft their four boosters and then play a 4-way. When only two people are left they join up with the two winners from another pod and play another 4-way (WITHOUT HEALING THEIR FIGS BETWEEN ROUNDS). This repeats until there are only 4 players left in the tournament. Those four play until only one remains.

[fewilcox]

There two venues in downtown Asheville, NC.

One is mine, Craftish Geeks. We're a little small but we've got more space dedicated to gaming tables than to merchandise and my wife and are both avid gamers so we know our stuff.

The judge is great. hehe. He's me. 8O)

The other venue downtown is The Sword & The Grail. They have more space than we do but no air-conditioning. Also, most of the gaming space is downstairs making access difficult for disabled people like me. Alex, the owner, is really cool and also judges his own tournaments.

I actually like having another venue 3 blocks away. It means i don't have to go far on those rare Saturdays when we don't have a tourney.

btw, except for Marquees, our HC tourneys are always on Tuesdays and our MK tourneys are always on Mondays so we don't conflict with S&G who does all of their WK tourneys on the weekends. That gives everybody two chances a week to win LEs. 8o)

[fewilcox]

It just hit me that my info on Battle Royale is a little late. Sorry.

[proteus]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post here since it's a judges only forum, but I live in Normal Il. I play in two venues in Normal and two venues in Peoria Il.

Acme Comics (Normal) Great new venue in Normal. The judge and people who play there are great. There are anywhere from 8-14 people who play there. And LE's are given out as prise support. And our judge only collects DC so whenever he gets a Marvel Unique it is offered for second place. :grin: This venue is great to new players and there is not alot of cheese. And occasional scenarios are fun. I give this venue 5 stars.

Adventureland (Bloomington a twin city to Normal) DS-000-FSD (hope I got it right) Runs this venue. It's new location is kinda hard to find but if you PM me I can give detailed directions. This venue is also 5 stars Very spacious. This venue shares a player pool with the Acme (Normal) venue. And DS-000-FSD is a fun and fair judge. LE's are given for prize support. I give this venue 5 Stars

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Peoria Il. Venues

Hobbytown: This venue is run by Nate who is a very good judge and this venue has a great turnout usually 12-20 people and is held in the food court of the mall. Again the good LE's are given for Prize support (No Indy:) ) and this venue has plenty of room. A lot of te players in this venue are young (Which is very cool). If you are a power gamer this might turn you off but the kids who play here have a good grasp of the game and are good players. This venue runs it's events on Sat night and there is always some sort of creative scenerio. I give this venue 5 Stars

Acme Peoria Il. (Hair 10's venue) This venue as mentioned earlier is run out of the Peoria Pizza Works (Great food) and has plenty of space. The people who play here are great and very approachable. This venue is run on sundays which is great cause get two days of clixing instead of one. Acme supports the venue very well giving discounts on boosters as well as selling other games (above and beyond the call). Hair 10 is a great judge. The player are very cool and the cheese stays on the pizza.:p LE's are given (once again no Indy we're blessed). I give this venue 5 stars.

You may notice that I gave every venue 5 stars this is true we have none of the problems I read about in posts. I'm not good at writing reviews but i hope this helps.

KEEP THIS THREAD ALIVE!!!!

[Aeturnus]

Collector's Universe ***** 5 stars (100% awesome)
Store owner and judge is reliable, fair, and just plain cool. He judges HC games weekly and allows casual games on Mondays. Prize support: LEs, 1st, 2nd, and Fellowship (usually the new guy). Regular turnout: 6-8 so it's a nice moderate size. Usually 400 pt. unrestricted games unless hyped optional scenarios are announced or sealed, draft, marquees after product launches. Lotsa demos, lotsa friendly people. Nothing bad about this venue. :)

...And since it's the only one I've gone to, I'm pretty darn satisfied with the HC status in Knoxville. :)

[Darkone_Rises]

If anyone stops in Frederick, MD we have a pretty cool venue

Hobbytown USA
919 East Street
Our Judge is a very nice guy and a very good player, he insures a good time and regularly adds prizes from his own collection to give out more to the younger players who may not win.

