Name: Best in the West 2024
Start: 2024-05-05T11:00:00+08:00
End: 2024-05-11T15:00:00+08:00
Location: Shop 2, 349 - 355, Murray St Perth, WA, Australia, Western Australia 6000

Best in the West is an annual painting competition facilitated by the Western Australian Warhammer stores. It is a celebration of the beautiful miniatures produced by Games Workshop, and a chance to challenge yourself to paint something new and push your skills, as well as have your finely painted entry on display in a Warhammer store for the duration of the competition for everyone to see.
Dates:
Entries must be submitted to your local Warhammer store by 5pm on Sunday, May 5th. The judging will be held at Warhammer Perth, with announcements of winners being made in store at 3pm on Saturday, May 11th. Results will be posted to Facebook at 5pm and photos of the entrants when they become available.
Best in the West Category List:
Single Miniature: Any single human-sized Citadel or Forgeworld miniature from Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game and any of the Games Workshop Boxed Games mounted on an appropriately sized base. This also includes miniatures mounted on bikes, jetbikes, horses, gryph-chargers, gore-gruntas, dracolines etc.
Large Miniature: Any single large Citadel or Forgeworld model from Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game and any of the Games Workshop Boxed Games mounted on an appropriately sized base.
As some large models such as vehicles tend not to be supplied with a base, it is perfectly acceptable for you to mount the vehicle on an appropriately sized base if you wish.
Squad/Unit Category: This category is for:
Warhammer 40,000 squads or squadrons of three or more models, this includes miniatures on foot as well as those mounted on bikes, jetbikes, beasts etc. Warhammer Age of Sigmar units of three or more models, this includes miniatures on foot as well as those mounted on horses, gryph-chargers, gruntas etc. This will also include Warcry miniatures. This category also includes units of miniatures from Necromunda and Forgeworld’s Imperial Armour and Horus Heresy ranges. As well as Warhammer Underworlds warbands, Blood Bowl teams, Aeronautica Imperialis squadrons, units from Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Forge World’s Warhammer Age of Sigmar range.
Units and groups of three or more miniatures from the Middle Earth™ Strategy Battle game are also included in this category.
Judges will be looking not only for technical ability, but also for entries that best exemplify the qualities and character of the faction they represent.
Youngbloods: This category is open to any competitors aged 16 years or under. Any entry is allowed to be entered.
Battle Honours: For all of those participants who are currently working through the Battle Honours Programme. Any entry is allowed to be entered.

Open: This category is for any entries made with Citadel and/or Forgeworld miniatures that do not fit into any of the other categories. This includes dioramas, vignettes, duels etc.
Masters Category: This category is the greatest test of your painting skill. All entrants will build and paint the same single miniature. The miniature nominated this year is the plastic Shardspeaker of Slaanesh from the Hedonites of Slaanesh range. No other model is allowed. No conversions are allowed and the model must be based on the base supplied. These restrictions put the focus entirely on the painting.
Judges will be looking for creative and well executed renditions of the same miniature.
Staff Category: This category is for all Games Workshop staff members who wish to participate. It follows all the rules for the Single Miniature category, with any Citadel or Forgeworld miniature being allowed.
What the judges look for:
To quote the fantastic work done by the judges for Golden Demon -
Technical skill, atmosphere, consistency of quality, and narrative are all key components in what makes the best models stand out. The painting isn’t just about technical prowess, it’s about finding a style and technique that works for you and applying it with care and consistency.
The judges have no set preference when it comes to style, as long as it looks amazing, there’s really no right or wrong.
The background and setting are important. We always look at how well the entry fits into Games Workshop’s different worlds and universes, a strong narrative can go a long way towards grabbing the attention of a judge on the day!
Entry Guidelines:
- All models entered must have been produced by Games Workshop or Forge World.
- Converting miniatures is allowed, except for the Masters category. - No third party miniature components or bases are allowed. No 3D printed miniatures, components or bases are allowed. Third party hobby products such as paints, weathering powders, epoxy resin and sculpting putty are allowed to be used.
- Entries that have previously won a Best in the West store or state final may not be entered.
- Models may be mounted either on a gaming base or a suitable display base of appropriate size. As a general guide, bases one and very occasionally two sizes larger than what the miniature is provided with are considered appropriate sizes.
For example, a miniature supplied with a 32mm base can benefit from being displayed on a 40mm base, as this allows for more attention to be paid to the basing elements and setting of the piece.
- Models must be wholly owned and entered by the person who painted them. Nobody else can hand your model in for you.
- Each entrant may enter each category once.
- It is encouraged to have your entry displayed on a plinth so that the judges can handle your entry without having to touch the model. Extravagance and/or size of the plinth will not be considered when the entry is judged.
Terms and Conditions:
- Details of the winners will be available on Games Workshop/Warhammer store Facebook pages and anywhere else GW decides.
- By entering this competition entrants agree that Games Workshop may take photos of their entries for use on social media.
- Games Workshop does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage to entries however caused.
- The judges’ decision will be final and no conversation or correspondence will be entered into.
- GW reserves the right to vary any of these terms and conditions without notice. In such an event GW will make reasonable efforts to communicate any change with entrants.