Infinity March releases

   
    

This months awesome releases... March is a good month!!!

So once more we have the lovely looking releases from Corvus Belli, for their Infinity range. Excited! Yet again they've chosen to utilise Facebook's significantly more potent servers to release these images on first. Hopefully sparing their own servers the indignity of grinding to a halt yet again. Wise move if you ask me, and I hope it's one they'll stick to. Because there's nothing more frustrating than knowing there are shiny new Infinity miniatures out there, and no way to see them because their servers have melted under the weight of expectation.  So I'll be taking you through the releases as best I can I guess, oh yes, and I'll be linking to the Infinity Wiki throughout this article to the skills so that new comers to the game aren't left scratching their heads about what I'm talking about. The Infinity Wiki by the way is an awesome resource. So shall we get on with it?

Hafza Spitfire

So what do I think of the look of the miniature? Well you can't accuse it of being a static Haqqislam catalogue model pose sculpt, that's for sure! Do I like it though? Nope, he looks awkward and I'm not so sure the sense of movement is quite right. But lets be clear here, compared to most miniature ranges he's bloody brilliant. No it's just that when you compare it to the Infinity range as a whole it's at best average, and more than likely slightly below average. So I guess it's not that bad at all given how good the range is! So how does our cheeky chappy perform on the table? Well I quite like the Hafza's in general. They actually fulfil my specified role as a 'useful Lieutenant'. I believe you see, that the free Lieutenants order you get in Infinity is a useful little resource you should try to use every turn. So you'll need a pretty good lieutenant to use it. But, not one that is so good you'll need to chuck them forward to make your battle plan work, you don't want to unnecessarily run the risk of being in loss of Lieutenant. The Hafza is perfect for this. So I guess given I like Spitfires, I'm really pleased to see the Spitfire variant released. They've got a pretty good statline with a good solid standard MOV 4-4 and a decent BS 12, which means you're going to be able to make best use of that Spitfire. They also come with the pretty nifty skill of Holoprojector L1, which allows you to deploy another miniature of similar size on the board instead of the actual miniature. Nifty for hiding the identity of your Lieutenant, it's a skill I really like. You can pretend to be something really nasty or something more innocuous. It's good fun to play around with. All in all it's not a bad option and it might surprise your opponent when you finally reveal what it is, and open up with that Spitfire. For 23 C and 1 SWC for both variants I think it's a highly viable option, oh yeah and in a Qapu Khalqi force the Hafza's are Linkable, and given the cost of some of the options I say they're viable as a good solid link team.

Gwailos Spitfire

I quite like the look of the Gwailos, in fact I just like the Shasvastii full stop. They look pretty darn cool, and you can't beat a good looking alien. Let's be honest we're all into sci-fi for the aliens... and OK the babes too... but mainly the aliens... or alien babes maybe! Any way moving out of that dark corner of my warped little mind what do I think of him as a miniature? I love him, I really do. I love the way he appears to be skulking forward at pace, it looks like he's about to use his ARO to dodge out the way. Plus as always he has utterly awesome looking armour. Damn it I am not doing a Combined Army faction!!! I'm not, I won't be tempted... hello Ms Speculo Killer... no don't tempt me! But what's he like on the board? Firstly he has a great BS 13 and a pretty respectable CC 15, which isn't at all bad for a none close combat specialist. His PIH 12 and WIP 13 aren't too bad either, but it's not really why you'd buy them. Their MOV 4-2 marks them out as being slow, as slow as some HI options, but their ARM 2 and BTS 0 means they're anything but HI. At only 1 wound with a lack of stickability from ARM and BTS I've always struggled to see the point of the Gwailos. Even the special skill Nanoscreen doesn't really do it for me, sure it sounds good in the rules, but in practice I'm not so sure it's as useful as people think it is when it's actually on the table. Having in effect a moveable piece of scenery on the table should be awesome, but it's not. I suppose I should mention that Gwailos are Linkable in a Shasvastii force but given their expense you'll need to carefully weigh up whether it's worth it... for me it's not. At 31 C and 1.5 SWC I can't honestly say it's not something I'd seriously look at and consider.

Sun Tze v.2

I'm not actually a massive fan of the other Sun Tze sculpt. It's not a bad miniature as such, it's just not as damn sexy as this sniper toting bad ass. Seriously is this just not the coolest looking thing EVER?!?! OK so he might not be to everyone's taste, but I think he utterly rocks. I have no idea what his spikey backpack is for, but more miniatures should have spikey backpacks... and OK I want one too. I also love his facial features and expression, and his armour, and his overcoat and... you get the point! Also is that the longest sniper rifle ever made? I think it might just be you know! So is he worth taking in either a standard Yu Jing force or the Imperial Service sectorial list? Is the Pope a Catholic? If you're struggling with that last question then the answer is yes... oh and whatever education system processed your young mind failed you. Sorry, but it did. Any way, he's a damn fine solid option. He's MI with MOV 4-4, which you know is nice, his CC 15 is also not bad for someone you probably don't expect to see in a fist fight. His ARM 2 and W 1 do cause a slight worry I guess given his price, BUT his skills more than make up for it. Firstly I have to say his BS 13 coupled with that Multi Sniper Rifle is utterly sweet. But, to then go and give him an X-2 Visor just seems like a level of overkill not required, but hey I'm not complaining! So popping heads at long range is quite frankly nothing to old Sun Tze v.2. But his skills don't stop there, oh no, he also gets Total Immunity, Valor L3 (or No Wound Incapacitation) and of course the piéce de résistance Strategos L3. So what's not to love? He takes a wound and he's still good to go, he's also immune to the effects of ALL special ammunition! Sun Tze v.2 totally rules, but it gets better because he also Strategos L3 means that if Sun Tze v.2 is your forces Lieutenant anyone can use that Lieutenants special order. Awesome! You can reserve two miniatures to deploy after your opponent has set up AND you can prevent your opponent deploying a miniature after you... sweet!!! For 50 C and 1.5 SWC for both the normal and Lieutenant versions why wouldn't you?

