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(Notice for the time being: I am going to need a bit of help of the community for this a bit, as I would like a General consensus of all the factions from everyone that plays them so this can be informative as possible to someone who wants to start but is not sure which faction, so comments on this thread with a general consensus of each faction (although I will start off with PanO, since I have a good grasp on the faction enough although additional commentary is welcomed) between you guys is needed and very much appreciated and will edit on the first post).

So by good chance, since you are here in this thread, that you have checked out the Infinity game already. You are interested in the game but you do not know/ not sure what the faction you want to play or do not know about the play styles? Well, you have come to the right place!


Your mind most likely in looking at a faction for Infinity you want to play





For the main breakdown for each faction that is going to be talked about, it is broken down in this format:
Name of faction:
Short background description of the faction:
General Gameplay Strengths:
General Gameplay weaknesses:
General Overview:
With this, you get a general overview of the faction and how it plays and the fluff is to see if this is the faction for you. Now to get the get the show on the road and get this started, and Enjoy! (all photos you see belong to their respective owners).




PanOceanina


Faction Description: Considered to be the number one nation in the human sphere, PanOceania has the most planets, considered one of the richest and most powerful of the nations with the most advanced human technologies and best it has to offer. It is also considered a melting pot of cultures and democratic, but it likes to show it off.

General Gameplay Strengths: PanOceania, having the best technology, has a large access to many and great T.A.Gs (Tactical Armor Gear, or basically a giant robot or mecha in laymans terms), Heavy Infantry, and Equipment that can cover a variety of things you can be up against from armor to discovering possible camoflouged units. Their line troops,tend to have higher Ballistic skill for a line trooper in the game, and point for point are the most optimized in most areas of their choices. Although slow-moving compared to most factions, they often have a lot of answers to that terrain that they can take advantage of (although the most of the game is Urban terrain, there is times Jungle and water come into play, and this acts as PanOceania's hidden gem of sort).

General Gameplay weaknesses: With their specialization and technology, they have a over-reliance of technology, and indirectly makes most of them have a lower Willpower (the games equivalent to leadership) than most when it comes to a good amount of unit choices as well as their support roles, while some have higher Willpower in their other unit choices. It is not low to the point of one expecting PanOceania troopers to run, but it is one of the underwhelming parts of the faction. Also PanOceania has no Warbands (units dedicated to close combat roles) and only has one Skirmisher (units that specializes in stealth and infiltration): the Croc Man. Another interest of note is their lack of direct template weapons, which is not that much a problem but it may act as a hindrance at times, but most likely not the case.

General Overview: If you believe Technology can win the day and can help you out of any situation that may arise in the battle, and like having the best that there is to offer to a good extent, this might be the faction for you. Now in no way are they unstoppable due to this, as they have their weaknesses as stated above, so you are going to have to play to your strengths to cover your weaknesses. Expect PanOceania to play a bit slow at first, but be able to shoot back and respond to threats with a good amount of efficiency.





Yu Jing


Faction Description: The second most powerful nation in the Human sphere, Yu Jing is the united oriental nations under what was China, uniting all the oriental nations after becoming an economic superpower and the fall of the United States and other major European powers. It seeks to topple PanOceania as the Top power in the Human sphere and become number one. Although they do not face each other due to the threat that the Combined Army faces, it awaits the day that the Combined army seeks to be a threat....

Faction Strengths: Yu Jing offers a good amount of unique and different play styles due to a wide range of units one can take, making them have a pretty flexible list. A great example of this is their Heavy Infantry choices, which has some unique HI units as well as some choices other faction may not have access to, and able to fulfill a lot of roles with their versatile HI choices, rivalling that even of PanOceania. Although their shooting may not look impressive at first glance, do not be fooled. Being at the same technology level as PanOceania almost, they have access to a good amount of troops who are able to counter a good amount of special abilities the opponent might have.

Faction Weaknesses: Although it seems that Yu Jing is a melee-oriented faction, this is actually kind of a hindrance. Although most of their units may look like it at first, with a low levels of a Martial arts skill (as you can guess, how well the model can fight against other models in Melee), one should not try and run up the field with them and get to melee at all (this is a shooting-oriented game after all...) and their units can be more expensive due to it being trained in both, but it suffers the Jack of all trades ordeal with great extremes and little to no middle ground from cheap units to high tech Heavy Infantry. With that being said, they do have access to really powerful Melee units with high Martial Arts skill, but you are going to have be cautious how you use them and make sure they get their job done before getting shot up, as it should not be the main focus for the army at all. Another thing is that your choices in the T.A.G department are not as numerous as some other factions, but their T.A.Gs are relatively good with what they can do and hold their own.

Faction Overview: "Variety is the Spice of life", or at least that is what my Momma always used to say. In this case, this rings true for Yu Jing, as they have access to a wide arrange of units to have a little taste of everything. From Cyberpunk/Futuristic Ninjas and Samurai to Japanese Biker gangs as well as everything in between and more, Yu Jing provides a good selection of units one can choose from, making it a rather flexible army to play and try new things out, but they act as the jack-of-all-trades, masters-of-none. You will want to play Yu Jing aggressively (I.E getting close and personal to you opponent with close-range firefights, with melee being only your last resort), as it is the most aggressive faction in the game. If you enjoying taking the fight to your opponent and/or love and enjoy Asian cultures like Japan and China, then this faction is for you.






Ariadna


Faction Description: Descendents of the first human colonization attempt that was lost through the wormhole and given up for lost and dead, the Ariadnes- the Russian Cossacks, Americans, Scots, and Frenchmen, are a race that evolved on a hostile and isolated planet, becoming a hardy, but a technologically stunted race. Recently making contact with the humans sphere, Ariadna is making to make a place for themselves while avoiding falling under control of the other powers.

Faction Strengths: With Ariadna, one usually have the superiority in numbers, and it common to possibly have two combat groups if playing Ariadna. Also, they are immune to Information Warfare, and to top this, they have enough anti tank firepower to stop those other faction's pesky TAGs in their tracks. A common theme ones will see in Ariadna is the sheer amount of units that have camouflaged units (which means you can make traps and can serve as an annoyance tactic as your opponents spends his orders to spot and discover those units) and large amount of Warbands (which provide smoke for cover and even pure brutality to possibly retaliate against anyone that gets too close in the form of 14 feet werewolves and Futuristic-ish Scottish Highlanders). Although keep in mind, this is a shooting game, you want to keep out off Melee as much as possible.

