Painting Challenge Submission #1 - Mando and The Child

3d prints of The Mandalorian and The Child - 28mm figures.

Happy new year, everyone! The 13th edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is off and running, and a number of Conscripts are participating once again. This will be the first of what I hope will be many posts sharing work submitted to the Challenge - from myself, and from the other participants! 

I was pleased to kick off my APHC XIII run with two figures that most folks visiting this blog will likely recognize - The Mandalorian and "the Child". These are 3D prints sourced from Etsy, and while they are intended for use in games such as "Star Wars: Legion", these particular figures are a little unusual in that they will not see service on a gaming table, but rather on display, as they were a request from my lovely wife Linda.

Mando at the ready with his super-amazing rifle...

To truly enjoy and embrace the madness of the hobby, a supporting (or at least very understanding) partner is essential. I am blessed in this regard (one of many) when it comes to Linda, as she pleasantly tolerates what surely must be a baffling accumulation of painted figures, steady stream of strange parcel deliveries, variety of projects etc. It is extremely rare that any particular painting subject or gaming setting would overlap with her interests...

Mostly the old brown and grey armour for this early "Mando" - just a bit of beskar steel.

But then, out of the steaming pit of garbage that is Disney Star Wars, somehow "The Mandalorian" arose...and Linda loved it just as much as I ultimately did. I mean, who can resist "the Child"? Linda knew I painted Star Wars figures, and knew that we often played games set in the Star Wars universe, so she asked me this summer if the gaming companies made figures for "The Mandalorian". I explained at the time there no official ones as yet, but that the world of 3D printing folks had already been all over it...Dave V helped me with some suggestions for possible figures to paint, and she selected these two. 

Who's up for some snacks?

I was pleased with her choice - here we have Mando as seen in the second episode of the first season, rifle at the ready. I did my best to capture the many small details of his original get up - armoured, but not yet covered in beskar. Here is is escorting the Child toward an unknown fate, experiencing an inner torment, a conflict between his obligations to the Bounty Hunting Guild, and the immediate bond with this unique foundling.

The 3D prints took some time to arrive, and of course I am always distracted by other projects etc. so these figures sat for some time. But we spent this past Christmas out at our cabin, and I thought getting these two finished for her would be a good Christmas Eve project. Besides, as I said, it is extremely rare for Linda to ever ask for a painted figure, so best to ensure I deliver before Christmas!

The Child and his space pram...what a brilliant idea...

For me, "The Mandalorian" peaked in those first three episodes of that first season. While Mando and the Child would enjoy many more interesting adventures over the first two seasons of this show, I really don't see how they can top that first season. And the more plot and story they tag on, the less I find we both enjoy it. For example, just contemplating the tiresome politics of the Mandalorian subculture, or the whatever-is-really-going-on with the "Dark Sabre"...sigh, sometimes the less things are explained, the better...

Mando is tense, but no need to worry - only a display shelf to worry about now!

Anyway, the point here is not to lament, but to share, and to get some points on the board. These two counted for 30 points towards my 800-point target (they benefited from a bonus allocation due to a Challenge Map location - see the AHPC blog for more on that if you are interested.)

Thanks for readings, and stay tuned for more, as the Conscripts set forth once again to make waves in the AHPC!