Tactics

The above sections talk about most normal combat situations. Of course, anything that uses characters with superior Powers can hardly be called normal. To covet a lot of the "special cases:' this section will look at a few of the more interesting tactics that have turned up over the years.

### *Non-Adjacent Weapon Combat:*

In most cases, two characters must be next to each other in order to engage in Slugfest combat, though an exception is noted if the character has a weapon that will reach. Super-strong opponents are always grabbing lampposts, columns. and buses to smash one another For this type of combat. the attacker and target do not have to be adjacent. but should be within 1 area of each other (unless the attacker is using something massive like the a train to strike his or her opponent). The attacker must be able to lift the object he is using, and if the target's material strength or Body Armor is higher, the weapon may be shattered and the item useless.

### *Holding One's Fire:*

If a player has initiative, his character may hold off his attack until an opponent is within the best possible range. In other words, the opponent (loser of initiative) may move according to his plans, but the attacker does not have to attack until the opponent is about to strike. (Agood example is a character defending against a Charging opponent. That character chooses to hold his attack until the opponent is right on top of him. then lets loose.)

### *Pulling Punches:*

This has been covered
above but bears repeating: It is possible to
inflict less damage than maximum for some
attacks, and it is possible to select a lower
effect than the color rolled for other attacks.
Attack forms where reduced damage is
available are Blunt Attacks, Throwing Blunt,
Energy Powers, Force Powers, and
Grappling. and any farm of attack that uses
the magic code phrase "inflicts up to a
certain level of damage." Attack forms
where it is possible to have lesser effects
than found on the Battle Effects Table (for
example, lessening a Stun to a Slam) are
Blunt Attacks. Force Powers, Energy
Powers, Grappling, and Charging.

### *Multiple Targets:*

A character may affect multiple targets by making a single attack that will affect multiple targets, or by making separate attacks against the attackers.

### *Single Roll option:*

Under certain circumstances a character may affect a number of adjacent foes. All targets must be adjacent to the character in question. Attack forms that may use this type of attack are Blunt Slugfest, Escaping, and Energy and Force Powers. Asingle roll is made to affect all the individuals in the area at a - 4CS. Those results are applied to all in that area.

### *Multiple Combat Actions*

Occasionally
heroes may make more than one attack in
the same round, attacking the same target
or different targets. Any character can
make multiple attacks, provided that
character makes a Fighting FEATroll in the
Pre-Action roll. The intensity of the FEAT
depends on the number of attacks desired:
Making 2 attacks in the same round -
Remarkable Intensity FEAT
Making 3 attacks in the same round -
Amazing Intensity FEAT
All multiple attacks are made at -1CS to hit.
If the Fighting FEATfails, only one attack is
made at -3CS. The above applies to Slugfest attacks and
Shooting only. Certain Powers may permit
multiple attacks as Power Stunts without
invoking this rule.

### *Entangling Weapons:*

There are a number
of bolos, nets, and webbing designed as
weapons to entangle a foe. These hit with
an Agility FEAT, but if they hit, the target
must make an Agility FEATagainst the
material strength of the net, webbing, etc.
Failure indicates the target is enmeshed
and may escape by breaking bonds as a
Strength FEAT, or slipping the bonds, if the
character has applicable abilities.

### *Groundstrike:*

The Groundstrike is a tactic
used by individuals with Energy Powers to
inflict concussive damage to a target
without fear of instant death. The idea is to
use the Power to bowl over an opponent
and do damage with the rock and earth
brought up by the attack. If the material
strength is less than the damage inflicted,
the target will take damage equal to the
material strength. In addition. if the material
is relatively thin, the strike may open a
hole, causing the target to fall through
(Agility FEATto avoid). The chief function
of the Groundstrike is that damage is
inflicted on the Force Power Table. It's
disadvantage is that it is hard on the
surrounding territory.

### *Shooting to Neutralize:*

It's often a good idea
to try to shoot a weapon out of a miscreant's
hand. This requires a Bullseye result, and
while it inflicts damage. a Kill result is
treated as a Bullseye as well. This is one of
the few cases where a Kill result may be
reduced. It may be used only to knock an
opponent's weapon out of his hand.

