So back at Gen Con I picked up Operation Icestorm, which is a two player starter for the game Infinity which is made by Corvus Belli. At Adepticon I was able to get a basic demo, basically playing out the first scenario in that starter and I have to say I really like the game and can see why so many Warhammer players have jumped to it. In this post I am going to show you a little bit of what I have been working on with the models and I am going to let you know what my top 3 things where that I really liked about the game. Expect this series of blog posts continue as I try out the game more and learn more about the game and what makes this game both fun and still complex for the veteran players.

So I started by painting up the new Infinity PanOceania models, which are all metal. They are a little fiddly I think to put together. They are not heroic scale, but a true 28mm scale which makes some of the joints really small. Coupled with filing mold lines is a bit of a pain too. I do really like painting metal models and I feel like paint always goes on metal models better which is a plus in my book. So far, I have 2 of the fusilier models painted up and close to having my third. It’s a small model count game, so it’s really nice to be able to take my time on each figure, work on the detail and highlighting, and feel like I have a really good accomplishment done when each model is completed.



So a big plus with the game is it’s low model count, I mentioned that above, but the tournament scene is doing about 300 point games. This seems to be the “standard” point size for this game to be played at. That means you end up with around 10ish models on the table, plus or minus. That also doesn’t mean too much money in all respects. A starter box for a faction is 5ish models for $50 US usually. These starter sets are a really, really good starting point for a new player as it will give you a great set of models to start the game with and learn the rules. It’s also a good price point honestly to get into a new miniatures game.

If you are worried you will have to pick up the rules, don’t. They are free online. You can find them for download on the Infinity the Game Website. The main rulebook is arranged so that the beginning section works really well at teaching you the basics of the game so that you can use some basic troops to get the fundamental mechanics down. Another big plus, since the rule book is huge for such a small model count game.

The core mechanic is pretty cool, using d20’s, you roll a check and (other then armor rolls) have to roll equal to or under your ability you are checking against to determine success. You also have opposed rolls, where both you and your opponent rolls and dependant on who has the best successes, again rolling equal to or under, determines the outcome of an opposed roll. This means you tend to be constantly engaged in the game, having to roll checks. Couple that with what is called an ARO or Automatic Reaction Order which allows your models on your players turn do things like return fire when they see an enemy move into view. Being engaged constantly means you are making a lot of decisions, even when it’s not your turn to active your models. Your actions may be limited when it’s not your turn or not as good as when you activate your own models, but it makes for a fast paced firefight. Perfect for the sci fi universe it is trying to recreate.

Another plus for me is that this game encourages bright colors and painting very stark highlights, something I have missed when painting my WW2 28mm models for Bolt Action (which is about all I have painted lately). It’s nice to use other colors and to really focus on each model. Since it is a low model count, each model really can get as much of my time as I want to invest. It’s not like starting a 200 model skaven army and painting roughly the same clan rat for the 20th time!!!

Overall, I am pretty excited for this game and playing and doing a little more with it. I don’t know if this is the faction for me to play, but it’s going to be my first.