Tag: UK Games Expo

UK Games Expo 2024

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On 13th June 2024

In Blog

I spent the other week at the UK Games Expo as a volunteer on IT and it was a knackering but amazing few days.

I really enjoyed it and I will absolutely being doing it again next year if they will have me, but I do have to be more realistic about my physical abilities and perhaps I need a job with more sitting down.

My journey to Birmingham was pretty bad, we got continually stuck in traffic, including being in the middle of a bunch of cars headed to a funeral that were following a marching band.

And finally the bus broke down as we left Manchester, and we had to wait over an hour for a replacement, so all in all it was a typical MegaBus journey!

I didn’t get to play many games, but the one that stood out to me was Samurai, but its long out of print, so I will be buying Pollen instead which is in print, if a little expensive.

There were a few cool things that peaked my interest, the DRPA Case and other stuff from Tabletop Tech, the amazing Colour Forge, TT Combat and their Strike Team Commander, Catalyst had Battletech which had me all nostalgic, and Gamer Grass had some amazing stuff as well.

Next year I need to take more notes to give a fuller report!

What I Am Modelling

On my return I hit the Chaos Space Marine Legionnaires of the True Sons

Alongside a Dark Apostle and friends

Plus an Aspiring Champion

After that a Branchwych

And then I painted a couple of units of Tree-Revenants

Plus I got Captain Karlaen of the Blood Angels finished

I am currently working on some Von Ryan’s Leapers for the Tyranids!

So what’s next?

  1. Imperial Fists Vindicator
  2. Von Ryan’s Leapers x 3
  3. Krondys
  4. Deathwing Terminators x 5, Deathwing Ancient & Bladeguard Lieutenant
  5. Soresplatta Fanatics x 12
  6. Havocs x 5
  7. Paragon Warsuits with Heavy Bolters x 3
  8. Spirit of Durthu
  9. Sisters of Silence x 10
  10. Blade Champion

What I Am Reading

I listened to Arrangements for War by Paul Sutton which was very good, but the ending was really heart breaking!

Now I am listening to Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley, which good, nice insight to the mind of Ork Kommandos

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

I got a couple of games of 40K in at the weekend, playing both Dale and Craig in the 40K league, and if I don’t win the wooden spoon I will be peeved!!!

What Video Games I Am Playing

Bit of this and that, mostly God of War, Sonic Origins and I started Death Stranding.

What I Am Backing

I have backed The Colour Forge Signature Series, pretty sure I want the Reliquary Red by Hellstorm Gaming!

What I Am Spending

From UK Games Expo, I bought

Escape from San Canciano for Carnevale

A new cutting mat, clippers, knife, tape measure plus the Fresh Corrosion and Old Rust paints

I was sold a bottle of Sir Coates Steel, as well as the Sir Coates Models from the Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy

I got some Army Painter Fanatic paints and my first Speedpaint 2.0

The Colour Forge gave me a mini Dry Brush Palette

And finally from the UK Games Expo, a Apothecary Biologis and a Bladeguard Lt for my Dark Angels!

We also pulled the trigger and paid for a Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra.

I had been set for the Saturn 4, but damn the reviews and even Megan, just were clear on how much better the Ultra was over the standard model.

So now just to wait for the postman to deliver it!

It was Humble Choice, so I bagged the following!

And to add to that I also bought

Not so much mine, but Lindsay did get the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bundle from Humble Bundle, which I will be reading plenty of!

Off To UK Games Expo

By

On 29th May 2024

In Blog

Posting this weeks post early because today I am off to the UK Games Expo, an event I love to do.

This year, as my Asmodee contract ended, I am volunteering directly with the Expo itself, my job is being split between IT and the Bring and Buy.

Most of my time will be spent setting up the IT equipment to run the expo and a few hours spent helping in the Bring and Buy.

I am going by Megabus from Middlesbrough to Birmingham via Manchester!

Firstly Lindsay took me to ASDA for lunch, would have preferred Tesco, but they don’t go back to normal hours until Monday, but I grabbed a wrap and energy drink, plus a bottle of coke for the coach, and then we drove to Boro where I hopped on to the bus and here we are.

The Megabus is certainly better than I remember, more legroom and even a plug socket for my Steam Deck, not that it worked, but the thought counts right!

What I Am Modelling

I started out with some Blood Angels, painting first a Terminator Captain

Here is a Drop Pod for the scions of Baal

And as a diversion a Dark Angels Lieutenant

A Captain in Gravis Armour

As well as a Lieutenant with Auto Bolt Rifle and one with a Power Sword

And a Captain in Catapractii Terminator Armour

The I painted two sets of Easy to Build Reviers, which gave us a full squads worth of them

And finally a pair of Primaris Captains as well

I still have Captain Karlaen on the desk, but he is about 50% done

So once back from Expo, what awaits me?

