Celebrate the 1K Infinity product with us!

This month we reach the 1000th product reference! Isn't it amazing? And to celebrate it, besides taking a look back at the history of our miniatures, we want to give a prize to the biggest fan of Infinity fans. If you think that person could be you, stay until the end!

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#Infinity1K

Life is what happens while you're busy doing other things.

That's what happened to us at Corvus Belli. Almost without realizing it, we reached a thousand references in a line that we're constantly trying to renew and manage.

When looking back on the path we've walked, some miniatures feel more important than others—both artistically and in manufacturing terms—some have a special place in our hearts, and others are simply really cool.

Join me as we take a walk through this hypothetical Corvus Belli museum and admire some figures that tell small stories and hide some details. Sometimes perception is everything.

Before Infinity was released into the market, there was a small garage in Cangas do Morrazo, where Alberto Abal, Gutier Lusquiños, Carlos Torres and Fernando Liste used to work. This motley group spent their afternoons brainstorming in search of their next project: a sci-fi miniature game the likes no one had ever seen before.

One after the other, almost talking over each other, they tried to see if their artistic skills were able to follow the pace of their own imagination: virtual nations fighting for oxygen in their orbital shells, wolf-like aliens working as soldiers of fortune, space castaways reconnecting with a civilization that's now centuries ahead of them, a promised planet found following the coordinates of a sacred text... everything was valid and had to be reflected in a line of miniatures.

Now it was time to… make it so. To bring the ideas to reality. Yes… that part. Luckily, they found others willing to face such an undertaking, artists like: Yannick Hennebo, Ángel Giráldez, Jose Luis Roig, Juan Navarro, and Gael Goumon.

All of this is what Fernando tried to materialize in his handmade figure. After hours of work, he crafted this figure. Although the miniature didn't receive the final approval, it was a useful stepping stone to enable us to sit down and talk about what the final figure should look like: what required some refinement, what should be its proportions, where was there room for improvement… First steps often require making plenty of decisions, that's is why this figure—which was never released—is so important for the foundations of the sci-fi skirmish line.

HAQQISLAM. Gael Gaumon's Hassassin Fiday.

An external sculptor to Corvus Belli's studio presented a very convincing figure as the cornerstone of what would become the Haqqislam line.

Traditional modeling achieved a stylized and tense silhouette, a Hassassin warrior with a bulky vest and a tight suit covered in wiring. It was distinctive and the technology seemed rougher than the other factions' while still looking sophisticated.

This figure was very well-received by the studio and served as an example of size and proportions. The Sword of Allah could not have given a better first step for its line.

NOMADS. Yannick Hennebo's Tunguska Interventor.

This figure ("Morgana", as we affectionately nicknamed her in the studio) was supposed to represent the Nomad faction. She displays elements of design such as tight clothes with very minimalist embossments.

She was the first Hacker figure, and with it came the idea of printing acetate holograms and pasting them on her hands. This distinctive feature affected the posture of hackers to come, always with their hands extended to "touch" the holograms.

Nomad technology was defined as a customization and "cannibalization" process on tools that were left or discarded by the great powers. We saw Nomads as people adept at extending the life cycle of unused machinery, even to the point of increasing its efficiency.

After these initial steps, we reached the point in which INFINITY could finally become a reality and we released our first figures to the market. The three original Starter Packs, saw the light of day in late 2005.

PANOCEANIA. 2005 Starter Pack by José Luis Roig and Carlos Torres.

Comprised an ORC Trooper, four Fusiliers, and a CrocMan with too much of a personality. This would become the most popular and best-selling Starter Pack. It had a better cover photo with a very regular and homogenized color range that helped sell the faction.

It was a peculiar selection of troopers, as the box included four Fusiliers; one of them clearly designed to act as Lieutenant on the board; an ORC Trooper modeled by José Luis Roig with very convincing finishing touches; a design that evoked Masamune Shirow's "Appleseed"; while the CrocMan was the center of attention, a figure that perhaps had too much personality and very conspicuous acting that broke the serious tone of the set a bit.

YU JING. 2005 Starter Pack by Yannick Hennebo and  Carlos Torres.

Comprised a Hsien Warrior, a Shaolin Monk, a Ninja, and three Zhanshi. It was a starter that stood out for the obvious ethnic features in the faces of its infantry troopers, something unusual at the time. There was quite a lot of disparity in the coloring in the group photo as well as in the mishmash of Asian concepts.