### *Shooting to Stun*

A trick shot, involving
grazing the target in such a way as to knock
him out. This is a Bullseye result for
Shooting combat. A Bullseye result is treated
as a Stun, but a Kill is still a Kill result.

### *Combined Attack*

A single character may
be unable to pierce an enemy's Force Field
or Body Armor, but two or more individuals
striking at the same spot may be able to
affect the foe. As with combined material
Strength FEATs, the two must inflict
damage within in points of each other. The
higher total is raised to the next rank of
damage, at the lowest point (88 for
Unearthly, etc.) providing the individual with
the lower damage ability makes an Agility
FEAT(the one with the higher FEATmust
score a normal hit). This applies to Slugfest,
Charging, and Energy and Force Powers.

### *Double-Teaming*

A form of combined attack
where one attacker holds the target and the
other hits him. The first attacker must get a
Hold or Partial Hold on the target. The
second attacker then gets a +1CS on
attacks (but a miss on the target may hit
the Grappling attacker -- make a second
roll as if attacking that character).

### *Fastball Special*

A special form of Charging
attack developed by Messrs. Logan and
Rasputin of Westchester County. New York,
which involves the more powerful of the two
using the less powerful as a Missile weapon.
The attack supposes the throwing character
can lift and throw the thrown character. The
attack uses the thrower's Agility to hit, or the
thrown's Fighting ability. whichever the
players involved choose. Damage is done
by the thrown character as determined by
Endurance, or by a normal Slugfest attack,
with the thrown character gaining benefits as
for a Charging attack. (Plusses for Speed.)

### *Shockwave:*

A version of the Groundstrike
used by those with Edged or Blunt Slugfest
attacks. The attacker must have a Strength
at least two ranks higher than the material
he is standing on; he then strikes at the
ground with fists, legs, etc.. setting up a
shockwave that will travel up to 2 areas
away in any direction. Those in the path of
the Shockwave are attacked by as if by a
Charge of the attacker's Strength. No
damage is done by a Shockwave attack
(though incidental damage may be inflicted
by damaged buildings, bridges falling
down, etc.) but targets may be stunned or
slammed if these results are rolled.

### *Blindsiding*

A character who is taken by
surprise has a greater chance of being
affected by an attack than one who is
expecting it. ABlindsiding attack gains a
+2CS to hit. and the character hit by a
Blindsiding attack may not add Karma to
any die rolls to determine if the attack
Slams, Stuns, or Kilts. The Judge has final
say on Blindsiding, but guidelines are: if the
character is taken unaware from behind,
the character is distracted, the attacker is
playing possum (the target does not
anticipate an attack), the attack comes from
an unsuspected quarter (an ally or supposed
friend makes the attack). Characters with
extraordinary senses (like Daredevil) or
danger senses (like Rogue, Franklin
Richards, and Spider-Man) cannot be
Blindsided in normal circumstances. Under
special circumstances, though, Blindsiding
these characters can be possible. Spider-
Man was once Blindsided by Aunt May, as
his vaunted spider-sense did not recognize
the dear sweet lady with the lead pipe as a
threat -- let this be a lesson to us all...

