Infinity – Dire Foe Profiles Released

4 Minute Read

Dec 3 2013

On November 21st, Corvus Belli released the profiles for the first 3 Dire Foe packs. How can a player use them, new rules regarding them, and what they will mean for your army list.

Before we dive too far down into the topic, I quickly realized that I had a bunch of analysis that I could do regarding the Dire Foe models. So in order to keep everyone’s attention, I’m intending on breaking up this topic into a few articles. This first one will cover the basic overview of the Dire Foes. Future articles will take a harder look at the troop profiles and see how they could be used in your lists. If you want to review the troop profiles, they are available free for download on the Infinity Website.

What is a Dire Foe?

Dire Foes are the newly packaged and branded Corvus Belli packs that include three models (the two dire foes and a civilian of some sort), history on the struggles of the two dire foes, and a specialized mission. The models in each of the packs are mortal enemies and why they despise each other will be covered in their back story. Sometimes the models always detested one another, sometimes it was because of a sudden betrayal. In either case, the main show down of the dire foes will play out with the mission (which is included as a code to download the mission as a PDF).

Can I use the Dire Foes in ITS?

Just because they come in this special packaging, it does not mean that the use of these models is limited to their special missions. In fact, these models can be used in any game of Infinity so long as they are available to your faction or sectorial army. Even in an ITS (Infinity Tournament System) game? Yes. Unlike Spec-Ops (that can only be fielded in Campaign:Paradiso missions, special ITS Spec-Ops missions, or as a proxy for another model), Dire Foes can be used in any game.

While Dire Foes are based on Spec-Ops models, they cannot grow with experience like a Spec-Ops model can. This static nature of the profile means that Corvus Belli can balance the models against the other units in the game and make them available for general use with a proper point cost. It also means that you can bring Dire Foes as well as Spec-Ops in games that allow Spec-Ops.

Any New Rules?

By the time you pick up the models, the new rule (which center around one new ammunition type will probably seem old hat). So without further ado, let’s talk about K1 ammunition (that comes on the Treitak Anyat model).

K1 ammunition treats the target as though they have 0 (zero) armor. The damage for K1 armor is always 12, regardless of the damage value the weapon normally has. For example Anyat has a K1 combi-rifle. Normal damage on a combi-rifle is damage 13. K1 ammunition makes the damage 12. Various weapons can use K1 ammo, but the variance is only considered when assessing range modifiers to the models BS skill. Each time a model is hit with K1 ammo, and the defender fails their armor save, they take 1 wound. Critical Hits cause one unsaved wound.

While many people will fear the strength of this ammunition, it has more in common with AP ammunition than it does with monofilament.

Final Thoughts

I’m excited to see what kinds of synergies these new models can have with existing army lists. Although they are not Spec-Ops models, many of them represent the opposite gender of the Spec-Ops models that have been released. Example the Spec-Ops Chandra model is female, while the Dire Foes named Chandra (Trasimedes) is male.

I will be allowing players to either use the models as their Dire Foes profile or as a replacement for their existing Spec-Ops model. While this might not be 100% in line with Corvus Belli’s intention for the model, it provides players with another way to use the Dire Foes if the fleshed out profile does not play to their army list strengths.

I keep hoping that the character driven narratives in Dire Foes might lead to Corvus Belli releasing full blown novels of the Infinity universe. But that is only hopeful speculation on my part.

What are your thoughts of the Dire Foe packs? Also, if you have a preference on which models I review first, let me know in the comment section below.

Doremicom

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Author: doremicom

Doremicom has been a tabletop wargamer for over a decade. His area of expertise is Corvus Belli's Infinity: The Miniatures Game. He began writing for BoLS in 2015.

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