The Hsien Warrior, a heavy infantry unit with clothing and fabrics, shows us how they are trying to mark a step down in the sophistication of technology compared to the ORC. Its backpack had to hold six ultra-thin tubes that were almost impossible to paste into the tiny gaps. Here is where Corvus Belli began the long road of learning how to improve the anchoring of our figures' finer parts.

The Ninja that finally became part of the Starter Pack was a slender figure with body language that conveyed stealth and proficiency with melee weapons. An appropriate figure, even if not spectacular.

However, the unquestionable figure that acts as the cherry on top is the Shaolin Monk, modeled by Carlos Torres. A true delight in movement, fabrics, body language, and an arm in tension with all five fingers extended (something that remains an extra difficult task in any company's manufacturing cast even to this day).

Of the three Zhanshi, apart from the obvious facial features, what stands out is the strict "headgear" policy the company had in effect at the time.

ARIADNA 2005 Starter Pack by Fernando Liste.

Comprised four Line Cossacks with distinctive hats, a Veteran Cossack decked with thick Teseum plates, and an Ariadnan Scout with a camouflage poncho.

In the paint job of these miniatures, we can appreciate the initial concept of a Siberian tundra for what's generally understood as the Ariadnan environment. A very cold and desaturated color range. A setting that we could sense in the art and some models in which brutalist and industrial architecture made its way through forests populated by snow-covered fir trees.

The faces of the figures also have a marked ethnicity, and the tone of the skin is typical of cold climates. The weapons are characteristic of the 21st century, and we can almost imagine that this faction uses guerrilla and ambush tactics.

Infinity begins its journey with Fernando Liste still alternating artistic between work and the duties of the Lord Commander of the company.

PANOCEANIA. TAGS: José Luis Roig's Mechanized Cavalry (2005)

The first TAG of the Squalo series. It was handmade by José Luis Roig, who quickly stood out as the best sculptor for robotic shapes. Colloquially known as "Squalo", this first TAG and its powerful CD15 instilled fear on N1 tables against some timid and unsuccessful hacking attempts back in 2006.

Corvus Belli already had experience with large metal figures, but there was still a long way to go in terms of manufacturing, anchoring, proportions, and essentially everything regarding what to do and what not to do regarding large figures.

This evolution became evident in the 2014 version of the Squalo, modeled by Fausto Gutiérrez, and in the upcoming version of this TAG, set to be released in 2023.

YU JING. TAGS: Yannick Hennebo's Gūijiă Squadron (2005).

The rivalry between factions soon became apparent, and if PanOceania had a TAG, the Jade Empire couldn't be left behind. Colloquially known as "Chicken Legs," the Gūijiă quickly made its way into the hearts of the community. Its design conveyed the "Appleseed" vibes that everyone was looking for in the game's first edition, and this connection with the fandom helped to skyrocket Yu Jing's popularity.

In 2015, a new incarnation of this miniature by Javier García Ureña saw the light of day, and once again it received praise from the ever-demanding Yu Jing players.

ARIADNA. Fernando Liste 's 1st Régiment of Para-Commandos (2007).

This piece is already more advanced in the timeline of N1 figures, it's rifle-wielding Para-Commando. We can observe an evolution in modeling, proportions, and audacity when it comes to capturing a dynamic pose in this piece.

Regarding the light infantry, this figure set a reference point for the rest of the sculptors working on this line in regards to the balance between attaining a slim figure and the rounded shapes that support production requirements.

HAQQISLAM.  Carlos Torres and José Luis Roig's Motorized Kum Troopers (2006). 

These Haqqislamist motorbikes were the first ones featured in INFINITY. In their day, having something that moved so fast—with their Chain Rifle, smoke, "Tenacious" looks—was truly revolutionary for the game.

There's nothing like trying new things to draw conclusions. Although sculpting a motorbike manually was complex and expensive, but this was appropriately compensated by the fact that making the pilot was relatively easier.

Kum Motorbikes had a single wheel and were set on a 40mm base. The size of the motorbikes was not a problem for that type of base when it had only one wheel, but time would show that making two-wheeled motorbikes would require 55mm bases in order to make a more plausible motorbike in terms of size and proportions.