  1. Captain Karlaen
  2. Tree Revenants x 10 & Branchwych
  3. Chaos Space Marines x 10 & Dark Apostle
  4. Imperial Fists Vindicator
  5. Von Ryan’s Leapers x 3
  6. Krondys
  7. Dark Angles Terminators x 5 & Terminator Ancient
  8. Sporesplatta Fanatics x 10
  9. Chaos Havocs x 5
  10. Paragon Waitsuits with Heavy Bolters x 3

What I am Reading

I finished The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath and it was so much fun, really awesome story that also shows off the horror of the C’Tan!

I also listened to Arrangements for War by Paul Sutton, but I will have to finish it on the bus.

What Video Games I Am Playing

Not a lot really, been busy getting sorted to go to Expo, and finishing these Blood Angels.

But I had a bit of time in God of War and been doing the fleet stuff in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

What I Am Creating

The latest episode of Edge of Empire has dropped!

And the latest Battle Report is out, this time with Dark Angels (as played by Megan vs the Deamons of Khorne!

What I Am Spending

I bought myself a new battery bank, this one will work brilliantly for the Steam Deck and allows me to only use USB-C for all my charging needs now

And I also got myself a few things from Elements games, some paints, brushes and a T’au Commander and a Custodes Blade Champion for the Combat Patrols

With the Ghost of Tsushima win last week, I was able to trade in my PS5 copy to CEX for £26 and pay £9 to get a copy of God of War Ragnarok for PS5

And Lindsay, the minx plus Megan the badger, were able to grab me a copy of Stormbringer 67 with Vanquihers in it!

I also bought Dave The Diver for Steam and was given a key for Crash Time III.

UK Games Expo 2023

By

On 17th June 2023

In Blog

Ok this has been a long update, my health and metal capabilities have been in the damn toilet, but better later thane never!

It was a really fun weekend and I spent it demoing games on the Star Wars games, moving between being a stand greeter, Shatterpoint, Legion, X-Wing and the Deck Building game, all of which are a hell of a lot of fun.

Myself, Lindsay and Sean came down by car on the Thursday night, and got to Birmingham, around 9:30ish and we got a Dominos and hung out.

The hotel is fine, its not the best hotel, but it was okay, the biggest gripe was breakfast which had zero diabetes friendly option, but I was able to remedy that by buying some Wheetbix of my own.

It was a really fun if exhausting weekend, and once I get paid at the end of July, I am hoping to buy a Steam Deck, depending if its even in stock, cause that’s been a huge issue in the past few months 4.

I actually came away with the belief that this was the best UK Games Expo I have been to since before the plague, yes a few minor niggles, but actually really positive, probably helped by having an awesome stand manager and an absolutely brilliant team to work with.

Cannot wait for next year!

What I Am Modelling

I started off by finishing my scenery for the Imperium table, first up was the Haemotrope Reactor.

I then painted up three Ruined Factorum buildings

I then painted Tech-Priest Grombrindal who has been sitting in the pile of potential for a while now!

And then a squad of Ultramarines Outriders!

After that came Hedkrakka’s Madmob for Underworlds.

And finally I painted the Parasite of Mortrex for the Tyranids!

After that it was some Deathrunners for Silver Tower

And cause I thought I needed it for a game, I then completed a Rat Ogre for Blood Bowl!

After that I finally painted the Kairic Acolytes for Silver Tower

Followed by the ones for Shadows Over Hammerhal

So whats coming up next?

  1. Catacomb Command Barge & Overlord
  2. Swampcalla Shaman x 3 & Pot-Grot x 2
  3. The Rashaar
  4. Gutrippas x 10
  5. Beast-Skewer Killbow x 2
  6. Imperial Fists Tactical Squad x 10
  7. Soriaitas Palatine
  8. Pink Horrors x 2, Blue Horrors x 4 & Brimstone Horrors x 4
  9. Deffkilla Wartrike
  10. Ultramarines Bladguard Veterans x 3 & Ancients x 2

What I Am Reading

You can read my review of David Annadales In the Coils of the Labyrinth here!

I finished up Necropolis from The Founding Omnibus by Dan Abnett, and it was extremely good!

And I have now started on Sisters of Sorcery by Marsheila Rockwell and so far its quite canny!

I finished listening to The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks, and thats an issue, cause now I want to start an army of Risen!

I also listened to Blightslayer by Richard Strachan, which is rather good, I had feared the loss of Maleneth but Amara isn’t a bad character, but I am still sad at losing the Witch Aelf.

I also listened to The Time of the Daleks by Justin Richards, which was ok, but not the best 8th audio so far.

