Praetorian Guard Showcase

The Praetorian Guard do not get the love they deserve. They never really took off in popularity in the United States, and only seem to have a limited fan base in Europe. Basically they are British from a rank and file style shooting era. Alex was my lucky break on these, helping cover their cost as a birthday/Christmas present. I wanted to make them my fun army. I started with the stripes on their pants being bright yellow, as well as cuffs and shoulder pauldrons. I decided a decent blue and red uniform would keep it nice and clean. Lastly I settled on them being in bright silver and gold. The reason was since this regiment is not well known is because they are on a garden world (Valour Prime) not touched by war, acting as an honour guard from a long standing treaty. Partially because of some very well modified tanks I got on eBay, I decided the local emperor (Monarchy government, not a heretical emperor, just a corrupt one) on Valour Prime was corrupt and slowly traded off their equipment so they are stuck using old, stripped down gear and squandered their military resources. Forces have attempted to arm up using atmosphere restricted craft (using WW2 aircraft to grab that old feel) and whatever equipment they can scrounge.

Tanks are denoted as Knights, and aircraft as Angels. Each one has its own storied history of conflicts of old, and are reborn as stripped down units to live up to their ancient ancestors. I do own Forgeworld Aircraft, but as a history buff I just really like using WW2 Allied planes to grab that British feel. The stands are made out of place holder stands for cards from my wedding. I used air dry clay for the base, and a lighter version for the card holder to build a form fitting cup so I would not have to store them stuck to the stands. The idea worked great for the standard fighters, but its a bit wobbly for the big ones. I made them the same size as Valkyrie bases by tracing one out on wax paper for each one.

My Praetorian Guard!
The Company Commander leads the parade for the local emperor.
Due to the rigid nature of how I roleplay this army on the table, the Platoon Command Squad brings its own Lascannon as it hangs back to support the Heavy Weapon Squads.
The Infantry Platoon consists of 3 squads of Guardsmen at its core.
2 Heavy Weapon Squads provide fire support for the advance!
A large variety of characters help charge into battle! 2 Lord Commissars (both sculpts are WAY to cool to just be Commissars), 2 Commissars, 1 Minostorum Priest, 1 Master of Ordnance, and 1 Enginseer all help keep the force in the fight!
A squad of 1997 Stormtrooper sculpts that scream SAS Commandos makes for the perfect fit for the Praetorian Guard!
2 Veteran Squads help vie for control of the battlefield. One hangs back for fire support while the other performs close assaults with a minimum loadout. They are expected to not survive long enough to need it, and act as an early wave shock troop.
The Brown Knight is a rugged Chimera with the intent for infantry fire support. It is usually held back to provide overwhelming fire power from across the field. The Silver Knight is the Tank Commander. Well lead, the armoured columns of the royal guard perform well despite their lack of additional weaponry.
The Blue Knight is a close assault specialist designed to burn the enemies of mankind out from cover and deliver shock troops directly to the Objective Marker.
The Green Knight is another long range fire support Chimera. It frequently transports the Company Command Squad and provides a variety of ranged fire power for all situations.
From left to right, front to back. The White Knight is an Executioner variant with a long history of not burning to a crisp when it fires its plasma weapon. The Dark Knight is a new addition to my collection, and has not yet tasted the glory of combat, but I suspect it will gladly decimate its foes! The Black Knight Is another Executioner variant. Like all of the other custom worked ones, it was purchased used. While it has a history of accuracy, it likes to burn out its cooling coils every. single. time. The Yellow Knight has an optical issue. Despite having a Coaxial Stormbolter, its machine spirit is finicky and its Conqueror Battle Cannon has had mixed accuracy results.
Resplendent is a Stormsword that has an angry machine spirit! It likes to pound its enemies into dust by any means necessary, even if it must run them over! It also has a fiery temperament, and has exploded every time it has died.
A very hard to get model, the Orange Knight is a Thunderer from days of yore! It has a habit of making Alex angry by not missing his inferior units.
Sir Mulch-A-Lot is a happy Macharius Vulcan that likes to chew up the forces of Chaos. Outside of Chaos, it struggles with hitting anything. But once it sees Rubric Marines or the like, the machine spirit rages with precision shooting and racks up massive kill streaks, even chipping a Chaos Knight to death once!
Black Angel is a converted Marauder Heavy Bomber designed for night Missions. Unseen above, it drops death in the form of bomb racks, missiles, and cannons!
Blue Angel is the day raider to the Black Angel’s night role. It dives in as a heavy fighter, slamming the foe with 6 Linked Autocannons, missile racks, Assault Cannons, and a limited bomb payload!
My converted Vulture Gunships are awaiting their 2 Linked Punisher Gatling Guns from ModelsandMinis. They look fantastic, and I will update their photo once they come in. Pink, Tan, and Drab Angel are wave A of the strafing runs the squadrons make. With 6 Punisher Gatling Guns and 3 Heavy Bolters, they bring 129 S5 shots! Edit: Models and Minis creator is no longer with us. I will find a different source.
The converted Avenger Strike Fighters form wave B of the strafing runs. With their Avenger Bolt Cannon, 2 Linked Lascannons, and various missile racks, wave B kills anything tough enough to survive the onslaught of Punisher fire from wave A.
Got a few stragglers. I ran out of the previous turf, and as luck would have it, it also is out of production.