### *Shielding*

This tactic involves putting
something between the target and the
attacker, usually an inanimate abject but
sometimes, in the case of hero leaping into
the fray to stop an attack on another
individual, a character himself.
In the first case, the hero may decide to use
something as a shield as an initial action or
as a changed action after initiative is rolled.
if it is an initial action, the hero may perform
another action in addition to the action. If a
changed action, the hero may perform no
other action that round than shielding. In
either case, all other FEATs attempted in
that round, including combat are -2CS
unless the object used as a shield is a
device or object commonly used by the
hero in that way (the hero is comfortable
using the device defensively). The material
strength of the item is used as a form of
Body Armor against the attack (if a garbage
can lid is used as a shield, it will provide
Poor (4) protection). This applies only to
physical attacks and similar attacks that
may be deflected in this manner. This form
of defense may be used against Slugfest,
Throwing, Shooting, and Charging attacks,
but not Grappling and Grabbing attacks.
The hero may also provide a form of
shielding to other targets within the same
area (or within a half-area for ranged
movement) by putting his own body in the
way of an attack directed against another.
The hero may make this decision only in
the decision section of the turn, and then if
the hero is closer to the target than the
attacker (therefore it is only useful against
Shooting, Throwing, and Charging attacks).
The hero (or an object the hero is carrying,
as in the first section) interposes himself in
the line of fire and is considered the target
instead of the intended target.
Example: Spider-Man is standing next to
the Mayor when he sees the barrel of a
sniper rifle sticking out of a window. Spidey
acts to shield the Mayor, making himself
the target of the attack. Were Captain
America standing next to the Mayor in this
situation, then he could bring up his shield
(a common object used for this purpose) to
protect the Mayor and himself (the attack is
considered to be against Captain America,
but his shield may deflect it).

### *Flight and Fight*

A few additional rules
apply to characters engaged in combat
while in Flight:

* A character in flight can be slammed regardless of the character's comparative Endurance. This is because the character is not moored to anything.
* A character in flight may Charge with normal limitations. If the flying character is engaged in a Power dive (dropping straight down), the character can gain a column shift of +4CS (with resulting possible damage for self as well). This applies only to flying characters intent on diving at the target, not to characters leaping, jumping, or falling from high distances (they receive the +3 CS maximum).

### *Firing at a Moving Target*

Acharacter who
is moving is harder to hit. A- 1CS applies
to any target moving up to five areas that
round; a -2CS applies to those against
targets moving up to 10 areas that turn,
and -4CS to those moving faster. The
exception to this is attack on a character
who is Charging directly at the firer -- other
than the target getting rapidly larger, there
is no difference in location.

### *Ambush*

OK, how many times have you
seen this in the comics -- the bad guy is
right around the corner, pistol drawn,
waiting for Moon Knight to come around
the corner and... Blam! The Ambush is an
attack set up against a certain location. As
soon as any character enters that location,
the attack occurs. Karma is spent when the
attack is set up, not made. An Ambush
gains a + 1CS to hit.

### *Aiming (Optional)*

This form of attack is for
use with Shooting, Throwing, and Powers,
in situations where the attacker has the
luxury of spending a turn aiming his
weapon without firing. Acharacter Aiming
for a turn gains a +1CS to hit.

### *Point Blank Range*

There are sometimes
cases where a firer would have to be really
trying to miss -- you know, repulsor up
against the bad guy's head, etc. A Shooting
character who is adjacent to a nonfighting
opponent gains a + 3CS to hit that
opponent. If the opponent is fighting, or
engaged in Slugfest or wrestling, there is a
- 3CS to hit with Missile weapons. Whether
or not a target is fighting is determined
when the attacker fires. If the attacker gets
initiative in the round the opponent tries to
escape, the attacker has a + 3CS -
otherwise, he has a -3CS.

### *Luring*

Luring is a tactic by which the
character makes himself a target in order to
encourage his opponent into attacking him,
whether to keep the opponent from attacking
others, lead the character into an uninhabited
area, or to persuade the opponent to throw a
punch or make a charge, only to jump out of
the way at the last moment. A character
trying to Lure states so. The opponent gets a
+2CS on attacks, but at the moment of
attack, the defender can pull a defensive
move of his or her choice. If the attack
misses, the lured character will hit whatever
was directly behind the luring character (the
character's choice).

### *Using Karma in Combat*

Karma is delved into deeply in the next chapter, but since it has an important effect on combat it should be mentioned here. Karma is used to manipulate the die rolls on the Universal Table. When a character decides to spend Karma, the player simply announces it. You automatically spend 10 Karma points by saying that simple phrase. You can spend more, but 10 points is the requirement for making the statement. On the die roll you are modifying (always the one immediately after the announcement), you add the number of points equal to the amount of Karma you spend (at least 10, the amount you spent to start with). Other uses of Karma are described in the Karma section.