Which Infinity Army is for You? Part 1: PanOceania
Welcome to the first in my updated for N4 series, aimed at helping new players pick the army that is right for them. My previous articles in N3 turned out to be quite popular so I thought it was time to take the idea and expand upon it further to give new players the most information possible when starting a new army.
To kick off the series, I’m starting with PanOceania. This is a fantastic army overall for beginners, they rely on shooting their opponent off the table, and have a huge arsenal to pick from when you’re choosing just how you want to blast opponents away. For a long time this was the go-to army for beginners, and while their tactics may seem simplistic at first, they can really get into some interesting nuance thanks to their sectorials.
Rating System
Instead of comparing one army to another, I’m going to rate armies based on how good of a match they are for new players interested in that particular category. For example, just about any army can make a hacking heavy list, but it may take more effort for some than others. An army which effortlessly competes in hacking would be given a 5, armies take considerable effort (if at all possible) would be a 1 or 2, while armies which could be tailored either way would be a 3.
Army Metrics
Firepower. This is probably the easiest to understand, which is why it comes first! This is the sheer ability for this army to win ranged firefights. While it is a good metric for offensive power, it doesn’t mean they’re going to punch everyone off the table every time.
Resilience. Like firepower, this is a fairly straight forward metric which expresses how much punishment an army could take. If a typical list for this army has access to a lot of high armor or multi-wound troops, they’ll have a higher Resilience score.
Control. Tempo is incredibly important in Infinity, the ability to control the ebb and flow of the game, which engagements happen and so on. Armies with high control tend to have better access to infiltration, camouflage, and other deployment skills, as well as troops which can rapidly change position on the table.
E War. A huge draw of Infinity is Hacking, E War represents any particular army’s ability to compete in the hacking arena. Do they have enough to get by, or can they build out a punishing hacking network to shut down the enemy?
Accessibility. This represents the difficulty for new players to pick up the army, learn the basics, and play effectively on the table. Some armies are easy to figure out at the beginning, while others have a lot of unique rules or require more advanced techniques to win.
X-Factor. Every army has a little something special about them, and if you’re debating between two armies, this could be the deciding factor.
What’s missing? If you’re coming from other game systems, you might expect to see how good an army is in close combat. Infinity is not most games, this is a game where bullets are lethal, and you don’t want to bring a knife to a gun fight. Some armies however are exceptionally good in combat, which will be called out when discussing that particular army.
PanOceania
Usually referred to as Vanilla PanO, it’s a bit of a misnomer because instead of being the plain version, it’s the flavor with the most variety, a better name might be Neapolitan or a Flight. Any “vanilla” army refers to the parent faction of the smaller sectorials. Instead of focusing on one sub-set of troops (like Military Orders), vanilla armies offer the opportunity to take a bit of anything. The price you pay for this variety is the inability to form Fire Team (effectively a squad which operates together and receives some bonuses). There are endless debates on which is better, which probably means neither is, and it will really come down to personal preference. Do you like having a massive toolbox to pick from, or a more focused selection.
All The Guns. As a new player, it is easy to find PanOceania quite accessible as they are one of the most effective firepower armies in the game. They have access to a huge variety of weapon platforms, and weapons themselves. PanO has effective lightly armored gun fighters, and the largest selection of TAGs in the game, and everything in between. As a new player, if you want to have a high tech human army, with power armor, big stompy mechs, and all the big guns, then this is the right place for you. If you start off playing a vanilla force, you’ll have access to all the tools in the army, picking and choosing from the entirety of PanOceania in order to find best for the situation.
Military Orders
Space Knights! This is first and foremost an army of heavily armed and armored space knights. Military Orders presents an elite force (read: small model count) of very effective fighters, and one of the few armies that can effectively use Close Combat as a means to accomplish their goals. They lack much in the way of board control, but they’re an incredibly tough army to chew through and look stunning on the table.
Varuna Immediate Reaction Division
Hard Defense. When most people face off against PanOceania, they don’t often think of an army which is able to exert pressure controlling the table… well that is unless it’s VIRD, thanks to the Kamau sniper in a link of Fusiliers. That’s not where it stops though, Helot Militia and Zulu-Cobra also work together in the army to give a sizable camouflage presence that can slow the opponent to a crawl as they attempt to move up the table and accomplish missions.
Svalarheima’s Winter Force
Direct Action. Sometimes you just need a bigger stick. SWF is the PanOceania faction which is supported by the Code One products, making it a common entry point for new players. The miniatures are beautiful, and they’re backed up by the most heavily armored TAG in the game. They have a great variety of troops which are able to hammer the opponent with devastating weapons (I’m looking at you Karhu Feuerbach), and can build a support of heavily armored knights to back them up. As a new player, these tactics are fairly easy to start with, though their lack of board control will be something that you’ll have to learn to manage.
Legacy Armies
As the story of Infinity progresses through time, some armies fall to the wayside. They’re still supported by the game, and certainly competitive on the table, but many of the important miniatures may be out of production and difficult to source. If you’re able to get your hands on them, or unafraid of heavily converting pewter miniatures, then they’re definitely worth considering.
Shock Army of Acontecimento
Jungle Fighters. Fitting for an army at home in the jungle, SAA has a fair amount of mimetism, and terrain skills, turning them into a bit of a stealthy combat force, able to put pressure on a lot of the table. Many of their troops (like the Regulars) have unique combinations of gear which allows them to operate more independently, performing multiple roles at once, and they have access to a variety of Aleph troops to give some options not found elsewhere in PanOceania.
Neoterran Capitaline Army
Pride of PanOceania. The army of the PanOceania capital, NCA is the most technologically advanced and straight forward PanOceania sectorial. Instead of having troops with special training to secure areas, they lock down strategic points through weight of firepower and superior equipped troops.
Late Night Wargames
If you’re looking for some more discussion on PanOceania, be sure to check out our episode of Late Night Wargames where Jon and I host, joined by Barakiel, one of the most accomplished PanOceania players in the world. He gives his thoughts and insights on how PanOceania has changed, and will perform, in the new edition of Infinity.