When David Wight is at work he’s in seventh heaven.
For the new manager of the Games Workshop SuperMall store, work isn’t really work, it’s pleasure.
“This has been my hobby for so long, I’d say either this or working at LucasFilms (maker of the Star Wars movies) would be my dream jobs,” Wight said.
Wight, who took over the Auburn store last October, will have the chance to share his love for tabletop miniature gaming with the public at the store’s Meet and Greet. The Feb. 4 event features gaming opportunities, tips on constructing and painting miniatures, and interactive gaming for the public.
Founded in London in 1975, Games Workshop produces three core games – Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Lord of the Rings, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
“We make the finest toy soldier models in the world with fun games to go with them,” Wight said.
Players purchase, construct, paint and field miniature armies against other players, simulating battles with outcomes determined by a mix of strategy and luck of the die.
Warhammer hobbyists can choose to battle in the distant future – 38,000 years to be exact – in Warhammer 40,000, battle in a world of swords and sorcery in Warhammer Fantasy Battles or delve into warfare in Tolkien’s Middle Earth.
For Wight and other enthusiasts of tabletop gaming, the appeal of the Warhammer worlds and gaming system is simple.
“There are three reasons people get into this, either the collecting aspect, the building and painting aspect or just playing the game,” he said. “Then there are people who are into the complete package, the ones who bought the piece for their collection and painted and built it to play in a tournament.”
Games Workshop not only provides the model kits used to build the pieces to field an army but also the paint and tools needed to construct them.
The store also provides several gaming tables for players to come and battle.
“They’re open whenever the store is open,” Wight said.
Introductory core sets for each of the companies’ games run about $99, Wight said.
“They are the foundation of the hobby,” he said. “You get the rulebook, the dice, the rulers and the templates that you need. And you get two complete armies to start with in those kits. It’s designed to be built and get you playing in an afternoon.”
The store also features a hobby bar.
“It’s open for people to come in and work on their models, paint and build them,” Wight said.
The Feb. 4 event, which offers a chance to help build and paint a terrain table for the store as well as gaming opportunities, is a chance for Wight to put the word out that the store is under new management.
“It’s a way for them to come down, meet me and see how the store has changed,” Wight said. “They can see what events we have planned for the future.”
It’s also a chance for Wight to share the reasons why he and other hobbyists are attracted to the game.
“The product we have is fully customizable,” he said. “It’s very intellectual and interactive. It’s also very tactile. You’re not just sitting on the couch with a controller in your hands talking to someone on a headset. You’re not just spending time by yourself. Every game you play is going to have a living, breathing person across the table from you.”
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The Auburn SuperMall Games Workshop, 1202 Supermall Way SW, Suite 104, is open 2-8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday. The store is open from noon to 8 p.m. Friday; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/GWSupermall.
