We Three Kings

In the run up to Christmas a flurry of emails passed between fellow challengers Stefan, Sander and myself as we started to come to grips with the idea of joining forces in order to produce the Curtgeld required to meet this year’s entry requirement.  This was always going to be the highlight of the challenge for me as the idea of collaborating with two friends over three countries in order to produce a single coherent piece was a challenge we all wanted to be part of.

There were several ideas floated as to what to do, but we all felt that ideally we should submit something that might fit with one of Curt’s existing collections and before long we were all thinking Italian Wars and in particular Landsknechts.

This in turn pricked a memory and after a bruising and exhaustive search of the loft here at ‘Awdry Towers’ I fell upon my quarry.  Some years ago I had been gifted, from my good friend the Provost Marshal, a collection of 'Redoubt Miniatures' Landsknechts, these were little vignettes and so seemed perfect for the job.  

True, their appearance was a little ‘of their time’ and perhaps lacked some of the finesse of modern day sculpts, but nevertheless they seemed to fit the bill.  Unable to decide which of the groups of characters to work on we agreed to have a go at finishing them all and after the random distribution of miniatures (random in so much as I closed my eyes and counted them into piles, they were duly packed and posted to the continent.

We bravely attempted to embrace new technology with a group web chat to discuss tactics and colours and it was during this that I discovered the more mischievous side of my compatriots as when deciding on colours it was agreed to go for a particularly odd mix, perhaps in a bid to encourage Curt to create his own, equally resplendent unit in response. How we chortled.

After our initial exchanges things fell a little quiet as we all started to get on with our own personal challenges, but I am delighted to say that we have finally arrived at an outcome.  I can’t explain how thrilling it was seeing the miniatures reunited and then assembled to the bases and if I have one regret it is that Stefan and Sander couldn’t see them together before they were sent to Canada.

This proved to be my final post of this year's challenge and I am delighted that it was to showcase the collaboration of Sander’s, Stefan’s and my own work as we fulfilled our obligation to provide Curt with a suitable memento of our involvement in this year’s ‘Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge’.

Also added to the 'Command Stand' page.