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Hi all I'm new to the game and was wondering how viable close combat is in infinity and if so what faction/sectoral specializes in it?

Yeah n3 close combat is sick but you do want some combis and a spitfire or rocket launcher etc for some range

From my rather quite limited experience, you'll use the guns far more often than you'll use close combat, but if a close combat specialist gets into melee stuff gets real dead real quick.

I've found that CC isn't something that you can plan for as part of your strategy.

Every faction has the odd combat monster, providing that you have one of those in the right place at the right time, you can get results.

Just trying to go mano a mano with your regular troops (even if they are regarded as better at CC than your opponent's troops) is a dicey (literally) proposition.

If you're dead set on getting stuck in, then you can try charging in with Warband troops. Throwing smoke grenades can help you get close. Warband troops tend to be pretty cheap, simply because they get shot up a lot, but some people like them.

CC in N3 is now much more effective.

Now, a if Domaru Butai gets into CC has like a 99% chances of killing the enemy. It's madness!

It's highly more likely than it was in N2. Stealth helps, as does high CC status that CC experts enjoy. I don't think it's possible to make a viable force that specialises in CC only. A force with CC and more up close (spitfires, shotguns) is definitely possible.

Armies that come to mind are Combined Army (mostly Morats but you have few other interesting profiles), Nomads (Morlock, Bandits, Jaguars, Bran), Yu-Jing (mostly JSA), Tohaa (Makaul - these sons are just glorious), Aleph Steel Phalanx (Myrmidons with some really powerful characters). I'd recommend to have a look at Aleph Steel Phalanx or Japanese sectorial army.

As long as you use close combat troops its a very viable addition to your army. That means CC20+, MA3+, and a DA or better melee weapon at least, and ideally camo and/or some kind of delivery system (infiltration, impersonator, high speed or impetuous).

If your looking for a CC force, your out off luck.

If your looking for a force that can capitalize on CC when it is a viable option. Then you got some fun picks. Form the Ninja and Monks of Yu-Jing to the CA Witch-Soilder. If you use Army 5 the SK and WB units at the end of the unit list will give a good idea of a factions CC abilities. But, remember even CC units are way more likely to use BS Attack over CC Attack. You need to be think Close Quarters Cambat not Hand-to-Hand, if you want to get up close and personal.

Edit: For PanO look at the HI units for a idea, Knights in particular.

I had my eye on the Yu-Jing JSA starter set i like the models and I hear the monofilament ccw is pretty deadly.

It's more of an option in 3rd ed than it was in 2nd - the TO or MA CC specialists got better.

Bear in mind, that impetuous CC specialists often need some kind of synergy unit to get the best out of them (like Daturazi and using smoke - or having some other unit throw smoke before them so that the dats can move without being shot to pieces.

That's one thing that drew me to Inifinity. The fact that running out into the open can be deadly, which is how it should be.

It's a finisher. You're always going to want to shoot on your way into CC, even if you can get in on one action (skill). Especially since most of the time your target will be covered so having an opposed die against the covering fire is important.

But once you get into B2B after an order of moving and shooting into B2B, you can slice and dice the target pretty cleanly.

Are the Nomad Überfallkommandos a decent CC option?

The Chimera and Pupniks? Yeah, they can be good.

As long as...

You know how to use them, don't screw up and don't get them shot up.

So... pretty much par for the course for Infinity!

Some profiles are easier or at least more forgiving to use. Losing a Chimera or few Morlocks won't cost you the game but the results can be hilariously good. Oniwaban with superior infiltration and boarding shotgun is expensive but doesn't usually demand much finesse.

I've found TO infiltrators require a bit more finesse compared with Warbands like the Chimera or Monks.

Ninjas and similar can be pretty brutal, but you got to be careful. Though if your opponent has 4 MSV2 models, it gets a bit more tricky, considering your best defence is gone and you're now a 1 wound, 1 armour model like a standard LI against them.

Depends how you define "finesse". May not seem like it at first but a screaming maniac is a lot harder to use effectively in this game than a sneaky ninja.

The screaming maniac has the advantage that you learn to use them in all situations. Someone with a MSV is the same as someone without one.

If you're playing Haqqislam and expect not much resistance but then your opponent shows you a list with Djanbazan, you'll have to dust off tactics you might not have used for many games.