Its 2013 renewed version by Fausto Gutiérrez is a good example of Corvus Belli's evolution in production value. 

ARIADNA. Fernando Liste and  Carlos Torres' Equipe Mirage-5  (2008).

An iconic couple of the futuristic miniatures line, so much so that their illustration decorates the facade of Corvus Belli's office building.

In this wargame, the writer Gutier Lusquiños,' imagination pushed artists' creativity to its very limit. Here we have a Moblot from Merovingia with so much character that she has her own DogWarrior as a blind follower and even a Black Eagle that accompanies her for parachute duties.

Her 2019 version by Javier Ureña is the best possible embodiment of the couple.

COMBINED ARMY. José Luis Roig's Anathematic (2009)

The Combined Army didn't start off on the right foot, as their Starter Pack didn't provide a coherent image. The mix of races and designs was a problem from the beginning due to how heterogeneous it made them look. It would be years later when the art director, Carlos Torres , would gradually homogenize the line.

A key figure in that process was the Anathematic. This figure marked the beginning of a redesign process of the development of a plethora of shapes that brought order and identity to an army that became more attractive with each novelty. The Anathematic spawned the Ikadrones and Unidrones, from it we got the Nexus, Ko Dali, the Sygmaa, and even the new Shasvastii enjoyed the advancements made from this new stepping stone.

JSA. O-Yoroi Kidobutai by Fausto Gutiérrez (2011).

secret: the incorporation of 3D modeling with the help of a new talent, Fausto Gutiérrez. At that time, we didn't consider it possible to make a Silhouette 2 figure in 3D, but we also knew that TAGs modeled by a super sculptor weren't profitable.

Fausto swept away all our doubts by bringing to life one of the most popular TAGs. The design had quite capricious shapes, but the way the sculptor was able to interpret the volumes and harmonize them into a balanced figure was simply superb.

ALEPH. Fausto Gutiérrez's Phoenix, Veteran Myrmidon Officer (2012).

3D modeling began making its way into the line, and the first 3D Silhouette 2 miniature arrived. Corvus Belli still had to learn how to manufacture these figures step by step, but there was already a firm willingness to revolutionize the company with this technology and to homogenize the line.

Should manufacturing problems arise, Alex Quinteiro, our casting chief, would solve them forever.

Although Carlos Torres was never completely satisfied with this particular figure, the version that's about to come in 2023 is worthy of any shelf.

PANOCEANIA & NÓMADS. Operation Icestorm Battle Pack (2014).

A turning point for the wargame. With the arrival of N3 and the satisfactory results shown by 3D modeling our TAGs, Morats, and Chaksas, as well as some noteworthy references of the line, Corvus Belli decided to homogenize all armies and turn all their artists into digital sculptors.

Slightly larger figures, more rounded shapes, less noise in small forms, and purer colors. Everything we learned over the years, all those hours invested in the effort, and all the errors of previous products eventually gave rise to N3; a reset of Infinity that opened the doors to new markets and a new audience yet unfamiliar with this game.

"Operation Icestorm" has been the most successful and best-selling product in Corvus Belli's history. It was the box that made the company move to a larger office, buy more machinery, hire more people, and, basically, think differently from 2014 onwards.

NÓMADAS. Vostok Sputniks by Antonio Moreira (2021).

 

The Vostok deserves a mention of its own in this list, as it's Corvus Belli's first in-house plastic production figure.

Designed as another product of the line and intended to be included in the "Beyond Operation Crimson Stone" box, the Vostok would become the chosen miniature to be made in plastic due to its large volume.

In the context of the price hike of raw materials during the COVID-19 pandemic, and having been experimenting with a plastic injection machine for over a year already, Corvus Belli decided it was time to release this figure into the market within this particular injected thermoplastic and establish the use of this production method for large volume figures as a company policy.

Everything is a constant learning process, and we'll continue to evolve year after year, craze after craze. If you want to watch that process unfold, stay tuned!

And you, our faithful customer of so many years, what miniatures would you say we missed in this article? Let us know and tell us why are they special to you!

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Raffle

To celebrate this great milestone, we want to reward our most loyal players. That's why we will reward one of the users who share a photo on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) with the hashtag #Infinity1k showing how much of a fan they are of the game.

The one we like the most will win a 100€ digital coupon for the Corvus Belli online store! Do you want to participate?

 

Contest bases