Round 2 Qualifier of the Black Chalice Competition is here!
This time, we are going away from thematic challenges, giving you guys a free rein on what you want to create! You just have to fit into the new categories:
- Unit/Open
- Large
- Single
- Diorama
There are fewer rules now, too, with only 3 requirements remaining:
1. Entries must be painted in the Grimdark Style
2. Making high-resolution photos with a black or white background
3. Entry mustn't have been used in other competitions
We've also made changes to prizing. Each entry deserving a prize will receive either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal, with no cap on the number of entries that can receive them.
That means that you are not directly competing for a few spots, but just have to make a cool entry to be recognized!
Each medal comes with a prize from us, but we also have some special awards for the best entry in each category, including prizes from our sponsors, @bestiarum.games and @pkpro_onlineshop , alongside the entirety of Villainy Ink range (new oils included!!!).
Naturally, all medal recipients automatically qualify to enter the final round of the Black Chalice Competition 2026 at the end of this year. That means a chance to fight for the physical Black Chalice Trophy and a $5000 cash prize!
Send entries to [email protected] - deadline 30.6.2026
For more details, please visit the Grimdark Compendium website or ask in the comments if you have any questions.
Good luck, spread the word, and we are looking forward to what you cook up!
Link in bio!
"I really like using real fur to render furry bits on minis. The texture and just how fine the hair is gives it such a unique look. The only hard part about it is that if I do it on a single mini, I kinda have to do it for all of the others in an army too, haha."
- Echoes of Vermin
If you'd like, you can get the full FREE tutorial on Fur, Hair, and Cloth application through the link in our bio. Happy hobbying!
I think that Skaven don't look as grimy and scary as they ought to, so I really like to push mine into little nasty guys with a lot of weathering, texture variation, and real fur!
You can check out how this Warlock was painted and built on our YouTube channel.
We have also put together a Skaven bundle with ALL the skaven content we have ever put out for fellow ratmen enthusiasts!
6 tutorials to download and own forever. Look-see if you'd like, link is in our bio 🐀 Yes-yes
The 10th Anniversary is still going on at the Grimdark Compendium website!
You can stream the Tyranids course for FREE, learning how to use super glue for painting, creating Alien-inspired Tyranids, using lobster parts, and more in the course!
There are also several deals happening, featuring Skaven, Basing Guide Volume 1, Death Korps of Krieg, use of Mundane Materials, and the crown jewel of our bundles, the Trench Crusade bundle, which is 70% off.
The 10th birthday sale won't be here forever, so if you are eyeing something, check it out now!
The 11th edition is fast approaching, it seems, so it's a good time to pick up some painting tricks and recipes before you delve into a new unit or an army.
Check out some tutorials over at our YouTube channel and website. We've covered a lot of factions, and you will learn some unorthodox techniques along the way!
Blending with enamels and oils is incredibly forgiving and offers exceptional control. These mediums can be easily blended, adjusted, or even completely removed using mineral spirits, allowing you to refine effects at any stage. This makes them especially effective for flesh tones, where smooth transitions and subtle mottling are essential.
Man... I am sitting here enjoying my weekend, smoking meats and hanging with my family. Healthy. I keep thinking about Nate, though. I was in a similar situation not so long ago. I was sick for months. My physical self was destroyed and my mental state had slipped into dark places. What was going on with me was not even half as bad as what's going on with Nate, though. So I worry for him and his family.
We appreciate all the support the community has given and if you can give please do. Financial stress is always tough when you are too sick to work. If you are not in a position to give, then please think about our friend Nate. Share the link in my bio. He is a good dude and has contributed a lot to our hobby and community.
Thanks guys.
Wilhelm Stahl, a demented, mean man.
A stoic man of few words…
Witchunter captain for mordheim.
Scratch build from multiple boxes such as slaves to darkness, old world flagellants, and more random bits.
Citadel and two thin coats acrylics.
Villainy inks enamels.
Abteilung oils.
Lots to improve on fur, while this is fake fur, i imagine real fur works way better.
Thanks for viewing!🤝
#mordheim #warhammer #warhammerageofsigmar #warhammer40k #warhammercommunity
Let yourself take a project more slowly, pick a warband for a skirmish game, build yourselves a list, give the characters cool equipment, and then model them that way!
Combining Warhammer models with 3D printed ones and ones from other, less-known ranges, adding wires, symbols, and different weapons and arms, creating your own poses and silhouettes, this is what the hobby is about, the creativity and your own ideas.
Even random jewelry bits and pieces lying around your grandma's house can be used for gothic and weird accessories, making the models a home-made amalgamation. Let yourselves explore and create at your own pace, creating cool and weird things. For that is at the heart of the grimdark style, and the miniature hobby at large. That is something we love to teach: the personalization of models, the narrative.
Macropenitent at Cardinal Tintinnabulus service.
Some vows of penitence are exceptionally demanding. In this case, two penitents share the same torment. One had his head stitched on a large abhuman body, with the massive neural shock deriving from the huge new body overdriving his nervous system and driving him mad. The other one is carried on a coffin, lending his body and brain as a pain and neural feedback for the first penitent, so that their combined brains can manage the huge mass of the host body.
My inquisitorial crusade is getting bigger.. 😁
Hope you like it. C&c always welcome!
#inq28 #warhammerconversions #warhammerofficial #grimdark #blanchitsu
Vlka Fenryka
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Another Space wolves commission out the door. Really enjoyed this! The a scheme is fun, the customer always has little variations of things to keep me on my toes and I love it!
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Same old faces below👇
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@orangebrushes@grimdark_compendium (Goons Grime)
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#warhammer40k #warhammer #grimdark #spacewolves30k
If you are a fan of death metal, check out the Aphotic Strain. They did a Trench Crusade album last year, which I've been listening to a LOT (top 0.3% listener according to Spotify), and one of the songs features a Death Commando, like the one shown here.
Death metal has been a core of my music taste for years, but the last few years I've been branching out a lot all over the place, especially more into Dungeon Synth, for example.
Now that I think about it, what does your music taste look like? Does it reflect the grimdark corner of the hobby, or none at all, actually?
- Echoes of Vermin
