If the attack succeeds and the parry or dodge doesn't, then roll for hit location and damage. Armor protects by subtracting its value from damage done. Assuming both combatants survive then B attacks while A parries or dodges. One such sequence of attack and parry routines is a combat round. That's the basics of the combat system, though there are quite a few complications that you can add in if you want.
Complications can add a lot of fun or they can be tedious.
In game-speak, you spend POW to work magic. The unique thing about RuneQuest is that almost everybody knows some magic. The rat zapper, frinstance, is called Disrupt, and the axe sharpener is called Bladesharp, and they're mainstays of combat in RQ . Every time two hostile groups meet, they first stalk around building up their own confidence and putting blessings on their weapons and themselves, and casting curses at each other. And that's the final point I want to make about RuneQuest .