Combat

Warriors can be given two kinds of combat actions: close combat and ranged combat. A warrior given a close or ranged combat action is the attacker. The warrior against which the attack is made is the target.

## Important Combat Concepts

The following general rules apply to both close and ranged combat.

### Attack types

There is one close combat attack type — the sword attack type — and two ranged combat attack types—the bow and wand (magic) attack types. An attack type indicates that a warrior excels at a certain kind of attack. It gives the warrior access to certain combat proficiencies and attack bonuses, and might allow the warrior to wield certain items.

If a warrior makes a close combat attack, and it has the sword attack type, the close combat attack is an attack of that type. If a warrior makes a close combat attack, and it does not have the sword attack type, the close combat attack has no attack type. If a warrior makes a ranged combat attack, and it has the bow or wand attack type, the ranged attack is an attack of that type. If a warrior makes a ranged combat attack, and it does not have one of those attack types, the ranged attack has no attack type.

### Critical hits and misses

When you give an action to a warrior that requires an attack roll, and the result is 2 (two ls showing on the dice), the attack automatically misses, even if the attack result is high enough to hit the target. This is called a critical miss. It represents a weapon backfire or the attacker straining or wounded itself during the action. The attacker is dealt 1 pushing damage after a critical miss.

If the result is 12 (two 6s showing on the dice), the attack automatically succeeds, regardless of what is needed to hit. This is called a critical hit. If the attack was meant to deal damage, the critical hit deals +1 damage. If the attack was a ranged combat attack against multiple targets, this +1 damage is dealt to each target.

If the attack was meant to heal a warrior of damage, the attack automatically succeeds, and the target is healed of +1 damage.

### Damage

When your warrior succeeds at an attack, the damage dealt to the target is equal to the warrior’s damage value, affected by any modifiers. Your opponent must turn the target’s combat dial clockwise a number of times equal to the damage dealt. All damage from the same attack is dealt at the same time.

### Eliminating

As soon as three skulls appear in a warrior’s stat slot, it is eliminated and must be removed from the battlefield.

### Healing

Some special abilities make it possible to heal a warrior of damage. When a warrior is healed of damage, turn its combat dial counterclockwise; never turn past a warrior’s starting marker. A warrior with the golem damage type has repair markers on its dial. Whenever a warrior with the golem damage type is healed of damage, turn its combat dial counterclockwise until either the starting marker or a repair marker appears in the stat slot. A warrior cannot be healed while a repair marker appears in its stat slot.

### Resolving an Attack

To resolve an attack, roll two six-sided dice (called the attack roll) and add the attacker’s attack value; this total is the attack result. If the attack result is equal to or greater than the target’s defense value, the attack succeeds and your warrior deals damage to the target.

### Targeting friendly warriors

Warriors friendly to each other cannot target each other with damaging attacks. Additionally, a warrior can never target itself with any attack or special ability.

## Close Combat

Close combat represents hand-to-hand and melee weapon attacks; any warrior can make a close combat attack. In order for a warrior to make a close combat attack, its controller must first give it a close combat action. In addition, the front arc of the attacker must be in base contact with the target of the attack. Close combat attacks deal damage equal to the attacker’s damage value.

If a warrior making a close combat attack is in base contact with a target’s rear arc, it gets +l to its attack value. A warrior with the sword attack type might have an attack bonus that adds to its attack value when it is given close combat actions. This attack bonus is not subject to the rule of 3.

### Close Combat Proficiencies

Warriors with the sword attack type can use the gang up and surge proficiencies.

### Capturing

Warriors with the sword attack type can capture opposing warriors. To capture an opposing warrior, give the attacker a close combat action targeting a single opposing warrior; the attacker gets –3 to its attack value. If the attack succeeds, the target takes no damage but becomes the attacker’s captive. A warrior with a captive is called a captor. The captor gains the boot speed type instead of its speed type and must use the lower of its and its captive’s speed values. The captor can be given only move actions, unless it tries to eliminate the captive. When moving with its captive, a captor must be in base contact with the captive both before and after the move.

