Maxime Penaud won the Slayer Sword at Golden Demon 2026 at SPIEL Essen in Germany on Sunday, October 25, 2026, for his blue Ultramarines Terminator miniature.
Key facts
Event: Golden Demon 2026, European leg
Organizer: Games Workshop
Venue: SPIEL Essen, Essen, Germany
Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
Slayer Sword winner: Maxime Penaud
Link: Golden Demon 2026 winners on Warhammer Community
Who won the Slayer Sword?
Maxime Penaud won the Slayer Sword, the overall prize at Golden Demon 2026. His winning entry, a blue Ultramarines Terminator with twin power fists standing on a rocky base, also took Gold in the Warhammer 40,000 Single Miniature category. Games Workshop revealed the winners at the award ceremony at SPIEL Essen, which closed on Sunday. Our SPIEL Essen 2026 guide has the full fair rundown.
Who won Gold in each category?
Sixteen categories awarded Gold at the European leg, and Kuan Tien Tung won two of them, in The Old World and Necromunda. The Gold winners were:
| Category | Gold winner |
|---|---|
| Warhammer 40,000, Single Miniature | Maxime Penaud |
| Warhammer 40,000, Unit or Kill Team | Baptiste Richebé |
| Warhammer 40,000, Large Miniature or Vehicle | Scott Burns |
| Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Single Miniature | Marc Masclans Abello |
| Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Unit or Warband | Marco Pescini |
| Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Large Miniature or War Machine | Valenti Colomb |
| Warhammer: The Horus Heresy | Erkka Marttio |
| Warhammer: The Old World | Kuan Tien Tung |
| Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game | Arnau Lazaro |
| Blood Bowl | Nikolas Rubens Mortensen |
| Necromunda | Kuan Tien Tung |
| Epic Scale | Gregor Pilarski |
| Diorama | Angelo Di Chello |
| Duel | Ivan Rosales |
| Youngbloods | Danny N |
| Open Competition | Lucas Pina |
Youngbloods winner Danny N is listed exactly that way in the official results. The full gallery of winning miniatures is on Warhammer Community at the source link below.
What is Golden Demon?
Golden Demon is Games Workshop’s painting competition for Warhammer miniatures, and the Slayer Sword is its top prize. The 2026 season has two legs: the American leg at AdeptiCon in Milwaukee in March, where David Arroba won the Slayer Sword, and the European leg at SPIEL Essen in October. The Essen results close a big week for Games Workshop coverage on Tap Draw Roll, which also includes the seven Warhammer 40,000 Christmas Battleforces and the Necromunda roleplay cancellation.
Source: Golden Demon 2026 winners revealed at SPIEL Essen, Warhammer Community
Image credit: Games Workshop, via Warhammer Community
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