Melee Attack

Weapon quality infoicons ( ) redirect here. For an explanation on weapon qualities, see Melee Strength.

A Melee Attack is the term used to refer to direct, physical, face-to-face combat between any two units. A Melee Attack is performed when a single unit moves adjacently to an enemy target on the battlefield, and then assaults it directly with weapons, claws, teeth, or whatever other physical weapons are available.

Unlike Ranged Attacks, Melee Attacks cannot be performed at a distance - they require close proximity since physical contact is always made by the two units. This close proximity allows the attacker to also simultaneously unleash "subsidiary" attacks, including Breath, Thrown, Gaze and Touch Attacks, which can significantly increase the damage caused to the target.

On the downside, the close proximity also gives the target an opportunity to make a Counter Attack against the assailant - a process that occurs simultaneously with the Melee Attack. In other words, the target gets to inflict its own damage upon the assailant, putting both units at risk.

All Melee Attacks deliver Melee Damage by default, which is intended to cause actual  Damage points to the target - potentially killing one or more of its  figures. Again, if the attacker and/or the defender possess any Special Attacks, these are often executed as part of the Melee Attack and may cause all sorts of subsidiary harm to either unit. Most units do not possess such attacks, and thus will only deliver Melee Damage.

Initiating a Melee Attack on an enemy unit takes a number of Movement Points equal to 50% of the attacker's Movement Allowance. A Melee Attack may not be performed by a Walking or Swimming unit against a Flying unit, unless special conditions apply.

Concept

During a battle between two armies, units may have different ways of inflicting damage upon their enemies. The most common (and usually most effective) way of doing so is for a unit to march up to an enemy unit and perform a Melee Attack against it.

In a Melee Attack, the attacking unit (known as the Assailant) is assumed to be making direct "hand-to-hand" contact with the enemy - striking at it with hand-held weapons or (in the case of monsters) claws, teeth, et cetera.

The defending unit (known as the Target) usually gets the chance to retaliate. This is called a Counter Attack. When this occurs, both the assailant and the target deliver Melee Damage to each other simultaneously! Therefore, a Melee Attack is often riskier than Ranged Attacks.

Melee Attacks are distinguished from Ranged Attacks and direct-damage spells in several different ways, due to the physical contact made between the assailant and the target. Most importantly, for a Melee Attack to occur the assailant and the target must be adjacent to each other. A Melee Attack may never be performed if there is one or more tiles of distance between them.

Furthermore, once a Melee Attack has been initiated, both assailant and target get the chance to employ additional Special Attacks as dictated by their abilities. This may include Breath Attacks, Gaze Attacks and so forth, most of which take place just prior to the distribution of normal Melee Damage.

Ordering a Melee Attack

Melee Attacks may only be executed against a target that is immediately adjacent to the attacker. Diagonal attacks are fine.

Before initiating any Melee Attack against any target, the attacking unit must first move adjacently to that target. In other words, the attacker and the target must be in adjacent tiles on the battlefield for any Melee to occur between them. Diagonal Melee Attacks are allowed.

While the attacker is selected, put the mouse cursor over the desired target. If a Melee Attack is possible, the cursor will change into an image of two crossed swords. Clicking the mouse button in this case will trigger a Melee Attack by the selected unit against the selected target. If the target is invalid for an attack (for any reason), the cursor will turn into a big red X, and no attack can be ordered.

Of course, computer-controlled units perform the same process without all the visible clicking.

Dealing Melee Damage

Main article: Melee Damage

The main goal in most Melee Attacks is to deliver normal Melee Damage - damage from physical weapons such as swords, spears, claws or teeth, as available.

Under the simplest circumstances, a Melee Attack consists simply of the assailant attempting to deliver as much of this Melee Damage as it can to its target. It will try to kill off as many of the  figures in the enemy target as it can, or otherwise injure the target unit as much as possible.

Melee Damage is explained in its own article (see also Physical Damage for a thorough explanation of the process). In general, the assailant is required to make a number of  To Hit rolls in order to determine how many times it has struck the target successfully. The target then gets to make Defense rolls to try and block or dodge some (or all) of these hits, minimizing damage to itself. After all rolls have been completed, "unblocked" hits are translated into  Damage Points and inflicted directly at the target's  Health score.