We have a very good group with a greater importance on Theme or rather Team Abilites. We normally get our prize support in and we have a very large game room with alot of table.

look for 400-500pt same team Ability tournys at this venue.
(maybe i'm alittle bias hehe)

[WhiteRabbit909]

Originally posted by Kryptic
ya i wish there was as many places to hold tournies and play out here as there are in your areas. i mean i've recently started playing but theres absolutely no places to go that arent like a hour or so away that i can think of or actually find. i live in garden grove [orange country in south] cali and there isnt 1 anywhere. if anyone knows of a place that actually holds these tournaments or just even free play please pm me of post it here so i can see if i can get to it somehow.
thnx
Kryptic

Hey, Kryptic. I live in So Cal myself. I suggest going to The Realm Games & Comics in Brea. Great judge and a great group of people. If you happen to go, I'm the asian guy with the long hair and Dragon hat. Oh, if you want the address, just PM me.

[WhiteRabbit909]

Whoops, forgot to mention that there's going to be a tournament on the 8th.

[ChuckB]

Amazing Stories (the place in my sig) in Shrewsbury, NJ is a great place. John (the owner) is a great guy and old-school comics fan too. Great prices on Heroclix and Magic and tons of trade paperbacks and back issues.

[ontapmedia]

Good to hear,

I'm moving back to NYC in a week so I will be looking for new places. Anyone have information on New York Venues?

- Terrence

[nightwingr]

Hey! My Venue that I Play is in Murfreesboro TN outside of Nashville

GRAND ADVENTURES!!!******
I would gie them 6 stars out of 5. This is for the Players everyone is great. The turnout. Every Saturday there are at the min 12 players. The scenarios the prizes everything.

We have had the 3D BatCave. One of the Players Created. We have had all 3D maps to play on. We have had the 5 floor baxter Building.

The players are currently working on an Aquaman Scenario with 3 levels of water and ships. Working on a Crisis Scenario as well as creating Titan's Tower. Arkaham.

Our turnout for the BatCave was 24 plus people. Prizes are always Great plus Judges are kool as well as the other players. We are currently working on getting the next pre-release.

[cgharless]

If you are ever in Huntington, WV stop in at Mindgames, there are some good people there and our Judge is non other than the famous Gacy's Clown. How coool is that.

Thanks cgharless

[Badger Warrior]

Iconoclast Comics and Games is the shiznite!

[ontapmedia]

nightwingr,
anywhere I can see pictures of these 3d maps?

- T.

[nightwingr]

Yeah!

should be here

SEE THE 3-D BATCAVE:
http://customclix.blogspot.com

[Criosphinx]

Originally posted by cgharless
If you are ever in Huntington, WV stop in at Mindgames, there are some good people there and our Judge is non other than the famous Gacy's Clown. How coool is that.

Thanks cgharless


Huntington, eh? I live in Charleston, myself, and could see myself meandering over that way every once in a while. Where in Huntington is it? To be honest, I'm relatively new to the area, so I'd have to go on mapquest or something, but please, if you dont mind, i'd love to know more.

[ontapmedia]

Glad this thread is still going almost 2 years after I started it.

- T.

[cheesy]

what other gaming stores, besides gamescape, do they have in san francisco? I've checked lee's comics and i'll be checking galaxy cards and comics probably next week. i'm here on vacation and I was thinking of purchasing some clix singles...and maybe other stuff....please, if you know of any other store......thanks!

[ontapmedia]

I recently Played at Kings Games in Brooklyn, NY

Judge Raven was very laid back and friendly. store had a large basement area we played in. There were about 22 players or competeing for a dark phoenix. Had lots of fun.

It was great.

4 stars

- Terrence

[Captain_Comet]

Kings Games in Brookylin, NY ***** (really had a nice time at regionals)

Stonhenge Comics in New Windsor, NY **** (My primary venue, but currently we don't have a ton of space, and its a very quiet enviroment)

Alternivers in Pleasant Valley, NY **** (My secondary venue, has just enough space, and certainly not a quiet enviroment :) )

[ontapmedia]

Hey Captain,

I played at Kings Game back in late April for the battle for Dark Phoenix were you there? Just curious. Great venue. Lots of room in a downstairs area.

- Terrence

[Captain_Comet]

Hey Captain,

I played at Kings Game back in late April for the battle for Dark Phoenix were you there? Just curious. Great venue. Lots of room in a downstairs area.

