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Stuart Ellis-Gorman

@drcrossbows.bsky.social

2.3K followers 390 following 760 posts

Medieval historian, crossbows and the Hundred Years War. Author of The Medieval Crossbow (2022) and Castillon (2025). Freelance writer/editor/proofreader, occasional game designer. Reviewer of books and games. Website: www.stuartellisgorman.com

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · Jul 17

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Castillon, the final battle of the Hundred Years War. Fought outside the city of Castillon a day or so's march east of Bordeaux in Gascony/Aquitaine, it saw the combined Anglo-Gascon army led by John Talbot be utterly annihilated by the French.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Dan Howlett @dhowlett1692.bsky.social · 1d

Come check out our AMA on @askhistorians.bsky.social today with our guest @csschmitt.bsky.social for her new book The Predatory Sea

www.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...

From the AskHistorians community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AskHistorians community

www.reddit.com

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 1d

I haven't played them in over 15 years now, but back when I was a broke teenager Cheapass Games were a regular source of my boardgaming fix. Really fond memories of some of those games.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 1d

The first I ever played was a demo of Warhammer 40k second edition in the local shop.

The first I ever bought and played at home was either Mordheim or 40k third edition.

The first I ever went really deepn on was Warmachine and Hordes (1st and 2nd editions)

JewelKnifeStress 🎃🎲🖌️🎮 (She/Her) @jewelknightjess.com · 2d

Asking this again!

Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Fred Serval @fredserval.bsky.social · 2d

To celebrate the 8k subs milestone I'll do a very serious "Ask Me Anything" stream on Thursday night at 8pm GMT with @pierrevj.bsky.social and @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social - please feel free to join us and ask your most serious questions 🥸
www.youtube.com/live/7y2n9Ew...

8K Special! Ask Me Anything (feat. Pierre Vagneur-Jones) — Woke Wargaming and other nonsense

YouTube video by Homo Ludens

www.youtube.com

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 3d

It's been a while, but I'm finally back reviewing, and with a new edition of one of my favorite books. Vol.2 of @increment.bsky.social's Playing at the World from @mitpress.bsky.social is enormous and perhaps a more niche work than vol.1, but I loved it.
www.stuartellisgorman.com/blog/playing...

Playing at the World, 2e Volume 2: Three Pillars of Role-Playing Games by Jon Peterson — Stuart Ellis-Gorman

I have made no secret of my affection for Jon Peterson’s study of the origins of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), both in its original single volume form and in the new two-volume second edition from M...

www.stuartellisgorman.com

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 3d

Been too long, finally got the nippers out and started on this guy who's been sitting on my shelf since my birthday back in May. My first Master Grade in ages, and a reminder of why I love them.

Top half of Master Grade Heavyarms Gundam kit sitting in his box on top of the instruction manual.

Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 3d

Which member of the Annales School would he recommend City of Six Moons to and why?

Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Kevin M. Levin @civilwarmemory.bsky.social · 6d

Took two days off after submitting the final draft of my Robert Gould Shaw bio, but now I am back to work on my new book project, which is a study of the Gettysburg Campaign from the perspective of the thousands of enslaved laborers forced to travel with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

gundampixel @gundampixel.bsky.social · 7d

Aww, look at Yasuhiko... just so joyful!

Official report (JP) from the Kushiro city Museum of Art has been posted on Gundam Info: www.gundam.info/news/event/0...

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 8d

Homoousion

Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 9d

Any and all complaints about lack of fun should be mailed to:

Space Biff
Space
USA

A full refund will be issued by Western Union transfer, but we're a little light this month so if you could send us $50 we will refund you double that next week. Honest.

Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 9d

You should read this. It's a 100% guaranteed fun time or your money back!

Dan Thurot @danthurot.bsky.social · 9d

For today's article, I'm just griping about why "fun" is a bad word for critics. spacebiff.com/2025/09/30/a...

Anti-Fun

There’s one word I try to never use when writing about board games. The F-word. No, not that one. “Fun.” There it is. My critical curse word. Today I want to talk about why “fun” isn’t an especiall…

spacebiff.com

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Keyah (banned era) @sapphic-film-nerd.bsky.social · 9d

This is all I've been thinking about today, people are wearing orange and I'm barely functioning thinking about these kids and my family who were taken to this "school"

This was almost a year ago today, and it didn't gain much attention outside of Indigenous communities online and offline.