Praetorian Guard 7,748 Points Population Infantry: 90, Monstrous Infantry: 6, Combat Walkers: 2, Tanks: 9, Flyers: 6, Titanics: 4

HQ
Company Command Squad 131 points
Bolt Pistol +2
Plasma Gun +9
Vox Caster +5
Standard +40
Medicae Pack +75
Carapace Armour +6
2 Chain Swords +1 x2
Total 268 points

Lord Commissar 126 points
Plasma Pistol +9
Power Sword +5
Meltabombs +7
Carapace Armour +2
Total 149 points

Lord Commissar 126 points
Powerfist +12
Power Sword +5
Meltabombs +7
Carapace Armour +2
Total 152 points

Tank Commander 189 points
Battle Cannon +45
Heavy Bolter +1
Extra Armour +5
Recovery Gear +2
Total 242 points

Advisor
Commissar 58 points
Plasma Pistol +9
Power Sword +5
Total 72 points

Commissar 58 points
Plasma Pistol +9
Power Sword +5
Total 72 points

Enginseer 62 points
Meltabombs +5
Total 67 points

Master of Ordnance 64 points
Total 64 points

Minostorum Priest 58 points
The Emperor’s Strength +45
Crusader x1 +27
Total 130 points

Officer of the Fleet 51 points
Total 51 points

Primaris Psyker 48 points
Psychic Mastery Level 2 +15
Lightning Arc +7
Shroud +15
Total 85 points

Troops
Infantry Platoon 153 points
Power Sword +5
Heavy Weapons Team +0
Lascannon +14
Vox Caster +5
Standard +40
2 Chainswords +1 x2
1 additional Guardsmen Squad +65
3 Flamers +7 x3
3 Vox Casters +5 x3
2 Heavy Weapon Squads +63 x2
1 Mortar +0
2 Heavy Bolters +2 x2
4 Heavy Mortars +6 x4
2 Vox Casters +5 x2
Total 484 points

Veterans (Fire Support) 85 points
Power Sword +3
Heavy Weapon Team +0
Missile Launcher +12
3 Grenade Launchers +8 x3
Vox Caster +5
Krak Grenades +10
Total 139 points

Veterans (Shock Troopers) 85 points
Power Sword +3
Vox Caster +5
Krak Grenades +10
Total 103 points

Elites
Stormtrooper Platoon 80 points
3 more Stormtroopers +15 x3
Plasma Pistol +7
Power Sword +3
Heavy Weapon Team +0
Autocannon +7
Hotshot Volleygun +3
Vox Caster +5
6 Hotshot Laspistols +3 x6
Total 168 points

Ogryn Platoon 126 points
1 more Squad +126
Total 252 points

Fast Attack
Scout Sentinel Squadron 122 points (needs 1 more)
2 Assault Cannons +10 x2
2 Search Lights +1 x2
Total 144 points

Heavy Support
Destroyer Squadron 153 points
Demolisher Cannon +22
Stormbolter +5
Extra Armour +5
Recovery Gear +2
Total 187 points

Leman Russ Squadron 162 points
1 more Leman Russ +162
2 Executioner Plasma Cannons +4 x2
2 Heavy Bolters +1 x2
2 Recovery Gear +2 x2
Total 338 points

Leman Russ Squadron 162 points
1 more Leman Russ +162
Conqueror Battle Cannon and Stormbolter +39
Battle Cannon +45
2 Lascannons +7 x2
Stormbolter +5
2 Recovery Gear +2 x2
Total 431 points

Flyers
Avenger Strike Fighter Squadron 202 points
2 more Avengers +202 x2
3 2 Linked Missile Launchers +24 x3
3 Chaff Launchers +9 x3
Total 705 points

Vulture Gunship Squadron 171 points
2 more Vultures +171 x2
3 2 Linked Punisher Gatling Guns +44 x3
3 Chaff Launchers +9 x3
Total 672 points

Dedicated Transports
Chimera 141 points
Heavy Bolter +2
Heavy Bolter +1
Dozerblade +9
Hunter Killer Missile +5
Smoke Launchers +10
Total 168 points

Chimera 141 points
Dozerblade +9
Hunter Killer Missile +5
Augar Array +5
Recovery Gear +2
Searchlight +1
Total 158 points

Chimera 141 points
Multilaser +2
Heavy Bolter +1
Heavy Stubber +11
Dozerblade +9
Hunter Killer Missile +5
Total 169 points

Lord of War
Stormsword 567 points
2 Lascannon and Heavy Flamers x2 +83 x2
Heavy Stubber +11
Augar Array +5
Recovery Gear +2
Smoke Launchers x2 +20
Total 771 points

Macharius Vulcan 411 points
2 Heavy Bolters +18
Hunter Killer Missile +5
Heavy Stubber +11
Recovery Gear +2
Searchlight +1
Total 448 points

Marauder Heavy Bomber 426 points
Hellstorm Bomb Rack +24
2 Linked Hellfury Missile Racks +36
Chaff Launcher +18
Total 504 points

Marauder Heavy Destroyer 475 points
Heavy Bomb Cluster +30
2 Linked Hellstrike Missile Racks +32
Chaff Launcher +18
Total 555 points