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I'm interested in starting infinity, but all the factions look kind of the same. Can someone with some experience in the game give me some recommendations?
After reading the fluff on the infinity page, I think I like the high-tech sound of Aleph, but I don't know anything about their play style.

I love the idea of combat hackers (what do they actually do?). I really want to paint a few models with those transparent GUIs.
I'm a fan of Snipers as well.

I really like the Werewolf w/ Guns idea, but I want hackers, so Ariadna may not be best for me.

My Play Style: I'm looking to branch out. Right now, I'm firmly in the "Blue Magic" zone, and I'm a strong "support" style player. I play Menoth in Warmachine, and Healers in MMOs. I like the idea of support actions that empower others. But, I wouldn't mind trying out shootyness.

Is there a Starter Set that will satisfy me? Can you recommend an add-on set that will get me hacking/ sniping?

As well, would this game be playable on the Streets of MaliFaux set? I was eyeing that for my Warmachine games.
http://wyrd-games.net/shop/STREETS-OF-MALIFAUX.html

All faction can do any play style, some are just better then other at things. Even Ariadna can hack, with mercs anyways, but why hack when you have the best anti-TAG gun in the game. Aleph lack cheap troop, and limited heavy weapons like HMGs, but can feild the most high-tech equipment in the game. Most armys will have a hard time feilding a lot of ODD, not Aleph. Aleph could feild a whole amry of ODD, not a great idea as a MSV will destory them. Thats the thing about Infinity there are counters the every list, so spaming is NOT A GOOD IDEA.

As for healing armys, I think Nomads and Haqqislam are in the head here. Nomads with there AD Doctor, and Haqqislam with there endless choice of Doctors and nice WIP are simply the best.

In the end, pick the model you like best. Every army can shoot, in fact CC is tough to get into. Plus shooting is less of a Order drain.

Final, yes you can use Streets of MaliFaux, you just need lots of LoS blocking items.

As Noir says, most factions can do most playstyles.

Hackers can immobilise robots (Remotes in Infinity terms), powered armour heavy infantry (i.e. all HI units other than Ariadna ones) and immobilise or even possess TAGs. Depending on the scenario or house rules for terrain they may also be able to do things like locking and unlocking doors remotely.

You can find a run-down of the factions with some mentions of playstyles on my site:
http://wargamingtrader.com/infinity/intro1

My faction was somewhat picked for me here. At first I wanted Yu Jing because I love their choice of heavy infantry and the models are cool (also, ninjas). But two of the people in my group had picked them first and I didn't want to repeat the 'everyone plays space marines' situation we have here with 40k.

So I got into PanOceania, since it'd be fun to play with brazilians on the table for a change. But again, two of my friends had already ordered models. Another one was doing Ariadna.

So I read up on Combined Army and didn't like the models. Read up on Nomads, loved the rules, hated the furries and catgirls. Looked into Haqqislam, loved the models, disliked the rules.

And then ALEPH saved me with its cold, unfeeling robot arm. I liked the high-tech toys, the mix of drone-based high-tech warfare compared to the brutality on Achilles and his greeks, and the models were quite cool in a Ghost in the Shell way. Sure, it lacks heavy machine guns, linked teams some other fun things, and it's a medium-close range army, but almost every unit has a trick to it. Nanopulsers up the wazoo are also fun.

I also strongly suggest you open up 2 pages: their Miniatures page, and their Army Builder page. Just look through the gallery of minis and see what piques your interest. There are also sub-factions or sectorial armies under each main faction if your friends have similar interests. With the exception of Aleph which currently has no sub-faction the other main factions have 2. Pan-O has 3. Can't decide between 2 or 3 factions? How about playing a Mercenary list? I don't think they are legal for tourneys but but you can certainly play them in casual games!

Generally speaking, while each faction has their strengths, you determine the play style not the army.

This is the guy that started the ball rolling for me.

Merc lists AREN'T legal for tourneys (however some sectorial lists DO allow certain merc units within them and THEY are entirely legal).

Tunnel rat, your image link no worky.

Tunnel Rat wrote:I also strongly suggest you open up 2 pages: their Miniatures page, and their Army Builder page. Just look through the gallery of minis and see what piques your interest. There are also sub-factions or sectorial armies under each main faction if your friends have similar interests. With the exception of Aleph which currently has no sub-faction the other main factions have 2. Pan-O has 3. Can't decide between 2 or 3 factions? How about playing a Mercenary list? I don't think they are legal for tourneys but but you can certainly play them in casual games!

