Index -> Playing the Game -> Close Combat -> Combat Actions

Combat Actions

Both players have the chance to perform actions during close combat, alternating back and forth, beginning with the attacker.

When it is your chance to act, you may either perform one action, or “pass.” If you pass, you may still choose to perform an action after your opponent’s next action. However, if both players pass consecutively, this stage of the combat ends and you proceed to Determining a Winner.

The possible combat actions are:

• Swerving to add to total accuracy or total speed.
• Using an activated ability on one of your cards in play that begins with the “[Combat]” or “[Close Combat]” keyword.
• Playing a tactic card from your hand.

You may perform any or all of these actions, any number of times.

You may press F5 as a keyboard shortcut when it is your turn to pass. If you are waiting for your opponent to act, but know in advance that you want to pass your next combat action, you may press F6 to queue that pass in advance. Pressing F7 will undo this “pre-pass.”

You may use the Display and Sound Preferences to toggle whether the computer will pass for you automatically whenever you have no combat action available to take.

Swerving to Add to Total Accuracy or Total Speed

When you are the attacker, you may swerve any of your combatants to add its accuracy to your total accuracy. If your vehicle is a combatant, then you also have the option of swerving any of your Front Weapon or Rear Weapon gear cards to add its accuracy to your total accuracy.

When you are the defender, you may swerve any of your combatants to add its speed to your total speed. If your vehicle is a combatant, then you also have the option of swerving any of your maneuver cards to add its speed to your total speed.

As the attacker, Jason has the first chance to take a combat action. He has an unswerved Front Weapon on his vehicle, and swerves it now to add its accuracy of 20 to his total accuracy.

Two of Tyler’s three units are already swerved, but one is not. He decides to swerve it now, adding its 20 speed to his total speed.

Jason now has 20 total accuracy, while Tyler has 50 total speed.

If a maneuver has the keyword Focused, you cannot swerve it to add to your total speed during combat.

Using Activated Abilities

Some of the gear, maneuvers, and units you play have activated abilities that can be used during combat. Like the activated abilities you can use in your main phase, they have a symbol in their game text, separating cost and effect. In this case, however, eligible actions begin with the “[Combat]” or “[Close Combat]” keywords. In fact, you cannot use “[Main]” abilities now, even if the combat is taking place during your main phase.

You cannot use an activated ability on a unit or vehicle that is not a combatant. You can only use activated abilities on gear and maneuver cards if your vehicle is combatant.

Jason’s vehicle is involved in the combat, so he may use his the activated abilities on any of his gear cards in play. He uses one on the card Melee Tires, which reads “[Close Combat - Attacker] Swerve this You get +20 total accuracy.” By swerving that card, he now has 40 total accuracy.

It is Tyler’s turn to perform an action, but he passes.

Playing a Tactic

Tactic cards can be played only during combat. They often have effects that improve your total accuracy or total speed in combat, though some tactics have other effects. To play one from your hand, double-click on it when it is your turn to perform a combat action.

Many tactics can only be played under specific conditions, for example, as defender (not attacker), or during combat involving your units (not your vehicle). These conditions are marked in bold text on the card. In addition, some tactics use the symbol of activated abilities. Essentially, these are abilities you activate one time only by playing the card. The costs and effects of such cards work the same as they would if the card remained in play. If you meet all the requirements for playing a tactic in your hand, a green border will appear around it.

The effects of a tactic are immediate, and last only until the end of the combat. At that time, the tactic is discarded.

Following Tyler’s pass, it is again Jason’s turn to perform an action. He plays a tactic from his hand, Line Up the Target. It adds 20 to his total accuracy, taking it to 60.

Tyler again passes, having no combatants left he can swerve, no activated abilities on his combatants he can use, and no tactics from hand he is able to play.

Jason is now leading with 60 total accuracy to Tyler’s 50 total speed, so he also passes.