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Like many people, 40k is starting to get a bit stale for me now, the setting is still amazing and the models are better than ever but the rules are just all over the place.

Infinity has always been on my radar but i don't know anything about it really.

Would someone be able to sum up the setting, armies, rules, list building process and what a game is like for me? I know this is a lot to ask but I'm interested and want to find out more and i'd be grateful to anyone who could help.

Thanks

Buy Operation Icestorm. Play some games - it's incredibly accessible. If you like it choose the faction and models you like and base a list around them. There's no real power lists, anything works. The game gets pretty complicated pretty quickly once you get out of the basic rules so be prepared to put some effort in getting to know all of the rules for your models. Best things about this game for me are AROs [a bit like overwatch] which means you are always involved in the game. No more making a cup of tea while your opponent moves. Also the D20s and crit mechanic introduce just enough element of randomness into the game so nothing is ever a foregone conclusion. Finally watch some batreps by this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz1JWZ6eag0 If you're on the fence just do it. This game is lightyears ahead of 40k.

Also, download the rules ( free) and the army profile lists ( also free) and perhaps the ITS scenarios (free again) all here: http://infinitythegame.com/archive.php And get the Quick starter Rules, or buy Operation Icestorm if you like either of the factions in the box.

Best way to pick a faction is by looks. Pick the one with the best looking miniatures in your opinion. Here they are http://infinitythegame.com/catalogue/index.html just click on any of the faction logos and have a look. Finally, the list building thing. Use the Official Army builder here http://www.infinitythegame.com/army/ List building is not as big a deal in Infinity as it is in most other games.

There's an evolving trend in Infinity where previously the slogan was "It's not your list; it's YOU" has changed to "You can't compensate with a good list".
List building is a thing, but it's a different beast from Warmahordes or Warhammer 40k. It's much more similar to Malifaux where you make your list knowing a few things:
* Your opponent's faction or subfaction
* the mission
* and preferably the board layout

Initially this won't be as much a concern as learning the rules, though. Seriously, it takes a few games if you're coming from a single other game system and if that game system is WH40K, then you are handicapped if compared to a completely new wargamer.

Initially concern yourself with creating a cool crew within the point limit that your friends have decided on and play a few games. Always go back and discuss what felt wrong, good or too good. Check the rules, check here, check the official forums - odds are you're going to play cover wrong or make the mistake of thinking total reaction HMGs are the best thing since sliced bread (and sliced bread is the best thing ever if you're Swedish).

Then when you're confident, start varying things. You only need 10 models to play, but maybe 30 to select from to make a strike force and possibly 60 to keep your friends on their toes

But don't make the mistake of thinking ITS is the way to play!

You missed something -play style.

A big reason net listing isn't a thing is that play style determines what units will work for you.

Units are all standardised with cost coming from a formula based in stats, equipment and abilities. Points costs are thus very balanced across the board, regardless of unit.

When you look at a unit, you need to decide if the units stats, weapons and abilities work for what you want to do and how you would personally use the unit.

This is why you often see people using units you and many others consider 'bad'. They suit their playstyle.

When i said army lists i meant what's their make up like?

For example in 40k we'd say start with 2 troops and an HQ, and then you'd probably expand that with some anti tank of some kind.

How many guys are in an average army (do they call them armies?)? how many points in beginner and average lists? etc?

Looking at the armies they all look amazing. The Yu Jing seem great with their secret police, snatch you in the night vibe while Ariadne seem cool cause they win by just being awesome as opposed to relying on tech. Haqqislam seem to sit in some middle ground which is nice also.

Can anyone tell me more about these 3 and help me make a choice?

thanks

Army list, you need a Lt. And if you want a REM you need a Hacker or TAG in your list. Done.

Standard game is 300pts 6SWC, but 200pts 4SWC and 400pts 8SWC are played and ITS supported. 200pts is toys vs. orders and 400pts is everything-and-the
-kitchensank.

The amount of units in a list are based on your playstyle. Saying that in a 300pts list 9-16 unit is normal, in ITS people like to pad out their list with specialist units, so I'd one goes down they have a back up plan.

Note: Forget 40k it will only make learning and playing Infinity harder.

P.S. forgot to tell you can only take up to the AVA of a unit, so if AVA 2 you can have 2 max of the unit no matter the load out, AVA Total you can take as many as you want.

