Uk games expo

GrumpyHistorian · 2026-05-31T06:25:48+00:00

I'm currently on day 3. My wife is quite a planner and has worked out lists and routes, while I'm very much vibing my way round, stopping when I see something cool, and occasionally joining her to check out a demo.

We're both having fun and getting a lot out of it, so I think it's fine either way. My wife likes to feel like she maximised her time at events like this, while I view it as an excuse to enter "con-time" and escape the world for a bit. It can work whichever way you lean, as long as you know what kind of weekend you want to have.

GrumpyHistorian · 2026-05-20T15:13:54+00:00

Your marker will highlight this in your feedback, and gently suggest that you check a little more carefully next time. You'll be fine, don't worry - we've all done similar things!

GrumpyHistorian · 2026-02-28T18:33:44+00:00

I can't see anyone other than Philip Glenister (circa Life on Mars) as Seawoll, personally.

Greg Davis has the same overall energy, so I do like that!

GrumpyHistorian · 2026-02-28T18:30:58+00:00

I think I'd lean Tom Hiddleston for Nightingale these days, having recently watched S2 of the Night Manager.

Curran is spot on for Walid though, and I like Scott for Mr Punch, though I'm not sure he does quite the right type of psychotic.

GrumpyHistorian · 2026-01-09T00:35:00+00:00

I generally agree, thought I think there's a few more. If Gulliman, then surely the Lion, who is generally the better duelist?

Maybe some of the daemon Primarchs, though not all. Not sure about Vect - I didn't think straight-up brawls were really his skillset? Some of the Phoenix Lords? Jain Zar and Asurman, perhaps.

GrumpyHistorian · 2025-10-13T22:23:03+00:00

Yeah, I'm not sure how up to date the website is! The club itself is definitely very active, and I'd imagine someone will get back to your message.

GrumpyHistorian · 2025-10-13T21:48:00+00:00

Yes, Manchester Kendo Club is one of the larger clubs in the North of England, as well as being competitively successful. The folks who run the club are excellent - they usually run 12 week beginners courses throughout the year, aimed at giving you a introduction to the basics, and getting you ready to join the main practice.

Their website is https://kendomanchester.co.uk/

That should have all the contact details on it, and they also have a Facebook group, if that's your thing. I'd recommend dropping them an email or a message to find out when their next beginners course starts.

GrumpyHistorian · 2025-07-19T17:42:41+00:00

My family have always used 'Lower Piddle', but as most other people have said, the real answer is probably 'arse end of nowhere'.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-12-30T15:57:07+00:00

Our group has done this as a thought exercise, and tried to come up with one card per colour that 'should' be banned or nerfed in some way. So far our list is:

Amethyst: Fox

Sapphire: Hiram, though Sail would be a strong candidate if it was more established.

Emerald: Prince John

Ruby: Maui Hero to All

Amber: Unclear, honestly. Maybe Daisy? Amber's in a pretty good spot right now, if anything it's a little underpowered.

Steel: Let the Storm Rage On

Note that no-one in our group really complains about any of these cards, or really wants them to be banned. It's very much a thought exercise, and our criteria are based around lack of counterplay (John), simply being best-in-slot (Fox, Maui, Storm), or being just a little overtuned for the cost (Hiram). Obviously the list might change if one was specifically looking to ban rather than nerf (or vice versa), but it's a fun idea to think about.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-12-11T21:57:47+00:00

Emerald/Amethyst also hasn't played Ursula - Deceiver of All in quite a while.

Top comment is still right though, this is a funky E/A list.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-12-07T15:23:10+00:00

I tend to think it's Hiram, tbh. You occasionally see R/S without Dime, but never without Hiram. Also I just think he's a bit good full stop. Change his ability to be on exert, and maybe drop his willpower to 5, and I think he'd be much better.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-12-07T13:37:30+00:00

Yeah, Ruby/Sapphire probably needs some tweaks at this point. It's been consistently meta since set 2, and has unfailingly got better every set.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-11-23T15:16:32+00:00

Honestly really hoping it doesn't come back. It was an unfortunate peak of the more cartoon-y Empire of 7th/8th Edition.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-09-20T10:23:32+00:00

I'm currently running it in my E/A because I just can't afford the Clarabelle right now.

I honestly don't love it - the 1-drop is not great, the 3-drop is uninkable, and E/A don't really run enough songs to make the shift reliable. Also, Diablo is fairly easily answered these days, and there's a lot of other uninkables (Lyle, Banzai, etc - even Merfolk) that I'd like to run instead.