Faction Weaknesses: Although Ariadna is immune to Information warfare due to their lack of technology, This is also a down side to them to a small extent. This means ones tactics can be quite limited because of the lack of high tech toys somes of the other factions have like Combat drops, TO camouflage, hacking, being able to spot said units who have TO camo, helper bots for medics and mechanics, etc. Also, Ariadna (at least the Vanilla faction, for I am not going to touch on Sectorials here), has not access to TAGs and only one Remote (The Tracktor mul), and instead you have those 14 foot futuristic-ish werewolves mentioned earlier. Also, all Ariadna units have a BTS stat of zero, which means they are vulnerable to weapon that roll against that stat instead of arm, like Viral rifle. Fortunately, these types of weapons are quite exotic and rare

Faction Overview: You like being the underdog who wins no matter the odds? You want something close to how the modern day special forces, while having some fantasy elements like Scottish Highlanders in kilts and 14-foot bestial Werewolves? Then Ariadna is the faction for you. While they lack in the technological advantages that most other factions have, they do have a bit of a laugh at them for their High points cost, Technologically advanced TAGs that they can pepper then up with Anti-tank weaponry, making them into swiss cheese with relative ease. With the amount of tricks you can still pull off with them even with a technological disadvantage, Ariadna is something different inside the Infinity universe.



HaqqIslam:


Faction Description: Haqqislam, or the New Islam, is a smaller power in the human sphere which controls only a singular star-system, Bourak. Separating itself from the ideal fundamentalism, Haqqislam bases its culture on humanist and philosophical ideals of Islam, as well as continual contact with nature. The two major strengths of Haqqislam are Biosanitary Science and Earthformation (or Terraforming) , which includes the best schools of medecine and planetology in the Human Sphere.

Faction Strengths: One thing that stands out with Haqqislam is their Biotechnology, or as known as Viral weapons, which is a dreaded thing behold on the battlefield (meaning you roll against the Biotechnological Shield stat compared to Armor, and require TWO BTS rolls against it. Great against anything that has an high armor stat but low BTS. As well, they have a high WIP stat and religious (this really helps with morale to an extent), with being coupled with a good access to Doctor units (in which help your unconscious guys get back in the fight with a successful WIP roll) and a large access to Light Infanty choices. Another thing to mention is that Haqqislam also has access to good amount of choices that have Mimetism (making the unit harder to hit), Camo, Holoprojectors, and impersonation,making them hard to it as well as items that can help them react in ARO much better.

Faction Weaknesses: A downside of Haqqislam (not really prevalent but should be touched on) is that they are kind of low-tech. This is not like on the level Ariadna is, but they do not have access to some of the cool toys like PanOceania or Yu Jing or not a lot of them. Also, with HaqqIslam being a Light Infanty/Skirmisher based army, two things you want to worry about is being spotted by the other while in camo, spotting inpersonation, or finding away around Mimetism, in which means you are exposed to fire from the enemy. The other being something that is good at taking out infantry, although if the first point is addressed, then there should not be much of a problem (although there is that chance the stray shot lands and hits).

Faction Overview: With Haqqislam, you want to hit hard and fast while the enemy has a hard time hitting back, with this being done with your Viral Weapons and units with the hard-to-see-and-hit tech and abilities goodness like Mimetism, Camo and the like. However, you want to keep in mind that most of the time you are running mostly Infantry, so you want to be wary of weapons that the opponent has that are good for taking out such a thing, as well as spotting you camo'd units and such. With a high WIP, you have a good chance of getting the intitative roll and deciding either who goes first or deploys on which side, but it is something to not count on all the time. With this, HaqqIslam in an army for you if your philosophy is to hit your opponent where it hurts while making him work to hit you back.

Nomads:


Faction Descriptions: The Nomads consist of Outcasts, Freaks, and convicts that travel around the human sphere, discontented with the macroeconomic blocks and by AI, separating itself from it while trading from system from system every place they roam. The Nomads consists of three ships: Tunguska, which is dedicated to the traffic and storage of information. Corregidor, offering skilled labor at a good price, and Bakunin, which trades in all that is exotic and illegal in whatever area, from fashion to nano-engineering.

Faction Strengths: A major thing to note with the Nomads is that they sport a solid lineup of Medium infantry, as well with some rather unique troop choices with rather unique abilities with them as well. One common thing in this faction is the use of Camo and other equipment that makes your units harder to hit. Another thing that the Nomads love is there hacking and their drones, with them being able to pull off some rather unique combos. One thing to add to that most of their drones have Climbing plus, meaning that they can scale vertical surfaces and the such with ease. One last thing to add just for fact is that they have the Crazykoala, a little robot that chase anyone that gets near close to it then blows up in their face. Kind of a scary thought and works as board control to a great extent.

Faction Weaknesses: One of two things you are going to notice off the bat with Nomads: You have a lack of Heavy Infantry choice, with only having two being prevalent in the Vanilla Nomad army. This is the first thing. The second thing is that most Nomad units tend to be soft and squishy, so you do not want to leave them out in the open and a chance they get shot up. Another thing to note while they have access to a wide variety of Remotes and good amount of T.A.Gs, they are kind of low tech as well, with only one unit with TO Camo and no access to some of the more High-Tech toys the Hyper-economic powers have.

Faction Overview: While at first it is hard to pin down the playstyle of Nomads, they tend to focus more on dirty tricks and Board Control more than anything else compared to being able to go into a straight-up fight. However, if you can keep your things alive, you can pull off a good matter of tricks that the Nomads have up their sleeves. If playing Dirty while controlling where your opponent goes on the board, the the Nomads factions might be just for you!


Combined Army:


Faction Description: While the Human sphere still bickers and fights among itself, a new, and perhaps most terrible, threat to humanity has managed to create s spearhead for the Human Sphere. The Combined Army is a collection of Alien Races united under the leadership of an Evolved Intelligence, an ancient but supreme Artificial Intelligence with aspirations of controlling any race that it comes across.

