Attack Phase

The Attack Phase is the Phase of the Game Turn where Models engage in brutal, close combat. Unlike all the other Phases of the game, the Attack Phase only has one Action Sub-Phase because all Models fight each other at the same time.

## The Cinematics of the Attack Phase

The Attack Phase should be imagined as a collection of swirling melee combats that are occurring anywhere on the battlefield that Models are close enough to other Models to fight. In these melees, Models band together with whatever other Friendly Models are nearby to take on the Enemy that is before them. Models do not simply snap into neat groups or formations to fight but rather, as in real life, fight side by side with whomever happens to be standing near them. Together, they rain blows down upon whatever enemy happens to be close enough to hit.

## Attack: Action Phase Execution

1. Define Melee Combats.
2. Starting with the player who has the Initiative, alternate selecting and resolving each Melee Combat until all Melee Combats have been resolved.

## Melee Combats

Melee Combats can be imagined as "bubbles" surrounding two Models that are in Base to Base Contact with each other and that involve all the other Models nearby.

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> **Melee Combat** - Two Models belonging to different players in Base to Base Contact as well as all Models belonging to any player within 2 inches of either of them, creates a Melee Combat.
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>  File:MeleeCombatsExample.png
>  **Melee Combat Example**
> In this example, there are three different Melee Combats happening on the Tabletop between Models belonging to a Kingdom of Arkland player and a Great Forest Tribes player. Where their Models are in Base to Base Contact, a Melee Combat is breaking out which involves them and all the other Models within 2 inches of them.
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### Combining Melee Combats

Often, you will find that Models end up in more than one Melee Combat “bubble”. When this happens, Melee Combats combine to form one, much larger combat.

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> **Melee Combat Combining Rule** - When any Model is involved in more than one unresolved Melee Combat, players will combine those Melee Combats into one single Melee Combat to resolve it.
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>  File:CombinedMeleeExample.png
> **Melee Combat Combining Example**
> In the example, you can see how a group of regular Melee Combats can combine to form a much larger Melee Combat. This happens when any Model is in more than one Melee Combat. In the image, there are two Melee Combats at the top (Red and Yellow) which do not combine because they share no Models with another Melee Combat. However, the Blue Melee Combats all combine to form one single Melee Combat because Models are shared between the Melee Combats which ties them all together.
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#### The **Scan**

The Scan draws your attention to the point that in order to determine Melee Combats, you need to roughly scan the board to make sure that you combine all the Melee Combats where necessary. Therefore, it is recommended that any time before you begin to resolve a Melee Combat, you should quickly scan around the Models in that Melee Combat to make sure whether you should be combining that Melee Combat with another nearby Melee Combat.

#### Melee Combats Inside Dense Terrain

During the Attack Phase, Models inside Dense Terrain with Enemy Models form a Melee Combat consisting of all the Models inside the Terrain. This Melee Combat will not combine with Melee Combats outside of the Terrain.

**All Resolved Rule** - Resolving a Combined Melee Combat also resolves all of the underlying Melee Combats for the Phase.

## Melee Combats: Dynamic Unit Formations (DUFS)

All the Models in a Melee Combat or Combined Melee Combat form a DUF with the other Friendly Models in the Combat. Thus, the two sides of the Combat are considered the two DUFs.

## Resolving Melee Combats

### Step 1: Select a Melee Combat to Resolve

The player with Initiative selects a Melee Combat to resolve. After this, players will alternate selecting Melee Combats.

Majority Rules

In Chronicles, some Models in the game have Special Rules denoted as a Majority Rule which may only be used if that Model is in the Majority in a DUF.

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> **Only The Majority Can Rule** - To use a Majority Rule, the Denomination in the Majority must have a Majority Rule. If the Denomination in the Majority does not have a Majority Rule, then no Majority Rule may be used.
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> **Single Majority Rule** - If a DUF has two or more Denominations in an equal Majority, you may choose which Majority Rule to apply from those Models, but you may only choose the Majority Rule(s) from one Denomination of Model.
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> **Enough of a Majority Rule** - To qualify to use a Majority Rule, there must be at least 2 Models of the same Denomination in the selected Majority. Further, the DUF must contain at least 3 Models.
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> **Multiple Majority Rules** - If the Denomination of Models selected for the Majority has more than one Majority Rule, you may use all the Majority Rules available to that Denomination of Model.
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> **Majority Wounds Rule** - If a DUF uses a Majority Rule, during Wound Allocation, the player controlling that DUF must first select 2 Models from the Majority Denomination to receive Wounds. Further, if any Models in that Majority Denomination are already missing Wounds, those Models must be the selected Models.
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### Step 2: Roll Dice

For each Model you have in your DUF, grab dice as listed in the top-left corner of its Stat Card. A set of colored boxes will tell you which color dice that Model will roll, and the number inside the colored boxes tells you have many of that color to roll. Roll all the dice for each Model. Doing so will cause your DUF to produce a certain number of **Swords**, **Shields**, and **Skulls**.