Remove any action tokens from a warrior when it becomes a captive. Only a captive’s captor can target it with an attack, and then only to eliminate it. A captive never takes damage. A captive is neither a friendly nor an opposing warrior to any other warrior. A captive cannot be given actions, and its special abilities, speed types, and items are ignored. A captive is freed if its captor is eliminated. Freed captives immediately cease being captives, and all captive traits no longer apply. Other than eliminating its captive, a captor cannot get rid of its captive and cease being a captor.

A captor can eliminate its captive. To eliminate its captive, give the captor a close combat action targeting its captive. The captor gets –3 to its attack value for that attack. If the attack succeeds, eliminate the captive. If the attack is unsuccessful, the captive takes no damage. The gang up proficiency cannot be used when a captor attempts to eliminate its captive.

## Ranged Combat

Ranged combat represents long-distance attacks, such as those using bows, guns, or magical spells. Each warrior has a range value on its base. This value is the maximum number of inches that its ranged combat attack can reach. If your warrior’s range value is greater than 0 and it is not in base contact with an opposing unit, you can give it a ranged combat action. Place one end of the ruler at the center of the attacker’s base and draw a straight line to the center of the target’s base. This line is called the line of fire.

A line of fire must pass through the attacker’s front arc, and can be no longer than the attacker’s range value. The line of fire is blocked if it crosses a warrior’s base (friendly or opposing) other than the attacker’s and the target’s. If the line of fire is blocked, the attacker cannot make a ranged combat attack against the target. You can check a potential line of fire at any time during the game. A successful ranged combat attack deals damage to the target equal to the attacker’s ranged damage value.

If a line of fire passes through the target’s rear arc, the attacker gets +1 to its attack value. A warrior with the bow or wand attack type might have an attack bonus that adds to its attack value when it is given a ranged combat action. This attack bonus is not subject to the rule of 3.

### Ranged Combat Against Multiple Targets

A warrior might be able to affect two or more targets with a single ranged combat action. No warrior, however, can target a single warrior more than once with any one ranged combat action. Each warrior has one or more arrow symbols next to its range value. The number of arrow symbols is the maximum number of different targets that warrior can target with a single ranged combat action. To affect multiple targets with a ranged combat attack, the attacker must be able to draw an unblocked line of fire to each target.

Certain special abilities, such as Stormfire, also allow ranged combat actions to be resolved against multiple targets, but an unblocked line of fire need be drawn only to the target of the special ability. When your warrior is attempting to target multiple targets with a ranged combat attack, you make only one attack roll. Compare the attack result to every target’s defense value. Some targets with low defense values might be affected by the attack, while others with high defense values might be unaffected. After determining against which targets the attack succeeds, divide the attacker’s ranged damage value among the targets. The attacker can deal 0 damage to a target.

### Ranged Combat Proficiencies

Warriors with the bow attack type can use the point blank and precision proficiencies. Warriors with the wand attack type can use the counter spell proficiency.

## Attack Sequence

Use the following sequence of events to make a close or ranged combat attack:

1. Give a close or ranged combat action to your attacking warrior (or primary attacker of an attack formation).
2. Declare the target(s) of the attack.
3. Declare a capture attempt, if applicable.
4. The attacker chooses which of its optional special abilities to cancel and determines any modifiers to its attack value.
5. The target chooses which of its optional special abilities to cancel and determines any modifiers to its defense value.
6. Apply the rule of 3 to the attacker’s attack value modifiers and the defender’s defense value modifiers, if applicable.
7. Make an attack roll and determine if the attack succeeds.
8. If the attack succeeds, calculate the damage dealt:
	* A. Modify the attacker’s damage value or ranged damage value, as appropriate.
	* B. Apply the rule of 3 to the total damage value modifi ers, if applicable.
	* C. If capturing the target, deal no damage. Otherwise, deal damage to the target(s) equal to the attacker’s close or ranged damage value, as appropriate. If the attack roll was a critical hit, increase the damage dealt to each affected warrior by 1.
9. Apply effects generated by the damage dealt and/or the attack (for example, the Vampirism or Smite special abilities).
10. Give an action token to each warrior contributing to the attack.
11. Apply pushing damage to any warrior that received a second action token as a result of the action.

1. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-2.0-Sorcery-Rules-2004.pdf
2. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-2.0-Complete-Rules-of-Play-2003.pdf