When Scot Acton started the Battle Den, he was looking to create a kid-friendly place for people to play tabletop, miniature and card games.
His interest in the world of fantasy gaming started when his son Bret was about 9 years old and he started playing Warhammer 40,000 with him.
“We had a really good time as he was growing up,” Acton said, “and it kind of brought us together a little bit.”
After traveling to various tournaments around the state, Action said he realized he could do better.
“We were going to a lot of the game stores around the state, and they were really crappy,” he said. “They just kind of were little cubby hole and stuff, so I thought, ‘I can do a better game store than that.’ ”
And he did.
First opening in 2008 in Bellingham, the Battle Den was “really decked out,” and “looked like the inside of a keep,” Acton said.
He even had a miniature version of Helm’s Deep set up in his store, the site of a major battle between the forces of good and evil in “The Two Towers,” part two of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
“Then like five minutes later, the recession hit,” he said.
Due to lower profits and high rent, Acton left his Bellingham location and opened his Battle Den in Oak Harbor, where he became popular among Navy personnel.
Now located off Goldie Road near Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, the Battle Den’s popularity waxes and wanes.
“It kind of fluctuates,” Acton said. “I’ll get a bunch of guys in, then they’ll get deployed, and then I gotta start with a bunch of new guys.”
His store not only sells games, card decks and miniatures, but also provides a place for people to play those games in tournaments and leagues.
With Magic: The Gathering being one of the most popular games, Acton said he hosts tournaments for it every Friday, when anyone with a deck can come and play. The cost of participating in the competition for the winners’ prizes is only about $6.
“As long as you’ve got a standard deck or a type two deck … as long as your deck’s legal to play, you can come in,” he said. “And people that just want to come in and play, we don’t charge. They’re not eligible for prizes, but they don’t have to pay.”
Acton said prizes are usually gift cards, but occasionally he’ll offer merchandise from his store as a prize.
Aside from tournaments, there are also league competitions, which usually last for two months or more. Participants will do battles over the course of the league and will go up or down in the rankings based on those outcomes. They can also gain or lose rank based on their painted miniatures.
Miniature figurines are another aspect of the Battle Den. Acton sells miniatures, which people can then put together and paint. He even offers classes to help people learn how to paint the miniatures, or will do the painting himself if the customer chooses to pay for it.
Acton said the best part of the Battle Den, for him, is being self-employed.
“I can be my own boss, which is my number one, so I can do what I want,” he said. “But I love playing. (Warhammer 40,000) is the game I enjoy playing the most, so I like teaching that.”
But the important thing is people get to go to his Battle Den, play games, have fun and be safe.
“It’s kind of a small little operation,” Acton said. “But it’s a lot of fun; a lot of people have a lot of fun. The Navy guys really like the strategy stuff. We get some kids that come in and play. Everybody’s welcome.”
Battle Den is located at 676 W. Oak St., Oak Harbor. It’s open 3-6 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, and 12-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.skagitbattleden.com or call 360-391-1964.