#### Re-roll All

Many Special Rules in the game can trigger a player to have to Re-roll All dice. Such Special Rules must be executed at this point, after dice have been rolled but before Step #3: Resolve Meter starts. Once Resolve has been selected, only Special Rules on the Resolve Meter may trigger a Re-roll All, and Resolve Meter Re-roll Alls happen even if a Re-roll All occurred prior to Resolve Meter selection..

### Step 3: Resolve Meter

The number of Shields a DUF rolls is called its **Resolve**. Each Faction has a **Resolve Meter** located on its Faction Card. Total up the number of Shields you have rolled and compare it to the Resolve Meter. You may select the entry on the Resolve Meter which matches the number of Shields you have rolled, or you may **swap down** to select a lower value all the way to 0, which is no selection at all.

#### Order of Selection

The Responder for the turn must select his/her Resolve choice first.

#### Swapping Down and Blue Dice

When you swap down, the difference in value grants you that many Blue Dice to roll. For example, if you roll 8 Shields, but choose the 5 on the Resolve Meter, you will now execute the 5th entry but also roll 3 Blue Dice. If you roll higher than the highest entry, you will perform a swap down and roll Blue Dice for the difference as normal. If you swap down to a 0, you roll a Blue Die for every point of Resolve you generated. For every Shield you roll on these Blue Dice, you will Ignore 1 Wound. (see **Special Rules**).

#### Resolve Limit

The 7th Entry on every Faction’s Resolve Meter is called the Resolve Limit. For any entry selected above the 7th, you will also get the benefit of the Resolve Limit entry. For example, if you choose the 8th Entry on your Resolve Meter, you will apply its rules as well as the rules listed for the Resolve Limit.

#### Tempt Fate

The second entry on the Resolve Meter for every Faction is called Tempt Fate. This selection is designed to allow a player to Re-roll All dice or force the opponent to do so. This selection can create some odds scenarios which are resolved by these rules.

1. If the Responder chooses Tempt Fate to force the Initiator to Re-roll, the Initiator will perform the Re-roll prior to selecting his/her Resolve choice.
2. If the Initiator chooses Tempt Fate to force the Responder to Re-roll, the Responder will perform the Re-roll and then gets to re-select his/her Resolve choice. The Responder cannot choose Tempt Fate again if he/she already chose it.

### Step 4: Wound Allocation

After all players chosen their Resolve, they will allocate Wounds to their DUF.

##### Wound Allocation Procedure

1. A player allocates wounds by selecting a Model in the DUF they control to receive a Wound. (Note the Majority Wounds Rule).
2. Apply 1 Critical Wound or if there are no more Critical Wounds, 1 Non-critical Wound to the selected Model.

Critical Wounds remove 1 Wound from the selected Model and ignore the Model’s Armor. Non-critical Wounds instead remove 1 Armor first, and if the Model has no more Armor, removes 1 Wound from the Model. If a Model reaches 0 Wounds, it is killed and removed.
3. Return to Step #1. Repeat until all received Wounds have been allocated or all Models in the DUF have been removed from play.

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> **A Complex Wound Allocation Example**
> Jason and Emily are resolving a Melee Combat. Jason’s DUF has 3 Warriors and 2 Berserkers. Emily’s DUF has 2 Raiders and 2 Kasene. They both determine how many dice to roll and so. Jason produces 2 Skulls and 3 Swords. Emily produces 2 Skulls and 1 Sword. They decide that Jason will allocate Wounds first. (It doesn’t matter who allocates first.)
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> Jason sees that his Warriors are the Majority Denomination as so must be allocated to first. He allocates 1 Critical Wound (Skull) to a Warrior which only has 1 Wound on its Stat Card. Thus, it is removed. Next, he chooses to allocated the next Critical Wound to a Berserker. Since a Berserker has the Resilient Rule, he rolls a White Die, getting a shield! Thus, the Critical Wound is ignored. However, he must now allocate the final Non-critical Wound to that Berserker and does so, removing it.
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> Emily goes next. She first decides to allocate a Critical Wound that Jason produced to a Raider. They have one Wound, and thus, she removes it. Next, she must allocate the next Critical Wound to a Kasene because they are now in the majority. Kasene have 2 Wounds, so it loses one. Now, she must allocate the next Non-critical Wound to that same Kasene. It has 1 Armor, and thus has its armor depleted. The next Non-critical Wound kills the Kasene, removing its last wound. Finally, with one Non-critical Wound to allocate, she chooses to allocate to the last Kasene Model whose Armor is depleted, but leaves the Kasene unharmed. The Kasene’s armor regenerates, and the battle is over!
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### Step 5: Roll for Morale