Special Attacks

Main article: Special Attack

Delivery of Melee Damage (see above) is only one part of the Melee Attack process. For many units, the Melee Attack actually consists of several different attacks being performed in rapid succession against the target, with each attack potentially delivering extra harm to the target just before or just after Melee Damage is processed. The sequence of these attacks is very specific, and is of extreme importance.

These extra attacks are called "Special Attacks", and many deliver "Special Damage" which often behaves nothing like the Melee Damage described above. In most cases, the purpose of Special Attacks is to kill off extra enemy  figures or neutralize them in one way or another.

Special Attacks may include Breath Attacks, Thrown Attacks, Gaze Attacks, Touch Attacks, and so forth. Each of these attacks delivers a specific type of damage as defined by the unit's abilities and/or equipment. For example, the Fire Breath ability allows a unit to perform a Breath Attack delivering Fire Damage.

As explained below, the sequence in which Special Attacks are delivered is quite rigid, and is very important. The sooner a Special Attack occurs, the more potential it has for preventing the enemy from retaliating (explained in the next section), thus giving extra protection to the attacker.

Counter Attacks

Main article: Counter Attack

In most circumstances, making a Melee Attack against a unit allows that unit to retaliate. This is known as a Counter Attack. In essence, the target gets to deliver its own Melee Damage on the attacker, in much the same way as described above.

Barring special abilities and so forth, Melee Damage is dealt simultaneously by both the target and the attacker. Therefore, the attacker may be in as much risk as the target! This is the complete opposite of Ranged Attacks, where no retaliation is allowed - making the attacker completely safe while the target is the only one who takes damage.

The process of handling Counter Attacks is very complex, and is explained in more details further down this article and on its own article.

Movement Costs

Any Melee Attack initiated by a unit (i.e. not a Counter Attack) costs that unit half of its total Movement Allowance. For example, a unit with a Movement Allowance of 3 will spend 1.5 Movement Points when making a Melee Attack against any enemy.

As a result, a unit may make two separate Melee Attacks each turn - spending half of its movement allowance on one attack, then the remaining half on another attack. Each attack may be directed at a different target, if so desired. This of course would leave the unit with no Movement Points to spend on actual movement this turn.

Alternatively, units may move before and/or after their Melee Attack - in other words, spending half their movement points on attacking, and the rest on movement towards or away from the enemy.

If the unit has at least 0.5 Movement Points remaining, but less than half its Movement Allowance remaining, it will simply spend all remaining points on the attack, and its turn ends immediately afterwards.

Units with 0 Movement Points remaining may not attack at all.

Melee Attack Sequence

As explained earlier, many units' Melee Attacks give the unit a chance to use its various Special Attacks, if it has any. Also, the target of the Melee Attack performs its own Counter Attack, which can also be comprised of several Special Attacks executed in rapid succession. Melee Damage is only exchanged between the attacker and the target at the very end of the Melee Attack process!

In most cases, the sequence is as follows:

Step	Assailant	Target
1	Thrown Attack OR Breath Attack	--
	Gaze Attack	--
2	--	Gaze Attack
3	Melee Damage	Melee Damage

The purpose of this stage-based process is to give the combatants a chance to kill-off or neutralize some or more of the opponent's  figures, reducing the opponent's overall strength before the next stage begins - especially before the opponent can deliver any of its Melee Damage (at stage 3). Thus, a unit with plenty of powerful Special Attacks - particularly Thrown Attacks, Breath Attacks and/or Gaze Attacks - has a chance of completely preventing the enemy from retaliating, and thus minimize or eliminate damage to itself.

The reason is that any  figure killed off during any of the above stages does not get to participate in the subsequent stages of the attack. For example, if a target loses half of its  figures during stage 1, its overall strength by step 3 is half what it had at the start of the process, thus significantly reducing the risk to its opponent.

If either the attacker or defender has lost all of its  figures by the end of any of the above steps, then the Melee Attack ends prematurely with victory for the other unit (assuming it survived).

A unit executes only those Special Attacks that are available to it, and only at the appropriate stages in the process. For example, if the attacker lacks both Thrown Attacks and Breath Attacks, then step 1 is skipped. There are many instances where only step 3 is executed, with both units exchanging only Melee Damage since neither possesses any Special Attacks whatsoever.

Altering the Sequence

For the most part, the sequence of a Melee Attack and the enemy's Counter Attack is set in stone, as described by the table above.

However, there is one Unit Ability in the game which alters this sequence: the First Strike ability.

When the attacker possesses First Strike, the process is rearranged as follows:

Step	Assailant	Target
1	Thrown Attack OR Breath Attack	--
	Gaze Attack	--
2	--	Gaze Attack
3	Melee Damage	--
4	--	Melee Damage

By moving the attacker's Fear Attack and Melee Damage stages up, the attacker has a better chance of killing or neutralizing enemy  figures before they get any chance to retaliate (apart from Gaze Attacks, which are always executed first). Again, the more enemy  figures can be neutralized this way, the less overall strength the enemy has for stage 4, and thus the less damage is caused to the assailant, statistically.

First Strike only works for the attacker in any given Melee Attack - it is never used when Counter Attacking. Furthermore, if the defender has the Negate First Strike ability, then the attacker's First Strike does not trigger, and the sequence remains as described earlier.

The complete picture is as follows. It happens when the attacker possesses First Strike, Haste, and a couple of others, and the defender has Haste, Wall of Fire and a couple of others.

Step	Assailant	Target
1	1st Thrown or Breath Attack*, 1st Immolation & Touch Attack**	--
	2nd Thrown or Breath Attack*, 2nd Immolation & Touch Attack**	--
	Only 1 Gaze Attack*, 1st Immolation & Touch Attack**	--
2	--	Only 1 Gaze Attack*, 1st Immolation & Touch Attack**
3	Wall of Fire	--
4	--	Fear Attack
5	1st Melee Damage***, 3rd/2nd Immolation & Touch Attack**	--
6	Fear Attack	--
7	2nd Melee Damage***, 4th/3rd Immolation & Touch Attack**	1st Melee Damage***, 2nd Immolation & Touch Attack**
	--	2nd Melee Damage***, 3rd Immolation & Touch Attack**

* Thrown, Breath or Gaze Attack is only dealt in this subphase if the ranged attack strength is at least 1.
** Immolation and Touch Attack is only dealt in this subphase if the previously listed attack is dealt. If the Touch Attack comes from a Magical Item, then the previously listed attack must match the weapon's type.
*** Melee Damage is only dealt in this subphase if the melee attack strength is at least 1.

Ground vs. Air

Units that move by Walking and/or Swimming cannot initiate a Melee Attack against units that Fly. Even if the two units are immediately adjacent to each other, the ground unit may not attack the air unit voluntarily.

The reverse, however, is different. Airborne units may freely attack ground units at will, barring any special combat effects that may specifically restrict this for any reason.

There is one main exception to this rule: Ground units possessing Breath Attack, Thrown Attack or Gaze Attack abilities may attack airborne units as normal.

Counter Attacks are almost always allowed regardless of the units' movement types. Therefore, when an airborne unit attacks a ground unit, the ground unit may retaliate as normal. However again, it may not initiate an attack against the airborne unit - only retaliation is allowed.

Spells and Abilities affecting Melee Attacks

Icon	Name	Description
Attack Strength
	Experience Level	up to  +3 for Normal Units or  +8 for Heroes
	Adamantium Weapon	+2 (requires Alchemists' Guild and a nearby Adamantium Ore)
	Mithril Weapon	+1 (requires Alchemists' Guild and a nearby Mithril Ore)
	Berserk	Melee strength doubled, Defence reduced to  0
	Black Channels	+2 (normal units become Undead)
	Lionheart	+3
	Giant Strength	+1
	Flame Blade	+2 (normal units only)
	Metal Fires	+1 for all allied normal units (non-cumulative with Flame Blade)
	High Prayer	+2 for all allied units
	Holy Bonus	+1 or  +2 for all allied units
	Black Prayer	-1 for all enemy units
	Weakness	-2 if unit fails to resist
	Mind Storm	-5 if unit hasn't Illusions Immunity or Magic Immunity
	Warp Creature	Melee strength might be halved (rounded down) if unit fails to resist
	Shatter	Attack is reduced to  1 if normal unit fails to resist
	Chaos Surge	+2 for all units associated with Chaos (including Chaos Channeled units)
	Chaos Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Chaos (including Chaos Channeled units)
	Nature Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Nature
	Sorcery Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Sorcery
	Darkness	+1 for all units associated with Death (including Undead units);  -1 for all units associated with Life; Cloud of Shadow and Eternal Night have same effect
	True Light	+1 for all units associated with Life;  -1 for all units associated with Death (including Undead units); Heavenly Light has same effect
	Leadership	up to  +3 for all accompanying normal units (up to  +4 if Super Leadership)
	Might	up to  +9 (up to  +13 if Super Might)
	Flaming	+3 (if this Item Power is used on a Sword, Mace or Axe)
	Sword	up to  +3
	Mace	up to  +4
	Axe	up to  +6
	Jewelry	up to  +4
To Hit Modifiers
	Experience Level	up to  +30% for Normal Units and Heroes
	Magical Weapon	+10% (requires Alchemy or Alchemists' Guild); same goes for and
	Holy Weapon	+10% (normal units only, cumulative with  Magical Weapon)
	Lucky	+10% (also: enemy  -10% in v1.31)
	(High) Prayer	+10% for all allied units (also: enemy  -10% in v1.31)
	Invisibility	an enemy attacking this unit receives  -10% (unless enemy has Illusion Immunity)
	Vertigo	-20% if unit fails to resist
	Warp Reality	-20% for all units not associated with Chaos (Chaos Channeled units)
	Blademaster	up to  +40% ( +60% if Super Blademaster)
	Sword, Mace	up to  +30%
	Axe	up to  +20%
	Jewelry	up to  +20%
Listed Defense
	Experience Level	up to  +2 for Normal Units or  +4 for Heroes
	Adamantium Weapon	+2 (requires Alchemists' Guild and a nearby Adamantium Ore)
	Mithril Weapon	+1 (requires Alchemists' Guild and a nearby Mithril Ore)
	Iron Skin	+5
	Stone Skin	+1 (non-cumulative with Iron Skin)
	Holy Armor	+2 (normal units only)
	High Prayer	+2 for all allied units
	Holy Bonus	+1 or  +2 for all allied units
	Chaos Channels	normal unit might get  +2 (bugged?)
	Black Channels	+1 (normal units become Undead)
	Black Prayer	-1 for all enemy units
	Mind Storm	-5 if unit hasn't Illusions Immunity or Magic Immunity
	Vertigo	-1 if unit fails to resist
	Warp Creature	Defense might be halved (rounded down) if unit fails to resist
	Chaos Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Chaos (including Chaos Channeled units)
	Nature Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Nature
	Sorcery Node Aura	+2 for all units associated with Sorcery
	Darkness	+1 for all units associated with Death (including Undead units);  -1 for all units associated with Life; Cloud of Shadow and Eternal Night have same effect
	True Light	+1 for all units associated with Life;  -1 for all units associated with Death (including Undead units); Heavenly Light has same effect
	Agility	up to  +9 (up to  +13 if Super Agility)
	Sword	up to  +3
	Mace	up to  +1
	Shield	up to  +6 (and Large Shield)
	Chainmail	up to  +7
	Platemail	up to  +8
	Jewelry	up to  +4
Non-listed Defense
	Weapon Immunity	Defense is increased to  10, but only if attacked by a normal unit (not hero), that hasn't , , , Holy, Eldritch Weapon or Flame Blade
	Bless	+3 against all units associated with or (including Undead and Chaos Channeled units)
To Block Modifiers
	Lucky	+10%
	(High) Prayer	+10% for all allied units
	Eldritch Weapon	enemy's chance to block is decreased by -10% (normal units only)
Other
	Blur	roughly 10 % of all enemy  attacks will miss (regardless of hit roll)
	Haste	Melee attack is executed twice, Movement is doubled
	Invulnerability	absorbs the first 2 damage coming from each enemy  figure; unit gets Weapon Immunity
	Immolation	every enemy  figure is hit by a  4 Fire Damage attack (To Hit modifiers have no effect)
	Cause Fear	every enemy  figure failing its  Resistance roll won't (counter-)attack (bugged)
	First Strike	if initiating the attack, this unit's  Melee attack will be executed prior to that of its enemy (unless enemy has Negate First Strike); killed enemy  figures can't retaliate
	Armor Piercing	halves enemy's  Defense (rounded down)
	Illusion	reduces enemy's Defense to  0 (unless enemy has Illusions Immunity)