ATTACK - Combat - Melee

Melee Combat

Whenever figures from opposing units come together on the battlefield, melee combat can take place. In most cases, each side is considered to be attacking the other one simultaneously; each player rolls the appropriate number of attack dice and checks to see how many hits are negated by the opposing figures' armor. Then casualties are recorded and figures are removed from each side at the same time. If opposing figures remain in contact after the combat results are applied, the combat can continue on the following turn.

Attack Eligibility

In general, figures that are in base-to-base contact with one or more enemy figures during Step 6 (Melee Combat Step) can make attacks and be attacked, with two restrictions:

ROUTED figures cannot make melee attacks.

MISSILE-FIRING figures that shot their weapons during either movement step of the turn cannot make melee attacks.

Note that "base-to-base contact" applies only to individual figures, not to an entire stand of figures mounted two or three (or more) to a base. When a figure is part of a multiple-figure stand, the base of that single figure (for purposes of determining attack eligibility) is only the part of the stand occupied by that figure.

Contact need not be front-to-front; a figure can attack an enemy that is contacting it along the side or the rear of its base. However, a figure that is being attacked from the side or the rear suffers a penalty to its armor rating when defending against that attack (see below).

Effects of Formation on Attacks

If a unit is in irregular formation, only those figures in actual physical contact with enemy figures can attack.

If a unit is in regular formation, an additional one figure to the right and one figure to the left of the figures actually contacting the enemy's figures can also fight. In addition, figures in the second row of a regular formation can fight if the unit is armed with spears, pikes, or pole arms (simulating their ability to strike between and over the friendly troops in front of them, because of the length of their weapons). The attacking player rolls 1/2 AD for every figure in the second row (rounding up). Any figure in the second row that is adjacent to an attacking figure in the front row of the unit is eligible to attack in this manner.

In addition, figures in the third row of a unit armed with pikes can also take advantage of this special attack opportunity. (Pikes are extremely long hand-held weapons, enabling the wielder to strike between and over two rows of friendly figures.) Remember, though, that the unit must be in regular formation for figures to attack from the second or third row.

Melee Advantage

Certain melee combat situations give one unit an advantage over its target. In a BATTLESYSTEM™ scenario, this allows the unit with the advantage to resolve its attacks first, inflicting casualties and forcing morale checks before the target unit makes its attack. If the target unit withdraws or routs as a result of the melee, it does not get to make its attacks.

A unit receives the melee advantage bonus if it is in good order; if at least some of the attacking figures are contacting the enemy with the fronts of their bases; and when at least one of these conditions is met:

1. It is armed with pikes and attacking a unit that is not armed with pikes.
2. It is armed with halberds, spears or lances and attacking a unit that is not armed with pikes, halberds, spears, or lances.
3. It is attacking the rear of an opponent (but only if every attacking figure is attacking from the rear).
4. It is composed of figures that are similarly armed but larger than the defenders; for instance, men with short swords get a melee adventage against goblins that are also carrying short swords. (However, being of smaller size than the defender does not negate an advantage gained for some other reason; for example, humans with spears still have an advantage against ogres with clubs.)

Attack Dice Modifiers

In certain situations, attacking figures receive additional attack dice (over and above the normal one per figure), to reflect their increased ability to inflict hits on the enemy because of the circumstances. These AD modifiers are as follows:

x 2 AD for figures in a charging cavalry unit

This adjustment applies only to figures that are eligible to attack the unit that was declared as the target of the charge. In other words, the attacker does not get the x 2 bonus against a second enemy unit that is incidentally contacted by the attacking unit at the end of its charge. (This could occur, for instance, if two enemy units were adjacent to each other side-to-side.)

This modifier only applies during the first turn of combat after a charge is completed.

x 2 AD for figures set to meet a charge

This modifier applies to figures armed with spears, pikes, or other pole arms, when those figures are the target of a charge and when the owning player has declared that the troops have set their weapons in anticipation of being hit by the charge. A figure set to meet a charge only receives this AD bonus against an attacker that makes contact along the defender's front side; if the figure is hit in the flank or in the rear, the bonus is not granted.

x 1 1/2 AD for figures in a charging infantry unit

For the restrictions that apply to the awarding of this bonus, see the description above of the AD bonus for charging cavalry figures. Remember that calculations are always rounded up, so that (for instance) a charging infantry unit with five figures eligible to attack receives 8 attack dice for the first turn of combat following the completion of the charge.

Armor Rating Modifiers

The following situations all change the armor rating of the target of an attack. (Remember, negative numbers improve AR, while positive numbers reduce armor protection.) The modifiers described below are cumulative; the player owning the target unit adds together all of the adjustments that apply in a certain situation and modifies the AR of his unit (or some of the figures in the unit) before rolling armor checks for the current turn of combat.

- 2 if target is on higher elevation than opponent

This modifier is used whenever the bases of more than half the target figures rest on a higher piece of terrain than the bases of all the attacking figures. The benefit applies to figures defending the top of a building or ravine and similar positions but not the uphill side of a normal slope.

- 2 if target is in favored terrain

When all the figures under attack occupy terrain favorable to their creature type (see page 36), the AR of the target is improved by 2.

- 2 if target figures are protected by a wall, breastwork, doorway, window, or similar cover

This benefit always applies to both units in a melee if it applies at all, since the barrier protects each combatant from the other. Note, however, that it pertains only to figures that are protected; if only part of a unit is behind a wall, then the AR of unprotected figures does not receive this modifier.

+ 2 if target is at lower elevation than opponent

This is the converse of the first modifier given above, and applies to a unit at lower elevation whenever the previous modifier applies to a unit on higher ground.

+ 2 for target unit being attacked from flank

If any figure in the target unit has the side of its base in contact with an enemy, the unit suffers this penalty. If the corner of a figure's base is in contact with the front side of an attacking figure, the defender suffers this penalty if the angle between the attacker's front side and the defender's flank is smaller than the angle between the attacker's front side and the defender's front or rear side. (See the illustration on the following page.)

+ 4 for target unit being attacked from rear

If any figure in the target unit has the rear of its base in contact with an enemy, the unit suffers this penalty. If one of the rear corners of a figure's base is in contact with the front side of an attacking figure, the defender suffers this penalty if the angle between the attacker's front side and the defender's rear side is smaller than the angle between the attacker's front side and the defender's flank.