Faction Strengths: One thing you will notice about Combined Army compared to other factions is some of their own special rules that they have. An example of this is the Morat, in which count as religious troops (in which are not affected once your lieutenant is killed and still generates its own orders) and have a higher threshold own they go into retreat unlike other factions. Another is the Shasvastii, who have the potential to respawn if they are killed if one does not pay attention to them. On the Technological side, they are up at the level PanOceania, Yu Jing, and ALEPH are at to a point, so you have access to some pretty high-tech toys with Combined Army.

Faction Weaknesses: Looking deeper into the faction, one thing that is going to stand out at you is the price; As in all your units are relatively expensive for the most part, with the base Morat Vanguard being 16 pts and a large majority of the Lieutenant choices need you to have an extra cost with you Special Weapon points. This will often mean that you will be low on Orders most often and likely to be outnumbered. Another thing to mention as well is that for you points you average to above average stat line, with some things being a bit higher than most what the human faction has.

Faction overview: A most common comparison I hear about Combined Army (at least in my area) is the Covenant from the Halo series. In a small way, I guess I can see it, with each race that is in the Combined Army fulfilling a certain role on the battlefield (with the Morats being your front-line troopers, and Shasvastii being more stealth/Infiltration-based just for example). However, being an elite-like army of sorts with their abilities and points cost, you are often outnumbers at times but can stay in the fight longer a good majority of the time. If this rings good to your ears, then Combined Army may be the faction for you!


ALEPH:


Faction Description: ALEPH is the Artificial Intelligence that controls the data networks and technological systems of the entire Human Sphere. ALEPH is humanity's greatest ally, and without it, the intergalactic socio-political and economic systems of the Human sphere would fall apart almost instantly.

Faction Strengths: Being the AI for the human sphere, ALEPH is in the relatively High-tech range as a faction like PanOceania and Yu Jing, but you get a little bit of both factions play styles. This can range from a slow but steady shooting army or a fast moving and mobile army that can possibly put the pressure on the opponent. Another thing of note is there large selection of remotes with varying different play styles to choose from for each different remote. Their line troops have an above average to strong statline, with having a strong selection of Personalities (AKA Infinity's unique characters to choose from).

Faction Weaknesses: One thing you will notice is ALEPH also suffers the Combined army syndrome: A large amount of units in the faction are and can be relatively expensive, so you might be short on the order side and outnumbered a bit. It is not as prevalent as Combined Army, but it is something of big note in ALEPH. Mentioned earlier is the different playstyles that ALEPH adopts, but since they can be relatively expensive at times, at times one might play one type of play until you get to the higher point levels, where they can possibly cover all there bases and ALEPH flourishes. Another thing of note is that the Lieutenant choices for ALEPH are few or reserved for the personalities or units that may have low availablity, meaning it can be easier to pick out and assassinate them with the right tools

Faction Overview: I believe Major Makoto Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell said something of note "If we all reacted the same way, we'd be predictable, and there's always more than one way to view a situation. What's true for the group is also true for the individual. It's simple: Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death.". Strangely this fits them very well, as they seem to have a lot of unique playstyles to them while having relatively strong units. While ALEPH does have expensive, elite units, they make up for this with what they can do. If you like having a Elite army of Ghost In The Shell like cyborgs who are well verse in many different play styles, then ALEPH may be the faction for you!

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:

General Gameplay weaknesses: With their specialization and technology, they tend to be the most expensive points-wise, and their over-reliance on Technology makes them have lower Willpower than most when it comes to line troops and a good amount of other troop choices.

That's not true, the most expensive distinction goes to both CA and Aleph. Actually PanOceania has the most optimized profiles with the best relation profile/cost in the game. Their units pay for what they get, and only get what they need to perform their duty. No stupid sobrecharges that artificially raise the cost while not providing a real advantage. To put an example of that. There are only 3 factions with the most powerful piece of equipment in the game, the MSV3. PanO has the Aquila Guard, a simple HI with BS 15 and MSV3, with an HMG gets the job done for only 60 pts. Yes, it's pricey, but quite an acceptable cost to pay for an Elite HI. On the other hand Aleph gets the Asura and the Combined Army the Charontid. Both are monster like profile HI units with MSV3 that cost about 80 pts. The Charontid has HMG but only BS 13, and the Asura has BS 14 but only a Spitfire, that is, Asura is the only unit that doesn't get a HMG but an inferior version of an HMG. Fact is Aleph and CA have to pay around 80 pts in order to include a MSV3 in their list, and only the Charontid has HMG. Meanwhile the PanO player can get a MSV3 HMG unit with even better BS that the CA and Aleph options and for 20 points less! that's efficiency in optimization. Granted the Asura and Charontid have other higher stats, but when you want a MSV3 the only thing you need is MSV3 with HMG and high BS with the minimum cost; and that's what the Aquila does. That was only an example, that optimization is a normal trend in almost all the units in this faction.

Janzerker wrote:

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:

General Gameplay weaknesses: With their specialization and technology, they tend to be the most expensive points-wise, and their over-reliance on Technology makes them have lower Willpower than most when it comes to line troops and a good amount of other troop choices.

That's not true, the most expensive distinction goes to both CA and Aleph. Actually PanOceania has the most optimized profiles with the best relation profile/cost in the game. Their units pay for what they get, and only get what they need to perform their duty. No stupid sobrecharges that artificially raise the cost while not providing a real advantage. To put an example of that. There are only 3 factions with the most powerful piece of equipment in the game, the MSV3. PanO has the Aquila Guard, a simple HI with BS 15 and MSV3, with an HMG gets the job done for only 60 pts. Yes, it's pricey, but quite an acceptable cost to pay for an Elite HI. On the other hand Aleph gets the Asura and the Combined Army the Charontid. Both are monster like profile HI units with MSV3 that cost about 80 pts. The Charontid has HMG but only BS 13, and the Asura has BS 14 but only a Spitfire, that is, Asura is the only unit that doesn't get a HMG but an inferior version of an HMG. Fact is Aleph and CA have to pay around 80 pts in order to include a MSV3 in their list, and only the Charontid has HMG. Meanwhile the PanO player can get a MSV3 HMG unit with even better BS that the CA and Aleph options and for 20 points less! that's efficiency in optimization. Granted the Asura and Charontid have other higher stats, but when you want a MSV3 the only thing you need is MSV3 with HMG and high BS with the minimum cost; and that's what the Aquila does. That was only an example, that optimization is a normal trend in almost all the units in this faction.

