Three Books

In this week's Rolling for Initiative column, if you are interested in opening a game or comic store, or running a store in general, I would recommend reading these three.

Preferred Customer Benefits

Figured it might be helpful to post a list up of the benefits you get here by earning a Preferred Customer Card. Remember, you earn one of these once you turn in 10 filled out Castle Cards. You do not need to turn in the Castle Cards all at once but will received Preferred Customer status once you give us your 10th card. Here are the current benefits:

15% off all purchases, excluding snacks and tournament entry fees
1 extra free item on Free Comic Book Day, Free RPG Day, Batman Day and Halloween Comicfest
1 extra ticket during our Halloween, Christmas and anniversary drawings
1 free game rental per month
Waiver of a deposit on all game rentals. However, you are still responsible for late fees and failure to pay those will result in loss of Preferred Customer status.

Teachers Rent Free

If you are a teacher at any of the local schools, you may rent any of the games in our game library for a week for free and will not need to leave a deposit. This includes games such as Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Tapple or anything else, with the exception of certain rare games such as Conquest of the Empire. Just show us a faculty ID and we will take care of the rest.

Talisman Returning

Games Workshop has reclaimed the rights to the Talisman board game from Fantasy Flight Games so we can expect to see most of the expansions back in stock by Halloween:

GAW60012289001 TM-02 Talisman

$59.95 SRP SDI  Talisman the much loved Magical Quest Game first published in 1983 and never out of print since! Talisman takes you on a journey through magical lands, as you endeavor to reclaim the Crown of Command. Each turn will see your hero advancing, battling, gaining knowledge and power necessary to defeat the guardians lurking between the Portal of Power and the Valley of Fire. 2-6 players 1-2+ hour play time Contents: 14 Character Sheets  14 Matching Character Plastic Figures Over 160 cards  6 x Six Sided Die  Comprehensive Rule Book More than 190 Tokens  30 x Gold Coins

GAW60012289002 TM-03 Talisman: The Reaper

$24.95 SRP SDI  An unearthly chill creeps through the air. The Wizard stops reading his ancient tome and gazes cautiously over his shoulder. The Warrior feels an unfamiliar fear as he draws his mighty sword.  A shadow has fallen across the countryside. Death himself wanders the land. Can the heroes fulfill their epic quests with the spectre of the Grim Reaper hounding their every move? The race to the Crown of Command has never been deadlier! Contents: 4 new character cards and plastic figures 90 new Adventure Cards 26 new Spell Cards 12 Warlock Quest Cards The Grim Reaper, a dark figure that players manipulate against each other

GAW60012289003 TM-08 Talisman: The Dragon

$39.95 SRP SDI  Three new Draconic Lords vie for ruler-ship of the Firelands–Varthrax, Cadorus, and Grilipus. Talisman grows more dangerous as they struggle to claim dominance over their territory and the Crown of Command. The Dragon expansion offers players even more choices and strategic challenges, including a new, dual-sided Inner Region for their heroes to conquer. The alternate sides allow you to face familiar terrain along a path that requires all new tactics, or to venture into the Dragon Tower, where a hero's every step meets opposition by the Dragon King's minions and leads him ever closer to an ultimate confrontation with the Dragon King, himself. Talisman: The Dragon brings the Draconic Lords and their legions of dragons to life. Any hero who dares confront the Dragon King must be prepared for an epic battle! Contents: 300 new cards and tokens 6 new characters are introduced with dynamic miniatures

GAW60012289004 TM-09 Talisman: The Blood Moon

$24.95 SRP SDI  Once in a generation, the Blood Moon begins its fell cycle, bathing the realm in a pallid light. Compelled by its sinister presence, the restless dead rise from their graves, vampires hunt for unwary prey, and witches engage in nocturnal rituals. Worse yet, the horrifying Werewolf prowls the night, seeking heroes with whom to share his curse. The Blood Moon is an exciting expansion for the classic board game Talisman! With over 100 Adventure Cards, plus new spells, characters, and alternative endings, The Blood Moon adds a gripping layer of gothic horror to your quest for the Crown of Command. In addition to a host of new challenges, The Blood Moon introduces two engaging mechanics: time alternates between "Day" and "Night," and a bloodthirsty Werewolf prowls the land. The new Time Card flips between its Day and Night sides to indicate the inexorable passage of time, introducing a range of engaging new game effects depending on its status. Meanwhile, a horrifying Werewolf preys on Adventurers who wander into his hunting grounds. Contents: 111 Adventure Cards 10 Spell Cards Time Card 6 Lycanthrope Cards 3 new Alternative Ending cards 3 new character cards and plastic figures Werewolf card and plastic figure