I've just started Infinity. Army lists take some getting used too. Totally different. Thankfully the online tool helps you build a list and even tells you if it's legal or not.

I picked Haqqislam purely for the aesthetic. The two sniper models are brilliant. So I picked up a sniper and the starter set. Some models can also be 'upgraded' as a specialist for an extra few points. Like the Haqqislam standard infinity that can be upgraded to doctors.

And yes, don't try to compare to the 40k. I'd say it's closer to videogames - like XCOM and Counter-Strike. All units have a chance of causing chaos with the right planning and a twist of luck.

I'd recommend you go with aesthetics and start with that army's starter set + 1 extra model you think looks neat.

I've played a lot of 40k, and just recently got into infinity during N3 rules.

each army has a main force (called vanilla) and sectorial forces

The main force essentially has all the options for the entire army, but some of them are limited in how many you can take. This is the 'AVA' stat.

The sectoral forces are branches of the army that exist within the vanilla force, but are specialized around certain sets of models that represent a faction/area/subgroup of the maingroup. They are limited to only models from that sectoral. Often the models with limited AVA have a higher AVA for their particular sectoral, so you can field more of those models in a sectoral if you desire than a vanilla army.

Additionally sectorals can form certain troops into "fire teams" which can all act at the same time as well as receiving bonuses, but must do the same order to or they break their link and cease to be a fireteam until you reform it.

Currently there are models in the Vanilla lists that do not exist in any of the sectoral lists, so a good way to think of sectorals in 40k terms is the Vanilla list are an army that can include all types of space marines from every codex but in limited quantities, and a sectoral army would be just models from the blood angels codex but being able to field more of the models of certain types and having some bonuses.

one of the other thing thats neat about infinity, that I have seen so far, are there are no bad units. In 40k there are plenty of units that perform a role they are bad at for the points, and you can get some other unit for less points which is just much better in most or every way. Infinity doesn't really have this with the way the points are setup.

Essentially you decide an army using the following:
You pick a faction
You decide if its the main faction or a sectoral part of that faction
You have a set amount of pts.
for every 50pts you can build a force with you get 2 SWC
You must have a Lt. Model
Then you select models, models cost a different amount based on their stats/etc. So you could have an army of lots of basic infantry, or a few heavy infantry specialists, or somewhere between.

if you are playing the tournament format, ITS, you want to have specialists like Hackers, engineers, doctors, and Forward observers. Almost every faction has access to all of these. You don't need to take all of them, but it is a good idea to take at least one of each.

regarding SWC, or special weapon costs. Special weapons increase the models cost linearly, but SWC can vary for the same special weapon depending on what model has it. For example, a basic infantry model with few special rules and a Lower BS may pay less SWC for a sniper rifle than a special infantry with special rules and better stats, however the pts cost is the same between the two.

This leaves you in a situation where you can decided to have a lot of special weapons on models that cannot use them as well, or a few special weapons on models that can use them very well. That said all the weapons are deadly in infinity. Especially with the possibility for crits.

I would recommend reading the free quick start rules, then looking at the army creator, then reading through the special abilities of the main rules to get to know the game some.

Also unlike 40k, as others have stated, you can just pick models which you think look cool and they will be good if you use them within the range bands they are good at. The only time units/models are bad in this game is when you use them in bad conditions, ie the model has -3 to hit at the range you are firing, your picking to fire at a model in cover that has an ability that gives you another -3 so you have -9 to hit. Same model in its range band against same target has +3 to hit from its gun, -3 from the models cover, and -3 for the models special ability, for a total of -3. The difference between the two is one hits 10% of the time at BS 11 for example, whereas the other one hits 40% of the time. The game is about paying attention to modifiers and movement more than most anything else.

blaktoof wrote:
Currently there are models in the Vanilla lists that do not exist in any of the sectoral lists

Not for long. One of the goals of Acheron Falls, the book after Human Sphere that will introduce a bunch of new sectorials, is that every models will be in a sectorial.

As an example, Haqqislam has several sectorial-less units, for example Kum, Halqa, Kasym Beg and the Twins, Saladin, Tarik Mansuri, Khawarijs, the Maghariba Guard, and more. These will all be divvied up between the new sectorials, the Gabqar Khanate (rough bikers like the Kum and other fast units) and the Al Medinat (bio-medically designed super soldiers and higher-tech offerings like the Maghariba Guard).

This will be the same of other armies.