KD: Hey Paul, Thanks for taking the time to talk to me I suppose we had better "start at the very begining as its a very good place to start" as the famous song states. So how did you get into Table top wargaming?
PQ: Oh Lord, peering into the mists of time there KD. At the grand old age of eleven I got an old school battle in a box set named “Battlemasters” it was something of a gateway drug to folks having a complete hodge podge of the Warhammer World (Empire, Orcs and Chaos). Well after playing my long suffering Dad for the first time on Christmas evening I was absolutely hooked in! That same year one of my school friends showed me a copy of the 40K second edition rulebook and that was all she wrote as they say. I was a gaming addict from that day forward
KD: Obviously you play 40k but what other Games/ Systems do you play?
PQ: Ha...where do I start. Games Workshop wise I have armies for Battlefleet Gothic, Bloodbowl, Mordheim, Necromunda and Warhammer Fantasy Battle. I also play Warmachine/Hordes and Ive got a couple of fleets for the Spartan Games system Firestorm Armada not to mention a Panzer Grenadier company for Flames of War...So as you can see, just a few systems!
KD: Since you have been playing for so long and in so many systems you must have some collection of armies would you mind giving us a quick list of them?
PQ: Is this blog now called name and shame KD??? Well army wise for 40k I have currently Marines (of all variants), Dark Eldar, Tau, Eldar and a small Chaos army I promise myself I’ll use at some point. For Warhammer Fantasy my army of choice is Lizardmen (mostly for the Slann and Stegadon Models if I’m honest). For Warmachine I have Khador and Cygnar and for Hordes Trollbloods. BFG I have every current fleet, I also have 8 different bloodbowl teams ranging all accross the boards from elves to norse and orcs and back to elves again! Delaque gang in Necromunda, Sisters of Sigmar in Mordheim, Germans in Flames of War and last but by no means least I have an Aquan fleet for Firestorm Armada. As you can see I really and truly need help as I’m something of a completist once I start an army I tend to get every unit they have. I don’t even try and justify this lunacy anymore.
KD: Now a little bird tells me you used to be a "Pressganger" for Privateer Press would you mind just telling us how that came about and what it entailed?
PQ: I was indeed a member of the Press Gang for 4 years or so. Essentially when I first started Warmachine there really wasn’t anyone playing the game beyond my immediate group of 4 or 5 mates. The best way to change that was to become a PG and go out to different groups and spread the gospel of Warmachine (Hordes at this stage didn’t exist). So I used to run demo events for different games clubs around the area (along with Richard Tighe, who signed up with me as a PG). Soon enough there were enough players to run small tournaments and then bigger league events, which has led to the pretty solid scene that exists today. It was fantastic to be a part, but 40k began taking up so much time from an organisational perspective it was time to step aside and let the new breed of fanatics take the reigns. Guys like Ciaran Bolger and Owen Conlan are now busy doing a great job of keeping the system going. Which is great to see....and now I get to play in tournaments instead of running them!
KD: So now onto the important stuff. How did you become Captain for the Irish 40k ETC team?
PQ: Oh lord now thats a question. When the idea of sending a 40k team to the event was had in the derranged mind of Nigel Kavannagh he was given my name as a possible person to get on board as I head to a large number of events and seem to know people in most of Irelands clubs. So when Nige Kav had but together his core group of 4 attendees they decided I’d do an okay job of being the skipper. Either that or they knew how much work it’d be and didn’t want the job!
Paul at this years Vaticon
KD: What qualities do you think you brought to the role?
PQ: Pretty much I’d describe myself as a people person. Being social and good natured is essential for getting interest up with people for the team and for making the team a good place to be for people involved. So I commited to being at almost every 40k event for a year (no small undertaking) and being as good an Ambassador for team Ireland as humanly possible....It also meant communicating and getting on with every other team captain in Europe from which I made some great mates so was chuffed to be able to do!
KD: In your opinion what do you think makes a good tournament player?
PQ: Well thats a good one KD! In my humble opinion the following are key.
1. Pick a good list and know it inside out, you need to be aware of what each and ever unit in your army can or can’t do. This involves playing a lot of games with it! Also sometimes you have to grit your teeth and keep going with an army. 5 games is not enough to decided wheteher you like an army, 50 would be closer to the mark. I’d also avoid lists that the internet tells you are great. They are most of the time based on one opinion and what you can make work vs others is different to what anyone else can. Too many times I’ve seen guys grab a “net list” and epic fail with it simply because they lack the nuance of the original player to make it work! Be your own gamer and you’ll find things a whole lot easier.
2. Don’t allow yourself to get swept up in the game and merely find yourself reacting to whats going on. Keep your focus on what you want to achieve and how you want to do it. The plan will change as you go on and the game evolves but your objectives rarely will
3. Have fun! If you don’t play the game with good nature and with an eye to fun I don’t consider you a good player, pure simple. The great players are those that can if you pardon the expression “bend you over” at the table but you still remember of it as a great game
KD: Now you and the Irish team have recently returned from the ETC in Munster, Germany. How did yiz get on?
PQ: I think we did okay KD, finishing with 1 win, three draws and two losses. All in all we were a little disappointed with our overall performance but as a team we set high standards for ourselves so I’m not sure how fair we are on our own performance. As Nigel himself told me, the achievement was getting a team from nothing in less then a year and not only that but one that actually did okay!
KD: So to put you on the spot; who was the best player on the team this year?
PQ: Ha don’t pull your punches there eh. To be honest I don’t think you could ever have a best as all of us were equally capable of beating each other on our day. The team did have some of my favourite players from a personal point of view. From Darragh Cullens ultra agressive go and get em style, to Joe Cullens absolute determination to get the job done, right through to Barra MacNiocall’s speed is the key list. It was a great cross section of differing 40k talent!
KD: and looking back was there any changes you would have made to the personel or army selections this year?
PQ: Not a one....simple as that
KD: Say there was someone reading this who wants to try and qualify for next years ETC what advice would you give them?
PQ: First and foremost good on them! Secondly the best way of doing things is to simply go to events and play hard and have fun. If you qualify after that I’d pretty much describe that as gravy!
KD: You recently purchased a lizardmen army for WHFB. (That God-Damn birdy again) How do you think you will get on with the transition from "Ray-guns" to "Pointy-Sticks"?
PQ: Ive had a great time playing with my lizards in 8th ed. The completely different style and way of thinking has been great! I also pretty much suck at it so its nice to have to learn a game from the ground up so to speak
KD: Well thanks again for doing the interview Paul. It's been a pleasure as always.
PQ: The pleasure was mine KD, any chance to waffle on about games is always greatly appreciated!
Till next time
KD
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