- Terrence

No the last regional was my first time. It either a hellacious car drive or a lengthy chain train hopper for me to get down there. I certainly plan to go back though.

[analink]

Hey, I was just wondering if anybody knew of any good venues in San Diego? I'm kind of new to the game, and am looking for place to play... I know the author of the thread posted some, but wasn't sure if they still were around?

[ontapmedia]

Analink,

I am in San Diego,

1.)Game Empire is by far the best venue located on Clairmonte Mesa Blvd. They play Mondays at 7pm and the games are always done by 9pm

RD Huntley is the current judge and you will be hard pressed to find a better judge. He's also known as CaptAmerica44. Expect at least 10 players here.

2.)Artifex is located on Mira Mesa Blvd. They have games on Saturdays at 3pm. Rex is the judge there and you can usually get a decent crowd. Expect 4-8 players here.

3.) Game Towne in Old Town is a smaller venue but Steve is a great judge with an endless wealth of Comic Knowledge especially if you like the older stuff. Games are scheduled typically on Sundays and they are typically every two weeks. Call ahead or if you are on yahoo. join our yahoo group heroclix_SD. Were a pretty active group and we discuss the game and events regularly.

There are a few other venues but I'm not sure of their current schedules. But this is a start. Feel free to contact me directly at ontapmedia@yahoo.com

- Terrence

[Lofcutus]

I found a very nice new venue in Elkhart, IN. Aquatic Moon Games. It's in an old industrial building on Michigan St. Shares the building with a day spa, an antique mart and some other trendy store fronts.

Very neat place. The owner is a very nice guy to boot.


Its a great addition to the small city of Elkhart, since its other "venue" is a piece of trash and just got revoked by WK!

[Norb]

Here in Kalamazoo, MI I play at Fanfare. Great guys run the place always ready to BS and help out. Tournaments run every week and if we have a 5th week the venue provides some sort of prize support.

[carnage666]

In case anyone is looking, Im from Independence, Missouri and there are 3 places that I play at.

Battlezone in Raytown, pretty solid place, pretty good sized crowd.

A to Z Comics in Blue Springs, varies on players, started off me, another guy and the grandson of the shop owner, few more players from Battlezone have popped up.

Above and Beyond games in Riverside, bit of a drive for me, had few players now kinda down on numbers.

I like them all, and its nice to play different people.

[orpwhite]

South Texas residents! Citizens near Corpus Christi! This is a call to arms!!!

Armchair Commando! Anyone heard of it? It's in my area - heroclix tournaments every Wednesday at 6PM. Trouble is, since its changed hands with a new owner, clix has been tossed aside. However, they give good prize support and could use some customer support back.

You can look up Armchair Commandos on the Wizkids site for approved venues or PM me. Seriously, I check 5 times a day. :)

Additionally, if anyone from South Texas (Kingsville area) besides Gabe Sapien is listening, Hobby House will soon be Wizkids certified to do Heroclix (Magic and Heroclix on Saturdays and Magic on Wednesdays and some Fridays). For the past month, I and my ruffian friends (3) have made up the tourney scene in Kingsville and Corpus Christi. It's sad. Help us!

[MutantX]

I'm in Westchester County NY (near NYC). Anybody know of good places to go where one can learn?

I've never learned to play, so i'm looking for newbie friendly places.

[stark's heir]

I'm in Orange County, MutantX. You're not too far from the places Capt Comet has mentioned. I've gone down to KingsGames in Brooklyn, but its a haul...I'm trying to get my local shop to start up with games and such, but he's swamped. I think I might try to do it...

Anyone know of P-burgh area places? PM me please- headin' out there in another week...

[FYIP]

I'm still trying to find a venue in the Springfield/Fairborn, Ohio area. Has anyone been there or anything?

[MattPetersen]

Tate's Gaming Satellite in Ft.Lauderdale Florida is to me an awesome place to game (of course I judge there so I'll admit my biased opinion).

http://www.tatescomics.com/gaming/index.html

We just moved into a 2000 sq ft location (not the one pictured, that is old store) in the same outdoor mall complex. It is totally airconditioned and has a lot room to play. We laminate ALL the heroclix maps and even have private gaming rooms upstairs to play!!
I try to do a lot of fun comic themed scenarios for out tourneys. The players are the best in the land too!!

