How Overwatch and Primed works

While No Man's Land is a turn-based game, with each party doing their actions during their own turns, there is one exception: Overwatch. Overwatch is an attack that happens on the walker/freeman turn.

Walkers can not overwatch, as they only have one action point. However, walkers instead have a chance of hitting a survivor that runs past a walker (15%). The movement line will turn red, if the walker gets a chance for this free attack.

### How to activate Overwatch

There are two ways to activate overwatch.

1. Do not use your final attack of your turn. In other words, if you could have made an attack, the human will remain in overwatch on the opposing party turn. For AI humans, this in practise means that they do only one quick move and no attack. For the player, there are more options, but you need to have an attack remaining. For example, Fighter Rosita could deplete all her attacks but leave her with some movement remaining. In this case, she would not remain in overwatch when the turn is finished.
2. The Primed armor trait. The Primed armor trait is not depending on action points, but will activate based on its percentage (which varies depending on the rarity level of the trait, which is boosted by Lucky). Note that Primed activation will be tested every time a walker moves, so it might not activate on the first walker to move, but will activate eventually if enough walkers move.

It is worth keeping in mind that there is no such thing as being "Primed". Primed is simply a trait which activates overwatch.

Note that overwatch in all cases can only activate once per round.

Using the support Dog on a human in overwatch will deactivate its overwatch. This can be useful on GW PvP or in Outpost missions.

A human in overwatch will be indicated by the glowing circle beneath them:

### How Overwatch Works

When a human is in overwatch, it will always attack **the first walker that moves**, that is in range of the survivor (check this link for a detailed description on walker order of movement). If several humans can overwatch the same target, the one closest to the walker will overwatch first. If several are at the same range, they will overwatch in portrait order. Walkers that do not move (for example if they already stand next to their target) will never be overwatched.

Note that herded walkers will not be overwatched.

It is worth keeping in mind that overwatch does not make any kind of consideration to the actual threat of the walker. That is, a crippled walker 2 tiles away will move first and be overwatched - even though it can't possibly reach the survivor, while a fast walker 3 tiles away will move later and not be overwatched, allowing it to reach and attack the survivor. Similarly, two melee survivors with Mercer's Axe (which interrupts the walker) being approached by one walker each, will both attack and interrupt the first walker, while the second walker can approach and attack uninterrupted.

### Damage of Overwatch attacks

Overwatch damage is reduced to half of normal damage. It can be increased by the following traits:

* Vigilant will increase damage depending on the lvl of the trait.
* Sniper Morgan's LT increase damage depending on the lvl of the trait.

### Using Cripple and Ensnare on Overwatch

A walker or human that is being crippled by overwatch can complete its movement, but is not able to attack. Walkers that haven't yet started their moves and are being crippled by an overwatch attack will not be able to do anything. This can be extremely useful especially for Assault survivors using a crippling weapon, as shown in the example below.

Here Mercer is using the crippling Champion Assault Rifle. Instead of shooting, he saves the attack and goes into overwatch (or uses the attack and relies on Primed to get into overwatch anyway). The marked walker in the picture is closest and will move first, triggering Mercer's overwatch. The walker will move normally, but all other walkers behind it being hit by the overwatch attack will become crippled and can't move at all.

Note that gold cripple has a 75% chance of activating on bodyshots, so you need a minimum of 34% lucky for it to be guaranteed against high level walkers.

Ensnare work just like cripple, but unlike cripple there is no guarantee of it activating (max 60% + lucky for melee and 40% + lucky for ranged AND it needs to be a non-bodyshot so Piercing / Razor must first activate).

A walker that is being stunned by an overwatch attack obviously will immediately become stunned and cannot attack.

### The Interrupt Trait

The Interrupt trait works only on overwatch, and if it activates will hinder the walker from making its movement and attack. Interrupt is a chance based trait, and will never to be completely guaranteed to activate (maximum chance is gold interrupt at 60% + triple lucky at 65% = 99%). If a walker is interrupted with a ranged weapon, it will sometimes be able to move one step, sometimes two.

Note, however, that many weapons (for example Mercer's Axe, Croat's Hook Knife and Burazi Stop Sign) have a built-in guaranteed interrupt.

Unlike cripple, interrupt always affects one walker only so even assaults and hunters will always interrupt only one target. This means that in most cases, cripple is actually better for interrupting walkers. However, unlike cripple, interrupt is not a *status effect*, which means it will work on Commonwealth Walkers, who are resistant to status effects. Similarly, interrupt will work when marked by Negan's LT.

### Ezekiel's Pretaliate Attack

While Ezekiel's LT is not an overwatch attack, its mechanics work just like overwatch. When using Ezekiel in lead, it means a survivor can first overwatch a target, and then Pretaliate against the same or another walker (or the other way around). This can be a powerful mechanic for walker crowd control.

### Using Morning Star on Overwatch

The Morning Star will always push on overwatch, regardless of if razor activates or not.