Countess Ingrid - Battalion Wars - Jeff Moy - Sketch card

Oh, yeah. I've got lots to say about this one. Strap yourselves in.

This rather eccentric-looking young lady is a character from a rather obscure series of video games from the Nintendo Game Cube and Wii called Battalion Wars; two of the finest video games I've ever played. I grew up with the second game (called BWII; geddit?? B-Wii?? 'Cuz it was for the Wii??? Aren't they clever???), and playing it remains both a beloved childhood memory and a continually enjoyable pastime.

First, let's talk a little bit about the character. Countess Ingrid is one of the three villain representing a faction in the games called Xylvania. All the factions in the games, representing both the cultural identities and militaries of various real-life nations, are strongly stereotypical parodies thereof (all fully self-aware; the British team who developed the games added themselves into the mix when they brought in a new faction; the Anglo Isles; in Battalion Wars 2). The Xylvanians are a bit of a goofy mix of sterotypical Nazis with elements of earlier Imperial Germany and of classic Gothic horror (hence Ingrid's rather vampire-like appearance) to tone down the imagery a bit. Ingrid's character, therefore, follows quite naturally: carrying a riding crop and wearing a pair of jodhpurs, she's the epitome of the arrogant, overconfident German military officer, and she acts as your foe in several key battles in the first game. Alas, her hunger for power becomes her undoing, and she suffers the ultimate consequence in due course.

Now; the art! There are several key things that I think deserve mention. First, Ingrid's appearance in the game is far more gaunt and striking than it is here: her eyes are wide and uncannily piercing, her lips more stikingly bill-like, and her hair rather thin and straw-like (though I attribute the later primarily to the limitations of the Gamecube's graphics capabilities than anything to do with her design), but Jeff has rendered her in this card in accordance with his own style, and so her appearance is most definitely much more pleasing to the eye. One thing that is rather striking right away about this card is the colouring. To put it briefly, the colouring is much more reserved and monochrome-esque than I've typically seen Jeff go for, and in this case, it is absolutely to its benefit. I've thought at length about why I find it works so well for this card in particular and drummed up several explanations, but ultimately I think it comes down to the striking appearance of Ingrid's pale skin, particularly in keeping with the Gothic/vampire theme. In my unfortunately rather inexperienced opinion, I think Jeff probably could have most readily chosen to go with a dark blue background to emphasise that colour as the central hue of the Xylvanian faction, which would have been appropriately marshal and fitting, or he could have gone with grey, like the masonry of Castle Dracula, to bring out the cold, villainous side of her character, and I think I actually rather agree with his ultimate choice here in going with the latter.

In conclusion, I like this card very much. Being accustomed to Jeff using various coloured hues to work in shading in his usual cards, I am actually quite drawn to the more cold, almost sterile approach with which the shadings of this card are rendered. Less like the gratifying lighting on a colour-clad superhero and more like the dark, mysterious shadows drawn over the person; or in the lair; of the terrible Nosferatu. Perhaps someday I shall commission the other major figures of Xylvania and see if he could pull it off again. I have no doubt that he would.

Finally, shoutout to the soundtracks of both games, especially for Battalion Wars 2, to which I listen at this very moment as I write this. Slaps harder than a Battlestation shell against the hull of a pitiful Western Frontier light tank.

ADDENDUM: I completely forgot to mention and I feel very much obliged to say that this was also a dashingly generous gift by my beloved, not my own commission. Thank you, sweetie!!