When I first started going to my flgs, I was bringing hard as nails, tournament optimized lists. I didn't care if the models were painted - I was a competitive player. The manager and some of the players, over the last couple of years, have moved me to always painted, more fluffy builds. It is still fun, but I am still competitive.
In his effort to push his perception of the game, our flgs manager has made the tournaments more and more comp based. I was cautiously OK with this - it was more than I wanted, but I accepted it.
The last tournament was the worst - I brought a DoA army at 1500 with a pimped out vv squad - a points sink kinda squad with 5 stormshields and a bunch of power weapons, but fluffy - all painted with a minimum of 5 colors, inked, washed, dipped, and based. Not the most gorgeous models ever, but well above tabletop.
I won 2 and lost 1. One of my wins was a 45 minute table of my opponent, the other was decisive.
Apparently, painted isn't enough now. Even though my battle points were higher, I finished behind a semi generic mini leafblower guard list that was well painted. Did I mention that he only won 1 game?
I talked to the manager about how I found this to be a bit over the top - his build was a power build, mine wasn't. Both were painted and based to above tabletop. He said it is part of the game.
I like the guys at this store, but I have a real issue with this. Asking for fluffy painted armies is one thing, but I think this is too much. I don't know how to handle it - I already brought it up and he was indifferent at best.
My snap reflex is to take my well painted guard list of doom from now on, take his petty comp hits, win all 3 decisively, and win the tournament. It would work a few times, and he would find a way to comp it out as well. This tournament your peers judged your paint, he judged your paint, and he had a huge FOC tally list of dings if you didn't build the army as generic as possible. I am really annoyed that what I said had absolutely no impact - it was clear he didn't care. I used to frequent a shop across town, but I find the players at this store far more competitive, and I have made a number of friends there ( who by the way agree 100% with me, they just won't confront him.
How would you handle this? Should I just pack up and head to the old shop? I know I could get my friends to come to the other store to play, I just don't know if I want to do that or not.
I don't think I would be nearly as upset if he hadn't just dismissed it without discussion when I brought it up. He did, and I am.
He has become so polarized that some of the store players organized a 40k point apoc game while he was working and didn't tell him - he is making far more people tham me angry, and it makes me sad.