Nova Open Tabletop Wargaming Convention

Nova Open Tabletop Wargaming Convention The NOVA Open is one of the largest Tabletop Gaming, Hobby, and Arts conventions on the East Coast. The inaugural NOVA Open occurred in August, 2009.

Named for the Northern Virginia area where it is hosted, the NOVA Open is the largest tabletop wargaming convention in the Washington, DC Metropolitan region. The experience was tailored to the needs of the global gaming community based on their feedback. We believe all manner and style of hobbyist can be accommodated and entertained within the same venue and the same events. Whether a hardcore co

mpetitive gamer, or a casual hobbyist simply looking for a few good games, the NOVA Open is designed for you. Numerous Bolt Action, Guild Ball, Malifaux, Warhammer 40,000, X-Wing, Horus Heresy, Lord of the Rings, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Warmachine/Hordes, X-Wing Armada, Dark Age, Wrath of Kings, Infinity and other wargaming events fill the weekend, along with casual gaming, hobby seminars, the Capital Palette Miniature Art Competition, and a host of evening events ranging from socials to hardcore wargaming! Information on the NOVA Open, tournament rules and the Washington D.C. area can be found on our website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

This weekend is the National Capital Model Sol Soc Show, and we want to give them a huge shoutout and thank you!NCMSS wa...
09/10/2026

This weekend is the National Capital Model Sol Soc Show, and we want to give them a huge shoutout and thank you!

NCMSS was a massive help in supporting Capital Palette at NOVA Open this past weekend, and we truly appreciate everything they did to help make the event a success.

If you’re local to the DMV and looking for another great art show to check out, come out this weekend and see what NCMSS has to offer. You’ll find plenty of amazing artwork, talented artists, and a great community of hobbyists.

We’ll have some of our NOVA team there showing our support, so come say hello!

09/09/2026

We caught up with Jimmy, his third year entering Capital Palette here at NOVA Open.

His first entry earned him a finalist pin, and he has kept on improving. He came back the following year with two pieces and picked up a silver and a bronze. This year he’s entering a bust in the Apprentice division, one he picked up after taking a class at NOVA last year.

Jimmy’s been busy learning, taking classes this year on nonmetallic metal, volume and light, taking everything he can from each one.

Jimmy said that one piece of feedback from last year really stuck with him: working on volumetric highlights, thinking properly about where the light and shadow fall on a form. You can see it paying off in this year’s piece.

We asked him if he had any advice for people thinking about entering. His response was: Just do it. Even if you don’t think you’re there to compete, you’ll walk away with feedback that makes you better.

Good luck this year, Jimmy. We’ll see you again next year.

And now, we bring NOVA Open 2026 to an end.Everything is back at the storage units, everything is locked up, and the tea...
09/07/2026

And now, we bring NOVA Open 2026 to an end.

Everything is back at the storage units, everything is locked up, and the team is finally making our way home.

For those of you already home, get some well deserved rest. If you’re still traveling, safe travels and we hope you have a smooth trip home.

A huge thank you to everyone who made NOVA Open 2026 possible. To our volunteers, staff, judges, artists, vendors, sponsors, instructors, players, attendees, and everyone who helped behind the scenes, this event would not happen without you. It truly takes an incredible amount of people coming together from all over the world to make NOVA what it is.

We are exhausted, but incredibly proud of what we accomplished together. Thank you for spending your weekend with us, supporting the event, and making NOVA Open 2026 one to remember.

And don’t worry, we’re not done just yet. We still have a LOT of photos and videos from the weekend that we’ll be sharing over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on our social media.

Thank you, NOVA family. We’ll see you next year.

09/07/2026

Ready to Play Marvel Crisis Protocol?

Huge thanks to Gary and the team from target_acquired_gaming for running Marvel Crisis Protocol events here at NOVA Open all weekend, Thursday through Sunday.

Gary summed it up perfectly: the players have been awesome, and it’s been incredible to see this community stay so engaged, always creating something new rather than settling into the same old lists and boards.

A big thank you as well to Atomic Mass Games for supporting these events with some fantastic prizes for everyone who came out to play.

And the best part? This is only going to keep growing. Gary and the team are already looking at even more thematic game boards for next year.

Thank you for everything you do for this community, Gary. We can’t wait to see where MCP at NOVA goes next.

Masters Division: Capital Palette 2026Congratulations to every Masters painter for showing us what’s possible at the ver...
09/06/2026

Masters Division: Capital Palette 2026

Congratulations to every Masters painter for showing us what’s possible at the very top of this craft.

Here are your category winners:
- Best in Small Scale: Raphael Boyon, “Qulathis the Exile”
- Best in Large Scale: Piotr Czajka, “Zylo”
- Best in Diorama: Andrew Waxtel, “Active Camouflage”
- Best in Vehicle: John Margiotta, “Domitar Battle-Automata”
- Best in Unit: John Margiotta, “Ork Nob & Grots”
- Best in Bust: Derek Clawson, “Owl Knight”
- Best in Historical & Civilian: James Rice, “Mounted Napoleon”

A few special mentions too:

Fan Favourite, voted for by all of you: Andrew Waxtel, “Active Camouflage”

Best in Sculpting: Robert Matt, “Rialto the Marvelous”

Verko’s Vault Painting Excellence Award: Katarzyna Gorska, “Awlrach the Drowner”

And then there’s Best in Show. The single best piece across all of Capital Palette this year goes to Raphael Boyon, for “Qulathis the Exile.”