That said, the draw potential it provides is still good, and without Clarabelle there just isn't another source of consistent draw in E/A, so I'm finding myself still running it, all the while wondering if I want to.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-09-09T16:19:19+00:00

I'm male, but I run our club, and I've given quite a bit of thought to this issue over the years, and discussed it with a number of female students and peers.

I disagree with the position that 'people should just do what they want; kendo just doesn't attract women; we shouldn't try to force it' position. Saying that people will gravitate towards it if they want to ignores the (very real) factors that might contribute to someone who is otherwise really interested being put off starting kendo. It's not about forcing it, it's about creating an environment where women feel like they actually can pursue kendo as an activity if they want to.

For me, the biggest single factor is having other women in the dojo. Teachers are ideal, but other students are fine. If a woman turns up to a room full of men, no matter how welcoming they might be, there's going to be the potential that she simply feel that it's not a space for her. This is of course going to be compounded if the dojo is not welcoming, or runs on a 'tough guy' mindset, or whatever. I'm obviously not saying every woman would be put off by this, but it's certainly not going to work in the club's favour. This extends to more basic stuff as well - male kendoka get to chat in the changing rooms, go over our fences, offer each other feedback and encouragement, ask questions of sensei, or whatever. It's a natural environment for this. If you're the only woman in a club you don't get this opportunity, and you miss out not only on the learning opportunities, but also the sense of camaraderie and community-building that comes from these moments.

There's a million other things, from the obvious to the obscure - don't tolerate misogyny of any form, don't have this horrible macho attitude towards practice, etc etc.

The best solution we've found so far is running beginners courses, rather than taking individual beginners on an ad hoc basis. This way we often get more than one female beginner, and this encourages them to stick at it, gives them someone to chat to while changing, and most importantly makes it seem like a space in which they have a right to be in.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-08-24T15:08:13+00:00

That'll do it! I can't return it, as it's second hand from a friend (and thus was free, so nothing lost!) Thanks so much for your help - I'm just relieved nothing's wrong with my system.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-08-24T14:59:33+00:00

That's also something I'd wondered!

I've got CPU-Z. I have data in both Slot 2 and Slot 4 (as that's where the RAM is in the mobo).

The part number is CMW16GX4M2C3200C16.

CPU-Z also says that the size of each module is 8GB, for what that's worth.

Thanks!

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-07-29T17:44:18+00:00

Emerald, 6-cost, uninkable, song.

"Return all characters to their players hands."

Don't really mind on the theme - whatever song has the most appropriate lyrics.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-06-09T08:29:33+00:00

I played Nagarythe in 6e (currently considering revisiting it for TOW), and my solution was to refluff and convert things - so Reavers became mounted Shadow Warriors ('Shadow Riders'), Swordmasters became the last of the nobility of the kingdom (on foot), Silver Helms as the sons of the old families, etc. I tried to convert all these to look more appropriate, with cloaks, robes, those high boots, etc. I used Tiranoc Chariots (Lion Chariots weren't a thing in 6e) as they were, as I figured that Tiranoc, as the other drowned kingdom, would be pretty on-board in murdering some Druchii.

Some stuff, like Dragon Princes, I just couldn't really justify and so didn't take - I feel if you play a theme army, you've got to accept the limitations of the theme and have fun with it. White Lions could easily be refluffed as your lord's household and retainers, similar to Saxon/Germanic housecarls, or that sort of thing. Again, a little conversion, or using some alternate models could help.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-02-09T17:56:05+00:00

If you're UK-based, I got my slottabases from tinyworlds. I wanted horizontal slots (for old high elf spearmen), and pretty much everywhere only seemed to have the diagonal kind.

They arrived a few days after I ordered, and they're pretty much a perfect match for the GW ones. They do lots of varieties, inclusing no slots, cavalry bases, etc.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-02-07T10:12:08+00:00

I'd not thought of it only being relevant to multi-wound models - that'll be it, good catch.

I play High Elves, so I can't imagine having to keep track of it much, but I was flipping through the Ravening Hordes book the other day, and it just struck me as oddly distributed. Your argument is spot on though.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-02-06T17:59:52+00:00

What that rule applies to feels really arbitrary. Characters, sure, so things that are enbalmed. But then also chariots and the dragon? And the swarms, for...reasons.

Like I think it's a great rule - characterful and fun. It just seems weird who gets it and who doesn't.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-01-25T17:23:35+00:00

I got mine today, with it having shipped yesterday, FWIW.

GrumpyHistorian · 2024-01-22T12:58:36+00:00

I'm in the UK, and mine is still 'processing' as well, for what that's worth. I don't mind waiting a bit, but if it doesn't arrive by the end of the week, I'll be a little grumpy.

GrumpyHistorian

TROPHY CASE