After Wound Allocation, the DUF that removed the most Models during Wound Allocation must test for Morale.

If you fail the test for Morale, place a Command Token in Base to Base Contact with any Model in your DUF. This marker can be placed under other Models. Consult the Morale Marker Rule for the results of failing the Morale test.

1. Roll 3 Black Dice.
2. For each Model with the Leader Rule in your DUF, roll an additional Black Die.
3. Determine how many more Models you removed during this Melee Combat than your opponent. (# Models you lost - # Models opponent lost).
4. If the number of Exclamations you roll is greater than or equal to the difference in Models lost in the Melee Combat, you pass the Morale Test. Otherwise, you fail the Morale Test.

### Step 6: Tactical Contest

The Tactical Contest is the part of a Melee Combat in which Models in the combat may be trying to achieve a Tactical Objective. The exact Tactical Objective Models may be trying to achieve are defined by specific Special Rules and Battle scenarios.

1. Each player rolls a Black Die for each Model remaining in her DUF after Wound Allocation that has the Tactical Universal Special Rule.
2. Each player counts the number of Tactical (Exclamation Marks) they roll.
3. The player who rolls the most Tactical achieves the Tactical Objective. On a tie, nothing happens.

### Step 7: Charge Through

After the Tactical Contest concludes, if a DUF has completely wiped out the Enemy DUF, meaning no Enemy Models from that DUF are left on the table, those Models in the DUF may now execute Charge-Through Actions. When this concludes, the Melee Combat is considered resolved. Play now continues to the next Melee Combat, or if there are no more Melee Combats that need to be resolved, the Attack: Action Phase ends.

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> **Attack Phase Additional Rules**
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> **Must Fight Rule** - Any Model that is apart of a DUF must roll its dice..
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> **No Holding Back Rule** - If a Model is eligible to be added to a DUF, it must be added.
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> **Rolling Dice is an Attack Action Rule** - By rolling dice, your Models are each executing an Attack Action..
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> **Must Roll Rule** - You must roll all of the Dice a Model can roll.
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> **Wounded Till Dead Rule** - When selecting a Model to allocate a Wound to, you must select the Model you previously selected if it was not removed from the Tabletop.
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> **Morale Marker Rule** - Friendly Models in a Melee Combat within 6 inches of a Friendly Morale Marker are Hindered.
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> **Nothing to be Afraid of Rule** - If a DUF generated less Wounds than another DUF but there are no Models left in the other DUF after Wound Allocation, you do not roll for Morale.
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> **Must Not Be Broken Rule** - If your DUF failed its Morale Roll, it generates 0 Tactical.
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> **Objective Based Rule** - If the Tactical Objective is an object (such as a piece of Terrain or Marker), you must have at least 1 Model in Base to Base Contact with the object during the Tactical Contest or your DUF generates 0 Tactical.
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> **Multiple Attack Rule** - As an exception to the normal rule which forbids Models from using more than one Action per phase, during the Attack Phase, Models have no limits on the number of Actions they can use.
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> **The Fight Must Go On Rule** - The Attack Phase cannot end until all Melee Combats on the board have been resolved.
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## Attack Phase: End of Phase

During the End of Phase for the Attack Phase, remove any Morale Markers which were not placed during the current Attack Phase.

## Available Actions

Attack Action

The Attack Action is the Action used by Models to participate in a Melee Combat and causes them to contribute their dice to their DUF for Resolving that Combat.

Charge-Through Action

To use a Charge-Through Action, a Model must have been apart of a DUF which completely wiped out an opposing DUF during a Melee Combat. These Actions are only used during Step 7 of resolving combat (above). A Charge-Through Action is identical to a Move Action.

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> **Charge-Through Rule** - If a Model uses a Charge-Through Action to move into Base to Base Contact with an Enemy Model, this creates a new, unresolved Melee Combat. No Model may use a Charge-Through Action twice in the same Game Turn.
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