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I'm looking to move into a new game system (Currently play 40k, WHFB, FOW, WM/H, LoTR).

I've seen a lot of people mention infinity and I was just wondering what it's all about. What the rules are like, factions, models? What company makes them etc.

Which factions are considered better than others, which ones are poor.

Speaking as another newcomer, I've not really got an idea about how it plays, but the best answer is to see for yourself! All the rules, including a quick start book and army lists, are 100% free here:
http://www.infinitythegame.com/infinity/en/downloads/

Corvus Belli, the company, really do seem to be out to help players as much as possible, so take a look at the rules and minis and see if your interest is piqued!

As for balance, I believe it's pretty even, Infinity is often held up as a great example of balance.

Welcome!

A good starting point is this thread, in the Infinity general section http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/440048.page

If you want a general overview:
Infinity is a sci-fi skirmish game set in near future; imagine some Ghost in the Shell (with a bit of anime styling), mixed with Blade Runner, Neuromancer, and some other sci-fi influences. The core of the game mechanics run off what is called 'Automatic reaction system', which essentially means that you react in your opponents turn, and makes the game tremendously fluid and means both players are involved all the time - not say back texting while you are waiting 10 mins for your opponent to finish. It's been done in other games, but I don't think as well as in Infinity. Another cool part of the game mechanics is what is known as the 'order pool' - rather than moving each unit once and firing, you get a set number of orders you can use each turn, and with any combination of units. Actually, I'm pretty bad at explaining this (there are videos in the link above which are much better! )

But if I had to say one thing.. I've been playing wargames for more than 20 years, and Infinity is probably the best-made game I have ever tried. The rules are beautifully balanced, the mechanics offer great depth and reward the tactical thinker while producing lots of immensely cool cinematic moments. It can be tremendously cheap to play (starter sets go from about £30), rules and army builders can all be downloaded for free, but you will probably end up buying more just because of the quality of the miniatures, and each month more drool-worthy stuff is released. Finally, the game is made by people that care for creating something genuinely good, they take feedback on board from fans, and the game itself is growing massively thanks in no small part to this.

Is that enough of a recommendation? If you wanted to start somewhere you have come along at a good time. There is a new boxset called Operation: Icestorm which is on sale this month and holds everything you need to play.

Can't recommend it enough! Let me know if you have any specific questions about the game

Thanks for the succinct write up. I'm another disillusioned 40K player who still has a passion for mini wargames and this one seems to really fit what I'm looking for.

It's a more tactical game. Don't expect to run down the center of the field, shouting and firing from the hip and expect to win.
If it's a good idea in real life, it's probably a good idea in the game. You stay under cover, try to outflank your enemy and get them from behind. Use mines. etc.
It's far more in depth, yet easier to understand than 40k.

Ever play Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3? The turn sequences are like that. Every unit gives you an action point to spend. How you spend it is up to you. You can have one guy go multiple times or move everyone once.

The best thing about infinity is that winning the first turn doesn't almost guarantee you the game. Plus objectives require actually interacting with them not just parking a tank near them. And it's possible to be tabled but still win because the enemy doesn't take your objectives away, for the most part.

In my local meta there are horde players in 40k who I'd spend all afternoon waiting for them to unpack & deploy & then move all with little to actually do. Infinity is nothing like that tbh.Plus there's none of that battling over an open field crap that gw is famous for.

Pacific explained the general fluff's feel better than I could do, so I'll just link you to Corvus Belli's official Youtube channel - you can find 2 series of videos there, one is tutorials on basic mechanics, the second is basic fluff for each faction.

https://www.youtube.com/user/CorvusBelliSLL

You can find more fluff for each unit in their miniatures gallery (don't blame me if you get hooked on awesome models):
http://www.infinitythegame.com/infinity/en/facciones/

The factions are very well balanced, often when people start saying that something is crap someone who doesn't know it comes in and wins a tournament with it

That's also because the game stresses tactics over list building. You have to pay attention to what's going on on the table because the firefights are very lethal and one wrong move can cost you a valuable unit. Jumping from cover to cover, fire support, other SWAT-like tactics are essential because everything is on permanent Overwatch.

You can check the rules yourself, all data you need to play is free (the printed books are for fluff and pretty art; also, campaign scenarios). You can find their rule sections in CB's official downloads but no one uses them because these are much better - official text copy-pasted in a logical order and with an index:

http://wargamingtrader.com/infinity-rules

You'll also need an army builder, pick your poison:
http://infinitythegame.com/army/ - Infinity Army, official, pretty and easy to use, but flash = heavy
http://anyplace.it/ia/ - Aleph Toolbox, I don't like it but some people swear by it; leaner and should have a version for Android mobiles.

