This is the Wartrader, crunching the numbers and sorting the unit types...

In the last two weeks we've looked at the minor changes coming to the Tohaa Makaul and ALEPH Dasyu unit entries and the more substantial changes to the Yu Jing Hac Tao unit - but for newer players, it's time to look at the unit entry itself…

When you first come across it, an Infinity unit entry is quite information-dense, so let's start to break it down.

The Unit

The ISC or International Standard Code is the unique identifier for the unit, while the unit name is sometimes translated into different languages, the ISC stays constant.

The Troop Classification is almost purely a background attribute, playing little part in the game - but it does give you some idea of the unit's role in the game, for example Line Troops are likely to be your basic grunts while Headquarters Troops will be the absolute elite.

The Attributes for the unit are the basic qualifiers for the unit:-

• MOV is the distance in inches that the unit can move - split into two for the first and second move within an Order.
• Close Combat, Ballistic Skill, Physique and Willpower are the target numbers to roll equal or under to succeed at a skill roll.
• Armour and Biotech Shield are modifiers to the damage of incoming weapon hits.
• Wounds (or Structure for non-biological models) is the amount of damage the trooper can take before falling Unconscious.
• Silhouette is new for N3 and classifies how large a volume the trooper takes up for Line of Fire and movement.
• Availability is the limit on how many troopers from the unit you can take in a list - note that this can change in the Sectorial sub-factions.
• Under the attributes can be found any Equipment or Special Skills that the unit has as a baseline, common to all options/loadouts.

Characteristics (Or, All Those Bleeping Icons!)

While they're very identifiable to experienced players, the Characteristics icons are slightly more opaque to new players.

Going anti-clockwise from the top:-

• Troop Type (Light Infantry, Medium Infantry, Heavy Infantry, Skirmishers, Warbands, Remotes & TAGs) tells us what type of trooper the unit is.
• Backup tells us whether the unit has a Cube, the near-ubiquitous memory backup device that a dead person can theoretically be resurrected from. Lower-tech factions and certain special operatives don't have Cubes while ALEPH units have Cube 2.0 which includes a live quantum feed to off-site backup.
• Instruction tells us how well trained the unit is in working as part of a force - Regular units add their Order to the Order Reserve that all units can draw from, while irregular Units keep their Order for themselves only.
• Fury tells us whether the unit has an extra Impetuous Order at the start of the turn, which must be used to head towards the enemy as directly as possible. Units with Frenzy don't count as Impetuous until they've cause damage.
• The fifth space is currently unknown and new to N3…

Unit Options

Now the nitty-gritty - guns and stuff!

Each unit you can take comes with one or more options in terms of armament and additional skills - anything up to a dozen or more for some of the basic Line Troops.

The name of each option is generally just the name of the unit, but this column is also used to specify certain specialist options such as Hackers, Doctors, Engineers, Lieutenants etc.

The Ballistic Skill Weapons column is mostly used for the main guns of the unit but also includes some other weapons such as Mines.
The Close Combat Weapons column includes any Pistols and CC weapons such as Knives and actual CCWs.

SWC limits the number of support weapons you can take in a list (1 SWC is available per 50pt of army).

Points cost is just what you'd expect - in a 300pt list you can take up to 300pt of troops.

A quick note on Availability (AVA in the profile) - this is the total number you can take of that unit in a list, regardless of options, so for example for the AVA 2 Dasyu you could take two basic Combi Rifle troopers or a Combi and a Hacker or a Hacker and a Sniper etc. but never more than two in total.