Generally speaking, while each faction has their strengths, you determine the play style not the army.

Definitely +1 on this!

Go with the models you like the look of the most. If there is a certain play-style that you enjoy (and that will only become apparent after you play) then the chances are that you will be able to achieve it with whatever faction you choose. As Noir says though, if you want healers probably Haqqislam are the best with their high WIP stat and rather durable troops.

chromedog wrote:Tunnel rat, your image link no worky.

The link is fine. It's your referrer header that's wrong. (i.e anti-hotlinking. Top tip on getting past these: Copy the link to your browser's private mode, which doesn't send referrers.) Anywho, it's this dude.

Personally, I'm just starting and working on the principle of prettiest models, which means I got stuck between Haqqislam and Yu Jing. Current plan is to get some of both (the Yu Jing have already arrived) and use them for test games to see what I prefer (and hopefully recruit some other players in the process). Worst case scenario, mercenary force!

Sp4m wrote:I'm interested in starting infinity, but all the factions look kind of the same. Can someone with some experience in the game give me some recommendations?
After reading the fluff on the infinity page, I think I like the high-tech sound of Aleph, but I don't know anything about their play style.

As with all factions, Aleph's playstyle can differ. However, the one thing they're good at is being resilient. Their units often fall into the "elite" category because they're difficult to kill and many of them employ camouflage of some sort.

Sp4m wrote:I love the idea of combat hackers (what do they actually do?). I really want to paint a few models with those transparent GUIs.
I'm a fan of Snipers as well.

This may be blasphemy to say, but Combat Hackers are similar to Psykers and Wizards of other games. The can disable heavy infantry, disable and control enemy robots and mechs (REMs and TAGs), disable incoming enemy missiles, and resist enemy attempts to do the same to you.

Sp4m wrote:I really like the Werewolf w/ Guns idea, but I want hackers, so Ariadna may not be best for me.

Nomads have Chimeras which are human-animal hybrids. Nomads are also big into hackers.

Sp4m wrote:My Play Style: I'm looking to branch out. Right now, I'm firmly in the "Blue Magic" zone, and I'm a strong "support" style player. I play Menoth in Warmachine, and Healers in MMOs. I like the idea of support actions that empower others. But, I wouldn't mind trying out shootyness.

I'm familiar with MtG's "Blue magic" and FF's "Blue Magic". I assume you mean a force that employs trickery and synergy to win.

Combined Army, the alien force, may be good for that. They have hackers, really strange units, a decent selection of camouflage units, and they even have the most dreaded weapon in the game: the mind-controlling sepsistor.

Haqqislam is also good at support. They have cheap, plentiful, and effective doctors. They have no shortage of Hackers either.

Infinity doesn't focus on the CCG-Combo-Madness like Warmachine. Each model is effectively it's own entity, and 'buffs' are pretty much nonexistent. It's your tactics and gameplay that matter most.
Each faction except for Aleph does have Sectorials that can form "Link Teams". These Link Teams can support one another in essentially a fireteam of sorts by upping the stats of the leader.
PanOceania Knights and Haqqislam Hassassin are rather infamous for these tactics.

Sp4m wrote:Is there a Starter Set that will satisfy me? Can you recommend an add-on set that will get me hacking/ sniping?

Every faction has snipers. It's hard to recommend one faction regarding Snipers alone. I'm rather biased towards the Haqqislam Lasiq Sniper. It's a great sculpt, great stats-wise, and comes in the Hassassin Starter.
However, there is no Starter that comes with hackers.

This isn't a problem though. You can get ANY faction starter that looks good and then a hacker and/or sniper model and put them in your force.

Ariadna have hackers.

Only theirs use broadswords to hack you to bits.

Absolutionis wrote:However, there is no Starter that comes with hackers.

...Aleph does.

chromedog wrote:Ariadna have hackers.

Only theirs use broadswords to hack you to bits.

And portable auto-cannons, it's a handy guys faction xD

It is good that you went ahead and chose Aleph, Sephyr. It was only a matter of time before you came to understand that there IS no other faction to play.

Oh and Ghost in the Shell.

I like some of the aleph models.

There a really powerful fraction though don't have the figure count that the others have atm.

- The Snow Leopard

They don't have the figure count because they are the NEWEST faction (only coming out with the HS book), whereas all of the others have been around since the 1st edition rules (3-4 years at least).