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See title. Infinity has been on my radar for a while, and with the slowdown before WH40k's new edition release I'm trying to expand into other games. However, the rules for Infinity are complex enough to where I would be a complete newcomer to most of its systems.

I like the aesthetic of the ALEPH faction (mostly because I'm a Ghost In the Shell fan), but I've heard they're a more "elite" army and that they can be very tricky to play properly. Being a complete beginner to Infinity, is there any one faction that's better (or worse) for new players to use?

I have heard that Yu Jing and PanOceana are the easiest to start with, but a lot of people like Nomads, too.

HaqqIslam can work well, but their unit list trends more to the more fragile Light Infantry, so that can be a problem. The fact that the Ghulam can do just about any Specialist role decently and cheaply is one thing to consider for them.

Tohaa, Aleph, and Combined are the hardest to work with as their units are very odd, more expensive than the other four faction for their type/job, or both. That being said, sometimes it is just best for you, personally, to dive right in and just try them out. They may be harder, but you just may flat out enjoy it more.

If you have a local group, see if they will let you either use some of their models or allow you to proxy some models you have from another system and try out a small Aleph force to get a feel for them and the game.

Overall I'd say just go with whatever faction appeals most, but ask if particular units are beginner friendly. Every faction has something that can and will throw a beginner off - holo projectors, various kinds of aerial deployment, certain weapons, etc.

If you're starting with Aleph, I'd suggest avoiding Posthumans and going with generic Aleph to avoid linked teams. A friend started with those guidelines (he picked posthumans up but just stopped using them because of their rules) and his only background was 40k, and he did fine.

I'm getting back into Infinity and have picked up the Red Veil starter set. You get two small forces and a series of missions that introduce the rules in small chunks. Whether or not you want to stick to these factions it's a great way to learn. I've got a couple of people who've never wargamed before interested through it.

Operation Icestorm is a similarly good way to learn. You get two small forces, this time Pan Oceania and Nomads, with the same scenarios to step you through the rules.

Starter for generic Nomads, Haqqislam, Yu-Jing and USAriadna are great way to start.

Aleph, Tohaa and CA can feel rather overwhelming in comparison.

How is Red Veil?

It's fine, if you're looking for two player starters. Terrain is something that should be on your priority list. The paper terrain that you get in Red Veil is great, should go nicely with forests or hills from Warhammer. I don't recommend using ruins or similar terrain, it makes the game passive for newer players who need to get used to ARO mechanic.

The starter sets are great but it stinks if you jump into a game with a faction you don't like, aesthetically or fluffy so I'd say go with Aleph. Just be prepared for a learning curve that is a bit steeper, Infinitys learning curve is already semi-steep so.