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's Game 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment