ReaperCon 2026 puts MSP Open at center of miniature painting

ReaperCon 2026 is shaping up as a destination stop on the U.S. miniature painting calendar, with the MSP Open sitting right at the center of the draw. The four-day convention runs September 2-6 at the Embassy Suites & Convention Center in Denton, Texas, and Reaper Miniatures is framing it as a full hobby weekend of classes, seminars, games, and fun.

For painters deciding where to travel, the contest format is the real hook. The Master Series Open uses an open system, so entries are judged against a standard rather than stacked directly against other painters in the room. That matters for display painters chasing cleaner blends and tighter presentation, for multi-category entrants trying to spread strong work across several classes, and for first-time competitors who want a read on their work without the pressure of a straight ranking race.

Reaper says the MSP Open was established in 2009, when the annual ReaperCon painting contest expanded to accept entries made from new subjects and products by manufacturers around the world. That change turned the event into more than a house competition for a single range. Reaper now describes the MSP Open as the premier painting contest in the Southwest United States and the only one of its kind in the region.

The awards structure reinforces that broad appeal. Painters can earn Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals in each category, and the contest also makes room for special prizes sponsored by brands or judges, including awards such as Best Mousling or Best Giant Monster. Reaper’s 2025 materials also reference youth awards and other brand-sponsored categories, which keeps the show open to younger painters and to entries that do not fit a narrow best-in-class mold.

That openness also fits the larger ReaperCon experience. Reaper U is presented as the centerpiece of the convention’s instruction program, with small classes taught by industry professionals and built around sculpting, painting, and basing. Reaper says painters from across the world come to ReaperCon hoping to win a Sophie Trophy, and the contest history shows why the stakes feel real. Jared Greenwald won Best in Show in 2025 with Bill’s Gruff Goats, Doug Cohen took Best in Show in 2024 with John Brown’s Last Hour, and Michelle Farnsworth earned the title in 2022 with King of the Monsters.

That combination of travel, instruction, and open judging is what keeps the MSP Open relevant. It gives painters a place to show polished work, test themselves against a standard, and walk away with a clear measure of progress, which is exactly why ReaperCon still pulls serious entrants to Denton year after year.