Combat

A combat sequence between Mercurio and Thane (click for animation).

Any two adjacent characters may engage in combat. In order to be able to attack, the attacker must have at least one action point available to spend.

Order of combat

1. Tally Dice: The game will automatically tally how many combat dice are available for the character to throw. The character's Fight stat determines the base number of dice, which may be increased/decreased by time of day, items, effects or Rot bonuses. (Additionally, if the character is Evading, their Wits stat will determine the number of dice).
2. Declare automatic effects: Certain cards (like Shining Steel Sword or Battle Armour) may give bonus swords, shields, or dice automatically. Standing on mountain terrain when fighting grants one bonus shield. These are not influenced by nor influence dice in any way.
3. Burn phase: Heroes only can burn as many cards as they wish (in the time allotted) to guarantee that one die in their possession rolls as the symbol on the top right corner of the card burned. Heroes may not burn cards if they are ambushed.
4. Roll: The remaining dice are thrown. Their influence on combat is explained in the table below. For a more in-depth explanation of combat rolls, please see the dice page.
5. Resolve: The defender's shields are subtracted from the attacker's hits and vice versa. The difference of these numbers equals the number of hits scored. If the number of shields is greater than or equal to the number of hits, the combatant emerges unscathed.

Combat rolls

Symbol	Combat effect
	Swords always count as hits.
	Shields prevent one opposition hit from scoring a wound.
	Suns count as hits during the daytime, but misses (no effect) during the nighttime.
	Moons count as hits during the nighttime, and misses in the daytime.
	Worm symbols always* miss.
	Wyld symbols always* explode; hitting and granting a bonus die.

^* In the case of Corrupted characters, the effects of Worm and Wyld rolls are inverted.

Combat outcomes

• One side victorious: If an attacker slays a defender, they will automatically claim the defender's hex. This can mean de facto death if the defender's hex was a swamp. If the defender slays their attacker, they will stand their ground on their hex. Heroes that slay other heroes or Banes will receive one point of Prestige. If a Bane slays a hero, they will gain one point of Rot, and the Bane will receive one Health.
• Defeat, no deaths: If the attacker defeats the defender, but does not slay them, the defender will retreat to an adjacent tile and the attacker will take their place. If the defender has Lionheart Breastplate equipped, both the attacker and defender hold their hexes (no matter how much damage the defender takes).
• Undecided: Both the attacker and defender hold their hexes.
• Mutual death: Both the attacker and defender are slain; Prestige remains as it is for both sides. If the defending party has a Bounty and is killed, but the attacker dies as well, the attacker does not claim the bounty and Prestige remains the same.
• Evading: After the battle, the defender evades to an adjacent tile, and the attacker takes their place.