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How the heck do you tell different units apart in this game?

Part of it might just be that I'm new, but I'm staring at my Hashashin starter box, and although some differences are obvious (like their equipment, or how the non-hashashin doesn't have a mask) I looked online and there seems to be a lot of diversity in the range, and I find myself wondering how I'm going to keep track of what's a Muyib and what's a Ragik, and what the key factors are for WYSIWYG if I'm modeling them (or if I basically only need to worry about the weapons).

Well I've never really looked at the Hashashin models, but my CHA models are pretty distinctive from one another. Off to Infinity's website I go!

edit: while the models are pretty similar, there are distinct differences between unit type it seems. Helmeted/unhelmeted, wings/no wings, cloak/no cloak, etc. When combined with the weapons that is probably enough. I'm sure a Haqq player will roundly tell me off for saying they are pretty similar soon

While sharing the same aesthetic (the masks, for example) the Hassasin units are fairly distinct - Lasiq have a cloak, Ragik have wings, Muyyib have a lot of pockets and bags, Barid have hacking equipment, Farzan are pretty slender and the Fidays are Fidays.

That said, many units can be substituted for one another - I do it all the time either because there is no official model (I substitute a Barid with the starter Fiday or with my Farzan), or because there is no model with the correct loadout (again the case of the Farzan).

WYSIWYG is not an enforced rule in Infinity, so I wouldn't worry about that. When you play some more games with your dudes you will start recognising them and knowing the names. It just takes experience. Eventually, you'll be able to also tell what the enemy models are just by name, if you play enough games vs them.

I recommend playing the first few games with the same list, changing maybe a model or two. This will make you familiar with what your particular dudes can do and that a good starting point.

Just one of those things that takes time. When I started I didn't know the difference between Asawira and Jannisarys, Ghulam and Halqa.

Now I know the specific differences between each Muyib profile.

Just takes time.

There's also no stopping you from substituting one from the other. One of the people I play with uses the Ragik in the Hassassin starter as a Fiday: he didn't mount the wings. If I buy a Halqa box or for some reason I got Daylamis, I'll happily use them as Ghulams or somehow convert them into something else.

But if you're really anal about being each unit being different, you can differentiate them via paint scheme. Ragiks will have a blue visor, Fidays red, and so on and so forth.

Yea, all that said I use Daylami, Ghilim and Halqa interchangeably as each other. Also used the Daylami as Ghazi Mutawi'ah once. People don't really mind such proxies.

Thanks! Knowing that it's not such a big deal opens things up a lot.

Generally, if you use model from the same unit even if he is not WYSIWYG, people will not mind if you tell them beforehand.

Thing is, there's so many units, that people will not be able to tell the difference unless they play your faction yourself or are veterans already. In the second case, they probably won't mind some proxies, anyway.

I picked up who the units my mates regularly run, but there is still a lot of units that I have neither seen non the table nor know how they should look like.

Also of note is that Corvus Belli has said they won't be making every possible dude-gun combination in the game. There is just too many of them.

I think its just a novice thing for an "outsider" everything looks the same, even in GW games were effort has been given in design to make everything quite distinguishable, but when you delve in, the differences are immediately observable.

Just a note that Infinity IS WYSIWYG at the tournament level, however that is based on if they make the model for that troop profile. if they do not make a model for that troop profile then you are free to proxy a similar model from the Infinity range.

AKA Fielding a Lasiq sniper as a Muyib combirifle (model exists) is a no go, but fielding a Lasiq sniper as a Ghulam sniper (no model) is tournament legal.

In frieldly play however it's all fine as long as you keep your opponent informed of what is what. Over time you get use to what things look like. Remember that during a match you can ask what something is and what it's loaded out with (unless it's a marker like camo) at any time. Between that and there being only around 10 models it's easy to keep track.

I just remembered that i used to get confused on the different marines. So what's the difference between a devastator squad and a tactical marine with a heavy weapon? Or assault marines with other marines with CCW?

 heartserenade wrote:
I just remembered that i used to get confused on the different marines. So what's the difference between a devastator squad and a tactical marine with a heavy weapon? Or assault marines with other marines with CCW?

To be fair - not a whole lot!

 heartserenade wrote:
I just remembered that i used to get confused on the different marines. So what's the difference between a devastator squad and a tactical marine with a heavy weapon? Or assault marines with other marines with CCW?

More specific: What's the difference between

a) A devastator with Bolter.
b) A Veteran with Bolter.
c) A Tactical with Bolter.
d) A Command Veteran with Bolter.

I don't know...

In fairness, generally there is no difference to bolter units.

