Civilians, please?
Infinity has an incredibly rich fluff background. This often translates to fantastic battlefields, as players try to capture the feel of the Human Sphere in their terrain. Multiple-level battlefields and sleek futuristic apartment blocks dominate the table like never before, and it seems like the 40k "swiss cheese" style of building has become a thing of the past.
There's just one thing missing. People.
The game we love is missing people; non-combatants, to be precise. Infinity's setting gives us a shadow conflict, where rival nations squabble over petty concerns while an indomitable alien menace swoops down on the Sphere. While some battles are fought in warzones, a great number of them are just fought on streets, in apartment blocks, in laboratories and on rooftops. Where, then, are the people?
Since Human Sphere brought us the rules for Civilians, I think that CB should bring us the models, too. I realize that this is a somewhat unrealistic expectation (at least as long as they have combat minis to release) but just go with it: ask yourself, "if CB were to release Civilian models, what kind of minis should they be?"
5. This Guy
I know what you're thinking...I should be asking for the lady who really seems like the letter X. But hey, this guy seems to be striking a balance in the typical Bakunin struggle of being a family man and a drug lord at the same time. He's got that cool, suave collected look that would make him it in on the tabletop as a scientist, diplomat, professional, or "guy on the street". And hey, he's even doing a great job of ignoring his screaming kid. If he can do that, then he can tough it out on the battlefields of Infinity.
4. Contact Request Girl
Here's where I make up for asking for the suave businessman over X Lady. Contact Request Girl is in the foreground of this fantastic, tone-setting piece of art, so her mini would be instantly recognizable (at least by Infinity players) as an Infinity piece. Besides, she's the only figure in the piece that's directly interacting with the reader, pulling us into the street setting in a way that all the bright colours and Adult Leisure signs could never do. If she looks at troops half as invitingly as she does at the reader, then she'll definitely survive the war(s).
3. Grandpa and Granddaughter
This little girl is tugging anxiously on her grandpa's sleeve, maybe to ask him a question or to pester him about money for some random crap at the store. All I know is that if my grandpa looked like that, I'd be very careful about my next words to him. Or hey, maybe she's a chip off the old block...maybe she sees the teddy bear that other kid is holding, and is very sweetly asking, "Grandpa, could you ice that kid over there for me? I really want that teddy bear for my birthday." In any case, these two show us that the Human Sphere is not a sterile place full of scientists and black ops specialists, and they'd be great (maybe as a single base) for any Infinity city tables.
2. Modern Couple
Or is it trio? I can't really tell...the purple-haired woman and red-coat man are really into each other, but that guy just behind them seems to be trying hard to ignore the fact that he's clearly the third wheel here. In any case, this group is a lot like the Grandpa/Granddaughter in the sense that they show us life of the Human Sphere: bionic limbs, flashy clothes, a drastically different definition of "bared midriff", and creepy men with round hats following you around while you try to spend some quality time...you know, all the things that make civilization great. Plus, cheesecake - when done well - is always good.
1. Go-Go Marlene
Yes, I realize that this is SNK's Mai Shiranui. But hey, if anyone is going to be an acceptable visual stand-in for Go-Go Marlene, the Human Sphere's eminent reporter/sex symbol, then it's going to be Mai. Go-Go Marlene is all over the fluff, from descriptions of the Sphere to commenting on the Paradiso Front to talking enviously about Asuras...but there isn't any graphical representation of her. It would be very cool of CB to give this character a face, and what better way to do so than by turning her into a Civilian mini?
Even if they are doing something as simple as hanging around and drinking tea when the fighting breaks out, Civilians breathe life into any Infinity table. While we will probably have to wait for a long time to see them, it would be great to have the awesome art of the Infinity world translated into even more awesome models...even if they aren't doing any fighting.
There's just one thing missing. People.
 |
| Ok, maybe not that many... |
Since Human Sphere brought us the rules for Civilians, I think that CB should bring us the models, too. I realize that this is a somewhat unrealistic expectation (at least as long as they have combat minis to release) but just go with it: ask yourself, "if CB were to release Civilian models, what kind of minis should they be?"
5. This Guy
I know what you're thinking...I should be asking for the lady who really seems like the letter X. But hey, this guy seems to be striking a balance in the typical Bakunin struggle of being a family man and a drug lord at the same time. He's got that cool, suave collected look that would make him it in on the tabletop as a scientist, diplomat, professional, or "guy on the street". And hey, he's even doing a great job of ignoring his screaming kid. If he can do that, then he can tough it out on the battlefields of Infinity.
4. Contact Request Girl
Here's where I make up for asking for the suave businessman over X Lady. Contact Request Girl is in the foreground of this fantastic, tone-setting piece of art, so her mini would be instantly recognizable (at least by Infinity players) as an Infinity piece. Besides, she's the only figure in the piece that's directly interacting with the reader, pulling us into the street setting in a way that all the bright colours and Adult Leisure signs could never do. If she looks at troops half as invitingly as she does at the reader, then she'll definitely survive the war(s).
3. Grandpa and Granddaughter
This little girl is tugging anxiously on her grandpa's sleeve, maybe to ask him a question or to pester him about money for some random crap at the store. All I know is that if my grandpa looked like that, I'd be very careful about my next words to him. Or hey, maybe she's a chip off the old block...maybe she sees the teddy bear that other kid is holding, and is very sweetly asking, "Grandpa, could you ice that kid over there for me? I really want that teddy bear for my birthday." In any case, these two show us that the Human Sphere is not a sterile place full of scientists and black ops specialists, and they'd be great (maybe as a single base) for any Infinity city tables.
2. Modern Couple
Or is it trio? I can't really tell...the purple-haired woman and red-coat man are really into each other, but that guy just behind them seems to be trying hard to ignore the fact that he's clearly the third wheel here. In any case, this group is a lot like the Grandpa/Granddaughter in the sense that they show us life of the Human Sphere: bionic limbs, flashy clothes, a drastically different definition of "bared midriff", and creepy men with round hats following you around while you try to spend some quality time...you know, all the things that make civilization great. Plus, cheesecake - when done well - is always good.
1. Go-Go Marlene
Yes, I realize that this is SNK's Mai Shiranui. But hey, if anyone is going to be an acceptable visual stand-in for Go-Go Marlene, the Human Sphere's eminent reporter/sex symbol, then it's going to be Mai. Go-Go Marlene is all over the fluff, from descriptions of the Sphere to commenting on the Paradiso Front to talking enviously about Asuras...but there isn't any graphical representation of her. It would be very cool of CB to give this character a face, and what better way to do so than by turning her into a Civilian mini?
Even if they are doing something as simple as hanging around and drinking tea when the fighting breaks out, Civilians breathe life into any Infinity table. While we will probably have to wait for a long time to see them, it would be great to have the awesome art of the Infinity world translated into even more awesome models...even if they aren't doing any fighting.
I actually hope that we never even get art of Go-Go. She's kind of the faceless narrator, and I feel that she can be whatever the individual player wants her to be.
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