The final of Kyle's Praetorian newsreel doesn't actually feature any 28mm Warhammer 40k figures, but expands on an idea formed in that very first Praetorian-Valhallan battle at Game Empire San Diego. Plus this video is so dang entertaining!
Similar to Britain's East India Company, the Praetorian Trading Company had extensive operations and made its owners incredibly rich. Something we always talked about doing (but never did as Praetorian figures were starting to grow scarce) was actually build a PTC force to represent the private little army it maintained in order to keep its interests across the galaxy secure.
Following the success of his first Praetorian newsreel, my friend Kyle made a follow up video to further expand on the Praetorian-Valhallan War. It only seems fitting to share it here (and not just because some of my Praetorian figures appear in the video). Enjoy!
Many years ago, my friends Ben and Kyle formally introduced me to the world of Warhammer 40k and, by extension, miniature wargaming. I'd been painting and customizing 3 3/4" Star Wars figures for years but this was something that I'd always been fascinated with while growing up.
My friends introduced me to an obscure Imperial Guard force called the Praetorians. For those who might not be familiar, these guys were basically Zulu War British soldiers in space with laser guns; I was immediately hooked. I bought some figures on eBay (they were still pretty affordable at the time) and began painting them up.
In October 2007 (I remember because the Witch Creek-Guejito Fires started immediately after my train left San Diego and all transportation to and from the area was closed after that), I visited Ben and Kyle. They took me to San Diego'sGame Empire and it was there that I played my first game of Warhammer 40k. Ben (aka the Weasel) had a huge Valhallan force that would serve as the opposing force. To explain the ensuing Praetorian vs. Valhallan battle (as both sides are part of the same faction), we developed a background story that the invasion took place due to a clerical error. This would be carried on in subsequent years as we'd continue to play against each other.
Kyle made an awesome battle report video in the days following, which I'll let speak for itself:
The only thing I'll add is that as my Praetorians were making their last stand, the three of us began singing "Men of Harlech." The entire store was singing along with us within minutes. Everyone there was united in nerdom and had a clear love of the 1964 film Zulu. I still get goosebumps thinking about it...even 12 years later.
