Hey folks! Today I'm releasing my interview with Steven Pardo over at SN Battle Reports! I first found out about these guys when I was avidly following Baz Watkins' sculpting of the Custom Pedro Kantor. When I realized these guys were on YouTube, I headed over to their channel and was met with an amazing array of battle reports. One of the things I really liked from the beginning was the eye-catching and artistic thumbnails. I know it's kind of a silly thing to notice, but as someone that has been trying to crack the YouTube nut, I understand the value of a well-thought-out and produced thumbnail. So, it's safe to say the thumbnails did their job! I clicked on one and away I went.
When I watch their videos, I can truly feel the energy the guys bring to their content! The group's love for the game is completely transparent and you can tell they relish the opportunity to be creating fun and engaging content for their subscribers. It's plain to see these guys are genuinely having a blast even as they discuss the setup, tactics and showcase their armies. I didn't know this initially, but the SN team hosts a wargaming event called No Retreat. According to a recent Instagram post, the team has secured a new location to start recording more battle reports. I, for one, am extremely anxious for the Corona-Virus to be a fading memory, because that means the boys over at SN Battle Reports will be pumping out more amazing content! For the content they've already released, you can check it out on YouTube, Patreon, or even their website!
As I spent more time chatting with Pardo, the conversation slowly evolved, and we began to discuss stuff outside the hobby that I found truly astounding! A couple fun facts about the charismatic and self-proclaimed geek: Pardo not only founded SN Battle Reports with his buddy Nick (SN=Steven and Nick), he also has a 5-0 record in semi-professional Mixed Martial Arts, as well as multiple titles in European and World Dance competitions. His high-octane energy and passion makes so much more sense now! When I asked why he liked fighting or dancing competitively he said, "I’ve always found it cool for geeks to prove we can be cool too".
So, sit back and get a bit more familiar with Pardo and the gang over at SN Battle Reports!
1. How many people are a part of your team, and who are they?
"Currently the core of SN is a team of 4 (DC, Chris, Nick & myself) with a couple of other members who help out when needed".
2. How long have you been involved in the hobby in general?
"I started in the hobby at the age of 7 when my brother in law (who was a keen fantasy player at the time) bought me Heroquest for my Birthday (I actually still have the box set) From there I just got lost in the GW universe and have been playing ever since!"
3. How long have you been actively promoting your content on social media?
"We're actually celebrating our 6th year anniversary this 22nd of July, so that basically answers the question ;)"
4. What initially drew you to the miniature model hobby realm?
"Heroquest for starters! Also, since a very young age I've always loved fantasy books. When I had actual fantasy models to play along with and get lost in my own fantasy world... that's when I just knew this was for me".
5. What tabletop game would you say is your favorite? What particular faction within that game is your favorite and why?
"Definitely 40K and definitely Space Marines!"
6. If money or time weren’t a consideration, what single purchase/upgrade/expansion would you make to further your hobby enjoyment?
"Well at the SN studio we are just missing 2 armies now at the moment... Sisters and Orks. Both armies are very time consuming to paint as they play better in hordes and multiple infantry units, so I guess I would have one of those two armies commissioned".
7. Where do you get the inspiration for your particular army theme or style?
"I've always been a huge fan of the White Dwarf magazine hence how SN started with its first White Dwarf style batreps, so i guess the inspiration has always come from there and their awesome content".
8. What tips or advice would you give someone just starting out in the hobby?
"Don't overspend to start with, don't buy for the sake of buying. Take your time, read up and make sure you know what you are buying and what style you will enjoy the most".
9. What was the moment you realized hosting battle reports was something you
wanted to pursue as more than a hobby?
SN started just for fun (..and still is loads of fun) but after a couple of months of classic reports going out to the public on Facebook and having so much incredible reach and great feedback I knew straight away this is what I wanted to do more and more of!"
10. What was the most difficult obstacle you had to overcome on your path to
becoming a YouTube Content Creator?
"As many of you know, SN started as classic style reports only. For those of you that don't know what that means... it's picture based reports with write-ups and very cool narrative... same as you see in the white dwarf magazines. We did this for 5 years but sadly our reach wasn't as good as other channels doing video batreps, so I decided to move onto video as well as classic. This made it a huge obstacle for me as it was all brand new to me... cameras, video editing etc. but I'm so happy to now move on to this as well and can happily say it was a great choice by the team".
11. What was the most rewarding experience you’ve had since you started
creating content?
"My most rewarding experience has clearly been our exclusive No Retreat events, seeing how this event has grown from a local small event to an invite only international event. We currently have over 150 applications from all over the world with world renowned players and hobbyists also attending. It's just amazing and I will not get used to it!"
12. If you could do anything to expand your company/studio/hobby footprint, what would it be?
"I would love to get into Age of Sigmar and back into HH, but sadly it's all about time. We all have our own full time jobs and families, so it's very difficult to actually find the time to invest in more. Hopefully, fingers crossed, in a couple of years I could be doing this full time and that is when I will definitely be looking at other games to add to our reports and channel content.
13. If you could earn a sponsorship or endorsement from your dream company, who would it be and why?
"Our dream came true a year and a half ago when GW gave us a contract to have their content and books shipped out to us to preview in advance! Goals achieved!"
Pardo, thank you for your willingness to chat with a fan! I certainly hope Grandfather Nurgle releases his sickly grip on the world soon so we can be blessed with more of your amazing content! I am also extremely proud of your success and can't wait to see how far you guys go!
Readers, head over to their YouTube and give them a sub!
Papa, Out!