Combat

Combat occurs when characters controlled by different players are in the same area and any of those players wishes to enter combat. This check is made at any time any player gets priority, except when a movement stack is being played.

This means that if an action moves a character combat can occur as soon as that action resolves, but if the movement occurs as part of a movement stack the combat will not occur until after the stack has ended.

If none of the players whose characters are on the area want to have combat occur combat does not occur. However if any player wants combat to occur it does.

When combat occurs each non-drained character deals its attack in damage spread as its leader chooses among the opposing characters. After combat each player may retreat their characters.

It works as follows:

1. The player with initiative assigns the damage of all his/her characters in one step.
2. Each other player does the same, proceeding in turn order.
3. All characters deal damage as they were assigned to.
4. Each character may now move towards one of its home areas at double it's normal movement speed. This is called retreating. This movement is optional if there are no characters controlled by opposing players remaining on the area where combat occurred. The players declare the retreats in the same way damage is declared (in turn-order starting with the player with initiative).
5. All retreat movement occurs simultaneously.
6. All characters involved in the combat are drained.

Note: This page needs to be updated to reflect changes in the game or need to be worked on for other reasons.

Should combat be a stack using thing where each character deals damage as a separate action? If not we need a post assignment pre dealing stack.