IHL Interviews: Paddy McCormick

(Rob) Up next in my series of interviews with IHL members is former Champion and all round nice guy, Paddy.

Welcome firstly to Over the Edge of the Wild. Could you first please introduce yourself to the readers?

(Paddy) Hi Rob, thanks for interviewing me. My name is Paddy McCormick, a project manager from the glens of Antrim.

Can you give us a little background about how you started in the hobby and some of your hobby highlights since?

Like many players returning to the game, I started for the with the fortnightly magazines “Battle Games in Middle-Earth”. I collected and painted the models for just under a year and fell out of the game. I returned in 2016, with yourself sending me the first welcoming message into the Irish Hobbit League. Since then I’ve been very eager in the hobby, playing in many local tournaments, travelling over to tournaments in the UK and representing my country at the ETC. Biggest hobby highlight for myself would be winning the IHL league back in 2018; winning a few tournaments is always a bonus whilst having fun with your Irish comrades.

You became well known in the Irish Hobbit community for painting some very well painted armies in some incredibly quick times. Any tips for some of the slower painters (such as myself) on getting projects finished in a timely manner?

Yeah, I do paint very quick! It’s just a skill that needs loads of practice and a very steady hand! Usually I would batch paint 5-10 models at a time, I could never sit and paint one warrior! Just make sure you have a fair idea of colour schemes and set up a production line on your table so that once one paint is drying, you’re already onto the next few models using the same colour.

What projects are currently on your painting table?

I’m currently doing a commission job for a close friend during these troubled times. I’ve got around 25 Marvel Crisis Protocol figures painted over a week which have been a blessing to keep me busy whilst not working. I’ve a few hero models started myself to add to a few of my collections. My next project is Gamling with the banner; gonna try my best at some free-hand horses, I’ve got plenty of time!

Are there any armies that you are particularly enjoying playing at the moment and if there is, what makes them enjoyable?

I’ve been taking a few legendary legions to tournaments lately, purely to play more relaxed and have fun with the special rules! I’ve always enjoyed playing with my dwarves from the Hobbit! Dain on War Boar and Thorin, King under the Mountain make an excellent killing combo. Those two with a wall of Iron Hills Warriors make a tough force which is hard to break through, and can easily hurt you back with the S4/F4 backing! I’ve started to collect a Rohan force, with basically every hero option purchased and a number of Riders of Rohan. I did however order some Royal Guard on Horse but was caught with GW not delivering at the moment (sad times). Once we are all safe and able to resume playing, I’ll be using my Riders of Théoden legendary legion to see what all the fuss is about with Gamling/Dernhelm combo!

And finally, what's the one piece of advice you would give to a new player thinking about starting out in the hobby?

For a new player it is very exciting times to be in the hobby compared to 4-5 years ago. A lot new releases in terms of miniatures and supplements means the game is constantly changing. My advice would be to simply have fun; it can be a competitive game but to simply tell them to play with a force they maybe like from the movies/books or to collect certain models because they simply look cool. The communities across the IHL/GBHL are very welcoming, and there’s always help coming from someone if anyone is having an issue about where to begin!

Thank you Paddy for taking the time to answer these questions and providing some photos of your beautiful armies and best of luck for when the IHL and international tournaments resume.