Battle

A battle involves the band fighting opponents. A lopsided battle could be resolved as a check or complication. If the sides are close enough, and it is dramatically appropriate then a battle should be played as an encounter on a zone map.

Setup

Usually a battle is either an ambush or a clash. In an ambush one side starts off hidden and the encounter plays like an infiltration at first. In a clash both sides are placed in the zone and aware during the first round. The referee decides which side has the advantage for the battle. In an ambush the hidden side has the advantage. In a clash the more aggressive attackers have the advantage. Some abilities or circumstances can change who has the advantage. The side without advantage sets up first, placing individuals in any tiles along a single edge. Then the side with advantage then sets up anywhere else, so long as there's at least one empty tile between revealed individuals from different sides and no decoys are occupy the same tile as an individual from the opposing side. The referee may restrict setup to certain tiles to reflect the situation, such as defenders in a camp or travelers who must start on a road.

Attack

Usually if you are attacking a target within reach you check against your fight skill score, and if you are attacking with a range weapon you check against your operate skill score. Unless expanded by keywords, you can reach into adjacent areas but no farther. Range keywords describe how many areas away your target may be before you suffer a penalty (-2) or are unable to attack at all. When you make an attack you check the line between you and the target. The line is drawn from the front of your base to three points on the target's base: the closest point, and then the two sides. If the closest point is used to determine if you flank, and the spread between all three points is used to check for cover. You may not attack a target completely behind your own flank. If your check succeeds and the target doesn't contest you, then you roll your attack effects and apply them.

Defend

When you are attacked you may contest the check with a guard or a defense. There are two main ways to defend: a parry and a dodge. A parry may be attempted if you are not flanked and within reach of your attacker (whether the attack was reach or ranged), and uses your fight score. A dodge may always be attempted and uses your move score. If you are flanked your dodge suffers penalty (-2). If you do not have a guard or defense and wish to contest an attack, you may screen. You tilt your next reflex to denote that you are screening, and you have unlimited defenses until your next reflex card is played. If your turn has already gone by and you need to screen then you must play your next round's card to screen. When it becomes your turn you don't get an action, but you do reset your guard and gain a snap as usual. Leave your card tilted as a reminder that you are screening until the next round. You may try to use both your guard and your defense to contest the same attack. Both checks cooperate, but you can't use the same type of check. So if you dodge with your defense, you may parry the same attack with your guard if your dodge failed or didn't have enough margin to win the contest.

Victory

A battle ends when one side or the other is out or has left the zone. A surrendered opponent counts as out for victory. A battle may lead to a chase or an infiltration depending on how the losing side left the zone and whether the winning side chooses to pursue. If a battle leads into a chase then any fleeing character who exits and isn't followed within the same exchange gains a bonus (+2) on the first check of the chase. If a fleeing character isn't pursued during the next exchange then escape is automatic. Note that the winning side must still possess the zone to count as winning and become pursuers. If pursuers chase fleeing characters before victory is established and end up losing then the chase either automatically fails or reverses.

Battle Tactics

Play to your strengths in battle. If you have powerful reach attacks then move quickly into contact with opponents so you can parry and deal damaging effects. If you favor range attacks maneuver to deny your opponents cover. In either case, be wary of your flank line and use a snap to position yourself each round you need to. A skilled combatant can be overpowered when attacked from different directions or surprised from behind. Becoming hidden during battle can be difficult, but allows powerful surprise attacks if the circumstances are favorable. Leaving one decoy in the zone while fleeing with the others can either give you a head start or an advantage if too many opponents chase your decoy and you reappear in the zone. Look for any environmental or situation stunts that you can exploit with a triumph, allowing even your defenses to generate dangerous side effects.

Special Battles

• Engagement. An engagement will have a number of hotspots. Each hotspot is a separate battle, and the side that holds the most hotspots wins the engagement. Each extra hotspot after the majority forces the opponents to withdraw for an extra day. Some hotspots may be contested simultaneously, forcing the band to only participate in only one, or to split their forces across multiple hotspots.
• Massacre. A massacre is an ambush that is a heavily weighted against one side. The outcome is certain, but the encounter is played to determine who (if anyone) survives the initial attack and how hurt the survivors are. Often in a massacre there will only be one valid escape tile, and it will be on the other side of opposing forces. The idea is that overwhelming forces exist on all the other sides, and you have to push through the weakest pocket of resistance to escape. Any individual who hasn't managed to exit after one or two exchanges is automatically captured or killed.

Version 2.5.0
©2014 Frameworks Games

This is outdated content. Update Needed!