And I just finished listening to Stormcaller by Chris Wraight which was great but at times a bit hard to follow

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

Not much, but I did manage to get started with the local Blood Bowl league, and I lost my first match!

I lost 5-0 but it was a very very good match, and a lot of fun!

My team roster is as follows:-

Blitzer x 2
Gutter Runner  x 2
Rat Ogre
Skaven Clanrat Linemanx 5
Thrower
Re-Roll x 3

What Video Games I Am Playing

Bit more time on The Witcher 3 as I start on the DLC.

I also started playing Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun on stream, and that’s a lot of fun!

Also played a bit of Control on Stream too.

What I Am Creating

The second battle report of 2023 is out, and its Dropfleet Commander!!!

The new 40K podcast from the Edge of Empire team is here, its currently lacking a title, but here is our first episode!

What I Am Winning

Its been a minute, but I won these Govee gaming lights back in March, and they arrived this week, and will be getting installed on Megan’s desk in the next few days!

What I Am Spending

I bought Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun, cause hell yeah!!!

And as it’s Skulls, I got, Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron, Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition and Space Hulk Tactics alongside some DLC.

I got Winds of Magic, Shadows Over Bögenhafen, Back to Ubersreik, Grail Knight Career, Outcast Engineer Career, Warrior Priest Career, Sister of the Thorn Career and Forgotten Relics for Vermintide 2.

I also got Sons of Cadia, Legacy of the Weirdboy and Horrors of the Warp for Sanctus Reach, and the Chaos Campaign for Battlefleet Gothic 2.

And I decided to treat myself to a few bargains from my wishlist!

So I bought Euro Trick Simulator 2: Road to the Black Sea, Lost Planet 2, Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition, Metro 2033 Redux, Metro: Last Light Redux, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Wolfenstien 3D, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and Resident Evil Revelations 2.

Grey Goo and Kingdom Rush came in a mini mystery bundle.

And Junes Humble Choice came out and I got the following:-

I got a mini haul at UK Games Expo, the only games were Elector Counts and Catan: Soccer Fever.

And I got myself a set of bases for Carinvale and some Monitors for the UCM.

I was silly enough to buy the Warhammer stamps from Royal Mail!

I finally got my hands on Kâhl Yôht Grendok, he took a bit to get made, but he is here now and I quite like him, cannot wait to get him built and painted!

And some Word Bearers objective tokens arrived, the person who makes them is slow, but they are worth it!

UK Games Expo 2021

By

On 3rd August 2021

In Blog

So I went to the UK Games Expo this past weekend, which was amazing.

I worked with the Asmodee demo team, and I was responsible for demoing Carcassonne, which was loads of fun.

It was great to get back to a con again after 18 months without them.

It was much smaller than normal and a little more subdued, but that’s kind of understandable in the circumstances.

So yeah happy as hell and cannot wait for the 2022 event.

Oh and of course we did get a little haul!

What I Am Modelling

A slow week due to going away for the UK Games Expo.

Most of the early week was spent building up my next twenty planned projects, so they are all ready to rock and roll next week.

I did do some painting and went for some easy wins, starting with the Ur-Ghuls for Blackstone Fortress.

Followed by some Necron Lychguard.

And finally some Bladegheist Revenants for the Nighthaunt.

So what is coming up next in my painting queue?

  1. Zone Mortalis Terrain
  2. Stormcast Eternals Judicators with Boltstorm Crossbows x 10
  3. Blackstone Fortress Beastmen x 6
  4. Sylas Beastbane, Leena Stormspire, Astreia Solbright & Berek the Indomitable
  5. Necron Night Scythe
  6. Death Korps of Krieg Infantry Squad x 10
  7. Stormcast Eternals Vindictors x 10
  8. Blood Ravens Primaris Chaplain on Bike
  9. Kurdoss Valentian
  10. Legio Custodes Pallas Grav-Attack x 2

What I Am Reading

Just finished Target Kree by Stuart Moore and a review will be forthcoming this week.

Next up is Pandemic: Patient Zero by Amanda Bridgeman

What Video Games Am I Playing

I started my playthrough of Bioshock Infinite which is so far a lot of fun, you can see the first video below. Thus far its very very different to the games set in Rapture!

I also had a go on Flight Simulator on the Xbox just for shits and giggles, and its a lot of fun.

Just to update you on the current playthrough plan

  1. Bioshock Infinite (Nintendo Switch) – In Progress
  2. Assassins Creed (Xbox 360)
  3. Borderlands (Nintendo Switch)
  4. Assassins Creed The Ezio Collection (Xbox One)
  5. Horizon Dawn Zero (PC)

What Tabletop Games Am I Playing

None for myself, but I played an absolute ton of Carcassonne to demo it this weekend, including some tournament practice for some fellas!

