Infinity Endsong Review - Literal Reinforcements

"We always knew it would go down this way, but we chose not to listen to the evident truth"

The united alien races of the Combined Army, under the leadership of the Evolved Intelligence, has attacked in such strength, that they destroyed several jump portals, damaging the circular network that connects a huge part of the Human Sphere. But they haven't stopped, and the united forces of the Human Sphere are on the back foot, and the Combined Army pushes forward.

What Is Infinity?

Infinity is Corvus Belli's anime/cyberpunk wargame. If you're brand new to Infinity, the best place to start is with Infinity CodeOne and you can read our guide on getting started here. If you've played Infinity before or are looking to upgrade from CodeOne then Infinity N4 is the latest edition of the Infinity rules. Infinity features several awesome factions from the alien races of the Combined Army, to the Space Cops of the O-12 and the glorious technological might of PanOceania.

What Is Infinity Endsong?

Infinity Endsong is a brand new supplement for Infinity, that details the current narrative in the setting, along with including background details for several of the newly released units over the last year, details of some new units that are upcoming with the Reinforcements rules expansion, and 3 narrative scenarios that can be played individually or as a linked campaign.

The information is presented in the book through information, quotes, and short fiction, all gloriously illustrated and with dioramas of Infinity miniatures to show certain engagements.

What Factions Are Featured In Infinity Endsong?

The factions featured in Endsong are the ones that have seen the most recent releases, starting with Infinity CodeOne's Operation Blackwind, which updated the miniatures for ALEPH's Steel Phalanx sectorial and Haqqislam's Hassassin Bahram sectorial, and more recently, we've had the Infinity N4 release of the Nomad's Bakunin Observance sectorial. It also includes background information for the reinforcements for every faction for which we're looking forward to Yu Jing's Daebak Force and 0-12's Gladius Team, specifically the Nightshades (Police Ninjas!).

You can read all about these different forces in our articles covering the products:

• ALEPH's Steel Phalanx in our Operation Blackwind Guide
• Haqqislam's Hassassin Bahram in our Operation Blackwind Guide
• Nomad's Bakunin Observance in our Bakunin Observance Guide

Endsong also introduces 2 new units, Maximus, the greatest star of Aristeia for ALEPH, and a Caskuda, Jump TAGs for the Combined Army. We discuss both in more detail below as they're available in a special pack during the pre-order window, and will be available separately later on. 

What Are The New Reinforcements Rules In Infinity Endsong?

Infinity Reinforcements is a brand new game mode for Infinity N4, tying into the latest update to the narrative. The reinforcement rules, like all Infinity rules, are available for free in the Infinity Downloads section.

If the tournament rules say, or if both players agree in friendly games, then the reinforcement rules can be used and players pick a maximum of 5 units, 100 points from their specific reinforcements roster, like the Yu Jing Daebak Force in the image below. In order to be able to communicate with the reinforcements, your core Infinity list must also include a unit with the Commlink rule.

During the game, after taking a number of losses depending on the total points value of the game, or in turn 3, the reinforcements can arrive in the Request Reinforcements step in the Tactical Phase. These units are then deployed within the zone of control of the DropPod token, and only in their half of the table. This means that your reinforcement units can get straight into the fight.

What Products Are Releasing Alongside Infinity Endsong?

Releasing alongside Infinity Endsong is the Caskuda vs Maximus Pre-order Exclusive Pack. This pack contains Maximus, the greatest star of Aristeia for ALEPH, and a Caskuda, Jump TAGs for the Combined Army. The miniatures in this box are siocast resin, and clean up pretty easily. They both come with a scenic base that's only available in this set, when they're released separately in the future, they will just have standard Infinity bases.

Maximus - Maximus is a bit of a beast. 6-4 move, 24 CC, 7 ARM, along with a +2 damage close combat attack, and +1 damage ranged attack for his +1 Burst multi marksman rifle and panzerfaust is pretty great. 

Caskuda - The Caskuda is a combat jump tag that comes with the Explosion special rule on its combat jump, giving it a circular template attack after it lands. With a 6-4 move it's fast and its +3 damage ranged attack, combined with the +1 burst chain rifle means that its arrival will be noticed by your opponent.

What Are Our Final Thoughts On Infinity Endsong?

Everything you need to play Infinity (except for the incredible miniatures and dice) is available online for free via Corvus Belli's downloads page.  The rules for both Infinity N4 and CodeOne are there, and there are even tokens, narrative backgrounds, and scenarios to play. All of the unit stats are available through the Infinity Army app or webpage.

Because of this, although you can buy printed copies of the rulebook, Corvus Belli doesn't publish anything you might need to play in physical editions, as everything is kept in a single location to avoid the need for multiple supplements. Endsong is a background book with a 3-part mission around the narrative and some painting guides for the included forces.

The reinforcement rules are interesting, and we're looking forward to several of the upcoming reinforcement units. The Caskuda vs Maximus Pre-Order Exclusive Pack is a great box, with 2 fantastic miniatures that feature in the current narrative. 

Should I Buy Infinity Endsong?

The Endsong book is a fantastic-looking book, and the mix of information and the fictional narrative gives a fantastic impression of the ongoing Infinity story and really gets across the seriousness of the current situation for the Human Sphere. Is it an essential purchase? No, the lack of rules means that if you're not interested in the story then it's a 3-part mission. But if you love the background and lore of Infinity, and want to bring that out on the tabletop, then reading through Endsong and then playing the missions is incredibly immersive and enjoyable. Be careful though, because you will almost certainly find yourself picking up some of the new reinforcements or a space ninja cop or 2.

The copies of the Infinity Endsong products used to produce this review were provided by Corvus Belli.