Alright, thank you for pointing this out to me. I was kind of going off the human factions (even then I am a bit wrong on that), so I will edit accordingly on that topic. Although I should add the fact they have no Warband choices as a matter of fact.

Just saying that this is a great thread! Keep it up!

Greetings

I'm not satisfied with PanO description. Like many other summaries it focuses on HI, TAG, the low WIP and puts emphasis on technology. I'd like to start with WIP, yes our specialists are the worst in the game, but the D20 is fairly correct with my Trauma Doctor saving roughly 0.6 on her WIP rolls. It would be nice to have better doctor and with the release of Dire Foes I just might have it. WIP 12 is not that uncommon, Moderators, Keisotsu Butai, few LI choices of Ariadna, I feel it's not exactly fair statement, since PanO does have veterans or more elite troops such as Kamau, Order Sargent and Acontecimento Regular, all of them offer something unique to PanO force. The religious LI (try finding it in Aleph or Ariadna), mobile veterans and counter-terrorist specialists with WIP 13 and BS 13. While we certainly cannot have WIP 17 and Strategos skill we're fairly in the range of normal WIP with some degree of variation.

We're a slow faction, not necessarily the least mobile, since Acontecimento Regulars, Bagh Mari, Kamau and few others are well versed in fighting on a specific terrain, so it is perhaps a shame so many boards have only urban terrain meanwhile with the right amount of natural terrain added in you can spot one of the hidden gems PanO offers. Climbing plus, super jump are indeed superior but also tied to specialists.

The religious trait is also interesting with only Haqqislam and CA having more options. This means when the fighting is going to get tough these guys and gals will remain where they are, the character Kirpal Singh is interesting being able to pull the force back together. While CoC is not uniquely tied to PanOceania, having it on religious AD unit is. Again one of the hidden mechanisms many fail to notice.

The over reliance on technology isn't exactly shown on WIP. It's being limited with AoE. Chain weapons, smoke grenades, light flame thrower these are considered lower-tech weapons. PanO integrates them on robots or weapons, the end result is more expensive and limited weaponry.

The game is about speed, mobility, order management and achieving objectives. If somebody is expecting Tau mechanics from PanOceania, he is going to be greatly disappointed as other factions have other mechanisms. They certainly wont let you breathe as they create multiple attack vectors with relatively lesser technological sophistication. To put it simply, they can avoid certain trades with your force so you'll have to field more mobile elements to force them in that engagement.

 Knight wrote:
Greetings

I'm not satisfied with PanO description. Like many other summaries it focuses on HI, TAG, the low WIP and puts emphasis on technology. I'd like to start with WIP, yes our specialists are the worst in the game, but the D20 is fairly correct with my Trauma Doctor saving roughly 0.6 on her WIP rolls. It would be nice to have better doctor and with the release of Dire Foes I just might have it. WIP 12 is not that uncommon, Moderators, Keisotsu Butai, few LI choices of Ariadna, I feel it's not exactly fair statement, since PanO does have veterans or more elite troops such as Kamau, Order Sargent and Acontecimento Regular, all of them offer something unique to PanO force. The religious LI (try finding it in Aleph or Ariadna), mobile veterans and counter-terrorist specialists with WIP 13 and BS 13. While we certainly cannot have WIP 17 and Strategos skill we're fairly in the range of normal WIP with some degree of variation.

We're a slow faction, not necessarily the least mobile, since Acontecimento Regulars, Bagh Mari, Kamau and few others are well versed in fighting on a specific terrain, so it is perhaps a shame so many boards have only urban terrain meanwhile with the right amount of natural terrain added in you can spot one of the hidden gems PanO offers. Climbing plus, super jump are indeed superior but also tied to specialists.

The religious trait is also interesting with only Haqqislam and CA having more options. This means when the fighting is going to get tough these guys and gals will remain where they are, the character Kirpal Singh is interesting being able to pull the force back together. While CoC is not uniquely tied to PanOceania, having it on religious AD unit is. Again one of the hidden mechanisms many fail to notice.

The over reliance on technology isn't exactly shown on WIP. It's being limited with AoE. Chain weapons, smoke grenades, light flame thrower these are considered lower-tech weapons. PanO integrates them on robots or weapons, the end result is more expensive and limited weaponry.

The game is about speed, mobility, order management and achieving objectives. If somebody is expecting Tau mechanics from PanOceania, he is going to be greatly disappointed as other factions have other mechanisms. They certainly wont let you breathe as they create multiple attack vectors with relatively lesser technological sophistication. To put it simply, they can avoid certain trades with your force so you'll have to field more mobile elements to force them in that engagement.

Well sorry about that. I wanted to make it generalized so the burden of information does not scare away any people way at first. What would you say is a better description I can use for them that can be summarized at least in two-to- three sentences?

Myself as consumer really appreciates the feedback information and the time someone dedicates to my questions. With variety and unique mechanisms Infinity forces have, I feel it is misleading to describe the forces in just few words. Especially since potential first time reader will not understand the extent the classifications would mean. Yourself have put "no warband and limited skirmisher" as a trait but not really took it on the next level. Myself when I first started the game noticed the empty warband option too, once I understood what I gave up and what impact they have on the game it was entirely different mindset.

Feel free to continue with what you're doing. After all I'm only one person that expresses his view.

 Knight wrote:
Myself as consumer really appreciates the feedback information and the time someone dedicates to my questions. With variety and unique mechanisms Infinity forces have, I feel it is misleading to describe the forces in just few words. Especially since potential first time reader will not understand the extent the classifications would mean. Yourself have put "no warband and limited skirmisher" as a trait but not really took it on the next level. Myself when I first started the game noticed the empty warband option too, once I understood what I gave up and what impact they have on the game it was entirely different mindset.

Feel free to continue with what you're doing. After all I'm only one person that expresses his view.

I get what you are saying, and I do not in any way, shape or form want to seem that I am blowing anyone off. The feedback I appreciate as well because I too am one person, and human nature dictates that mistakes and errors are bound to happen, so it helps me when making this what to changed and can be agreed upon when I do this to be informative as a primer. And I agree with you, Infinity with its forces have variety and unique mechanisms to them, so things are kind of going to be left out and kind of misleading. But, it is kind of off-putting to someone if they look at something for the faction they are interested in and do not understand what a lot of the terms mean or how much they have to read, and/or later on leave the faction or game because they are disappointed with.

