Sunday, January 17, 2016

'Epic Fail' from SidneyR - The Artist Chance Card


"Chance Card #20:  One of your regiments is delayed arriving in the field owing to their commander's portrait being painted by the famous artist, Laarden van Rijn"

I've always loved introducing "Chance Cards" into my wargames. I think this is some deep-rooted memory from avidly reading Donald Featherstone's "Wargames Campaigns" and "Solo Wargaming" when I was a teenager. I loved the way that Chance Cards can dislocate even the best laid plans. A few years ago, we fought a seventeenth century battle and I added a Chance Card to the deck which forced one side to have a unit delayed reaching the battlefield as a result of the commander having his portrait painted by the famous Flemish painter, Laarden Van Rijn (a lesser known brushman than his more illustrious Dutch cousin). 



I liked that card. It wasn't game breaking. It was a bit of fun. And it was clearly an epic fail, albeit quite in character for the "professionalism" of some historic Flemish commanders of the seventeenth century.

So, here's that Chance Card brought to life. We have the local civic militia, delayed in the Grote Markt while Mijnheer van Rijn completes his masterpiece. The cobblestones match the basing of the first Themed Round, and yes - the chickens have spread to this entry as well, clucking around the soldiers as they pose dramatically for the paintbrush. As befits a local militia, the soldiers have every variety of arms and armour, from classical helmets to flintlocks, from matchlocks and the Twelve Apostles to Flemish steel rapiers.


I did think of creating a tiny photoshoped version of Rembrandt's "The Nightwatch" on the great artist's easel, but I decided the barely-started sketch he's drawn is more in keeping with the theme!


I doubt a great painter can be rushed. He'll probably barely be finished when the militia start raising the defensive fortifications for the next themed round!

51 comments:

  1. Wonderfully creative Sidney... Top job

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  2. Excellent contribution Sidney, very fitting.

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  3. Lovely work Sidney and a rather nice interpretation of the theme. I love a good chance card too, perhaps because I also shared a similar Featherstonian upbringing. :-)

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    1. Thanks Millsy - there is just something wonderful about heading back to Don Featherstone's books. There's so much in them, things we read once and forgot, amazing ideas just waiting to be re-discovered. Like minds, mate ... like minds!

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  4. Really nice, great interpretation of the theme!

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  5. Fantastic work here mate! really good showing!

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  6. After a day out at the gallery with Millsy et al, this is particularly appreciated! Lovely work!

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    1. That does sounds like a fun day out! Thanks so much, Evan!

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  7. Fantastic concept and execution for the theme!

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  8. I miss chance cards, time to write some. Great painting

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    1. Chance Cards - you know, Martin, there's a blog post in that somewhere. I'll have to dig mine out and share them!

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  9. I miss chance cards, time to write some. Great painting

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    1. Thanks Martin! They are fun to write - your players will love them (well, most of the time!)

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  10. Excellent work Sidney. I hope you get some extra points for the canvas :)

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    1. He he! Thanks Tamsin. I'd settle on one point for the chickens instead! ;)

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  11. Amazing work Sidney. I love your clean crisp style on these figs, and I think the theme fit is perfect as well on this, great idea and execution. I think It would have done it with some Austrians, but hey there were lots of idiotic people in charge back then.... oh wait, that hasn't changed, has it. Damn.

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    1. Thanks Byron! The thing I love about the late 17th Century is that the commanders, although professionals, could sometimes come across as ludicrously amateurish compared to we'd like to expect from our general. Posing for portraits at inopportune times is possibly the least of their sins!

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  12. I loved this entry. I think it may be my favourite of the round. Fantastic work Sid. I'm shamelessly ripping this off for my Italian Wars project. Bravo!

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    1. I especially like the pompous gits in the front rank. They are awesome, especially with the chicken pecking behind them.

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    2. Hi Curt :) Shameless rip away, Sir! Be my guest! The chickens pecking away at the cobblestones while the cream of the Flemish aristocracy pose in the front rank was an image I quite liked as well. I made sure that the captain, with his ceremonial, civic goblet was posed just slightly in front of the younger aristocrat in buff yellow. Well, if you're going to be painted, you want to be showing your best side, don't you? ;)

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    3. Curt
      Have you seen this set of figures?
      http://www.castingroomminiatures.com/collections/renaissance/products/condottiere

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    4. Funny, they are already on order... :)

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  13. So inventive, beautifully executed and a joy to behold! Masterful stuff Sir.

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  14. Great concept, beautifully painted.

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  15. Ha! Beautifully done! It reminds me of the old Michael York and Oliver Reed Musketeer movies...probably the chickens! ;)

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    1. Thanks David. I have been searching for a Planchet in scale (25mm, not 28mm) for something like forever! Chickens, discarded hats, feathers, rapiers and wine bottles - now there's a theme!

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  16. Bravo, Bravo, what an excellent entry!

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    1. Thanks Ray! More Nine Years War - that OK with you, mate?

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  17. Bravo Sidney! This is an Epic Win! First it's a truly lovely unit. Then there's the Night Watch theme which is wonderful. Plus you are modelling a great era. And you throw in Chance Cards from Featherstone. A win all round.
    Cheers Peter

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  18. It's great to see you back and painting at the top of your game Sidney. The work of a Master-bravo!

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    1. Anne, that's very kind, thanks. Feeling my way back, lets say! But there's a long way to go!

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  19. I love this. Great idea, beautifully executed.

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    1. Thanks Dux! Might be fun to do a Bayeaux Tapestry version one day..... hmmmm ... ;)

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