Gazing Into Infinity...

Einstein might be right on;  We might be on the verge of doing something infinitely stupid.

Like many gamers out there, I have been drooling over the models from Corvus Belli's skirmish game, Infinity, for a few years now.  I've given a glance at the rules PDFs (available for free download at http://www.infinitythegame.com/infinity/en/downloads/), but never taken them too seriously to actually figure them out.  I've also watched the excellent series of tutorial videos done with Warren from Beasts of War (http://www.beastsofwar.com/infinity-week/).  However, the glut of gaming I have been involved in over the last few years have really made any interest in Infinity no more than passing.

That all changed when Muggins and I were planning our time at Adepticon.  With the Team Tournament Saturday and Sunday, those were booked.  I will be fighting for a Clan Bloodname Friday night after some Dreadball in the afternoon, but my Thursday was wide open.  I realized I could use that time to catch some demos of other games that interest me.  I was immediately drawn to Infinity again.  I shared that idea with Muggins and was pleased to hear his enthusiasm for doing the same.

Of course, being the "Plastic Crack Pusher" of our club, Muggins went out and ordered a fairly good sized Combined Army force.  I had to respond in kind to preserve our M.A.D. arms race.  I had settled on a Pan Oceania force a long time ago.  After a bit of rules reading and pouring over the models on the web page, I started a force for the Shock Army of Acontecimento, a Sectorial "jungle-fighting" PA army.  Once they arrived in the mail, it didn't take me long to put them together and add some paint.

My choice of Acontecimento over the Knightly Orders came down to two things; unit variety and this bad boy, the Dragoon.  He sports the biggest gun in the game and is tough as hell.

As every force in Infinity needs a Lieutenant to lead it, I went with one of the Knights of Montessa, the Knightly Order available to Acontecimento.  He is a middle-of-the road knight, but makes a great leader for a Shock Army force.

Next came some basic troopers to fill out my Order Pool.  Three Acontecimento Regulars fit the bill perfectly.  They are cheap and capable of holding their own, especially as a linked Fireteam.

Next, I looked for someone to play the role of a utility soldier; someone who could fight well and double as a Hacker if needed.  I found it in the form of a Bagh-Mari hunter.  He is the closest thing an Acontecimento force gets to a camouflaged infiltrator.   

To boost my overall firepower and add an element of surprise, I added three Akalis Sikh Commandos.  These guys come packing heat with a Heavy Machine Gun, a Boarding Shotgun, and a Combi Rifle.  They also have the Airborne Deployment rule, effectively allowing them to Deep Strike.

With the amount of customization in an Infinity army, the game is not expected to be played WYSIWYG.  I can easily make one of my Regulars, the Bagh-Mari, or Comandos a Hacker or a Medic (for the same increase in points for all three).  Tweaking my list a bit gives me a 300 point force with nine orders.  All this for less than $100!  How much does it cost to play 40K at 1850 points or Warmachine at 35, the equivalent of a 300 point game in Infinity?  More than that in both cases.

I will be diving into Infinity head first after Adepticon.  As it turns out, Muggins and Dustin are also on board (Dustin has already bought a Nomad starter and has most of it painted as I type), and several other local Infinity players have started peeking out of the woodwork.  We think this game fills an interesting niche in our hobby; good skirmish games are hard to find.  You can expect to see several more articles popping up soon.  

Finally, if you were paying attention, you will have noticed the two pieces of terrain I put together in an evening.  The fuel drum is simply a recycled formula can (my house is full of them, thanks to the grot in the background) with some straight pins pushed through the sides to look like rivets.  The other is an inverted and painted plastic bulk food container from Meijer.  

Infinity is a game that demands a ton of terrain.  I think these will work nicely!  What do you think?  Is this a good move on our part, or the start of something infinitely stupid?

Later.