Rolling Dice, Not Just Shifting Boxes: Why the Hobby Needs Community-First Stores

Not all independent wargaming stores are created equal. Some are passionate hubs where dice roll weekly and communities thrive. Others? They’re just warehouses with tills.

If you’re part of this hobby, where you spend your money matters more than you might think. It doesn’t just shape what sits on your shelf — it shapes the future of the hobby itself.

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The Wider Wargaming Ecosystem

Across the UK, most wargaming stores fall into one of a few broad models:

• Transactional Stores — shelves stacked, tills ringing, no tables, no events. You get your box and you leave.
• Online Giants with Showrooms — big web presence, discounts, maybe a glossy retail floor, but little investment in community.
• Hybrid Cafés or Side Hustles — a couple of tables and a paint rack, but not built to support leagues or campaigns.
• True Community Hubs — venues that go beyond retail. Tables, terrain, events, teaching nights, leagues, Discord servers, and regulars who know your name.

Each model has its place in the ecosystem. You might buy a cheap box online, you might pop into a transactional shop for paints — but the lifeblood of the hobby runs through the last type: the community hubs.

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Where Mighty Melee Fits

Mighty Melee Games sits proudly in that final category. We’re not the cheapest discounter, and we’re not trying to be. Our focus is simple: we exist to build community through wargaming.

• Space to play. Ten full-sized tables with mats, terrain and room for your kit.
• Regular organised play. Leagues, tournaments and narrative campaigns — structured, welcoming, and fun.
• Casual nights and hobby hangouts. Not every game needs a tournament pack; sometimes it’s just about rolling dice with friends.
• Community infrastructure. A buzzing Discord, a growing events calendar, and a venue designed to feel like home.

We don’t measure success in boxes shifted. We measure it in battles fought, friendships forged, and the sight of new players walking into their first event with a smile (and maybe a bit of nervous energy).

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Why It Matters

If the only stores left standing are transactional retailers and online giants, the hobby shrinks. Without physical spaces to meet, play and grow, tabletop gaming risks becoming a box-collecting exercise — not the social, creative, competitive outlet it’s meant to be.

And here’s the honest part: running a community-first store is a precarious business. To keep the lights on, we need to be profitable. That ultimately cycles back to shifting boxes at volume, which supplements the income from events and casual gaming. Thankfully, Mighty Melee is doing okay — but we can’t be complacent, and nor should you.

If you’re lucky enough to have an FLGS you can visit regularly, please do so. Those table fees, hobby supplies, and army boxes you pick up locally make all the difference. They’re not just purchases — they’re votes of confidence that keep venues like ours open, welcoming, and growing.

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Your Part in It

When you buy from Mighty Melee, when you come to our events, when you spend an evening painting or playing here — you’re doing more than making a purchase. You’re investing in a space that exists to give back to the hobby.

So next time you’re deciding where to pick up your next army box, ask yourself: are you just buying plastic? Or are you helping build the community that makes those miniatures come alive on the table?

At Mighty Melee Games, the answer will always be the latter.

Battle. Bond. Belong. Keep it Mighty.

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