It’s happening! Games Workshop’s Golden Demon Painting Competition is returning to the USA to replace the Crystal Brush at Adepticon 2020!
Just days after Adepticon and Crystal Brush part ways, GW announced that the Golden Demon painting contest makes its triumphant return to the USA for Adpeticon 2020!
If you missed it over the weekend Adepticon made the announcement that Cool Mini or Not (CMON)’s Crystal Brush painting competition would no longer be operated at future events.
Crystal Brush Painting Entries from Adepticon 2019
Make sure you check out some of the entries from the latest Adepticon if you haven’t seen them already.
In case you haven’t heard of the Crystal Brush painting competition before, it’s an event hosted at Adepticon that brings in some of the best painters from around the world and their miniature entries. With hobby heavy-hitters duking it out in skill level, the grand prize winner gets a whopping $10,000 for their work!
Adepticon & Crystal Brush Awards: Announcement & Community Feedback
Coming to a mutual understanding, Cool Mini or Not (CMON) and the Adepticon organizers have decided to part ways. Some of the commenters under the initial post gave their personal opinions from the times they entered into the competition.
Based off some of the comments, it looked like things were just becoming overall stale. Between a small turnout and the same people entering/winning, the competition drew less and less people. After Adepticon made their Facebook announcement, the Golden Demon was announced for Adepticon 2020 shortly after.
Golden Demon Announced For Adepticon 2020
Coming from Warhammer Community’s live blog on the Warhammer Fest 2019, they announced that the Golden Demon would be coming to Adepticon. It’s been a hot minute since the Golden Demon has been a thing in the U.S, but because of Adepticon’s sheer size and turnout, it looks like GW is stepping up to the plate in running a competition for the best painters around the world.
The announcement made via Adepticon’s Facebook Page:
What is the Golden Demon?
In the same vein as the Crystal Brush Painting Competition, it is GW’s version of testing painting skill. Hobbyists paint their models to the best of their ability and test their mettle against one another. One of the main differences from the Crystal Brush Competition and Golden Demon is that the minis in the Golden Demon have to be from GW’s line. That means that the minis are usable in-game.
This may appear to the participants at events like Adepticon because it’s more relevant to them. One of the commenters on the announcement of Crystal Brush’s severance made that clear:
Essentially, the Golden Demon appeals more to the gamer with painting skill vs. an artist with a bust.
What are your thoughts on the Golden Demon returning to the U.S at Adepticon? Have you ever entered into a Golden Demon competition before? How many contestants did you have to compete with? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
