After work today I visited The Whiz Store on Rte 9 East in Westborough (NOTE: FoW fans will know The Whiz from the FoW website because they hold FoW regional qualifiers). I have been following them on Facebook for many months and chatted online with one of their regulars. Everything online sounded amazing and to top it off they’re doing a sale 20-80% off.

It is a huge store taking up two normal storefronts. I don’t know its square footage but it has to be a lot. The store sells a variety of products from greeting cards and beanie babies to model trains and Flames of War. It feels like at its heart it is a traditional hobby store that is branching into gaming. The majority of floor space is for traditional hobby products (models, paint, terrain materials) mixed with educational toys. There is a handful of gaming tables, 4×4 in size, with terrain on them scattered throughout the store. Display counters with beautifully painted models are some of the first things to see as you enter. A medium sized game room in the back was filled with orderly magic players. The most notable thing about the store is the quiet. Twenty plus people were playing Magic, a handful plopped elsewhere, but the entire store was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

They have a gigantic selection of Flames of War filling three large carousels. A small sampling of D&D, Reaper minis, 40k and Warhammer Fantasy also existed. A medium area dedicated to board games and traditional games like chess exists in the rear. There is a nice display of woodland scenics along with a small selection of model trains including the hard to find Z scale.

A miniscule area devoted to CCGs (at the front counter) like Magic: The Gathering, World of Wacraft and Pokemon and CMGs (tiny carousel) such as Axis and Allies Minis, D&D Minis, and War at Sea exists.

The aisles are mostly easy to maneuver but one in a wheelchair or with incredible girth (aka gamer size) would have difficulty navigating off the main two aisles.

The cashier was friendly and helpful. She didn’t greet me when I entered but I enjoyed my solitude to wander the store. She kindly signed me up for their free customer loyalty program as I purchased some packs of Wrathgate and boosters of Flank Speed. The program gives you a $10 gift certificate (via the mail) each time you spend $100. The points never expire and customers never need to carry a card with them.

The real gems, for me, were the Flames of War products including some I’ve never seen before (the rulebook for the Mid-War Monsters and some of the special characters). It was also a treat to find more Flank Speed boosters.

The Whiz Store is about 30 minutes away from my job and an hour from my home. Despite the distance (it is 3/4 of the way between Worcester and Boston) it was worth the trip and I expect I’ll sporadically return in the future.