LGS on the Road - Warp Two

By: Dozer

I've always believed that our hobby needs the Local Game Shops (LGS) to keep our games healthy. We need to support the LGS to keep our games on the shelf. We need our games on the shelf to keep the games alive.

Canada has a healthy relationship with their game shop and I want to post about my experience about the many shops that dot Canada.

This year I am travelling all across Canada  for my day job. When I stop at a new city, I will be visiting and playing at as many LGS as I can. 

It's Friday 09 December 2017, the Draft Weekend for Magic the Gathering's newest set UnStable has begun. I walked less than twenty minutes from my Hotel to the local Magic shop - Warp Two.

Walking in you are suddenly drowning in comics, games, and toys. It takes a second to register the sheer collection of product. Everything is in it's place, the products are well organized, and shop is very clean. It is easy to see why folks pick up their boardgames and play Magic the Gathering here.

I was able to pick up the Tokaido: Matsuri Minis expansion for Shonty's copy of Tokaido. We have everything a non-backer of the kickstarter can get. When the Masturi expansion came out we didn't have the minis for the new characters in the expansion. Just by walking by their multiple copies of Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, did I see the last piece of our Tokaido puzzle. 

Just across from the cash is a pathway between the playmats, deck boxes, and shelves of card storage solutions, that takes you to a doorway into the play space. When you get into the play space it's very evident that this part of Warp Two is designed for only one thing. 

Host players and their games. 

The place is a long space with tall ceilings. The walls are decorated to the nines in nerd culture. Comics, movies, games, their is a poster of it here. Large flat screen TV's are high on one side allowing staff at the cash to manage the various events.

The night I showed up their were four Magic the Gathering events going on. Modern, Legacy, Ixalan Draft, and UnStable Draft. On top of the all of the Magic events, their were two role-playing groups set up with their GM screens, maps, and characters playing through an adventure.

On top of all of the play space their is a veritable buffet filled with all sorts of snacks, foods, and all you can drink soda. I've never seen anything like this snack stand and as much as I was trying not to avail myself to the snacks, I just couldn't stop myself.

I jumped into the UnStable Draft event and I had a blast. It started just after 6:30pm and lasted until closing. One round to draft and build decks leaving enough time for three rounds of play. The staff were on point while they were running three other events and everyone was very nice and positive.

I was very happy with my first pack as I drafted a card that held a very special place in my heart. I drew a Sword of Dungeons and Dragons as my first card in my first pack. It would win me my third match but I was just happy to have drawn this iconic card.

The UnStable draft was pure fun. Everyone there was just bursting with joy of drafting and playing some Magic the Gathering without any of the serious play that can accompany the game. Each player was going on about their crazy pull or explaining some of the odd ball game mechanics that 'Un' sets are known for.

My group of players on round 2 (I had a bye)
I did play in the game between the two gents in the foreground

In my first round of play I was paired with a local named Joe.

To say that he beat me is an understatement. We both drafted Black/Blue and in game two he even Milled my only milling creature in my deck.

The games were almost one sided but I didn't care. I was not alone in my Hotel room, I was playing Magic the Gathering with a group of very positive players who goal was to have fun and draw awesome John Avon full art lands.

At one point of time Jon played Skull Saucer. Which would only stay in play so long as Jon kept his head on the table. This was funny as all get out. Working his hand, checking his board state, tapping mana... all the height of comedy because his flying 4/1 creature said so.

I eventually blocked it, killing the creature and letting Jon back to sitting in a normal position. I felt bad after watching him struggle as his kicked my butt in the game for two turns.

My last game I won 2-0. The cards were in my favor, as were the dice to my Inhumaniac who just got bigger each turn much to my opponents Alex groans. The last match was Alex looking at me when I equipped the Sword of Dungeons and Dragons to an Overt Operative and he smiled and gave me the game.

My favorite time of the event was when I got asked to join the game when the player with the glasses played Better Than One and suddenly his opponent needed a partner to play two headed giant on his turn.

I was called in to play with another player duing a game
...we still lost

It's really hard to not have fun at an event like UnStable drafting in a place where everyone is just there to have fun.

If you're in northern Edmonton on 97 Street check out Warp Two. The treated me really well and made a visitor fell really welcome. Thanks for the great games. 

- Cheers

Dozer