Infinity N3

Like most gamers, I rotate between a number of different games. Part of the reason for that is the desire to keep things fresh, and part of that is the lure of sexy new models. I've gone on record of saying that I'll try any miniatures game once, and as a result I've tried a number of different games over the years. Some - like Warmachine and Malifaux - have proven to be games that are worth sticking with and devoting lots of time and energy to. Others have been fun, but not necessarily worth a lot of repeat attention.

One game that straddled the line for me was Infinity, the sci-fi skirmish game from Corbus Belli. Infinity is a game that has grown in popularity over the past several years, and it is generally well regarded by those who play it a lot. A few players in our group became interested in it, so I played a few games to see how I liked it.

Join me after the break for my thoughts about the previous edition of Infinity, and how that compares to my experiences with N3.

My initial experiences with the second edition of Infinity were...not really positive. There was a lot to like about the game: the ARO mechanic keeps both players interacting in an interesting way, the Orders system is a neat resource system, and the game overall does a good job of evoking the feeling of small squads of well equipped soliders duking it out.

However for each positive thing about the game, there was a negative: the ARO system is interesting, but also incredibly frustrating when your models die to random criticals. The Orders resource system is likewise interesting but it also can result in some really one sided games (where one powerful models uses all the available orders to rocket through the opposing squad). And for all the endorsements I'd heard of how balanced the game was, there were plenty of unbalanced/very unpleasant tactics that weren't fun to run into.

There was also another factor that drove me a little nuts: the rulebook. While awesomely free (seriously, more companies need to get behind free core rule distribution) it was also poorly organized. Normally that's a minor irritation, but due to the way Infinity works - all of the special rules are in the rulebook, so learning what your models do requires referencing the rulebook often - it was a big pain in the ass. Add that onto the other things I didn't enjoy about the game, and I ended up not being very impressed with Infinity.

Recently, Corbus Belli has rolled out a new edition of Infinity (dubbed "N3"). That of course reignited the interest of those in our group who bought into it previously, and I decided it'd be a fair time to give the game another chance. Overall, I enjoyed playing this edition of Infinity a lot more than the previous one.

Some things haven't changed: criticals still make every interaction extremely dangerous (every attack essentially has a 5% chance to automatically cause damage, no saves allowed), and the order system still allows for some nasty snowball scenarios/one sided match ups. Those are core components of Infinity, and they apparently weren't going anywhere.

What I've changed this time is how I approach the game, and my expectations. Now that I understand how dangerous the game can be, I'm better mentally equipped to deal with those damn crits. Likewise, the Order system was frustrating when I tried to run my squad like, well, a squad, but now that I better understand how it's supposed to work (spend your Orders on the most important models, which often means "best and strongest") I can more closely align my expectations with how the game is actually going to play. That has helped make my first few games of N3 more pleasant than my previous Infinity experience.

The N3 edition change did make some updates to the game rules, and many of them a significant improvements. Weapons were rebalanced to make many weapons more compelling, and some previous "best" weapons not as obviously powerful. Abilities that were especially potent (most notably, Camo/TO Camo and Surprise Attacks, and Forward Observer along with Guided Missile Launchers) were rebalanced to be less obnoxious, and several abilities were rewritten to be easier to understand and apply. Hacking was revised to be a full-on system of it's own (though still closely related to the basic mechanics of the game) with a lot of variety and applicability. And scenarios were added to the core of the game, which should help alleviate some of the issues I had with how the game played out without them.

Most importantly, the rulebook was re-written and revised to dramatically improve readability and ease of understanding. The book is now organized fairly intuitively, with a robust index and an appendix that re-prints a lot of common information you'll want to reference, so it's easily available. Diagrams and examples abound, which is absolutely crucial in any miniatures game, but it is even more beneficial in a game like Infinity (which is chock full of odd interactions and corner cases) so it's extremely appreciated.

Overall, I'm very excited to play more of Infinity under the N3 rules. The rules are the best they've ever been, my mindset for the game is as friendly as it's going to be, and the models have improved dramatically over the past couple of years. I made a deal with a buddy to split the Operation: Icestorm starter (which is a fantastic deal for all the stuff that comes in it,) and I've picked up some more Nomad models to supplement that so hopefully I'll have a starter force up and running soon (though my queue is a little...packed at the moment.)

If and when we play more Infinity, I'll be back to share my thoughts, impressions, and maybe a quick battle report (I think Infinity will be pretty easy to write up, which is a plus). If anyone has any experiences with N3 I'd love to hear about them in the comments. 

As always, thanks very much for reading!