But as mentioned above, due to Infinity's small number of minis per side, proxing is generally considered acceptable. As long as your heavy infantry looks heavily armored, while the Lights look light, it's not a huge deal.

'Heavily armoured' is pretty subjective. Djanzaban, for example, are Medium Infantry, and their Rifle and HMG models look more heavily armoured than Asawira, who are Heavy Infantry. Granted, this is because those Djanzaban are older sculpts from when Corvus Belli was doing more exaggerated proportions.

The general rule I see with proxying is just 'make it clear before the game'. If your Asawira is really a Ghulam doctor, fine, just be clear before the game, and don't forget halfway through.

WYSIWYG? Good riddance.

As long as your HMG dude has a bigger gun than the other dudes thats fine by me, and seems to be the case with the other players I've met.

 -Loki- wrote:
Just one of those things that takes time. When I started I didn't know the difference between Asawira and Jannisarys, Ghulam and Halqa.

Now I know the specific differences between each Muyib profile.

Just takes time.

That's it really - just familiarity with the different units, and that will only come with time. Remember it would have been the same at one point with power armour and bolt guns!

Won't be long before your regenerating Djanbazans are covering your thermoptically camoflaged Al'Hawwa while they move up to support your sweet-smelling Odalisque

 Dakkamite wrote:
WYSIWYG? Good riddance.

As long as your HMG dude has a bigger gun than the other dudes thats fine by me, and seems to be the case with the other players I've met.

To be fair, the main sticking point for WYSIWIG in Infinity is for profiles that have no models. If a model exists, with how cheap Infinity models are, there's really no reason, outside of simply testing for a few games, to not grab the model.

 -Loki- wrote:
with how cheap Infinity models are

Actually they cost quite a lot per model. If a GW 40k infantry army costs around 300 euros if it was made of Infinity figures, it would cost probably 800-900.

Then again, it's METAL!

They cost a bit cheaper than the equivalent GW thing, character models and GW's are finecast.

 -Loki- wrote:
there's really no reason, outside of simply testing for a few games, to not grab the model.

Crocman.

There is simply no reason, ever, to include one of these. Old models, past their prime, and about as fuggly as you get before reaching dogs in skirts.
(And I PLAY panO. I play Neoterran, though - so I don't actually HAVE to use any because I CAN'T use them (not allowed). )


The UNIT is fine and quite usable. It's just the models for them are so bad. This was my first army, and I still have never used one (I have 3, picked up as parts of army buys from other players) because if I don't like the model, I don't care how good its rules are - I'm not going to use it until I find a fitting proxy OR they come out with a better sculpt.

The sniper is acceptable. Not good, but better than the *(&(*^ ugly fusilliers at least. An infiltrating TO sniper with mines is kind of something you do want to consider in PanO - it kinda fills a niche we don't really have anything else for, next best thing perhaps being the swiss guard with missile launcher (and as a neoterra player, surely something you have lying around ) but it's twice as expensive so it kind of has to take a central place in your list. The croc @ 43|1.5 can be thrown in just to mess with an opponent at times - fun, but not a list focus. The moment I start playing vanilla PanO (as opposed to every sectorial I can get my mitts on) it's high on the list and really, that model isn't so bad?

The starter croc is a good example of all that's bad about old CB sculpts, though.

 kaapelikala wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
with how cheap Infinity models are

Actually they cost quite a lot per model. If a GW 40k infantry army costs around 300 euros if it was made of Infinity figures, it would cost probably 800-900.

Then again, it's METAL!

And GW is plastic, which is still cheaper per model at GW's prices. Corvus Belli basically charge what it costs to produce plus a little more, so their stuff is as cheap as you'll really get them in metal.

For example, a box of 4 Odalisques is $36au, and a box of 12 Hormagaunts is $41. That difference is due to plastic, and Hormagaunts not being a squad GW is wallet raping people with.

However, when I mean price, I also take into account that you're buying this stuff generally as individual models, and how Infinity works making individual models so goot for how much they cost.

If someone is proxying a Wildcat for a few games, I'll let it slide. Once it's become part of their regular rotation, there's no reason to not go spend $14au on that model. In Australian prices, that means skipping a meal at Macdonalds. If they're proxying, say, a Muyib doctor as part of their redular rotation, I've got no problems, since a Muyib doctor model does not exist.

Not liking an old sculpt like Croc Man is pretty normal in any wargame, and the usual solution of buy a proxy specifically for it, even if you're not converting it, still stands. IIRC, CB even said this was one use for the Spec Ops models. Again, no problems if you buy a proxy specifically for Croc Man, especially if it still looks the part.