High Ground Hobbies and Cafe — Local services in Madison

Store response lied. Posting detailed screenshots soon. Also, I was banned prior to legal action threat; I'm busy but still pursuing.

Competence chases the store owner, but he's faster.

I experienced discrimination, negligence, and incompetence at High Ground that was rewarded by a gaslighting store owner. Someone close to me actually had asked me to go anywhere but High Ground after noticing questionable behaviors from other players prior to the two events to be discussed below.

I've had 2 terrible experiences at High Ground and the last one resulted in a ban I believe to be discriminatory or negligent in nature:

1. The first one involved Friday Night Fight, a weekly Friday Magic tournament with special rules. I will be discussing four different players: Player A, Player B, Player C, and Spectator D. I was asked at different times by Player A and Spectator D to help Player A win, to which I responded with something along the lines of "The trophy is pretty cool, I'm going to try to win." Anyway the game begins and from the start Player B was rude to me specifically, something about her having a bad day at work if I recall, as explained after the game by Player C after Player B yelled at me and stormed off. The reason she yelled at me after being rude throughout the game, was because I said "I disagree" on the conclusion of the game. Player A and Player B took back moves during my turn and refused to let me take back a move to make up for them taking back moves. Spectator D decided to take on the role of judge on and mentioned I can't take it back; however, after the game ended he mentioned that he didn't notice what I was saying and now agrees that yes I should have been allowed to take back my move. Spectator D was blinded by a bias while taking on the role of judge on the spot. If we recall Spectator D asked me to lose the game prior to the game beginning. Unfortunately, there was no judge this particular day so I just left it as is, and never mentioned what happened to the employees but I was saddened that Player A, and Player B used such sketchy and rude tactics. Spectator D made a mistake and that's ok; I don't believe he noticed his bias at the time. I shrugged this off but I must mention this before moving onto event 2.

2. Commander League seemed like a fun idea at first and I even provided feedback to improve on it and for the most part it was working. Unfortunately, it seems some players lied about me, and said I was playing in the wrong tier and being unsportsmanlike. Even though the judge would check my deck prior to games and if I had a question I would always ask. I would even have my deck checked in front of anyone who would question it. I don't cheat. I will do my best to win provided the rules of the game, and I expect my opponents to do the same. This is how games are fun when players challenge each other with a little puzzle of sorts to work towards solving. However, some players lied to the store owner specifically, and the store owner refused to ask the judge if it was true. I know for a fact the judge knew I played honestly and kindly. This leads me to believe that some players discriminated against me, and the store owner sided with them without even asking the judge (who actually awards the points) if it was even true. Implying at a minimum negligence to provide a discrimination free environment or that the store owner was also engaging in discrimination. The store owner extended the tournament after the judge awarded me enough points to win within the agreed upon 4 week long commander league tournament, and the store owner was rude about even discussing it or a refund. I proceeded with a charge back, which I won against High Ground, and I was banned. Note: before committing to this 4-week long tournament I asked the Store Owner if it was actually 4-weeks to where he reassured me that it was.

Store Owner had the audacity to try to gaslight by suggesting that I need to watch the way I interact with his employees. The employees and I have been nothing but kind and welcoming...

I would not advise anyone to rent this space. This Air BnB is owned by High Ground Hobbies which sits directly above the property which we had rented for one night. I had also hired one of the employees of High Ground Hobbies to lead us on a 4 hour Dungeons and Dragons campaign for the evening. The reservation was made in late January 2024, now 8 months later, (September 7,2024) We arrived to check in at 3:00 pm only to be surprised by another family that was in already checked into the AirBnB we had rented. I showed my receipt to the person on duty at High Ground and explained that this was a Wedding Gift, for my son, sort of like a Batchelor party to do some gaming and it was supposed to be a surprise. Most of the party was coming from Nashville and one person all the way from Indiana. The desk worker called the owner of the AirBnB and he said "we would have to leave and this was a former employee's fault" It sounded like he blamed someone who was no longer there anymore conveniently like a scape goat. We were refunded the AirBnB with cash, mostly small bills, as for the employee I had hired for the campaign, she only wanted to give me half of what she owed me until I had to look back on text messages and showed her where I venmo'd her all of the money. IT was only then that she agreed to refund me. Gross incompetence when taking a reservation 8 months in advance and then losing it and just saying "you have to leave" is completely unprofessional! We had to find a hotel room in a pinch and I was no longer able to surprise my son, and it added a ton of stress and more money I had to put out, to what was supposed to be an awesome, well-planned night. I cannot stress enough, DO NOT book with them. Also, I'm sure the other family didn't appreciate some strangers walking in on them while they were on their vacation. Be careful with this shady operation. If it happened to me, if can...

​If you find yourself wandering the suburban landscape of Madison, Alabama, searching for a place that feels real, forget the strip malls. Highground Hobbies is the necessary pilgrimage. ​Look, the retail storefront is a tight squeeze. It's cluttered, it smells faintly of new cardboard and focused, desperate energy—and that's exactly how it should be. They aren't trying to be a sanitized big-box store, and thank God for that. ​The true heart of the operation is the dedicated gaming area, a vast, sprawling landscape of tables where the actual ritual happens. This space more than compensates for the shop's size. It’s where you’ll find the local war council locked in bi-weekly Battletech combat, fueled by something stronger than cheap energy drinks: community. And for the infrastructure nerds among us, they’ve even sorted out the parking situation with a new, additional lot. Small victory, massive convenience. ​But here’s the unexpected grace note: the food. You don't walk into a hobby shop expecting a culinary experience, yet someone in that kitchen cares. The pizzas aren’t an afterthought; they're essential battle rations. The Planeswalker is an honest favorite, a good, working-class slice. They even understand the ritual of refreshment: an ice-cold, ubiquitous Coke Zero, served up with that perfect, good ice. It’s a detail that tells you everything you need to know about a place. ​And then there are the Dragon Eggs. These are the kind of deep-fried, decadent secret you look for in every unassuming joint. That Gouda cheese inside? It's rich, comforting, and borderline inappropriate for a venue dedicated to miniature wargames. It’s the perfect, greasy reward after a tactical triumph or a devastating defeat. ​Highground Hobbies is not just a place to buy plastic. It’s a genuine, visceral community hub that feeds both the gamer and the man. Go there. Eat the cheese....