What Am I Creating

Not got anything done this week 🙁

What Am I Backing

Still backing AB Con, only for a token amount, but every little helps I guess, wish I could put more in.

The Assassins Creed Orlog game funded successfully, I plan to add the other dice options to the pledge in the pledge manager.

What I Am Cooking

Not a sausage!

WorldCon and My Dark Place

By

On 22nd August 2016

In Blog

This weekend was MidAmericon II, this years WorldCon and I really wish I could have been there. Next year it comes closer to home, to Helsinki in fact, but I still can’t get there.

Since I feel ill and had the accident, well I haven’t been able to work beyond the occasional day demoing games, and that doesn’t really pay the bills. I am left dependent on ESA and PIP, I am in a pretty bad way, so I do get the maximum amount of money I am entitled to, and Lindsay is on a decent wage for the North East. But I am still left with very little at the end of it, and things like WorldCon are simply so far out of my budget, even when they are in Finland that it’s unreal.Despite a year of planning, I tearfully had to accept that I was never going to get to Helsinki, it was a hard decision to make, but even if I saved like a trooper, stopped buying books and models, I would struggle to afford to eat or get membership and enjoy myself after transport and lodgings were paid for

It lead me to a dark place, which was one reason I gave up blogging for a while. That coming on top of my Nana’s health deteriorating rapidly, Kings of the North collapsing and the resulting fallout, and my needing to take my diabetes a lot more seriously, left me so very low. I don’t think I let on to the world too much, but I spent a lot of time crying over what a disaster my life was.

Thankfully I have the love of two amazing women in my life and Lindsay and Megan pulled me out of the pit, they cleaned me up and got me through the darkness for my sisters wedding, which I was still not mentally prepared for how difficult it was going to be. When I left home my sister was barely 12 and I guess I have never really accepted that she grew up, despite her having a child, until her wedding day. She looked radiant and has become an amazing young woman, and that kinda knocked me back a bit, I just wasn’t ready for it, but she is all grown up and married now. I just wish we were closer, I love her and all, but we have lived a long way from each other for so many years, that our relationship is just not as close as I would like it to be.

After that I had the UK Games Expo, which I was only able to attend for 2 days this year, and I loved every minute of it. I worked one day and I was a plain punter the next, I wish I had been there for the whole time, but I had to transport my Nana back to Newcastle after my sisters wedding. Being there was amazing and I really wish I got to do more events like it, I saw people who I rarely get to see, and Lindsay always wonders why I somehow being the social butterfly with lots of friends at gaming events, when it’s usually her. I guess it comes from my time as an MiB where I did a lot of networking and volunteering at events, normally I am very shy and socially awkward but games people are my people.

Anyway when we returned from Birmingham, via Warhammer World of course, the three of us sat down and decided that we needed to get to conventions more, especially seeing how much I come alive at them. And we weren’t talking about the glorified market places that make up the majority of conventions in the UK, such as those ran by Showmasters or MCM, we wanted to do proper conventions. So we of course had to keep the UK Games Expo on the list, and we decided to add on EasterCon, the British SciFi convention, something I had not been to for 15 years now. There are others I would have like to have gone to such as Novacon, but my budget will only stretch so far.

It means putting £50 a month away into savings which will really stretch my budget a lot, but it will be worth it in the end, I know it’s not WorldCon, but it’s still the kind of event I love, discussing and enjoying the kind of literature that makes me so happy, it’s by no means a consolidation prize.

I guess things got dark for me because Helsinki was something I had my heart set on every since they launched their bid, I went to LonCon3 as a games demonstrator and it’s probably one of the great highlights of my life, so I was hoping to replicate that joy and fun in Finland. But I have to learn to live within my means more, I am no longer and MiB so those doors no longer open to me as they once did, so I have to be more domestic in my ambitions and desires. 

But that said there is the bid to bring WorldCon to Dublin, I am on the volunteer list, and I should really help make that happen by getting the word out in the north east more, we have plenty of Sci-Fi fans here after all!

But in general the past few months have been a bit of a wake up call for me, I need to essentially reboot my life, I need to get out more, despite my mobility issues (though Pokemon Go has helped with this a little), I need to read more, I used to devour 2 or 3 books a week, now it takes me 3 weeks to read a single novel. I need to create more, I am not a good writer but it does get the juices flowing and I enjoyed my initial steps in podcasting, I need to look after my body more and try and get a bit of the weight shifted. But most important of all I need to get my head properly in a place where I can handle life and the stuff it’s been throwing my way of late, I want to think my health situation will improve, but I have to stop getting so down and self-destructive when it doesn’t happen. 

So that’s me, signing off and that’s where I am at, I am better than I was, but still not 100%.

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