[leeneedstopee]

Comic Book Ink Tacoma WA is the coolest Heroclix playing place i've ever been to(well the only) When Fellowship is based on creative teams we always have a good laugh. Everyone is nice over there. Sometimes the register monkey(cashier) joins in the games when the store is'nt busy.
http://www.comicbookink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38forum (http://www.comicbookink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38)
If you win fellowship or the tournament you also get to take a picture with a belt and it gets put on the website. Well I give CBI(Comic Book Ink) a ***** 5 stars

[ChrisT.]

I'm moving to philly for the school year, what stores run tournies there?

[Neo-Tanuki]

I just wanted to give some good press to All Ways Gaming in Chatsworth, California.

I've been to a few Heroclix tournaments there. Not only is the judge a hard-working guy who does some fun tournaments, the players there are all first-class. Not only are they good players, they are great people also. :)

Today, when I was playing in a tournament, I mentioned to the winner how much my wife liked the Iron Man film, and how she said she might want to try Heroclix if she could play and Iron Man fig. He immediately found an extra older Iron Man fig and handed it to me, no strings attached!

The other players there are also very cool and fun to play. I highly recommend it. :)

[Denim Demon]

I live in Tomah,Wi(near Fort McCoy) and was wondering if there are any venues around for games..even casual-LaCrosse,Eau Claire,Dells?Madison is a little far to drive....

[Ribbon]

Glendive, Montana. Hell Creek Music and More. We don't take no #### from judges out here, it's a lawless land. No, but really we don't have a set judge when we play, and we like it that way. Games are usually 600 point battle royal fests with official prize support. The owner has been shady with the prize support a few times though...and never seems to order enough boosters whenever a set comes out, so the booster selection is pretty slim pickins. But there are about 4-6 of us that play routinely and have a great time at it. I've been playing here for 6 years and I'd recommend stopping by for a game sometime if for some god awful reason you're stuck in montana!

Minot, North Dakota. Force of Habit. I have only played here 3 times, and I will never again. The game here is played with so many house-rules that they need to write their own rulebook, and the "judge" will play the "I'm the judge so whatever I say goes" card when his buddies are in a tight position and resort to dirty tactics. The first time I played here, I ended up winning the tournament, but was not given an LE because I'm "not a regular player" at the venue. My second time playing I was disqualified for using KC Superman because he is a chase, and thus being rare and "not all players will have the opportunity of knowledge on how to play against him." The third, and final time playing at the venue was interrupted and stopped because some kids wanted to start a warhammer game. I will never enter this store again, and strongly recommend the same for you.

[vgaubersoldat]

Glendive? Cool. My old home was Sidney, Montana. Anyways, on Fridays, it is at the Game Matrix in Lakewood, Washington (when I have the day off) where I duel it out with other players. I am a bit biased towards the store since one of my old friends owns it. Plus the judge is extremely knowledgeable with the rules and rulings from HCRealms. I called him out on a rule and he has apologized to everyone there for making a mistake or two. I rarely see a judge apologize for mistakes in any game/tourney I have ever been in. For the most part, I have had great fun playing against the players at the Game Matrix. No so serious and had a great time. Especially when I brought a League of Assassins team one night and my first opponent was a Batman team. That was really fun, even though I lost that game...barely.
I've played at Olympia Cards and Comics and it was alright. It was the regular players there that made it undesirable and one stand in judge. Sometimes the regular Judge couldn't make it and another stood in. That stand-in judge would give prize support to his buddy for trade instead of giving it to the winner at one tourney I was at. I was going to try to play at Comic Book Ink in Tacoma once I had a Saturday off. Unfortunately the judge there is a real winner. Numerous accounts of friends signing up for the event weeks in advance only to be booted (and can't play) for a chronic late-showing friend of the judge. That is just one thing I have heard from numerous sources about that judge. So, when I do have a Saturday off, I just play at my house with friends.

[VGA d1sc1pL3]

I want to put a plug in for Olympic Cards and Comics in Olympia, WA. I have been playing on and off at OCC for many years. The judge is very knowledgeable of the rules and is very friendly. He has been so dedicated to HeroClix, that he kept it alive during the demise of the first WizKids, and we all soldiered on down there. He also plays MonPoc as well. The owner of the venue, Gabby, is also very cool and welcoming.