My goal in mind for this at least is to try and give a basic primer to the factions of the game that is as informative as possible without having that burden of knowledge, so I will edit accordingly so I stick close to that goal.
I am in no way trying to sound like an ass, I just wanted to give a insight what my idea was behind this so I apologize if I came off as that.

I think that such an analysis may be useful to a newcomer. I say carry on

Another minor correction. It is the "direct" template that is lacking. Why is this important? Well, speculative shot and guaranteed hit on a normal roll. It's quite a disadvantage of not having it on cheap warband, even with irregular disadvantage.

We're good with tear templates, shotguns being very common on MI, HI and REM.

The ending is a bit odd. Camouflage is annoying but it loses a lot in the reactive turn and it's more often used as threatening tool. I'd just remove the last half of the sentence.

Since you pm'd me I'll throw my two cents in here.

Reading what you've done I think you're making a good start. I see what Knight is saying but my reaction is to take things the opposite way. From a newcomers perspective the current wording asks a whole bunch of questions and answers only a few. Where Knight thinks you should clarify I'd rather you go the other way and simplify. In my experience with newcomers they want a really basic idea of which army suits them.

Put yourself in their shoes when you write to them. Johnny doesn't have any idea what a line trooper is, or what Religious or Willpower mean. And don't try and tell him about it, he'll get to that when he learns to play. In fact if you go in-depth enough that you want to mention Religious or any rules then you've blown miles past his understanding. He wants to know the playstyle, fast, slow, shooty, close combat, etc. so he can pick the faction that fits what he already knows he'd like to play like.

So think like him and you'll find this helps a lot more people. Johnny wants a slow, shooty army that is well rounded and has a large selection of those big robots. That's PanO then Johnny, don't worry about why yet.

And when you've compiled it all, put yourself in Andy's shoes to check, or Isaac's, or Katie's. What do they want and can they find the best option by looking over your summaries? Also, importantly, is it short enough that you've managed to keep their attention?

Hope that helps, I'm drawing on my experience of seeing tonnes of new players come through here but it doesn't mean I'm right. Others might be able to prove me wrong.

Thanks for doing this!

 Casey's Law wrote:
Since you pm'd me I'll throw my two cents in here.

Reading what you've done I think you're making a good start. I see what Knight is saying but my reaction is to take things the opposite way. From a newcomers perspective the current wording asks a whole bunch of questions and answers only a few. Where Knight thinks you should clarify I'd rather you go the other way and simplify. In my experience with newcomers they want a really basic idea of which army suits them.

Put yourself in their shoes when you write to them. Johnny doesn't have any idea what a line trooper is, or what Religious or Willpower mean. And don't try and tell him about it, he'll get to that when he learns to play. In fact if you go in-depth enough that you want to mention Religious or any rules then you've blown miles past his understanding. He wants to know the playstyle, fast, slow, shooty, close combat, etc. so he can pick the faction that fits what he already knows he'd like to play like.

So think like him and you'll find this helps a lot more people. Johnny wants a slow, shooty army that is well rounded and has a large selection of those big robots. That's PanO then Johnny, don't worry about why yet.

And when you've compiled it all, put yourself in Andy's shoes to check, or Isaac's, or Katie's. What do they want and can they find the best option by looking over your summaries? Also, importantly, is it short enough that you've managed to keep their attention?

Hope that helps, I'm drawing on my experience of seeing tonnes of new players come through here but it doesn't mean I'm right. Others might be able to prove me wrong.

Thanks for doing this!

I get what you mean. I think I went maybe a little into too much detail with the mindset of some who has read the rules, but not sure how each faction is like on the tabletop. It might sound foolproof but it could be taken as a detrimental later on. That being said, I do want to try to make it simple but also give a good primer as to might expect with some of the models in each faction and how they will play to each factions playstyle.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, next on the list (might not get to it until a few days, since school and analyzing the faction and its playstyle) is possibly Yu Jing or Ariadna. Might go with Yu Jing since they are PanOceania's rivals of sorts in the lore.

Fair play, remember that RevReiko is bringing over the Tacticas though. They give a wealth and depth of information for anyone who wants it. Maybe you could do a basic and advanced section for each faction to appeal to more people. Like, 'here are the facts' and then 'here are the reasons'. And then they can get the real solid info from the Tactics threads if they want.

 Casey's Law wrote:
Fair play, remember that RevReiko is bringing over the Tacticas though. They give a wealth and depth of information for anyone who wants it. Maybe you could do a basic and advanced section for each faction to appeal to more people. Like, 'here are the facts' and then 'here are the reasons'. And then they can get the real solid info from the Tactics threads if they want.

I might try and do that, although it might be possible I might link the other Tactics threads from here for those who want to go more in-depth and have a good primer (also saves me a bit of work, since I have to cover all the factions. ).

Well as I said in my pm, i'm happy to paste this into the Beginners thread when you're done and I'll include the Tactics links too. The good thing about that is it won't fall of the front page when you're done with it and Alph might even sticky it when it's finished so it'll alwaysbe around even if this thread disappears back into the pages of the sub forum.

Having something like this for each faction would be great

 Casey's Law wrote:
Since you pm'd me I'll throw my two cents in here.

Reading what you've done I think you're making a good start. I see what Knight is saying but my reaction is to take things the opposite way. From a newcomers perspective the current wording asks a whole bunch of questions and answers only a few. Where Knight thinks you should clarify I'd rather you go the other way and simplify. In my experience with newcomers they want a really basic idea of which army suits them.

Put yourself in their shoes when you write to them. Johnny doesn't have any idea what a line trooper is, or what Religious or Willpower mean. And don't try and tell him about it, he'll get to that when he learns to play. In fact if you go in-depth enough that you want to mention Religious or any rules then you've blown miles past his understanding. He wants to know the playstyle, fast, slow, shooty, close combat, etc. so he can pick the faction that fits what he already knows he'd like to play like.

So think like him and you'll find this helps a lot more people. Johnny wants a slow, shooty army that is well rounded and has a large selection of those big robots. That's PanO then Johnny, don't worry about why yet.

