3rd edition

[Fix]

 

New range chart.  Old ranges provided for comparison.

[nathonicus]

Nice. I liked what Bostria said in the video on Beasts of War; after 2 editions, they no longer needed to worry about representing actual weapons as much as they did game balance. Overall, I think it will still like Infinity with a nice boost to basic weapons, a much-need boost to sniper rifles and equally important nerf to HMGs.

 

HMGs were just a little too versatile before, and hands-down winner of the numbers game. Now everything feels like it has it's niche - shotguns are the king of close-quarters combat, sniper rifles the masters of long range, and the humble rifle got a small boost.

 

I am really looking forward to playing Haqqislam with the new +6 range on shotguns!  It's not quite as painful to pay that 4pt tax on most models with this bonus, and the Fiday with boarding shotgun got even more dangerous.

[nathonicus]

http://www.beastsofwar.com/infinity/3rd-ed-rules-revealed/

 

Nice video. I like what I'm hearing.  Bostria is adorable.

[Fix]

I like the change to the Lt Order.  That was always the most maddeningly fiddly thing to me.

 

Command tokens?  Hmmmmm….

 

Oooohhhh.  MSV level 1 now works on ODD and TO:Camo.  That's a nice bit of something there.  MSV3 can no longer shoot at tokens, but auto-passes Discover rolls (you still have to take the action).

 

You always scatter 16" on a failed AD:Combat Jump now?  That's…. uh… all right.

 

A failed deep-Infiltration PH roll doesn't scatter you now, but forces you to deploy within your own zone at the board edge.  All infiltration into enemy territory is just at a -3 instead of basing it on how far in you deploy.  That's kinda cool.

[nathonicus]

Yep, I like what I'm seeing.  It looks like there is the "Aggression Zone" for infiltration, but that same graphic had the enemy DZ marked as the "Spektr Zone", so I imagine there are special rules for Superior Infiltration and Impersonation. I just wonder what they are?!  So far, I am really liking what I am hearing/reading - there is a bit more rebalancing of skills and weapons than I expected, and I really like the streamlining of rules.  MSV3 is a good example of one of the really weird interactions of 2nd ed being nicely tidied up.  

 

It looks like most HI is going to 4-4 movement, another interesting change. I really can't wait to see full army lists.

 

The Combat Jump scatter is ok, I think.  It makes it dangerous to get towards the board edge. I like all the readjustments they have done to brink risk into all actions.  

 

I am really excited to see what close combat is like, and the ingenuity I see is making me excited to see if they have done stuff to soup up lacklustre rules like Zero G.  

[Fix]

I thought if you scattered off the board edge you just showed up like a paratrooper.  Or was that in the next turn or something?

 

Wanna know what they did to expand hacking, because it sounds like that got a major rewrite, which could be awesome.

 

Ugh, this is going to be a long few months waiting for this book.

[nathonicus]

I don't think they say anything new, so I assume if you scatter off the edge it's like it is now - spend another order to come on as close to that spot as possible. Yeah... I imagine we'll start getting more info a week or two after GenCon, so we should now more in August.  Already we got a huge amount of info from the Starter Set videos.

 

Things I am still really curious about: 

 

Retreat

Religious

Close Combat

Expanded Hacking

Impersonation

Climbing Plus

Zero G

 

and certain weapons:

Grenade Launcher Ranges

E/Mauler - useful now?

SMG - ranges

Assault Pistol - ranges

Breaker Pistol(!) - I'm guessing an AP or DA pistol?

[Fix]

 

Burst and PH-altering damage ratings on CCW's.

[nathonicus]

Now THAT is exciting! 

[MattS]

An implication of the knife having burst means that a person with two knives could, if this remains true in 3rd edition be burst 2.

 

Or perhaps having two CCW that are non-pistols might allow burst two. This is complete conjecture on my part and not confirmed by anything but the Spetsnaz got me thinking about this with having both a knife and a CCW (AP CCW on the paratroopers).

 

Speaking of Spetsnaz that Boarding Shotgun paratrooper with Marksmanship Lvl 2 got a lot more exciting with the third edition range bands. BS 18 and the only thing that the opponent has which can affect it is camo. 

[nathonicus]

Wow, that is scary up close!

[Fix]

Retreat threshold has been bumped up to 75%. Don't know what that will mean for Morats.

[Fix]

Gencon seminar has started, a [big bad swear word]load of info.

 

September releases: Fusilier SWC box, Kasym Beg the Kum Chieftain, Kornak Gazarot, Aleph Dactyl, Warcor.

 

EI Sectorial starter: 3 Unidrons (Dakini-like combibots, similar to Ikadrons), Maakrep Tracker, Umbra Legate, and some AD unit similar to Ko Dali. The non-bot units seem to be evil Tohaa.

 

USAriadna Grunts. LSG+LFT Arm 3 10 pts :wtc:

 

Yay USAriadna! Finally!!

