He actually did it. Lukas Wiggering, the man usually found behind the lens or deep in the production weeds at Squidmar Miniatures, finally walked onto that stage to claim a trophy of his own. It wasn't the gold. It wasn't the Slayer Sword. But honestly? The bronze he pulled for his Space Wolf Unit at the 2025 Golden Demon at Spiel Essen feels like one of the most significant wins of the year for the hobby community.
People usually look at the Slayer Sword winner—this year being the phenomenal Albert Moreto Font—and they just see a god among men. But 2025 Golden Demon Lukas represents something different. It’s the "hustle" win. It’s the result of 260+ hours of literal pain, cramped hands, and the kind of technical scrutiny that would make most professional artists quit and take up gardening.
Why Lukas's Space Wolves Stood Out in Essen
If you saw the cabinet at Spiel Essen, you know the competition was a bloodbath. The 40k Unit category is notoriously brutal because you aren't just painting one perfect model; you’re trying to maintain that "Slayer Sword quality" across a whole squad. One slip on a single boltgun and you’re out.
Lukas's entry was a squad of Space Wolves. Now, Space Wolves are a "safe" pick for some, but what he did with them was anything but safe. He leaned into a technical execution that the judges clearly couldn't ignore.
- The Teeth: People on Reddit and Discord have been obsessing over the fact that he painted individual teeth on these tiny 28mm heads.
- The Cohesion: Usually, squads feel like five separate models. His felt like a single piece of art, anchored by a base that didn't just look like "rocks and snow" but felt like a frozen snapshot of Fenris.
- The Textures: He moved away from the ultra-glossy "Eavy Metal" style and pushed into realistic fur, weathered leather, and a matte power armor finish that actually looked like it had been through a blizzard.
Some critics argued that Hendarion—a literal legend in the scene—was "robbed" of a higher spot in that same category. But that’s the thing about Golden Demon. It’s not just about who has the smoothest blends. It’s about the judges’ specific criteria for that year. In 2025, they were clearly looking for "cleanliness without sterility," and Lukas nailed that balance.
The Reality of the 260-Hour Grind
We need to talk about the cost of these trophies. Lukas was open about the "pain" behind the experience. This wasn't a hobby project he did on weekends. This was a grueling, marathon effort that involved hundreds of hours of brushwork.
When you’re aiming for a 2025 Golden Demon Lukas level of finish, you aren't just painting. You're fighting the clock and your own eyes. At that level, the judges use magnifying glasses. They look for mold lines that are invisible to the naked eye. They look for brush strokes in the recesses. Lukas’s win is a testament to the "Squidmar" philosophy: pushing the pigment until there’s literally nothing left to improve.
What This Means for the "Squidmar" Legacy
For a long time, Lukas was the "other guy" next to Emil. He’s the technical backbone of a lot of what they do, but he hasn't always been the one in the spotlight for his own painting. Winning a Demon at Essen—especially in a year where the standard was described by attendees as "scarily high"—solidifies him as a master in his own right.
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It also changes the dynamic of their content. You’re no longer just watching a "pro painter" and his friend; you’re watching two Golden Demon winners. That carries weight. It’s the difference between being a commentator and being a champion.
How to Paint Like a Demon Winner (The Actionable Part)
If you’re looking at Lukas’s win and thinking, "I want one of those," you need to change your mindset. Most people fail at Golden Demon because they try to be too flashy.
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- Kill the Ego on the Base: Lukas’s base was incredible, but it didn't distract from the unit. It supported them. If your base is busier than your model, you’ve already lost.
- Focus on Materiality: Don't just paint "blue." Paint "cold, ceramite armor." There is a difference in how light interacts with metal versus cloth. Lukas mastered the "satin" look of the Space Wolf armor, which made the metallic elements pop more.
- Consistency is King: In the Unit category, your worst model is your score. If you have four 10/10 models and one 7/10 model, you have a 7/10 entry. Period.
- Embrace the "Boring" Work: The reason Lukas won was the prep. The gap-filling, the sanding, the sub-assemblies. The stuff that isn't fun to film is the stuff that wins trophies.
The 2025 season showed us that the "Old Guard" of painters is being pushed harder than ever by the "New Wave" of YouTube-taught creators. Lukas Wiggering is right at the center of that shift. He proved that you can be a "content creator" and a "top-tier artist" at the exact same time.
Next time you pick up a brush, don't ask if it looks good. Ask if it would survive a 10x zoom lens in an Essen display cabinet. That’s the Lukas standard now.
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Your Next Steps:
- Study the Essen 2025 Gallery: Go to the Warhammer Community site and look at the high-res photos of the Space Wolf unit. Look at the transition from the shadows to the mid-tones.
- Audit Your Prep: On your next model, spend twice as much time removing mold lines as you usually do. If you can feel a seam with your fingernail, the judges will see it with their eyes.
- Limit Your Palette: Part of Lukas's success was a very tight, cohesive color story. Pick three main colors and don't deviate.
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