Frances Danger *Deadly SoverAuntie* @francesdanger.bsky.social · Nov 24

38 confirmations of unmarked graves of our Native youth at immaculate conception mission school in South Dakota during Native Heritage Month. The Crow Creek are working to identify our young relatives.

This is your legacy. We're reclaiming ours.

rapidcityjournal.com/news/communi...

38 unmarked graves found at South Dakota boarding school; church offers few answers

Crow Creek Sioux Tribe members are working to identify who rests in an unmarked gravesite on the former grounds of the Immaculate Conception Mission Catholic boarding school.

rapidcityjournal.com

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 9d

Who doesn't need more Breton Civil War in their life?

Dr. Erika Graham-Goering @jeanneologist.bsky.social · 10d

It's Michaelmas, so it's also the anniversary of the battle of Auray (1364), which marked the beginning of the end of the Breton War of Succession begun 23 years earlier. And you know what? Let's mark it with a 🚨BOOK GIVEAWAY🚨 this time! (Charles de Blois has never had a stranger memorial...)

photo of two book covers, one called "Princely Power in Late Medieval France: Jeanne de Penthièvre and the War for Brittany", and one called "Gendered Reputations and Aristocratic Partnership: Re-Presenting the Breton Civil War from the Fourteenth to Sixteenth Centuries", both by Erika Graham-Goering. Princely Power has a green cover with a picture of a medieval document and green wax seal, while Gendered Reputations has a grey cover with a medieval drawing of a crowd of people raising their hands to a man and woman couple.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Sean T. Collins @seantcollins.com · 12d

If there's someone doing work out there on the fringes that matters to you, please let them know, because this world is going to tell them the opposite every day.

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 12d

I was away visiting family in August, and then had family visiting me, and then I've been flat out in work all of September. I haven't played anything since June and I'm climbing the walls over here. I desperately need to unpack something and push some pieces.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

💀🧟‍♂️Kevin Church of the UNHOLY 🧟‍♂️💀 @beaucoupkevin.com · 13d

The most accurate recreation of DS9 I've seen.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14d

Thought I was going to completely miss the 30th anniversary Wing stuff, but managed to drop into the Gundam Base in Yongsan during a gap between trains and saw my boi Wing Zero.

A giant statue of the Wing Zero Custom (Endless Waltz) Gunpla kit in Yongsan. Its on a pedestal and lit up with lamps.

Large cardboard standees of the Gundam Wing boys and in front of each one is a built Master Grade gunpla of their Gundam (Endless Waltz version)

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14d

I also grabbed some goodies while I was there. I had planned to also get a clear plastic Deathscythe but he was sold out.

My hand holding the starter set for the Gundam Card Game including the Gundam Assemble miniatures set with the Talgeese and two Leos.

Me holding the box for the limited run clear plastic HG Shenlong Gundam kit.

Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14d

Thought I was going to completely miss the 30th anniversary Wing stuff, but managed to drop into the Gundam Base in Yongsan during a gap between trains and saw my boi Wing Zero.

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Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens @csmfht.bsky.social · 22d

Sometimes it's nice to remember that even Marcus Aurelius was like "you don't have to comment on everything bro"

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 14d

Nandeck is a good program for generating digital/print files for card decks of various styles. There are good tutorials on it on YouTube.

Reposted by Stuart Ellis-Gorman

Andrew Ayton @andrewayton.bsky.social · 15d

Actually, not so recent: 2019. We address a number of pretty important issues with Sumption’s interpretation, but he sees fit to simply repeat his previous argument. Sadly, this book has received little publicity.

Initial page of Andrew Ayton & Craig Lambert, ‘Navies and Maritime Warfare’ in Anne Curry, ed., The Hundred Years War Revisited.

Cover page of Anne Curry, ed., The Hundred Years War Revisited (2019)

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 16d

You do reviews?

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Stuart Ellis-Gorman @drcrossbows.bsky.social · 19d

I've mostly been playing classic roll and move race game Mahé with my daughter. The game itself is probably only okay but as a simple game to play with an almost six year old it's great, we've been having a blast and she loves it.