Wednesday 30 March 2016

Benito's Challenge - Best laid plan hardly resists first contact

The fact is that I aimed for 500 points and the final tally was just 400 points. being this my first year in the competition I expect some understanding from my fellow participants. Truly I plan carefully before Christmas how to achieve the magic number, and even prepare several waves of painting projects

The Fallschirmjager platoon with supports for Chain of Command was to be followed by a wave of German infantry units in winter gear and the final cream on the top was going to be a squadron of French Napoleonic cuirassiers and some voltigeur and light infantry reinforcements for my French army to play with Sharp Practice.

Ah, plans... what are they good for! As Clausewitz well argued, they don’t resist the first contact in battle. The Christmas holidays allowed me to maintain a good painting rate, within plans, but as soon as I resume working, my timetables collapsed.

With great effort I managed to fully complete the Fallschirmjager project, including all supports. Which is rather a feat, as I did not leave a single blister or model without painting, nor even a piece of metal flash on my table.... how many of you can claim to have ever fully completed a project?

Here is the evidence: the FJ platoon in camouflage gear...



...and the special section I painted in winter gear, to participate one day in a dreamt Ardennes campaign.



On the one hand frustrated not to achieve my points, but on the other very satisfied with my output both in terms of quantity and quality (specially when painting so many camouflaged uniforms!!)

I have really enjoyed the Challenge, celebrating the participants achievements and admiring some artworks that will inspire for sure many of my future projects. Again thanks to Curt and the minions team for all the effort and time invested.

Looking forward to seeing the Campbells  in Madrid next June, I’ll be gathering the troops to play with Curt a Spanish Civil War game in our local club.

Uuups! I almost forgot, the selfie!!! Let me put a picture of one of my best moments I had in 2015 when I visited the Waterloo battlefield. Very emotional visit, something I’ve been dreaming since I was a young kid playing with my Airfix models.


19 comments:

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    1. Me too!! ...with the help of a club mate who's am airbrush master

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  2. Benito - excellent work! Your submissions have been very impressive.

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  3. I particularly like your Winter work.

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    1. Good training to attack the pile of lead of Germans in winter gear... after I finish the Napoleonics

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  4. Congrats on finishing your first Challenge! You've produced some fab stuff Benito :)

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    1. No as goos as yours in any case
      Tahnks for all the support

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  5. It's not about success, it's about participation, and you've been a great challenger

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  6. You had a fabulous debut year Benito. Your fallshirmjaegers and vehicles were excellent - I especially liked the winter themed bases.

    I'm sooo stoked to visit with you and your group this June! It's going to be awesome.

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  7. really great challenge - fantastic quality for sure.

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  8. Great first year Benito. I loved your Ardennes stuff.

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  9. Yup Clausewitz is Murphy's grandpop! ;)
    Still your Germans were a treat and the winter reinforcements were excellent from base to helmet! ;)

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  10. Splendid debut, Benito - I particularly liked the Hetzer in its ambush camo!

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  11. I respect any man who decides to do that much FJ camo at the scale you did - you got a great set of miniatures out at the end of the challenge, so well done indeed!

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