Event Information

On June 6th 2007, Games Workshop Canada released an article that declared that they were no longer going to run Conflict Events across Canada.  Games Workshop Canada decided that the Community would need put on their own events if they wanted to see any more Community Events in their area. 

Just two days later, Thor Rechlo and Nick Daniels, had already laid the groundwork for their own event which would later be known as West Coast Mayhem.  They secured a location at British Columbia's Institute of Technology in Burnaby and quickly began working with Games Workshop head office to make it happen.

With the help of Cory Burns, Games Workshop Events Manager and Craig Bodycote, Games Workshop Community Manager, West Coast Mayhem was born.  Ideas poured in and together they went to the community and began gathering sponsors to help promote the event. 

They first established that a Hall of Heroes Tournament but knew that they couldn't run the tournaments and so the 7th Gamers club offered to run the Warhammer 40,000 Tournament and the U2KR club offered to run the Warhammer Fantasy Tournament.

With the tournaments solidified, Thor and Nick turned to the local stores for assistance as they needed substance for the event itself. 

• Francis Munroe, owner of Imperial Hobbies was the first to sign on and offered to run a store for the event.

• Darren Bolten, owner of Strategies Games & Hobbies was eager to run an event table for his brand new store. 

• Ryan Sen, who is in charge of all things gaming downstairs at the Comic Shop was even on board as their first appearance at one of these events ever. 
  Matthew Walsh, owner of Warcraft Games came all the way out from Mission.

• Drew Arnott, owner of Checkpoint Charlie's in North Vancouver provided prize support for the event.

• Buck Lum, owner of Craving For A Game in Surrey  provided prize support for the event.

• Games Workshop in Metrotown even offered some prizes for the event.

After filling the event with stores from the Lower Mainland, they then went to the clubs to see if any of them would run a table at the event. 

• A fellow by the name of Zac, who runs the Vancouver Gamers website, offered to run an Aeronautica Imperalis demo game, a dogfight combat game by Forge World.

• Games Workshop managers from the local stores were allowed to host a sneak preview of the Warhammer 40,000 expansion game Apocalypse (which had not hit stores at the time of the event).

• Games Workshop employees and local Grey Knight Kevin McGill put on a Rise to Ascension table, a Mad Groxx table and even hosted the Warpstone Painting contest. 

Thor and Nick then decided to contact Gale Force Nine head office down in Virginia, who in turn offered to send some prize support, which was awesome of them.  They then asked the local gaming studio, Relic Entertainment, if they would have any interest in coming to the event.  To their surprise, Relic was extremely willing to help out.  Three staff members, Nick, George and Michael came out with their own personal armies and played on a huge table custom made by Mighty Miniatures (and largely donated by Games Workshop).  On top of that, they also provided the awesome painting that was raffled away at the event itself.

There were over 30 volunteers from old friends, to new ones..  from wives, to girlfriends..  from game enthusiasts, to people who knew nothing about the hobby but wanted to help anyways.  The community really came together and without the combined efforts of all involved, the first (of many) of West Coast Mayhem events couldn't have been made possible.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event both as a volunteer and as an attendee. 

Thor Rechlo & Nick Daniels