I haven't gotten down there lately, as I'm too busy at my home venue... but if you are in that area, it's a great venue! I have a friend (MindsEnd - he's a noob, but he's my friend :) )and a few acquaintances that play down there still.

[goblynqueen23]

I help run a venue in Folsom, Pa. at Comic Universe.
We're a small venue but we try to do fun and unusual tournaments.
We meet almost every Saturday at 1.
PM me if you are interested or need directions.

[Bob]

I'd like to add Granite City Comics in St Cloud, MN to the list.

They never charge for events (just booster costs if it's a sealed event) and the store owner, Tim, is very helpful for the new players.

There are no other kids that play (not counting upper teens), but my 9 year old son really wanted to play. I've been bringing him to events since he was 7, so let him try his hand at it a couple of months ago. The other players were extremely nice, being both helpful and yet treating him as a "legitimate" player and not taking it easy on him.

Overall, a very pleasant playing experience!

[poparazzi456]

Hats off to Phoenix Games in Orlando, Florida for their sheer awesomeness. outside of some home games with family or friends, this was my first time playing with other people at an actual venue. to say they were accommodating is an understatement. as a new player to the game, i must say they made me comfortable, even running a demo for us. the fact that they run two events a week makes it easy to play at least once a week, even if you cant make one. most importantly, let me say that these guys are SUPER NICE to new players like myself and willing to share knowledge on the game. the players are nice and have great sportsmanship.

on a side note, the music here is the best!

[tempest33]

HEY, LE COMIC! in Laval, Quebec is a cool place. They are constantly recruiting new players and the gaming area is very nice. They offer LEs as prizes but I've also seen them crack open a booster for those who just showed up! I highly recommend the place. The owners are cool and the people are pretty respectful. They posts their events on their website: www.heylecomic.com

[sgtregis]

There are two locations I frequent in Spokane, WA. As I am the new Envoy at one, my opinion will be given with a liberal sprinkling of salt! That one is The Comic Book Shop. It just recently added gaming tables (mostly to start up Magic tournaments, and added clix for a bit of variety). They have been a longstanding venue, however, and instead of playing at the shop itself, the players played at another location. With gaming tables added, the actual venue is now more an "official tournament play" location and the older location is more the "always Golden age at 600 points" with some house rules occasionally sprinkled in. The owner is new to this and started with a $3 buy in which goes to buying boosters for additional prize support so everyone gets something. As Judge, I never play, even during a buy, so I can devote full time to answering questions and keep things relatively on time.

The second place is Merlyn's located downtown. It has had gaming tables forever, and plenty of them. The only drawback is that it is downtown and parking, especially for weekend games, sucks. After NECA got WK, tournament play started up again, though with no "official" judge (they never had one), but Kevin (Hatut Zeraze on the Realms) runs them, and has been a marvelous organizer for the events. He goes out of his way to promote the games, and ensure that all have a good time. So he has become my mentor in trying to do the same. How about that? Venues competing for your spending collecting dollars, and working together to promote the game. Doesn't get much better than that.

I am hoping as my work allows that I can use their website to post game events and results as things grow.

[coneal]

Majestix in Costa Mesa, CA is worth a look for anyone playing clix in Orange County. http://www.majestixccg.com/

The owner, Pat, is a very nice guy and super supportive of new players. The prize support is unmatched (there's a small buy in for tournaments, but it allows for some truly impressive prizes). I find the players there to be fantastic; great guys and enough talent that no one player dominates the venue.

I can't say enough positive things about Majestix. Five out of five stars.

[d1zzle23]

The End Game Center! in Charlottesville, VA is an awesome place to place!! good local community and singles for sale!! A++

[thanosstar]

battlezone games in hiawatha iowa.( very close to cedar rapids) provides a great gamin area, friendly service, and a weekly tournaments for many games

[Mabus]

In Ames, Iowa at Mayhem Comics, they have the best Heroclix tournament I've been to. Exceedingly friendly and welcoming to new people and they always are willing to go the extra mile to make sure you feel like "one of the group." They have a lot of variety in their tournaments so you don't need to worry about the same "300 points" every week.

[whiteknight]

White Knight Games in Fort Wayne Indiana is a very friendly and clean store with lots of tables and seating. We haven't been running Heroclix very long but they do a good job.

Check us out at facebook.com/whiteknightgames