[Swan-of-War]

Retreat threshold has been bumped up to 75%. Don't know what that will mean for Morats.

 

These monkeys don't run!

[Fix]

 

New Maghariba Guard.

[Fix]

It should be noted from the actual gencon conference video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fucNiGUZBQ) that USAriadna and other new units will be coming in the Acheron Falls book, which is separate from the Infinity 3rd Edition book.  It is the future expansion book akin to Human Sphere, to be released at a later date.

 

Also, a second weapon range chart was included in this conference:

 

There's our Breaker Pistol.  Burst 2 DAM 12, Viral.  Some of the new character profiles we've seen, like the Terracotta Soldiers are equipped with two of those, so Burst 3 Viral pistols, we're looking at there.

 

Forward Observer is Burst 2 (still Willpower) and not only allow you to launch guided ammo, but anyone shooting at a targeted mini get +3 to their shots.  Dayum.

 

Close combat you say?

 

 

Those are no longer cumulative.  Instead, if you have Martial Arts Lvl 5, you have to declare which level you are using in a given turn.  Want to throw a strong attack?  Go MA2.  Bonus damage, but no modifiers.  Want to throw down an extra attack?  Declare MA4.  A balanced attack?  MA3.

 

CC has also changed in that ability values + modifiers over 20 now add to your roll, so if you have a CC of 23, you add 3 to your roll and if your roll + that modifier reaches 20 it becomes a critical.  This is a pretty cool way of both expanding the crit range like they already had, but also boosting your overall effectiveness of CC characters by boosting their low rolls at the same time.  That huge range of negative modifiers in Martial Arts skills is meant to mitigate the new and improved crit range in CC, which is actually pretty cool.  It's very defense oriented.

 

The Over 20 crit bonuses apply to shooting as well.  I imagine the situations where that will happen will be fewer and far between.

 

Allied troops in B2B in the same combat now add additional dice (burst, I suppose) to the combat.  Only 1 model has to be activated in the combat and will still get these bonus dice.

 

The Assault rule, as used on the Father Knight special character from Ice Storm is extra charge distance as long as you have LoS.  It's a second level to Berzerk, and also applies a -3 to the enemy's roll. (edit: Ah, I get it.  It's essentially a Long order that combines your movement stats and an attack into one action.  So if you have a 4-4 model and start your order with a guy within 8" and in LOS you get to charge him.  They can still ARO you per normal, but it'll be contested against your CC attack, since that resolves at the same time.  That is… wow.)

 

Contested Critical rolls always nullify each other now.  No checking secondary statistics.  You both roll crits, bang, done.  Move on.

 

Hacker rules!

-In a chart like the CC rules now.

-Many menus, many programs, many options.  More tactical than before.

 

Damn.  Less of that talked about than I'd hoped.

 

I like what they are doing A LOT.

[nathonicus]

I am about to watch the video... thanks for posting this summary!  I really like a lot of things  - the change to FO is very nice and thematic, and one more element that will encourage you to use your army together instead of just ramboing with a single dude.

[VonVilkee]

I like hearing some incentive not to Rambo... Any thing about link teams? I really liked them thematically before...

[nathonicus]

Corey, link teams should be relatively unaffected as the 3rd ed book only replaces the 2nd ed main rule book, an rules for link teams are in Human Sphere, which will still be compatible with the 3rd ed. core.

[Savnock]

I am frankly a bit leery of B3 Viral pistols, especially on a 2W 27-point platform that might be linkable (the Terracotta Soldiers aforementioned). I mean, I'll be using them since they're Yu Jing, but I do wonder what could balance that kind of power out. With nastier close ranged fighting options (including better shotguns and close combat), we may have to play more open tables like the Spaniards usually do. Here in Seattle the default has been pretty dense tables becuase we have an insanely talented terrain ninja (deflatermouse). Larger fields of fire will probably have to happen to avoid every game becoming a shotgun-alley bloodbath.

Also, a heads-up to anyone dismayed by the missile launcher range bands: there'a paprently more info to come on that weapon. Might be changes to ammo types, might be something like a guided option for all of 'em. Hard to say, but I am a wee bit worried since I love that weapon to pieces.

That's really all I'm worried by in N3 though. Overall, the rules look great. Can't wait to get into more-detailed hacking rules!

[Fix]

Evidently the word is out that Hacking will involve the possibility of buying different hacking devices, each with their own set of programs (Combined having an outside set), so there may be a bit more combat deck vs support deck going on here, which I think I can totally get behind.

[Fix]

And now there's this:

 

[Fix]

Evidently pre-orders start Oct 19th.

[JMGraham]

That chart looks mighty interesting. Seems a nice way to summarize all the stuff scattered around the hacking device sections. I wonder how they'll determine who gets what programs.

[Fix]

Dunno, but that might just be one hacker chart among numerous.  We should hear more about it this week.  Beasts of War is doing another series of reveals with Carlos.