The Black Chalice

The Black Chalice — Main Category

The final round of competition. 5,000 USD cash prize, the Black Chalice Trophy, plus sponsored prizes.

Who qualifies?

• Gold, Silver & Bronze winners
• Community Champions
• Best of Show chosen

The Black Chalice — Open Category

Runs alongside the Main Category. Prizes from us and our sponsors — the same as every Grimdark Challenge.

Who qualifies?

Anyone.

Hey folks! A second round of the Black Chalice competition is upon us!

We've decided to let go of themes, so you are completely free to come up with your own ideas and follow inspiration where it strikes. As long as the entry falls into one of the categories, do whatever you like!

We've also changed the prizing, which now makes placing and qualifying for the Main Category much, much easier. We've also streamlined the rules to be less restrictive.

Entering here is how you get a chance to qualify for the upcoming Black Chalice Main Category, as well as win prizes set for the current round.

Painted in the grimdark style

Grimdark style captures dark, dystopian worlds with a suffocating mood — surface-finish variation, battle damage, chipping, rust, grime, blood, skulls, reductive technique, high-contrast lighting, OSL, decay effects, etc.

Presentation matters

Photograph entries well-lit, in focus, against a black or white background, at high resolution. Editing basic photo properties (exposure, contrast, etc. in apps like Lightroom) is permitted.

Must be new to competition

This must be the first time your entry is submitted to a competition — we avoid re-use of the same pieces across rounds. Already-finished models that haven't been entered anywhere are fine.

Modeling

We assess the quality of building, cleaning, kit-bashing, and sculpting. We focus on added or modified elements, but cleanliness matters too — and painting an out-of-the-box model is completely fine.

Basing

Both simple and elaborate bases take skill. We evaluate technical base-building, the complexity of the base, and how the model integrates into its environment — which influences the weathering too.

Painting

We assess miniature painting in general plus the use of grimdark techniques — a balance of style and realism showing the moody essence of dystopian worlds. Entries painted in standard box-art styles will be completely disregarded.

Photography

We look for well-lit, well-composed, in-focus photographs against a black or white background. Tweaking photos is permitted, but stylized filters automatically disqualify the entry.

Multiple Prizes

• Gold — Grimcore/Fleshcore Set + Anti-Death Mineral Spirit + Tutorial Course
• Silver — 3 Villainy Inks + Tutorial Course
• Bronze — 1 Villainy Ink + Tutorial Course

Singular Prizes

• Best of Show — All Villainy Ink Enamels, Anti-Death Mineral Spirit, Villainy Ink Oils + sponsor prizes (TBA)
• Best Unit/Open Entry — Villainy Ink Complete Collection, Anti-Death Mineral Spirit, Villainy Ink Oils + sponsor prizes (TBA)
• Best Large Entry — All Villainy Ink Enamels, Anti-Death Mineral Spirit, Villainy Ink Oils + sponsor prizes (TBA)
• Best Single Entry — All Villainy Ink Enamels, Anti-Death Mineral Spirit, Villainy Ink Oils + sponsor prizes (TBA)
• Best Diorama Entry — All Villainy Ink Enamels, Anti-Death Mineral Spirit, Villainy Ink Oils + sponsor prizes (TBA)
• Community Champion — Villainy Ink Phase 1/2 set + sponsor prizes (TBA), voted by the community on social media

What is the Black Chalice?

A new overarching format for our Grimdark Challenges. Each year there are 4 painting challenges that work as qualification rounds for the final, 4th round — The Black Chalice Main Category.

What if I didn't qualify?

Worry not! Alongside the Main Category there's an Open Category. Anyone can enter it, and it works the same as every other grimdark challenge round.

What can I win?

Every Grimdark Challenge awards prizes from us and our sponsors. The top prize for the Main Category is 5,000 USD cash plus the Black Chalice Trophy (painted by Zatcaskagoon).

How do I qualify?

Enter one of our Grimdark Challenges and either place for Gold, Silver, or Bronze; be chosen for Best of Show; or be chosen as a Community Champion by your peers.

What about previous winners?

Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, Best of Show, and Community Champions from previous challenges automatically qualify for the Black Chalice Main Category 2026.

So how do I start?

Easy! Check out our current Grimdark Challenge, read the rules, and make your entries.