It’s that time of year again, and no, not the spooky one—the only scary thing here is the level of talent on display. I hauled my butt all the way to Germany for SPIEL Essen to see Golden Demon 2025 in person, and then I did what I always do: parked myself in front of the cabinets and had my brain melted by some of the biggest, smoothest, mindbogglingest paintjobs on the planet. I walk you through the major categories, highlight the bronze/silver/gold winners, and point out the little choices that make these pieces feel like actual stories—poses, color decisions, freehand, OSL, and those “how is that even physically possible?” details. This year genuinely might be the most impressive Golden Demon I’ve ever seen, and I’m not just saying that. The Youngbloods category alone is ridiculous, and the standard across 40K, Horus Heresy, Necromunda, Blood Bowl, Old World, and Age of Sigmar is absolutely savage. I also entered the Open category with my restored 1983 Citadel orc and managed to snag a commended pin, which I’m honestly delighted with. And of course, we finish with the Slayer Sword winner: Albert Moretto Font’s utterly perfect AoS wizard piece—possibly the best painted miniature I’ve ever seen in my life.