From MartijnN: Curtgeld - Tijl Uilenspiegel in the Hall of Traps (45 points)

This is my first contribution to my first Challenge, although I did take part in the Quarantaine Challenge Curt organised earlier this year. I have been following the Challenges for the past few years and I am thrilled to be a participant at last. I am neither a very good nor a very fast painter, but I hope the Challenge will help me to make a little dent in my plastic and lead mountain and have some fun along the way!

I am currently living in Belgium, but I am a Dutchman. I have been a wargamer for almost as long as I can remember, but I have had rather a quiet period when life got in the way and have resumed my “active” wargaming career some years ago. Although I started in the eighties with Hinchcliffe and Minifigs 25mm figures, nowadays I mainly paint and play in the smaller scales, as in 15mm or smaller. Actually, I painted some 28mm WH40K figures a couple of years ago, but before that I think I didn’t paint any figure larger then 15mm since the early nineties…

However, as my entry fee for the Challenge I thought a 28mm figure would be most suitable. Now luckily I have been a regular attendant at Crisis, the greatest wargames show in mainland Europe organised by the Tin Soldiers of Antwerp each year. For the past years they have been giving away beautiful 28mm figures, and one of those I present to you as my “Curtgeld”.

It is Tijl Uilenspiegel, sculpted by Paul Hicks. The little note that came with the figure reads:

“Originally a trickster figure from German medieval folklore, later versions set him in the days of the Dutch Revolt against Spain. Born in Damme near Bruges, Tijl joins the cause against the Habsburg rulers together with his girlfriend Nele and his best friend Lamme Goedzak. At first a goodhearted prankster playing jokes on the Spanish, over time he becomes a hero and symbol of the Revolt. He even cheats death, rising from the grave before his grieving friends, promising them more adventures to come as they embody the spirit of the Low Countries.”

Now I'd say that cheating death and rising from the grave is a quite a "disentrapment", which means that Tijl was very much trapped before turning the tables on Death himself! However, should the Snow Lord judge that this is stretching the limits just a little too far I will dutifully go and search in my pile of change for a different ticket out of the Hall of Traps.

So there you go. I used Citadel’s contrast paints on him, and I quite like the effect; I hope the eventual recipient will like him too!

Pointswise this is either 5 for a 28mm figure or 25 if my plea for the Hall of Traps is honoured.