Why ALEPH is NOT a good beginner's faction!

Fortunately or unfortunately, new players are often on the lookout for factions that are considered "better" than the others.  This mentality comes, in large part, from a paradigm developed in other kinds of games, where it's considered wise to seek out the best/most competitive/most points-effective as soon as humanly possible.  And why not?  Wargaming is a hobby, and it costs money - why would you want to spend money on something that won't achieve the result you're looking for?  Why would you buy something that doesn't work?

The problem is, this paradigm doesn't exactly hold in Infinity.  Units can be "better" or "worse", but except for a rare few exceptions, everything has a function.  This extends to armies, too.  Some armies may be squishier than others, but that doesn't mean that they're worse.  Conversely, armies that are tougher and stronger on average are not necessarily better.

ALEPH is the biggest culprit here.  Its units tend to be tremendously tough compared to most other models, whether it be because of V: No Wound Incapacitation, CH: Mimetism, high BTS, good PH, high BS, ODD, or any combination of the above.  These army traits make ALEPH every attractive to players who focus on numbers and abilities first and tactics second.  In Infinity, though, tactics trump numbers and abilities, which means that any faction relying on those things is by default going to lure new players into a false sense of security and competence.

At first glance, ALEPH seems like the superior faction.  In games between beginners, ALEPH dominates with its superior stats and equipment: its almost omnipresent NWI or ODD makes it an enormous pain for a new player to deal with, especially since they're not yet familiar with the tactical plays that give Infinity its unique flavour.  A new player gets beaten by ALEPH, sees how awesome the models and their rules are, and immediately wishes s/he had invested in "the best army in the game".  Hell, maybe they're even a bit bitter because they keep being told that "there is no best army".  Clearly not true, right?

As we here at CKP often say, though, Infinity is a game of tactics.  It doesn't matter how great and powerful your tools if you can't use them effectively.  Tough models are the ultimate newbie-bait, because their durability and abilities lull new players into a false sense of security that is easily shattered by anyone with experience playing against that faction.

ALEPH trains new players to rely on the traits of their models rather than on tactics.  Multiple wounds (NWI or real) make botched attacks way more forgiving, letting the ALEPH model press the attack when a model from another faction would die, forcing its player to compensate with other pieces.  This trains the new player to focus on one or two pieces instead of moving up multiple models in case of disaster, which is a disservice to the new player (especially if they end up adopting a new faction later on).  It's just bad training.

Another awful piece of anti-newbie technology is the ODD.  The flat -6 BS modifier trains new players to (only) engage in straight-up firefights, because the modifier will help carry the day.  This discourages practice in flanking manoeuvres and encourages new players to adopt a "battering ram" mentality.  Again, this is a massive disservice, especially if the player then moves to other factions that do not have these advantages.  The learning has to start all over again, because the "tricks" that worked for the new player's ALEPH don't continue to work for his/her new faction.

It boils down to the fact that "forgiving" does not equal "good" in Infinity, at least if you want to foster skill and adaptability in your growing community.  ALEPH makes starting out too easy, which - while it may be ok in other games - is exactly what you want to avoid in Infinity.  So go ahead.  Pick up that ALEPH army.  Just beware that encouraging new players to cut their teeth on ALEPH is a recipe for a steeper learning curve in a game that's already hard enough to learn as it is.

Would you like to know more?

Infinity Mechanics Review

Roller-Coaster Models

Advice Newbies Need to Know