Infinity – Operation: Red Veil review

If you play miniatures games at a local club, it’s more than likely you’ve spotted someone getting to grips with Infinity at some point. After all, the anime-inspired miniatures are absolutely stunning and the options for creating magnificent sci-fi themed gaming boards are endless, making it one of the most eye-catching skirmish games currently doing the rounds.

However, if you then ask about how to play, you’re met with a potentially confusing list of unit options, a plethora of weapon upgrades, dozens of special rules and tokens galore. Newcomer-friendly, it’s not. Operation: Red Veil aims to change all that and get new players hooked on adventures in the Human Sphere.

In a similar vein to Corvus Belli’s previously released Operation: Ice Storm, Red Veil is an introductory set that takes newbs through the core Infinity rules in the most accessible way possible.

In the box you’ll find two starter factions, Haqqislam and the Yu Jing, that can then form the basis for your expanding collection.

Although the miniatures for Infinity are stunning, bear in mind that these are metal figures that require a hefty amount of superglue and a similar amount of patience. In a world where more companies are turning to the pre-assembled plastic option for starter sets, it’s hard not to see Corvus Belli’s metal minis as a beautiful but flawed option for newcomers.

That aside, once you’ve built your minis you’re in for one of the most action-packed skirmish games around, which will see you scaling buildings, using camouflage armour, leaping around the battlefield and taking the enemy down with devastating close-combat weaponry.

The beauty of Red Veil is that you’re introduced to all this through a series of increasingly complex missions. Each of the scenarios tells the story of the Haqqislam attack on the Neo Lotus leisure station and teaches you a new core mechanic. What’s more, they take less than an hour to play through, so you zip through them in no time. It’s a wonderfully intuitive way to learn a game and prepares you ready to dive into the wider world of Infinity.

CONCLUSION

Despite this being an introductory set, Infinity is still a game for those with some experience of miniatures-based wargaming – even if it’s just putting metal miniatures together. The rules are explained through a series of fantastically intuitive scenarios, but you’ll need a basic understanding of concepts like ‘line of sight’ or dice-based roll-offs using a stat line. If that sounds up your street, Red Veil is a superb way to dip your toe into the fascinating world of Infinity.

Publisher: Corvus Belli

Price: £79.99

Genre: Sci-fi skirmish

Players: 2

Time: 60 minutes

Age: 14+

Website: infinitythegame.com