And when you've compiled it all, put yourself in Andy's shoes to check, or Isaac's, or Katie's. What do they want and can they find the best option by looking over your summaries? Also, importantly, is it short enough that you've managed to keep their attention?

Hope that helps, I'm drawing on my experience of seeing tonnes of new players come through here but it doesn't mean I'm right. Others might be able to prove me wrong.

Thanks for doing this!

Having a mentor or few more experienced players is invaluable, I had only myself to relay on when I started. The Internet was filled with rather generic descriptions, so I said: "let's go with hi-tech and bunnies". After experiencing rather obnoxious combos and realizing, hi-tech doesn't mean anything in Infinity, I said: "well, so much for that description. I'll do what worked in a few RTS games I've played. Assume your army cannot fight evenly, use the basics, avoid engagement, take out targets of opportunity, look at the map and try not do die!" After that I started to claw my way back into the game. I can tell you I was frustrated because the descriptions said "hi-tech to overcome a problem" and I was using what I now consider fundamentals to play. Indeed my opponent (at the time one of the few who also played), recommended Aquila, saying he's good. But on lower point games with cheap warbands, skirmishers, you having far less models to cover the flanks... he's bad. I like to think I've learned few unique things that I can use to help others.

I can see the point of a quick summary, if you intend to put more elaborated strategic topic. As long there are references it should be more than fine.

Thanks for clarifying for me Knight, I've noticed the advice you've been giving people is extremely helpful for them so value your thoughts a lot. I think it'd be best to strike a balance between our ideas. Maybe a simple couple of opening sentences as an overview and then a few more reasons and explanations without overwhelming the newcomer. That plus a Tactics link would cover the bases for most levels of understanding I think. I do think we should keep away from mentioning any numbers or statistics though, stating that there are good hackers rather than high WIP/good BTS units will be easier to digest.

The numbers I said were more of an example. Indeed, Fusiliers are a on a lower side of WIP, but so will be other units and there are other LI choices in our force that make sound addition. The spotlight is usually on the TAG and HI choices, which is fine but a new guy shouldn't rush to get them. Focusing on diverse LI is a fine way to start and most of our MI are nice, they aren't on the power level of other armies, but as you play you understand what makes us PanOceania. A link to strategy section would more than satisfy me, there I could write down my musings on my joyful army or read the thoughts of others, I'm not imagining myself as being above wrong. A prospect reader now has an option to get more information, if he or she so chooses.

For what is worth, I think Dakka has the nicest online community.

 Casey's Law wrote:


Reading what you've done I think you're making a good start. I see what Knight is saying but my reaction is to take things the opposite way. From a newcomers perspective the current wording asks a whole bunch of questions and answers only a few. Where Knight thinks you should clarify I'd rather you go the other way and simplify. In my experience with newcomers they want a really basic idea of which army suits them.

Put yourself in their shoes when you write to them. Johnny doesn't have any idea what a line trooper is, or what Religious or Willpower mean. And don't try and tell him about it, he'll get to that when he learns to play. In fact if you go in-depth enough that you want to mention Religious or any rules then you've blown miles past his understanding. He wants to know the playstyle, fast, slow, shooty, close combat, etc. so he can pick the faction that fits what he already knows he'd like to play like.

So think like him and you'll find this helps a lot more people. Johnny wants a slow, shooty army that is well rounded and has a large selection of those big robots. That's PanO then Johnny, don't worry about why yet.

And when you've compiled it all, put yourself in Andy's shoes to check, or Isaac's, or Katie's. What do they want and can they find the best option by looking over your summaries? Also, importantly, is it short enough that you've managed to keep their attention?

This example is perfect. Because....see below.

I with Casey's Law on the idea that "less is more." At least when attempting too hook people into a particular faction. As Tana (I'm going to abbreviate your name) has already done, a section with "Do you Want to know more?" could potentially link to the tactica's that are already available as well as provide a bit more on the particular faction.

Getting the hooks into people is the best way to start. The way I got into the game ways essentially "jumping into the deep end" and I bought a Jotem before even looking at the other factions. That led me to PanO and I haven't looked back. But others, as I have discovered, like to do their research. And having a brief few sentences to tell them how a particular faction operates is so essentially (sorry to use that word so much) to getting new players to buy into the game and start playing. Without knowing that PanO is a shooty faction, or that Haqq loves to be sneaky, it's hard for a new person to wrap their head around the various factions.

One example I have for helping new players understand factions is that I compare Aleph to Ghost in the Shell. Is it a perfect comparison? Absolutely not, but it captures interest. And getting that interest is paramount. Once the player is "invested," then we can start throwing all the other things at them that Knight is talking about.


TL;DR version: A short couple of sentences is best, in my opinion, for helping newbies understand the factions. But also providing information on more advanced topics would also be a benefit. Especially if the newbs (sorry for the term =P) come back for more info.

Keep up the good work Tana.

I will keep that in mind, although this will be going through editing a lot as I go along so I can describe a certain faction as much as I can with a simplistic, but informative feel it it Zeta.

Also, I got a start with Yu Jing. Got the first two down, so I am gathering my thoughts on the last two for it, and will edit accordingly as well.

I think it would be cool to have a really short intro for each faction - literally a few sentences for each: "Get if you like" cyber ninjas/werewolves (etc.) "Don't get if you don't like" (cat doctors/ancient greeks) etc. etc. Something that would appeal to the player who has literally never played before or heard anything about the game, and wants to know everything in 20 seconds!

Although, good effort with some of this Tanakosyke22

 Pacific wrote:
I think it would be cool to have a really short intro for each faction - literally a few sentences for each: "Get if you like" cyber ninjas/werewolves (etc.) "Don't get if you don't like" (cat doctors/ancient greeks) etc. etc. Something that would appeal to the player who has literally never played before or heard anything about the game, and wants to know everything in 20 seconds!

Although, good effort with some of this Tanakosyke22

I might try that, although I want to give a good amount of insight with each faction the best I can, but keep it simple. Might edit it later after I get a large amount of the factions in.

Speaking of which, I might either go towards doing HaqqIslam or Ariadna next.

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:
Speaking of which, I might either go towards doing HaqqIslam or Ariadna next.

No, next is redoing YuJing, the whole article.

