"A Swirling, Violently Swaying Vortex Of Fell Energies..."

"...Summoned by a wizard as a platform from which to cast powerful spells."

This 28mm scale Balewind Vortex has been assembled from the "multi-part plastic kit" produced by “Games Workshop” and can be summoned onto the “Age Of Sigmar” battlefield by a (non-monster) wizard successfully "casting [a] value of 7". A "terrifying sight to behold" the spell immediately creates a howling gust of wind to "push any aggressors away from the wizard who called it" and leaves "him unmolested to blast away with the amplified magical abilities he gleans from the Vortex."

Having decided to paint the piece of scenery in three separate stages, and then super-glue the pieces together at the end, I initially primed the model's wonderfully detailed base with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and dry-brushed it with "Vallejo" Turquoise. I then carefully tried to highlight the stone skull's finer detail by lightly drawing my brush over these areas with Verdigris.

"A wizard atop a Balewind Vortex can banish it and return to the ground."

With this stage of the painting complete, I subsequently 'picked out' all the tiny skulls with a combination of Iraqi Sand and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and all the metalwork with "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil. As I wanted the metal to look neglected and dull, I decided against dry-brushing these areas with more Ironbreaker.

In order to paint the spell's fell energies, I undercoated the vortex with two coats of "Vallejo" White, and washed it, first with "Citadel" Thrakka Green, and secondly with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. The entire model was then roughly dry-brushed with some additional "Vallejo" White to help make the sculpt's fantastic-looking screaming faces all the more spectral.

Shanty Hut WIP - The dwelling's corrugated iron needs dry-brushing with more "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey

Finally, I turned my attention to painting the wizard's platform in precisely the same manner and colours as I had done the Balewind's base. Unfortunately, this took several attempts to get right, as I seemingly had forgotten how to create the dark blue effect with the "Vallejo" Turquoise I had achieved a couple of weeks earlier. In the end though, perseverance paid off, and having varnished the entire ensemble with "Coat d'arms" Gloss Varnish, my 135mm tall Vortex was complete and ready to allow any wizard atop it to "double the range of any spells they attempt to cast."

With this particular piece of scenery finished, I have been steadily progressing the first of four Post-Apocalyptic Shanty Huts by "Wargames Terrain Workshop". Incredibly detailed both inside and out, I have almost finished the dwelling's roughshod roof and liberally washed all the structures corrugated iron panelling with some "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash...