Strategic Map[]
| Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. | |
| --The Art of War , by Sun Tzu | Chapter I, line 24 |
A battle will occur when any army attacks another army. Since an army can exist of at most 6 units, this limits the size of the battle, but not as much as it might seem.
Adjacent Hex Rule[]
| We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few. | |
| --The Art of War , by Sun Tzu | Chapter IV, line 14 |
This is because of what is known as the Adjacent Hex Rule. This rule means that all armies adjacent to the defending hex get pulled in the battle, provided that they are allied with one of the sides, but not with both. This allows battles to start with up to 42 units. You can thus enter combat with higher numbers than your enemies, or for example to attack your opponent from multiple sides, forcing him to spread his resources thin.
Siege Combat[]
| You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. | |
| ----The Art of War , by Sun Tzu | Chapter IV, line 7 |
With Siege Combat, this works slightly differently. While the Adjacent Hex Rule applies as to which armies are in combat, all defending armies will be placed inside the walls, and all attackers will be placed outside them, side by side. Therefore, it is impossible to attack a city from multiple sides.
Units on water tiles will participate in the battle, under the condition that they can also move on land. This will also apply to all embarked units.
The other way around, attacking ships in harbor will cause all the units in the city that can traverse water to aid the ships in defense; this will draw them out of the city walls, and can thus be used to weaken an enemy's garrison without having to face the walls straight away. Note that this will not draw units in the battle who can embark, only those who can inherently traverse water.
Terrain[]
| We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. | |
| --The Art of War , by Sun Tzu | Chapter XI, line 54 |
Also, planning for battle, be it offensive or defensive, it is important to note on which terrain the battle will take place. First of all, all racial units have terrain preferences. They will receive a +200 
boost to Morale when fighting on terrain they like, a -150 Morale penalty on terrain they dislike, and a -300 Morale penalty on terrain they hate. Morale is one of the less visible factors of combat - it has a large influence, but can be hard to see.
Aside from morale reasons, some types of units function better in certain terrains. For example, forests have (hexwise) large obstacles, but these give no ranged damage penalties to units standing next to them. This will give an advantage to archers, since they can all attack, while there are only a few routes a melee unit can take to contest their position, sometimes taking up to three turns of movement.
The terrain types vary slightly in combat. Any special sites, like gold mines or mana nodes, usually have relatively many obstacles between the area of the center hex and the location of the surrounding hexes, while open ground of the types Barrens, Fertile Plains and Wetlands are quite alike in their openness. Inside a city's domain, the Fertile Plains will have fences, which can force one to funnel their troops to small openings - however, these fences are easily destroyed.
Attacking Treasure Sites[]
Aside from a few sites like the Gold Mine, Flowrock Quarry, Great Farm and Trading post, many sites also have a Combat Enchantment in addition to troops guarding it. These range from spells like 
Chant of Unlife, to 
Mass Curse, to 
Static Electricity. It is generally a good plan to see what sort of enchantment you'll be facing. This page gives an overview of the treasure sites, and will incorporate the enchantments shortly.
Melee Attacks[]
A significant part of combat is of course the melee. Nearly all units can strike in melee, the sole exceptions being some machines. For melee units, the disadvantage is to close in, but once they are there, it can be difficult for any force to disengage.
Threatened Area[]
Any unit standing in the three hexes adjacent to the front side of a unit (Called the Threatened Area) is engaged. Units can perform retaliation strikes and attacks of opportunity against targets standing in this area. Also, most ranged attacks and a significant number of abilities are disabled whenever a unit is engaged. For this reason, the direction your units are facing at the end of the combat round can be an important advantage. Also for this reason, more mobile units are advantageous, as they can reach ranged and support units sooner to engage them. Units can be turned by attacking them, but they do not turn whenever making attacks of opportunity.
If a unit is on guard at the end of a player's combat turn, every adjacent hex is considered their threatened area.
Retaliation[]
Retaliation happens when a unit that has the melee strike ability and action points available gets attacked from within its threatened area by a melee strike. When being flanked a unit will turn to face its attacker, so it will retaliate on the second and third strikes if it can. There are certain abilities that affect how retaliation works. For more information on these see 
First Strike, 
Martial Arts, 
Tireless, and 
Total Awareness.
Pounce and 
Assassin's Strike can't be retaliated against, even by a guarded unit with first strike.
There is a rare situation in which a retaliation strike can be made outside of the threatened area even when the unit is not guarded nor has total awareness. If an enemy unit moves from either of the two sides of its threatened area, absorbs an attack of opportunity from it, and then attacks it from the flank (even directly behind it), it may trigger a retaliation attack.
Attacks of Opportunity[]
Moving a unit from the threatened area to another hex on the tactical map provokes an attack of opportunity. Attacks of opportunity cannot be retaliated, have the flanking bonus, and cost the attacking unit 1 action point. Only units with 
Melee Strike are able to perform attacks of opportunity. While attacks of opportunity punish and discourage movement through the threatened area, because the attack does cost an action point (unless the unit has tireless), there are several situations when it is advantageous to purposely move through the area.
When choosing a path for a unit to move along, little red markers will appear in hexes that will provoke an attack of opportunity. One red marker is shown for each unit that will perform an attack if the unit moves through.
Some abilities or spells will prevent a unit from taking Attacks of Opportunity, like 
Sprint or Haste.
The 
Predator and 
Backstab abilities are triggered by attacks of opportunity.
If a unit is out of Action Points or can't damage the other unit with a melee attack (due to protections or being heavily debuffed), it will be unable to perform the melee attack, including retaliation attacks and attacks of opportunity. If a unit is 
Slowed, it can't perform retaliation attacks and attacks of opportunity.
Guard Mode[]
Guard Mode is an easily underestimated tool. First and foremost, it will raise the 
and 
of a unit by 20%, 40% if the unit has 
Defender. This will allow even Tier I units to survive much more than they otherwise would. Often, an army that is composed mostly of ranged units, is better served by having their accompanying infantry on guard rather than attacking; they might not deal as much damage, but they will last much longer, both because of their higher stats, as well as not receiving retaliations. In a fight of equal combatants, this bonus can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Secondly, a unit on guard has a larger threatened area. All enemy units surrounding them are engaged, instead of only those in the front. This will allow a single infantry to "disable" multiple archers, simply by standing between them on guard mode. If he had attacked, the other archer could move backwards one hex without getting an attack of opportunity, and shoot for full damage, and then the attacked archer could repeat this.
Lastly, a unit in Guard mode cannot be flanked. It will always turn towards any attacker and will always have the benefit of 
shields. Even when the guarding unit has used up all his action points, he still cannot be flanked, at least until his guard is broken or the next round.
Ranged Attacks[]
Ranged attacks offer a way to damage your opponent without it being able to retaliate. Ranged attacks also offer a way to reach out further onto a battlefield that is an alternative to having higher mobility. As such, ranged attackers create a standoff zone that can punish an opponent for initiating the action.
Ranged attackers often have weaker melee attack and defense capabilities, so they usually need to stay further back and have friendly melee units occupy enemies for them.
Many ranged attacks can provide a debuff along with their damage and can do so more safely than with melee attacks, like the scoundrel's 
Inflict Crippling Wounds ability.
Ranged attacks come in three main types, several uncommon forms, and some unique forms.
Ranged Attack Types[]
Can Trigger 3 Times[]
The first main type is a medium range shot (maximum range 5 hexes) that can trigger 3 times. Archers and support units typically have this ability. It can do more overall damage than single shot attacks if all 3 shots or at least 2 of the 3 shots are taken. Because it can be triggered 3 times, besides the additional damage, it has more opportunities to apply any debuff abilities that the unit has.
A unit will be able to move one hex and still be able to fire 3 times. It will usually be able to move two hexes (more mobile units may be able to move three hexes) and fire twice, which is sometimes a good option to avoid a 50% damage reduction Ranged Penalty
There is almost no variation in the maximum range of these attacks, with only the halfling brew brother's short range 
Throw Cleavers ability being the exception. All of these type of attacks "cannot be used while the unit is engaged". This attack type usually uses an "arcing shot". This is also the only ranged attack type that never has a cooldown time.
If a ranged attacker of this type shoots at a non-mounted melee unit, which typically can move 4 hexes and then attack once, the melee unit can engage the ranged attacker in combat - unless an obstacle or a friendly unit is put in the way.
Single Shot[]
The second main type is a medium range single shot that does more damage than a shot that can trigger 3 times. Irregulars typically have this ability. It has the advantage of allowing the unit to use its full movement while still being able to do its full damage.
There is more variation in maximum range and of these attacks. Most of these attacks cannot be used while the unit is engaged, but some of them can be. This attack type usually uses a "straight shot", which has a more severe Line of Sight Penalty if the target is obscured. Many of these attacks have cooldown times.
These ranged attackers typically have more melee capability and combined with their ability to fully move and then fully fire, are better at moving into close range to do maximum damage, particularly with a flank attack.
Area of Effect[]
The third main type is an area of effect attack that can come in many different forms. They all punish an opponent for clumping up and encourage the opponent to spread itself too thin. Like with single shot ranged attacks, it has the advantage of allowing the unit to use its full movement while still being able to do its full damage. It also has the advantage of usually ignoring Line of Sight and Ranged Penalties, however, that may come at the expense of ignoring flank attack bonuses.
They come in many shapes, sizes, and maximum ranges. the most basic form being hitting units in a target hex and every adjacent hex. Dragons and some other units have a breath weapon that has a large area of effect in an arc starting from the dragon's position. The frostling ice queen's 
Ice Nova, a quasi-ranged attack, damages all units next to it and breaks the guard of every unit within 3 hexes. The tigran sphinx's 
Sun Disc hits all units between 5 and 8 hexes away in a straight line.
Most of these attacks can be used while the unit is engaged and most of them have a cooldown time.
Maximum Range, Non-damage Abilities, and Spells[]
The possible maximum ranges are short (3), medium (5), long (7), and extreme (9). Standing on wooden walls or stone walls increases the range of a units damaging range attack by 2 hexes.
Non-damage attack/debuff/conversion/disabling abilities have these variations in range too, but they also include the touch 'range', entering the melee attack sphere. These 'attacks' are usually single shot, but can also be area of effect debuff abilities, like 
Wail of Despair. They all have a cooldown time.
Spells have unlimited range, reaching every hex on a battlefield and can be cast even after a hero uses all of its movement. The rogue's 
Smoke Screen spell strongly counters ranged attacks, but may not help versus spells. A leader's spells can even range from beyond the battlefield, at the cost of double the global casting points and mana.
Pounce is a unusual melee attack that has a maximum jumping range of 3.
Penalties and Other Restrictions[]
There are two possible penalties to damaging ranged attacks, a Line of Sight Penalty and a Ranged Penalty.
Attack from further away than half your range can trigger a Ranged Penalty, reducing the damage dealt by 50%. Hexes where this penalty applies are indicated by a dotted circle instead of a solid circle. Some ranged attack abilities ignore range penalties, as mentioned in their descriptions.
Objects between the attacker and the target can trigger a Line of Sight Penalty, reducing the damage dealt by 50% or 75%, depending on whether the shot is an arcing shot or a straight shot, respectively, as mentioned in the ability's description. Some ranged attack abilities ignore line of sight penalties, as mentioned in their descriptions. When an attacker is next to an object, usually that object doesn't trigger a Line of Sight Penalty.
For most ranged attacks, a line of sight is needed. Line of sight is generous, with only walls and columns that go all the way from the floor to the ceiling, as found in some treasure sites, possibly completely blocking a line of sight. The same obstacles prevent flight and floating over/through them unless the unit has the 
Pass Wall ability.
A few ranged attacks require 3 action points, namely call lightning, a trebuchet's hurl boulder (but not a stone giant's hurl boulder), and 
Thunderstorm (see the Ability Usage section).
Flanking[]
Attacks that hit a unit from a direction outside of that unit's threatened area get a flanking bonus to the attack. Flanking causes the attack to do more damage: an additional 2 damage for each damage type.
A unit that is flank attacked will turn to face its attacker, so it will be flanked only once per attacker regardless of the number times the attack can trigger. Even when the flanked unit turns, the attacker will always get one more attack in than the defender can retaliate against, even if the defender has first strike. However, if the unit is disabled (webbed, stunned, etc), it will not turn to face its attacker and will always be flanked, even from the front.
Flanking with ranged attacks works when the ranged attack is at an angle of more than 60 degrees away from a full-frontal attack. This means that a unit is safe from ranged flanking in its 120 degree frontal arc, or rephrased, an arc extending directly outwards from the three hexes adjacent to the front side. Like with melee attacks, a flanked unit will turn towards its attacker, even if it can't directly face it, strictly speaking.
Flanking will bypass the shield and the sun shield and melee flanks will bypass First Strike and will trigger backstab. A unit with first strike and all of its action points will still retaliate less than the number of attacks, as the flanker will get the first attack without retaliation and still make its second attack before the defender retaliates.
Status effects that completely disable a unit from any and all actions, like 
Stunned, 
Panicked, 
Frozen, 
Ensnared in Net or any other variant, makes the affected unit always flanked, even when struck multiple times from the same direction or the front.
Blinded units have a threatened area reduced to 0° degrees, and they are flanked by any attack not coming from the direction they face. For melee attacks, this means there are more angles to flank the unit, but the flanked unit will still turn to face the second and third attacks, if any. For ranged attacks, however, the flanked unit can only turn to face one of the six median directions of an hexagon, and this means that an attacker positioned outside of these directions will land up to three flanking attacks on its blinded target.
Total Awareness negates the possibility of a flank attack, unless the unit is disabled or blinded.
Attacks with multiple damage types profit extra from flanking, since every damage type will get the bonus individually. This means that a normal melee unit will get a 2 damage bonus, but a Watcher ( Melee Strike(11 
3 
3 
) will get a net + 6 damage bonus.
More mobile units are of course better at flanking. They can more easily reach enemy flanks, particularly if they are a flying unit, making 
flying units with 
Charge particularly dangerous.
Ability Usage[]
Almost every unit has access to one or more abilities in combat. These vary from Melee Strike, to ranged attacks, to supporting abilities that either enhance your own troops or weaken the enemy's troops.
Action Points[]
Each ability requires some number of action points to use. Some of the most common abilities such as the Melee Strike or 
Shoot Bow can be triggered up to three times, where the number of times is dependent upon the number of action points remaining. Others, like 
Throw Stones, can be used only once, but after any amount of movement.
Each round of combat, all units have three action points, which are used up as the unit moves or attacks. The number of hexes that a unit can move per action point depends upon the movement points of the specific unit in conjunction with its movement costs. Walking and floating units require 6 movement points per hex while flying units require 5. 
Athletics reduces that to 5 and 4, respectively. As indicated on the ground when selecting a unit, if the unit moves inside the green zone it'll still have 3 action points, the yellow zone indicates 2, and the orange (red) zone indicates 1 action point. A higher mobility unit will have larger action zones.
Although most abilities require only one action point to use, some such as 
Call Lightning and 
Hurl Boulder require 3 action points to use. This prevents units from moving too many hexes and then using the ability in the same turn.
The Action Points are awarded at the end of your own turn, and are expended whenever a unit retaliates or uses an Attack of Opportunity. This can cause a unit to be out of action points even before your turn starts.
Cooldown[]
Numerous abilities have cooldown periods which range from 1 
to once per combat. The number of turns listed is the number of turns the unit cannot use that ability.
There are also some abilities like 
Fire Mortar that begin on cooldown, so that they cannot be used in the first round of combat, but can be used normally from the second round on.
Regardless of whether the effects of the ability were resisted or not, the cooldown is still in effect. Thus, even if an ability like 
Convert fails, the unit can no longer use that ability for the rest of combat.
Obstacles[]
Obstacles are the places where units cannot move through. This includes everything from city walls, buildings, columns, trees, rocks, farm fences, and units. They often give Line of Sight Penalties when in the way of ranged attacks and can thus provide cover for units. They can block approaches to ranged troops and can force melee troops into small channels of attack. Walls, farm fences, and other humanoid created objects can be destructible, allowing movement onto them once destroyed. Friendly units can be moved, of course, and enemy units can be killed if they prove too bothersome.
Calculations[]
See Calculations for how damage is calculated.
Unit Experience[]
See Unit Experience for how experience is gained through combat.
Strategy[]
Strategies which are specific to classes, races, or units are listed with those classes, races or units. This section is here for general Strategies.
Flying and Floating[]
Floating units are able to cross obstacles, however, they cannot move directly through units, and they will take Attacks of Opportunity.
Flying units are able to cross all obstacles with the exception of certain impassable walls, fly over units, and will only take Attacks of Opportunity on the location they leave.
The Advanced Logistics empire upgrade provides a tremendous boost to flying units (not to floating units) in tactical combat against unit that don't Melee Strike (e.g: machines, like most dreadnought units).
With Advanced Logistics, flying units, which receive +3 movement, can flank and still be able to do 3 attacks against such units. If the flying unit also has charge, then it can charge and flank and still do 3 attacks. Without Advanced Logistics, they can only do 2 attacks if they charge and flank.
Floating units don't get this bonus.
As mentioned above, floating units can't move through units, thus flying units will be able to use their AoE ability more efficiently/optimally than floating units, especially in a battle that has many units participating in it.
Autocombat[]
If a stack has mostly melee units or all units in the stack are melee, then melee units in that stack with different movement points will result in the faster unit often get killed.
E.g: A stack composed of 1 flyer, 1 cavalry, 3 infantry, 1 pikeman will often result in the flyer getting killed, even if it's a T3 flyer.
So make sure to put fast units with other fast units in the same stack to mitigate the loses.
Flanking with Numbers[]
This is an insight about how to safely take down a T4 with T1 units without a specific setup.
When a guarding units lose all action points, it won't be able to attack at all and will lose the guard/defense mode in the next round.
In the early game against a guarding T4, three T1 units can attack the T4, one melee strike per T1 unit. If a T1 units can attack more than once, just allow that unit to wander a bit until it loses some movement points so that it can only attack the guarding T4 unit once. The purpose of this is to reduce the retaliation damage from said T4 to those T1 units, and to disable the guard/defense mode of said T4 in the next round after all three T1 units attack it, allowing those T1 units to deliver massive damage in the next round.
This can be used to isolate and disable that T4 without having a T1 killed.
The Advantages of Ranged Attack Penalties[]
The Line of Sight and Ranged Penalties are not always detrimental. They give ranged attackers much more control over how much damage that they can do compared to melee attackers. Because of these penalties, a ranged attacker can reduce its damage to as low as 1/8th of 'maximum'. This can help with gaining more 
for units and heroes, with fine tuning damage when trying to first strike pin a unit, and when trying to debuff a target of conversion. In the hands of a necromancer, a humble slingshot can make the conversion attempt success rate of even a human priest reach the 100% mark.
The penalties are, however, a huge disadvantage when attacking walled settlements, where your ranged attack damage needs maximization, not control.