After reading it I can see you don't have any idea about YuJing. As a result of this you have written your "analysis" , if it can be called in that way, based on your external perception of the faction and limited/scarce experience with the game. I'm sorry, but all you have written about YuJing are nothing but lies heavily based on the typical clichés that pest many wargames nowadays due to GWs poisoned legacy.

I read each line and had to disagree each one. Only the Faction description is right. Also the "Ninjas and Samurai" line does a weak favor to the faction when it comes up to representing it. That's not YuJing, only a little part.

If needed ask for other players' opinions, I'm sure more experienced players can share their points of view.

Janzerker wrote:

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:
Speaking of which, I might either go towards doing HaqqIslam or Ariadna next.

No, next is redoing YuJing, the whole article.

After reading it I can see you don't have any idea about YuJing. As a result of this you have written your "analysis" , if it can be called in that way, based on your external perception of the faction and limited/scarce experience with the game. I'm sorry, but all you have written about YuJing are nothing but lies heavily based on the typical clichés that pest many wargames nowadays due to GWs poisoned legacy.

I read each line and had to disagree each one. Only the Faction description is right. Also the "Ninjas and Samurai" line does a weak favor to the faction when it comes up to representing it. That's not YuJing, only a little part.

If needed ask for other players' opinions, I'm sure more experienced players can share their points of view.

I did mention that in the intro part of the article. Yu Jing is a faction I am not really familiar with and only looked through some of the statistics and battle reports so I have no real first hand account, and I even stated I would go through again if need be and edit according. Tell me what are some things that I can change accordingly in order to describe it the best I can. As I mentioned before (although it might have been only implied) is that I would like the help of the community for this, since I am only one person and people are bound by mistakes.

Unless you have nothing to add, then I suggest leave, as this is not the right footing I can see at all.

OK, to expand on Janzerker's post you've listed being melee-centric as a strength for Yu Jing but i would also say in a lot of cases its actually a weakness. A lot of Yu Jing units that aren't CC oriented have higher CC stats and low levels of MA skill that make them more expensive than they need to be in a game primarily based on shooting and which have no real benefits in the game against other specilaist CC units. So while it might be fluffy its not that much of an advantage in the game.
Rather than being CC centric Yu Jing actually offers a wide range of units that let you play a lot of different styles so its a pretty flexible list. The JSA sectorial probably has more CC type units but the generic list has a lot of good unit options available to it.
In faction strengths there is no mention of HI. Yu Jing has a lot of excellent HI options with skills available to them that other factions HI don't have and some unique HI units.
In faction weaknesses you list shooting and say they aren't as good as some of the other factions. That could equally apply to any faction that isn't PanO. They also have access to quite a few relatively cheap troops with visors which makes it easier for them when shooting at camo units etc compared to other factions. So on the whole they are probably as good, if not better, than most non PanO factions when it comes to shooting.

 bantha_beast wrote:
OK, to expand on Janzerker's post you've listed being melee-centric as a strength for Yu Jing but i would also say in a lot of cases its actually a weakness. A lot of Yu Jing units that aren't CC oriented have higher CC stats and low levels of MA skill that make them more expensive than they need to be in a game primarily based on shooting and which have no real benefits in the game against other specilaist CC units. So while it might be fluffy its not that much of an advantage in the game.
Rather than being CC centric Yu Jing actually offers a wide range of units that let you play a lot of different styles so its a pretty flexible list. The JSA sectorial probably has more CC type units but the generic list has a lot of good unit options available to it.
In faction strengths there is no mention of HI. Yu Jing has a lot of excellent HI options with skills available to them that other factions HI don't have and some unique HI units.
In faction weaknesses you list shooting and say they aren't as good as some of the other factions. That could equally apply to any faction that isn't PanO. They also have access to quite a few relatively cheap troops with visors which makes it easier for them when shooting at camo units etc compared to other factions. So on the whole they are probably as good, if not better, than most non PanO factions when it comes to shooting.

Seeing what he and you mean, I really did screw up on them big time like that. So the higher CC with lack of a higher MA skill would make sense, since it is a shooting-based game, and so consider it a weakness of sorts?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Alright, so I also edited and re-did Yu Jing all over, due to backlash and review from it (well, I think I got it down better. I hope...). So tell me how does the new description do for the Yu Jing, and your feedback on it.

Also, I would like some insight on Ariadna and HaqqIslam so I can avoid this again and make it as best as I can.

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:
Tell me what are some things that I can change accordingly in order to describe it the best I can

Sigh... had to work on something, that's why I couldn't add anymore. But I couldn't get this threat out of my head, so in the end I had to come back.

Faction Strenghts:
- The HI specialist faction: at current only PanOceania can rival YuJing in number of HIs and variety, and this is meant to come to a stop with the next expansion. While PanO's HI are supposed to be the best at what they do, which is openning big holes in their targets, YuJing's ones offer more versatility as they can fullfill a greather number of roles in the field. For example the Domaru is the most similar thing to a HI warband, and the excellent Dao Fei is like a skirmisher HI, which is a fearsome conception for your adversary. The exotical robotic Karakuri is a walking armory which can perform as a Specialist in ITS scenarios, and the transformable remote presence Sù-Jiàn is the fastest better armed unit in the game, packing a Spitfire, light flamethrower and Panzerfaust, it has the right tool for the right moment and the mobility and speed to reach the point where that firepower is needed.

- Versatility in technologies: it's been pointed out by many players, that while YuJing is a high tech faction, it also makes use of more humble and less technological gadgets such the so much praised smoke (which can be coupled with the multiple MSV2+ the faction has in order to abuse the smoke combo tactic, which thing the ISS excels at), normal camo units and cheap completely sacrificable Warbands. As well as a wide panoply of tools including the much desired bikes, ultracheap order generators in the form of bomb strapped lobotomized penal troopers or the feared high tech monofilament CCW that kills anything with a single wound.

Faction Weaknesses:
- Force of extremes: unlike the very homogeneous force that is PanOceania, that counts with a good number of well trained and equipped units in each category (except the skirmisher field which we already pointed out is their intended weakness), YuJing is a faction where you have a bunch of low tech poorly trained and equipped units on a side (with a few exceptions), and their über high tech HI units on the other end. There's no middle term. In the middle frange you'll find the Aragoto and Tiger Soldiers, which are some of the most powerful spearhead units of this faction, but if you're looking for a reliable shock MI unit that can hold the weight of the battle over their shoulders, like the other factions have, you will find nothing.

