Ashes of the Singularity II Infantry: Roles and Counters

Only the United Earth Forces (UEF) field true infantry in Ashes of the Singularity II, and per the developer FAQ, the other factions get asymmetric counterparts rather than equivalent soldiers: the Post-Human Coalition's units are expensive and powerful by design, while the AI Substrate uses "Drone Swarms" that act more like autonomous projectiles than individual units. The developer states this asymmetry is intentional to give each faction a distinct flavor.

What infantry does well

The UEF's official showcase describes infantry as the backbone of their combined-arms doctrine. Their strengths, as presented in that showcase:

• Cheap and numerous. The UEF is weaker unit-for-unit than the PHC and Substrate, so infantry bulks out armies through sheer numbers and presents so many targets that single-target weapon systems struggle to kill them all.
• High firepower for their size. Small and slow, but infantry outputs a terrific amount of firepower and can be outfitted for either soft or hard targets, so both types are usually fielded together to protect one another.
• Strong defensively. Their low mobility matters less when holding ground, and with tank support they form an effective, if slow, assault force too.

In a player guide video from the multiplayer playtest, a creator notes infantry is produced from the barracks — the UEF's first production building — and that cheap tier-1 infantry and tanks only need durantium, letting you grow several armies quickly. The missile squad infantry adds an affordable armor-penetration option for cracking neutral guardians and enemy armor.

Weaknesses to plan around

The same showcase is explicit about hard counters:

• Artillery obliterates massed infantry formations with little effort.
• Bombers with high-explosive ordnance make short work of infantry as well.
• Against a PHC opponent with many artillery units, the playtest guide advises you stop reinforcing infantry squads and swap army composition using the army UI, since area-of-effect fire shreds them.

FAQ

Does Ashes of the Singularity II have infantry for every faction?

No. Per the developer FAQ, only the UEF has ground infantry; PHC units are deliberately more expensive and powerful instead of fielding bodies, and the Substrate's nearest equivalent is Drone Swarms, which are closer to autonomous projectiles than units.

Where are infantry units produced?

From the barracks. The playtest guide recommends building it first, close to the region you plan to conquer, and enabling auto-reinforcement so your army never drops below fighting strength.

What counters infantry effectively?

Artillery bombardments and bombers carrying high-explosive ordnance. The UEF showcase lists both as hard counters to massed infantry formations, so spread infantry out and screen it with armor and anti-air.

Should I upgrade tier-1 infantry instead of teching up?

The playtest guide suggests the containment tech tree can upgrade infantry HP and damage and suits smaller maps, though skipping higher-tier units costs elerite later when enemies field stronger armor.

Check note: faction and infantry details come from the developer's official FAQ on ashesofthesingularity.com and the official UEF showcase video on YouTube; the barracks-production and counter tips come from a player's playtest guide video and reflect that playtest build, so exact stats may change at launch on November 10, 2026.