Druze Shock Team

Yeah I'm going to have to admit it, my pants might have got a trifle moister after I first saw these guys... look I never said this was a family friendly Blog, and I've never once tried to claim I'm not a sad nerd... so shut it! I mean come on how fricking cool looking are these guys? They just look like spec-ops-bad-ass-space-ninja-shock-troopers... I need to catch my breath after all that! I love the guy with the D.E.P. and the Hacking Device in particular, he just looks so shifty. But the guy with the CC weapon, or even the guy with the light GL are splendid sculpts too. I just think they look all sorts of ace. So what are they like on the table? Well here's the real bummer for me, these guys are actually Mercenaries. So that's great right? I mean any army can take them, right? Well yes I suppose they can in friendly games, although in terms of sectorial lists they're only legal in the Qapu Khalqi list for Haqqislam. But, it does mean that if you're playing at a tournament they're actually only legal in the Qapu Khalqi list. What an absolute criminal waste of gorgeous sculpts! I also think if you're playing a friendly game you should also agree before hand the use of Mecenaries, as they can radically alter a forces 'normal' behaviour and characteristics on the board, effectively plugging weakneses. So what are they like on that board? Well in a Qapu Khalqi force they're Linkable, which is a really nice option. Their MOV of 4-2 is actually a little slow for my tastes, but workable given they have an ARM 3. Their WIP 13 isn't bad so the Hacker with Hacking Device option at 33 C and 0.5 SWC is at least a viable option if not necessarily the best available to most forces, but for the cost it isn't too bad for a serviceable Hacker. Also their CC 14 and BS 12 are also pretty handy. The bog standard option with Combi-Rifle, DEP is 21 C and 0 SWC. The option with Light Grenade Launcher sets you back 28 C and 1.5 SWC, and it's really the 1.5 SWC that you'll need to weigh up really against other force priorities, but it seems a fair price to me. I just wouldn't make any of them your Lieutenant for 21 C and 2 SWC I have to be honest it seems a pricey Lieutenant option on the old SWC for me. So I guess this month Qapu Khalqi players are feeling pretty smug, what with the Extra Hafza option this month too. Sure they don't have the Spitfire Druze option yet, but judging on past performance Corvus Belli will drop it next month.

EDIT: As somebody helpfully pointed out, I completely forgot to mention that the Druze also have X Visor, which admittedly isn't quite as good as the X-2 visor Sun Tze v.2 gets, but is nevertheless really quite nice.

Merovingienne Starter Set

So a friend of mine sent me an email with a link to Angel Giraldez's website, and this single line 'about sodding time too!' And you know what? She's right, it is about sodding time! OK so we've seen the 3 Métro's, the Para-Commando with HMG before, and of course last months Zouave... and they're all sexy looking mini's. But I believe the Moblot with Rifle and Light Shotgun is new, and I think it's the weakest looking sculpt in the box! The way they're holding the gun looks awkward, it just looks far too big for them, and their lower legs look ready to snap they're that thin. I get the impression this Moblot might in fact be female, but that's no excuse for the weedy looking legs! So is it worth getting this starter box? In short not for this Moblot miniature it's not! The other options you can happily get in blister packs so lets not worry about those options shall we? No I'll focus in on whether this Moblot is worth taking in the game. The first thing I'll say is that 28 C for a BS 13 option would certainly get my attention. As would the fact the fact that it's actually quite a bloody versatile miniature. You see on top of it having Shock Immunity and Jungle Terrain, they also get to take various other skills depending on the points you're willing to pay. So for 31 C and 0 SWC you could have Multispectral Visor L1 variant, which would be handy in an Ariadna force. Or perhaps you don't mind spending 1 C more to get either a Moblot Paramedic with Medikit or one with CH: Mimetism, the choice is yours. For 36 C though you can grab yourself a Moblot with Infiltration , which means you can be closer to your opponent from the start of the game. Sweet! You can also make the Moblot your Lieutenant for no extra cost over the bog standard option. I suppose I should also mention that their PIH 13 and ARM 3 for their cost is also really quite good. As is their MOV 4-4 for a HI option. Yeah, and in a Merovingienne force they Linkable... so I'm sorry... but it's an option definitely worth having if you're an Ariadna player. Shame I don't like the miniature.

EDIT: Martin over at the Blog Fire Broadside has noticed that this 'new' Moblot is actually just an arm swap for this Moblot with Panzerfaust. It wasn't a great sculpt in the first place! Not very impressed truth be told!

So in conclusion it hasn't been a bad month for Infinity stuff all round if you ask me! The Hafza isn't too bad, and he's actually a pretty good option on the table if you ask me. The Gwailo might not be my favourite option on the board, but he's a kick ass miniature and I do know a fair few people who can make them work, and spitfires always kick ass. Sun Tze v.2 is just such a brilliant option and a super kick-ass miniature that ALL Yu Jing players must purchase this miniature, it's the law! The only surprise for me is that he wasn't my favourite release this month. Nope that particular accolade goes to the super sexy looking Druze Shock Team... totally getting these bad boys just to paint if nothing else! Just a little sad you can't really use them in as many games as I'd like. The Merovingienne starter set wasn't the best thing in the world in terms of new stuff, but hey it's a nice option for people to pick up I guess. But that Moblot sculpt is very disappointing in my opinion, in fact I don't really like any of the Moblot's at all. So maybe it's just my own personal taste? Any way that's your lot for this months release's. Peace out!