- "Jack of all Trades Master of None" syndrome: Other than melee with some of their martial artist units, there's nothing YuJing excels really at. They neither are as good at long range shooting like PanO nor as good at info war like Nomads and Aleph, for example. But melee is the most ineffective way of combat in this game, to the point it becomes more an auxiliar plan than a reliable tactic. Furthermore, the full army pays for increased CC atributes, and many units for added CCWs too, that they will seldom make use of. Because of that, it's quite common to see Overcharged and thus overcosted units, that can be effective at shooting and melee, but excelling at none. Such as the generic Ninja, which unlike their more specialized big brothers, the Oniwaban; the ninja is nothing more than a TO skirmisher that performs like the other factions' TO skirmishers but costing more because it pays 1/3 of their cost in CC oriented attributes, weapons and abilities. The most problematic extremes are the Pheasant and Crane imperial agents.

Faction Overview:
- YuJing is the most agressive faction in the game, to the point their two sectorial are both heavy offensively oriented too. YuJing is meant to be a specialist in close combat, but don't get fooled by that name, I already said melee is somewhat inefficient. I mean firefights at close range. That statement can be argued nowadays with the arrival of the Tohaa, Aleph with her Sub-assault Section and Ko Dali's official demise. But still YuJing brings the most in your face options to the table, some of then still unrivaled like the Dao Fei, Sù Jiàn and the Aragotos and others praised like the Tiger Soldiers and Kuang Shi. If you want a high tech faction but also you like constantly bringing the battle to your opponent's side of the table and/or enjoy the asian cultures such as chinese or japanese ones... that's the faction you're looking for.

Janzerker wrote:

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:
Tell me what are some things that I can change accordingly in order to describe it the best I can

Sigh... had to work on something, that's why I couldn't add anymore. But I couldn't get this threat out of my head, so in the end I had to come back.

Faction Strenghts:
- The HI specialist faction: at current only PanOceania can rival YuJing in number of HIs and variety, and this is meant to come to a stop with the next expansion. While PanO's HI are supposed to be the best at what they do, which is openning big holes in their targets, YuJing's ones offer more versatility as they can fullfill a greather number of roles in the field. For example the Domaru is the most similar thing to a HI warband, and the excellent Dao Fei is like a skirmisher HI, which is a fearsome conception for your adversary. The exotical robotic Karakuri is a walking armory which can perform as a Specialist in ITS scenarios, and the transformable remote presence Sù-Jiàn is the fastest better armed unit in the game, packing a Spitfire, light flamethrower and Panzerfaust, it has the right tool for the right moment and the mobility and speed to reach the point where that firepower is needed.

- Versatility in technologies: it's been pointed out by many players, that while YuJing is a high tech faction, it also makes use of more humble and less technological gadgets such the so much praised smoke (which can be coupled with the multiple MSV2+ the faction has in order to abuse the smoke combo tactic, which thing the ISS excels at), normal camo units and cheap completely sacrificable Warbands. As well as a wide panoply of tools including the much desired bikes, ultracheap order generators in the form of bomb strapped lobotomized penal troopers or the feared high tech monofilament CCW that kills anything with a single wound.

Faction Weaknesses:
- Force of extremes: unlike the very homogeneous force that is PanOceania, that counts with a good number of well trained and equipped units in each category (except the skirmisher field which we already pointed out is their intended weakness), YuJing is a faction where you have a bunch of low tech poorly trained and equipped units on a side (with a few exceptions), and their über high tech HI units on the other end. There's no middle term. In the middle frange you'll find the Aragoto and Tiger Soldiers, which are some of the most powerful spearhead units of this faction, but if you're looking for a reliable shock MI unit that can hold the weight of the battle over their shoulders, like the other factions have, you will find nothing.

- "Jack of all Trades Master of None" syndrome: Other than melee with some of their martial artist units, there's nothing YuJing excels really at. They neither are as good at long range shooting like PanO nor as good at info war like Nomads and Aleph, for example. But melee is the most ineffective way of combat in this game, to the point it becomes more an auxiliar plan than a reliable tactic. Furthermore, the full army pays for increased CC atributes, and many units for added CCWs too, that they will seldom make use of. Because of that, it's quite common to see Overcharged and thus overcosted units, that can be effective at shooting and melee, but excelling at none. Such as the generic Ninja, which unlike their more specialized big brothers, the Oniwaban; the ninja is nothing more than a TO skirmisher that performs like the other factions' TO skirmishers but costing more because it pays 1/3 of their cost in CC oriented attributes, weapons and abilities. The most problematic extremes are the Pheasant and Crane imperial agents.

Faction Overview:
- YuJing is the most agressive faction in the game, to the point their two sectorial are both heavy offensively oriented too. YuJing is meant to be a specialist in close combat, but don't get fooled by that name, I already said melee is somewhat inefficient. I mean firefights at close range. That statement can be argued nowadays with the arrival of the Tohaa, Aleph with her Sub-assault Section and Ko Dali's official demise. But still YuJing brings the most in your face options to the table, some of then still unrivaled like the Dao Fei, Sù Jiàn and the Aragotos and others praised like the Tiger Soldiers and Kuang Shi. If you want a high tech faction but also you like constantly bringing the battle to your opponent's side of the table and/or enjoy the asian cultures such as chinese or japanese ones... that's the faction you're looking for.

Alright, when I re-edit it from what bathna_beast, I did my best to include what this seems to have, although I might touch-up the faction Overview and the strengths and weakness possibly (hopefully tonight, although if not I will make sure to do it if I do not get busy.

Also do not worry, if you are busy, I understand. We all cannot just sit and talk on a forum all day, right? Although I might not put all of this, because I do not want to overwhelm them with a whole lot a words and terms that will deter them, but I want to have enough information to dip a new players feet in.

Sorry, if I don't read through the wall of text.
The best/only advice for someone planning to start playing Infinity is in my opinion:
Pick what you like. Look at the miniatures, read some of the fluff on the official homepage, maybe watch the BoW fluff videos.
Then just choose.
Infinity has excellent balancing between all of the factions and there are no bad decisions gaming wise.