Let us deal with the reputation first, because it is the only thing standing between most people and this game.
You have heard that Infinity is complicated. That the rulebook is enormous, that the community is intense, that you need a spreadsheet to build a list. Some of that used to be fairly earned. Almost none of it is a reason to skip the game in 2026, because Corvus Belli long ago worked out that their biggest problem was the first hour and built products specifically to fix it.
So here is the honest pitch.
What Makes Infinity Different
One idea, and it is the best idea in skirmish gaming: you are never just watching.
In most miniatures games, your opponent's turn is downtime. You move models, they move models, you take turns being bored. Infinity does not work like that. When an enemy model does something in your line of sight, you get to respond, right then, in their turn. Shoot back. Dodge. Do something clever.
The consequence is that Infinity is played by both people at all times. There is no phone-checking. A two-hour game of Infinity is two hours of engagement, which is a completely different experience from two hours of alternating activations.
That single mechanic is why people who love this game are so annoying about it, and it is why the rules are more involved than average. The complexity is buying something real.
The Second Thing: Information Is a Weapon
Infinity has hidden information baked in. Units can be deployed concealed, some models are not what their profile suggests, and a huge amount of the game is about what your opponent does not know yet.
Combined with the reaction system, this turns the board into a genuine tactical problem. Walking around a corner is a decision with consequences. Line of sight is something you manage rather than something that happens to you.
If that sounds exhausting, this may not be your game. If it sounds like the thing you have been missing, welcome.
The Models
Worth its own section. Corvus Belli's sculpts are, by a wide margin, the most detailed miniatures we stock. Near-future sci-fi with a heavy anime and cyberpunk influence, dynamic posing, and a level of fine detail that makes them a genuine pleasure and a genuine challenge to paint.
You will need a small number of them. A force is roughly ten to fifteen models. That is a collection you can realistically finish painting, which is not something you can say about most wargames.
Picking a Faction
Infinity's factions are nation-states and power blocs rather than good and evil, and every one of them believes it is the reasonable party. Here is what we currently stock in depth.
- Nomads - motherships full of hackers, outcasts and people the rest of humanity finds inconvenient. Technically brilliant, morally flexible, and the faction with the strongest personality. Excellent starting point: they have a bit of everything and reward creative play.
- ALEPH - the AI that runs human civilisation, fielding troops built from Greek myth. Elite, expensive, few models, each one very good. If you like quality over quantity, this is it.
- Combined Army - the alien invasion, and the deepest range we have in stock. Genuinely other, visually and mechanically, with the widest variety of body plans on the table.
- Haqqislam - a technologically advanced society built on medicine and knowledge, with elite desert-warfare specialists. Flexible, resilient, and a strong pick for players who like adapting mid-game.
- PanOceania - the biggest superpower, heavy armour and superior firepower. The most conventionally "military" starting point.
- Yu Jing - the other superpower, disciplined and versatile.
- Non-Aligned Armies and Mercenaries - for players who want something nobody else at the table is running.
Corvus Belli's full range covers more factions than the list above. These are the ones we have real stock in right now, so they are the ones we will honestly recommend starting with.
Where to Actually Begin
This is the section that matters, and it is shorter than you expect.
Buy Essentials - START HERE - Aleph / Nomads.
That is it. The name is not subtle, and neither are we. It is built specifically to solve the problem this article is about: two forces, a stripped-back rules path, and the two factions that best demonstrate what Infinity does differently. You get an opponent's army in the same purchase, which is the single biggest obstacle for anyone starting a new game.
Then expand into whichever half you preferred:
- Essentials - Nomads Army Pack or the Nomads Booster Pack Alpha
- Essentials - ALEPH Army Pack
- Essentials - Combined Army Booster Pack Alpha if the aliens caught your eye instead
When you want more game rather than more models, the Operation Mazebreaker Battle Pack and Beyond Operation Mazebreaker add scenarios and structure, and the Next Wave Action Pack is a solid way to broaden a force in one purchase.
Three Pieces of Honest Advice
1. Do not read the whole rulebook first. This is the mistake that kills most Infinity attempts before game one. The Essentials products exist precisely so you can learn by playing. Play the introductory missions, add rules as you need them, and let the big book be a reference rather than a homework assignment.
2. Terrain matters more here than in any other game we sell. Infinity is about line of sight, and a flat table turns a brilliant tactical game into a shooting gallery where whoever goes first wins. You do not need anything fancy. Boxes work. But an empty board will genuinely give you the wrong impression of the game.
3. Expect to lose the first several games, and expect to enjoy it anyway. Infinity is the most demanding game on our shelves. The upside is that improving at it feels like actually getting better at something, rather than just owning more models.
Our full Infinity range is here when you are ready. And if you have been circling this game for a year because it looked like too much work, this is your sign. Buy the box that says START HERE. They put that on the label for people exactly like you.