GAW60012289005 TM-10 Talisman: The City

$39.95 SRP SDI  The City provides those who live within it a chance to pursue their lives with a modicum of safety and comfort. However, though the outside world is kept outside, any alert adventurer strolling through the City Gate will feel the tension humming in the air. The City, a Region expansion board for Talisman, provides players with three alternative endings, its own deck, a host of shops for all your questing needs, and six new characters. Collect bounties listed on the Wanted Posters at the City Gate and fill your pockets with gold before doing some serious spending. Secure a steed from the Stables, pick up Pets or Potions, or head to the Armoury and the Magic Emporium. Visit The City in Talisman as you compete for the Crown of Command! Contents: Rulebook 1 City Board 82 City Cards and 89 Other Cards 6 Character Cards and Plastic Figures

GAW60012289006 TM-12 Talisman: The Woodland

$39.95 SRP SDI  Journey to the realm of the fae in The Woodland, an expansion for Talisman Revised 4th Edition! In this expansion, you can walk your own path through the Woodland corner board, encountering strange new creatures, events, and dangers. At the end of your path, a meeting with destiny awaits, transforming your character's future and developing your story further. Even more waits beneath the boughs of the Woodland, however. Redesigned rules for fate tokens allow you to either help yourself or interfere with others, and your fate will shape many of your interactions within the groves and glades of the Woodland. Prepare yourself for a world different than anything yet seen in Talisman, and enter the Woodland! Contents: A new corner board, depicting the wilds of the Woodland 5 new characters to join your adventures 3 new alternative endings Over twenty brand new tokens Nearly 150 new cards to bring the Woodland alive

GAW60012289007 TM-15 Talisman: The Harbringer

$24.95 SRP SDI  The end of the world is nigh in Talisman: The Harbinger. This expansion introduces the Harbinger, a mysterious figure of prophecy and doom who wanders the realm, with destruction following everywhere he walks. As the demons and plagues of the new Harbinger deck wreak havoc throughout Talisman, three new powerful characters seek the Crown of Command. That quest becomes more dangerous than ever before: cursed followers lie in wait for fresh prey, flames descend from the darkened skies, and the dead crawl from their tombs.  Four new Omen decks reveal the changing and dire effects of impending doom, counting down to its arrival. Terrain cards abruptly transform the ground beneath characters' feet, changing deserts into bogs, or farmland into ruins. You'll have to navigate these obstacles and numerous others if you want to seize victory before time runs out for the entire realm – and the true apocalypse begins. Contents: Harbinger figure, sheet, and accompanying Harbinger deck 3 more characters seek the Crown of Command 4 Omen decks each unleash a unique scenario of doom Terrain cards transform the landscape of the realm 2 apocalypse-themed alternate endings

Alliance Open House

The major gaming distributors hold "open houses" each year for their retailer customers. I went to the Alliance one this past weekend and this week's Rolling for Initiative column looks at four things I took away from it.

Preferred Customer Benefit Addition

We have added a couple of new benefits to the Preferred Customer Card.

1) You receive 1 FREE rental per month of any rentable game in the game library.

2) Although you still have to pay the rental fee, we will not ask for a cash or credit card deposit when you rent a game. Just show us your Preferred Customer card and we will note that on the sheet. You will still be charged late fees for bringing the game back late and refusing to pay those will cause you to lose Preferred Customer status.

Force Friday Followup

For those interested in the business side of the gaming industry, this week's Rolling for Initiative column looks at some suggestions for improving the retail side of Force Friday