Faction balance is pretty good (Aleph and Tohaa don't have as many options, but I don't think they're necessarily weaker.)

Infinity is an awesome game that's fun to play. Quality of the sculpts is fantastic, too, and the rules are basically free.

Not every LGS has enough terrain for it, though. Weapons in Infinity have long range and are quite lethal, so the game really needs a lot of LOS blocking terrain to play well.

On the subject of terrain, here is a set of printable terrain pieces that need no glue or tape, they just fine together. Print a few of the different colours on some card and you should get a fast, free and good looking battlefield:
http://www.toposolitario.com/workshop/ikube.html

The same site also had some more complex printouts for vehicles, drop ships and more detailed buildings.

Which factions are considered better than others, which ones are poor.

A couple of the Sectorials are a little lacking at the moment, all of the Vanilla armies are supurb

Edit: Paradigm, that link is fantastic!

 Paradigm wrote:
On the subject of terrain, here is a set of printable terrain pieces that need no glue or tape, they just fine together. Print a few of the different colours on some card and you should get a fast, free and good looking battlefield:
http://www.toposolitario.com/workshop/ikube.html

The same site also had some more complex printouts for vehicles, drop ships and more detailed buildings.

Topo designed the terrain in the Icestorm box, too. His stuff is a staple of Infinity.

 chromedog wrote:

 Paradigm wrote:
On the subject of terrain, here is a set of printable terrain pieces that need no glue or tape, they just fine together. Print a few of the different colours on some card and you should get a fast, free and good looking battlefield:
http://www.toposolitario.com/workshop/ikube.html

The same site also had some more complex printouts for vehicles, drop ships and more detailed buildings.

Topo designed the terrain in the Icestorm box, too. His stuff is a staple of Infinity.

Good to know. I just need a new ink cartridge, and I might not have to resort to endlessly playing the battle for Cardboard Box Tower in every system!

 Paradigm wrote:

 chromedog wrote:

 Paradigm wrote:
On the subject of terrain, here is a set of printable terrain pieces that need no glue or tape, they just fine together. Print a few of the different colours on some card and you should get a fast, free and good looking battlefield:
http://www.toposolitario.com/workshop/ikube.html

The same site also had some more complex printouts for vehicles, drop ships and more detailed buildings.

Topo designed the terrain in the Icestorm box, too. His stuff is a staple of Infinity.

Good to know. I just need a new ink cartridge, and I might not have to resort to endlessly playing the battle for Cardboard Box Tower in every system!

haha.. I remember that scenario..
Reminds me of the Battle of Bogroll hill..

 Paradigm wrote:
On the subject of terrain, here is a set of printable terrain pieces that need no glue or tape, they just fine together. Print a few of the different colours on some card and you should get a fast, free and good looking battlefield:
http://www.toposolitario.com/workshop/ikube.html

The same site also had some more complex printouts for vehicles, drop ships and more detailed buildings.

This will most likely sound like a very dumb question but I'll ask it anyways. I assume you use cardboard for these, but how do you print it then? Do you got to your local Kinko's or somehow use a normal printer? The reason I ask is this is a very cool idea.

Normal card (not cardboard, just the stuff like cereal packet/birthday card material) can be bought cheaply and run through a printer. It's only the thickness of a few sheets of paper but the extra rigidity helps over paper. An alternative to this would be to print on paper and glue to a large cereal packet before cutting/folding.

Hope that clears it up.

 Paradigm wrote:
Normal card (not cardboard, just the stuff like cereal packet/birthday card material) can be bought cheaply and run through a printer. It's only the thickness of a few sheets of paper but the extra rigidity helps over paper. An alternative to this would be to print on paper and glue to a large cereal packet before cutting/folding.

Hope that clears it up.

That'll run through a printer? I must try it! And thanks!

It should do if it's thin enough, basically you're looking for something more thick paper than card, I can try and get a GSM (grams/square meter) number for the stuff I user if that would help. Wouldn't want you messing up a printer.

The kind of stuff you find a craft shop should do the trick and be cheap.

 Paradigm wrote:
It should do if it's thin enough, basically you're looking for something more thick paper than card, I can try and get a GSM (grams/square meter) number for the stuff I user if that would help. Wouldn't want you messing up a printer.

The kind of stuff you find a craft shop should do the trick and be cheap.

Thanks but I'm alright. I'll probably just use the one at my work, the thing could print on steel if I tried.

Ah cardboard box tower. Didn't it overlook shoebox barracks & algebra text hill? At least when the reenactment was fought in my neck of the woods it did lol.