Miniature wargame publisher Corvus Belli has today unveiled a brand new playable army for its flagship sci-fi skirmish wargame, Infinity N5. It’s called Next Wave – a new human force for the previously aliens-only Combined Army that’s “both shield and scalpel”, sworn to protect humanity from the worst effects of two opposing, ultra powerful AI entities. And it’s immediately up for pre-order, right this second!
Next Wave drops with a host of shiny new minis, from armored, heavy gunning Ironsides to the majestic Tekdrakens (literally mecha-raptors) – and we can exclusively show you Corvus Belli’s launch trailer right now. Check out this bombastic art reel of Next Wave’s AI and alien tech-upgraded superhumans:
Next Wave is the newest Sectorial (sub faction) within the Combined Army – an alien alliance led by an extremely powerful AI called the Evolved Intelligence (EI). It’s led by Achilles, formerly a hero under the banner of ALEPH, the human sphere’s AI, who has now defected to the alien side not to harm humanity, but to protect ordinary and downtrodden human beings from both sides.
His mission is to shield humanity from both ALEPH’s warmongering tyranny, and EI’s aggressive pushes into human space. And, in a huge twist for Infinity’s famously complex, ever changing narrative, he’s doing it by joining the aliens. The newly formed Team Achilles – Next Wave’s leadership – is on the side of EI’s alien alliance, but it promises to push back against EI too, if it endangers human lives too much.
It’s a dangerous game, trying to play both sides of an interstellar AI war, but that’s kind of what Infinity’s about: an eye-straining smashing together of loud, extroverted, anime inspired aesthetics; lore that’s so nuanced it can cause headaches; and very crunchy, involved gameplay. There’s a lot of interesting stuff going on there, and we’ll be delving into it in other articles.
But for now, the news: Next Wave is a fully stocked army roster, with seven distinctive new units to play with, and we’ll share them in Corvus Belli’s own words (because honestly, they all slap):
Harbingers – Frontline Infantry: Solid gunfighters with modern kits; the glue that carries objectives while your stars punch.
Cliff-Jumpers – Extreme Jump: Verticality monsters; hard angles, fast trades.
Ironsides – Mobile Heavy Regiment: Revived elites with techno-organic vests; relentless advance, “move-hit-move” doctrine.
Juggernauts – Armored Assault Brigade (TAG): Neural-linked rider + cyber-beast. Operate as a single hammer or split to flood the mid-board.
Contrabandoleros – Resource Acquisition: Infiltration/logistics raiders; get in, get the package, get out.
Raindancers – Light Assault Company: Ur-Cube-regulated berserks; blade-driven objective flipping and close-quarters panic.
Tekdrakens – Steeljaws / Blackhearts: Bio-engineered raptors for CC mauling or fire support; force-multipliers that feel new.
Gameplay and strategy wise, Corvus tells us Next Wave will play as a pretty compact, or compressed, army on the tabletop, “[packing] more function per model: guns, mobility, and network tools stacked together”.
And we can expect the faction’s heroes – especially Achilles himself – to play a huge role in many lists. Corvus’ designers say they’re combating a feeling of “bloated” lists by building Next Wave around multiple small (2-3 model) fireteams of capable infantry, with links that “enable Achilles in nearly every configuration”.
Next Wave is available for pre-order right now, and will ship in mid November – but the publisher tells the first few hundred orders will be shipped immediately. So if you really, really want these guys, like, yesterday – you gotta go fast!
I’ve been a Warhammer 40k main for as long as I can remember – but every time I’m at a local game store, Corvus Belli’s Infinity has always been there, winking at me from the shelves, whispering “I’m cheaper, I don’t need as many models, and I do Interesting Human Things in my lore”.
In my job, I don’t have time to paint or play a lot of any game, because we cover so many of them – but what turned me on to Corvus Belli’s other big game, Warcrow, was that you only gotta paint a handful and you’re done. And, since that’s even more true of Infinity, where fireteams are often literally two models apiece, Next Wave might just be my jumping in point.
What do you think? Whether you’re a long time Infinity player with Opinions about this new faction and its models – or if you’re more of a curious newcomer like me, come join the free Wargamer Discord community, revel in the D I S C O U R S E, and join in live events, giveaways, hobby hangouts, and more.