UK Games Expo 2023

Well it looks like the last few years of Covid is well and truly over (or ignored) as this years UK Games Expo was absolutely jam packed with exhibitors, traders, cos players etc. 

I was working as a games demonstrator again this year, and again I had the privilege to be working for Ares Games - the last few years I have had the same gig and its testament to how well Roberto, Fabio and Christoph at Ares thinks I and the rest of the crew do that they keep requesting the same people to demo for them.

Last year it was recorded that over 35000 people had attended, but this years figures blew that out of the water - it is estimated that the weekend saw over 50000 attendees, with the organisers even considering stopping people from attending on the Saturday due to the high numbers (and H&S Fire regulations).

I really enjoy the UK Games Expo and its one of the only places I go that no one cares if you differ from the norm - everyone is accepted with no judgement -all walks of life from small children and their families to the old and bold of the hobby, race, nationality, creed, background, gender etc everything and anything goes and is celebrated without a demeaning glance, comment or objection.

All are here for the same thing, celebrate the hobby and have fun.

The photos below show the main reason I love attending this convention - friends! the amount of people that came over to see me and get friends selfies as well as the chances I got to wander the halls and meet up with people who couldn't get over to me, it is seriously humbling to know how many people from all walks of life I have in my life.

On Ares stand we demo'd a number of games ranging from a Massive Quartermaster General 1914 game on the central tables to new published games, Orcanomics, Ensemble, Cangaceiros and the Rich and the Good as wells as the War of the Ring card game.

As per last year, on the Sunday we ran a massive multiplayer Wings of Glory dogfight with around 26 players, with prizes doled out constantly by Roberto to those who shot down planes as well as monetary vouchers for those shot down (this certainly helped to clear the stock on the shelves after the event as people flocked to spend their vouchers) 

I don't know this one blokes name but Kudos to the gent who over hearing a young lad was a voucher short of buying a plane model duly handed over one of his.

Highlights of the show, seeing so many wonderful people and catching up with the boys and girls from the No Rolls Barred YouTube channel.

An amazing three days and next years event cant come quick enough.

The Crowds

Friends

Around the Show

Wings of Glory mass Dogfight

 

Adam

Blair

Sullivan

Holly

Rosie

The Ares Crew

Back Row L-R
Lawrence, Chris, Chris, Tim, Roger, Craig, Alex, Ed
Front Row L-R
Chris, Aggie, Carl, Roberto, Hannah, Fabio, Christoph

The Haul

Happy Star Wars Day

 Happy Star Wars day. Hope everyone has a great day. 

Salute 50 - The Show, The Meet Up & The Swag

Well another Salute is over. This year was the 50th anniversary of the largest wargames show in the country and It was, all in all nice to be back.

A bit of a mixed emotion after attending this year. In one way I personally would have thought the fact that it was the 50th anniversary that it would have been a bit more special - weird to explain really but it just didn't feel like a celebration event. 

I know we have had a strange few years and Salute is getting back on its feet, and last years event was a by all accounts a bit of a let down, so I was expecting something a bit more.....

With that there was also a few big name traders that were a no show, Plastic Solider Company were off with Covid I believe, Gripping Beast were a no show and there were a few more including Footsore Miniatures. However it was still an extremely packed, well attended show with some marvellous games with a hell of a lot of effort gone into them.

Unfortunately there is still a few which suffer from the dreaded lacked of signage, information about their games and lack of engagement with the interested public - if you have a great looking demonstration game, dont just play it between yourselves and ignore peoples interest and questions about it !

As usual at Salute, around 1pm there is a meetup in the middle of the hall of Bloggers/Vloggers and the like and again it was fairly well attended, the notable missing few being Ray and Postie from the Rejects.

Overall I was stoked to be back at Salute and it was a fantastic day catching up with the great and good of our seminal hobby.

Huge shout out to my favourite people Alex, Dawn and Rob from Warp Miniatures, Karl, Helena and Mogan at Crooked Dice, Michael and Jo at Oathsworn, Lardy Rich at Two Fat Lardies where I had a brilliant game of their new What A Cowboy rules, and the nicest bear in wargaming Wayne at Tangent Miniatures and Ronnie at Mantic Games

It really is a pleasure after 42 years in this hobby to know, interact and be involved with such lovely people.

Some people think of Salute like Marmite - you either love it or you dont! it has its faults but it also has its merits and for a show to be still going strong after 50 years is testament to the South London Warlords and their hard work hosting it.

I for one enjoy the day immensely regardless and look forward to many more.

Photos of the day.

Bloggers Galore (if thats the collective noun?)

Swag of the day

Warlords new Epic Pike and Shotte Starter set, with resin Gabbions.

Free Salute Dice Tray, Dice and Miniature

Wargames Illustrated Magazine with free Cavalry sprue for Epic Pike and Shotte game

Mounted Hordak and Skeletor exclusives for Masters of the Universe Battlegrounds.

Burrows and Badgers Owl and new cannons and crew set.

Forklift and German WW2 Checkpoint scenery bits from Mantic.

Salute 50 2023 - Blogger Meet Up

I will be attending Salute 50 at the weekend and as usual there will be a meet up of Bloggers and as mentioned on Big Lee' s Miniature Adventures

Anybody who wishes to pop by and say hello and catch up after the weird few years we have had, we will lingering around as illustrated on the map about 1pm.

 

Gangs of Rome - Take the Slave Market

I have recently pledged on Footsore Miniatures Gangs of Rome 2 Kickstarter and thought it was a great time to dust off my old stuff and get a game on the table with a few mates. Gangs of Rome is a 28mm Skirmish game set in ancient Rome, each player selects a gang of fighters and can take extra Denarii (coins/equipment) to help them subdue their opposition. These Denarii could be anything from a shield or spear to a Gladiator ally or a Attack dog. 

The city itself can also help or hinder you, with the citizen mobs which can either panic or attack you or remain indifferent depending on their whim.

with 3 of us playing, Nic, Alex and myself. I set up a scenario where it was last man standing would control the slave market and set up the scenery. Each player took four different fighters made up of male and female miniatures and each with different stats and abilities.

As another twist, I decided to do random placement with each fighter rolling a D6, 1,2,3,& 4 would see that fighter start on the respective board edge, a 5 and they would start in the middle near the slave market platform and a 6 would be re-rolled.

After the random deployment was completed we started with a draw for the first fighter to act (fighters would act on a random draw of a coloured die for the relevant gang from a bag)

The slave market with gangs and mobs starting positions.

The gangs laid into each other right from the start. With a three way scrap, each gang member didn't know where the next attack would come from. One of mine was charged right at the beginning and was cut down with a deft strike of a gladius before he could even draw his blade (completely whiffed my defence dice) the mobs swayed back and forth on their reaction to the violence - sometimes panicking and retreating away from the bloody scuffle, other times steeling themselves to attack a lone ganger and a few gangers fell to the blows from sticks and stones that the mob possessed.

As darkness started to descend on the city, the cobbles ran red with the blood of maimed and injured gangers, the mobs drifted away to their abodes and finally one ganger was left standing (belonging to my mate Nic's gang). Panting heavily and feeling the weight of his blade dripping with the blood of his enemies, he raised it above his head and screamed "Nostrum Est" claiming the market for his gang.

As it was hard fought and many of the gang were incapacitated, how long they would be able to hold this territory would be a different matter.