A key element of gameplay is the attack action, let's go through how an attack works.
Action Card
On an action card, an attack can be described in several ways. The first difference is between a Attack and Attack
Melee attacks
Attack are attacks that target nearby (
Adjacent) figures. If the acting figure has a reach over 1, then a Melee attack can target figures 2 tiles away with a Melee attack, but never more.
Range attacks
Attack are attacks that target figure more than the characters reach (default 1) away, but can be used to target figures within reach, but if done so will be subject to the same circumstances as the status effect Confused, i.e. the attack roll is done twice and the lesser value is used for the attack.
Attack damage
The next difference is how the attack damage is calculated. If the action card is phrased as Attack then the acting figures Melee strength (or enemy strength) is used to determine the amount of damage the attack does. So if a character has a Melee strength of 4, then it is the same as if written as Attack 4. If the attack is written as Attack +2 that would resolve to a Attack 6 in this case, just as Attack -1 would resolve to a Attack 3.
Now we know what damage the attack can do in its default expression, now we roll our attack dice. Let's say our attack damage is 5, then the default attack dice outcome is as follows:
Calculate attack value
| Rolled value | Translates to | Resulting value |
| 1 | Miss | - |
| 2 | -2 damage | 3 |
| 3 | -1 damage | 4 |
| 4 | No multiplier | 5 |
| 5 | +1 damage | 6 |
| 6 | +2 and critical hit | 7 |
This assumes a base attack value of Attack 5
This table is also present on your player dashboard and by acquiring different items and augmentations you can alter it to increase your chances as gameplay progresses. Some attacks also have notes that say that the attack misses on 1-2 or 1-3, which supersedes this and your player stats.
Fixed attack value
If the attack is written as Attack 2 then the attack does 2 damage, but a dice is rolled to possibly change that value, this disregards the characters strength
Rolled attack value
If the attack is written as Attack then a dice is rolled to determine how much damage is done, and it can't miss nor be reduced. What you roll is what damage the attack does, disregarding the characters strength. Rolling a 6 will however still be a critical hit, but not with the +2 added damage.
Summary
Attack: Figure attacks with base melee strength
Attack +1: The number is deducted or added to the base strength of the figure
Attack : A dice is rolled for the amount of damage the attack does, no dice is rolled for multiplier
Attack 4: The attack base value is 4, disregarding the figures strength
Attack +1: The number is deducted or added to the base strength of the figure
Attack : A dice is rolled for the amount of damage the attack does, no dice is rolled for multiplier
Attack 4: The attack base value is 4, disregarding the figures strength
Defence
The targeted figure may now be able to defend against the attack, if it has a value. Shield values can be expressed as either or 2 for instance. In the latter case, the targeted figure will always shield against 2 hit points, but in the former case the defending figure may roll to defend against the attack (enemies always roll to defend if possible), the defense roll table is as follows:
Calculate defence
| Rolled value | Result |
| 1 | +1 Damage |
| 2 | No defence |
| 3 | -1 Damage |
| 4 | -2 Damage |
| 5 | -3 Damage |
| 6 | -4 Damage |
If the attacking figure rolled a 6 then it is considered a Critical Hit and no defence roll can be made, nor shield be used. If the target of the attack does not have a shield value, no defence roll is made.
If the target has both a and for instance a 1 active, then the 1 is resolved first, and one damage point is deducted from the attack before rolling for to defend against the attack. If the target has a then a dice is rolled and the amount rolled is deducted from the damage points without any modifiers.
Summary
3: 3 is removed from the attack value
: The figure rolls for defence
: The figure rolls for defence, the rolled value is deducted
: The figure rolls for defence
: The figure rolls for defence, the rolled value is deducted
Re-roll
All dice rolls can be re-rolled unless otherwise specified by the action. In order to re-roll a dice, you have to spend a Stamina.
Ranged attacks
When performing a ranged attack, you sometimes have to roll the dice to determine if you can reach your target. If the attack is phrased as Attack Distance 4 then no dice is needed for range and you can only hit targets within 4 spaces away. If it is phrased as Attack then you must roll a dice for range as well, so you roll two dice at the same time and when the dice are rolled you can decide which one is used for range and which one is used for damage. The one used for range determines the range as-is, if you roll a 3 then the range is 3 spaces away.
This means that if your range strength is 4, and your target is 3 spaces away and then roll a 2 and a 3, then the dice that rolled a 3 must be used for the range, leaving you with an Attack 2 (since the rolled 2 was used for the attack, which equates to -2 damage) with Distance 3. However, if you roll a 4 and a 5 the 4 is more than enough for the range and you can use the 5 for damage, resulting in a Attack 5 with Distance 4
Range damage
The same different types of damage base exists for ranged attacks, i.e. Attack, Attack 3 and Attack and is calculated the same way as with Attack
Summary
Attack: Figure rolls two dice, decides which one to use for range and the other is used as multiplier for the attack, using their range strength as base value
Attack Distance 2: Figure rolls one dice as a multiplier for the attack, using their range strength as base value
Attack -2: Figure rolls two dice, the base attack is deducted or added the number before using the multiplier dice roll
Attack 4 Distance 3: Figure rolls one dice for strength multiplier
Attack Distance 2: Figure rolls one dice as a multiplier for the attack, using their range strength as base value
Attack -2: Figure rolls two dice, the base attack is deducted or added the number before using the multiplier dice roll
Attack 4 Distance 3: Figure rolls one dice for strength multiplier