What an incredible way to close out this year’s contest. Thank you to every painter, at every level, who made Capital Palette 2026 one to remember.

Journeyman Division: Capital Palette 2026Congratulations to every journeyman painter who entered this year.Here are your...
09/06/2026

Journeyman Division: Capital Palette 2026

Congratulations to every journeyman painter who entered this year.

Here are your category winners:

- Best in Small Scale Single Model: Nicholas Leclerc, “Rats!”
- Best in Vehicle: Zach Brown, “Knight Destrier”
- Best in Unit: Paul Matthews, “Whatever it Takes”
- Best in Historical & Civilian: David Hoffman, “Genesis Khan”
- Best in Bust: Benfield Hicks, “Toil for Our Lord”
- Best in Diorama: Clara McGee, “Keep your hands off my droid!”
- Best in Large Scale: Erik Bailey, “Great Plains Bison Warrior”

And taking home Best in Journeyman Division overall: Nicholas Leclerc, for “Rats!”

We can’t wait to see what you bring next year.

Apprentice Division: Capital Palette 2026Congratulations to every apprentice painter who brought incredible work to the ...
09/06/2026

Apprentice Division: Capital Palette 2026

Congratulations to every apprentice painter who brought incredible work to the tables this year. Here are your category winners:

-Best in Youth: Nicholas McDaniel, “Captain with Relic Shield”
-Best in Small Scale Single Model: Myers Harbinson, “Salamander Lieutenant”
-Best in Large Scale: Christopher Holland, “Great Spirit Longma”
-Best in Diorama: Don Brown, “Fisk 4 Mayor”
-Best in Vehicle: Shane Kirby, “Sons of Horus Glaive”
-Best in Unit: Frank Frankanelli, “Raven Guard Murderwing”
-Best in Bust: Kurtis Farley, “Lumberjack”
-Best in Historical & Civilian: Kurtis Farley, “Wounded Brother”

And taking home Best in Apprentice Division overall: Christopher Holland, for “Great Spirit Longma.”

Incredible work from everyone in this division. This is what growing as a painter looks like.

That’s a wrap on Capital Palette 2026.Huge congratulations to every single entrant, from the artists entering for first ...
09/06/2026

That’s a wrap on Capital Palette 2026.

Huge congratulations to every single entrant, from the artists entering for first time in Apprentice, all the way up to the Masters. Thank you for sharing your work and talent with us.

The level of work on those cabinets this weekend was truly amazing.

Congratulations to all our finalists, and a huge congratulations to our Best in Show winner, Raphael Boyon. What an incredible piece with Qulathis the exile.

None of this happens without an incredible team behind it. Thank you to our art directors, Africa Mir and Kyron, and our head judge, Erik Swinson , for running such a welcoming contest for painters at every level. And thank you to every volunteers and judges who worked behind the scenes to make Capital Palette happen this year, we are so grateful for you all.

Thank you as well to our sponsors, Verko's Vault- The Museum of Fantasy Miniatures , SprayGunner Airbrush Supplies and Monument Hobbies for supporting this contest and this community.

Capital Palette wouldn’t be what it is without every one of you. See you next year.

09/06/2026

Saturday is done, but the fun is far from over here at NOVA Open.

We had the Warhammer Grand Tournament in full swing, incredible battles, beautifully painted armies, and players being great opponents to each other at every table.

Alongside that we saw demo games running all day, a huge Horus Heresy event, Lord of the Rings battles including Helm’s Deep, and so many more systems on the tables: Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, Marvel Crisis Protocol, Warmachine, and BattleTech, just to name a few.

Every one of those tables looked different however they all had one thing in common. People having a great time rolling dice.

Time and again this weekend we’ve heard people say NOVA Open feels like family. That sense of belonging is something we’re proud of.

Thank you for an incredible Saturday. We can’t wait to welcome you back tomorrow.

And if you’ve never made it to NOVA Open in Washington, D.C., we’d love to see you here next year for everything the hobby has to offer.

09/05/2026

Meet .mir_sculpture director of the Capital Palette contest here at NOVA Open.

Capital Palette is our painting competition with three main divisions, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Masters, so wherever you are on your painting journey, there’s a place to enter. It’s judged by some of the best painters and judges, entries are scored on things like color combinations, light and shadow, contrast, and basing.

Whether you paint your own armies or you just love the hobby, everyone is welcome to come and see the contest for themselves.

Want to follow along or learn more? Find Capital Palette updates on Instagram , or head to the NOVA Open website for the full schedule of events.

Thank you, Africa, for everything you do to make this contest so welcoming for painters at every level.

Address

NOVA Open 2025/Aug 27th/Aug 31st 2025; Washington Hilton
Washington D.C., DC
20009

Website

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