Close Combat

“Close combat” is any situation in which you occupy the same hex as your foe or try to move through his hex. 

Evading

“Evading” is moving through ground occupied by an opponent without trying to knock him down. You can attempt this as part of any maneuver that allows movement, provided you can move fast enough to go past your foe – not just up to him. 

First, ask if your foe is trying to stop you. If he chooses to let you pass, you “evade” him automatically – no roll is needed. If your foe wants to stop you, roll a Quick Contest of DX.

Modify your DX as follows:

-5 if your foe is standing up.

-2 if your foe is kneeling.

+2 if you are approaching your foe from his right or left side.

+5 if you are approaching your foe from behind.

+5 if your foe is lying down.

If you win, you evade them and are free to move on. 

If you lose or tie, they get in your way and stop you.

You cannot evade anyone while you are being grappled. You cannot evade a foe if there is no logical way you could avoid hitting him, either but note that huge creatures can step over smaller ones, while small creatures can duck between the legs of larger ones!

On the other hand, if you can use an advantage such as Flight or Super Jump to move up and over the foe’s reach in the vertical plane, you can evade him automatically!

Entering a Foe’s Hex

You may move or step into an enemy’s hex using any maneuver that allows you enough movement to enter that hex. You are in “close combat” as soon as you enter an opponent’s hex, regardless of your maneuver or that of your foe. If you take a Move, Move and Attack, or All-Out Attack maneuver, you can always run into a foe’s hex and stop there, facing him. If you do not wish to stop, you must attempt to evade or slam your foe – your choice, within the limits of your maneuver. When you enter an enemy-occupied hex, you occupy half the hex. You have the half of the hex from which you entered; he has the other half. To enter any of your front hexes on the enemy’s side, you have to “move through” him by evading.

Leaving a Foe’s Hex

If you start your turn in a foe’s hex and he isn’t grappling you, you can move out of the hex through any of the three hexes on your side of the hex. If you do this using a Move or Move and Attack, you must spend movement points to change facing, sidestep, or step backward. To use forward movement to leave through one of the three hexes on your foe’s side, you must evade him. If you take a maneuver that allows a step, you can step out of the hex and attack, feint, etc. with a one-hex reach weapon – or you can make a close-combat attack and then step out – but your step can only take you into one of the three hexes on your side of the hex. 

If your foe has grappled you, you may still choose a maneuver on your turn, but you cannot leave the hex until you break free .

Weapons for Close Combat

You can only use small, easily managed weapons in close combat. You can attack with any melee weapon with reach “C.” 

If using a ranged weapon, ignore the usual speed/range penalty and apply the weapon’s Bulk statistic as a penalty to hit. 

Reading in Close Combat

You must make a DX roll to ready a weapon in close combat. If you fail, you still take a Ready maneuver but you accomplish nothing. If you have the Fast-Draw skill, you must make two rolls: the DX roll above and a Fast-Draw roll to get your weapon quickly. If you fail the Fast-Draw roll, you ready the weapon but it takes a full Ready maneuver.

Defense in Close Combat

You can dodge normally in close combat. You can only parry using an empty hand or a weapon with reach “C” (e.g., a knife). You cannot block at all! You can retreat in close combat, if you aren’t being grappled. Simply step out of close combat and into any of the three hexes on your side of the close-combat hex. 

This gives the usual bonus to your active defense roll. 

Shields in Close Combat

A shield becomes a potentially deadly nuisance in close combat. It still provides its Defense Bonus, but it hampers you while you wear it. Any attack you make in close combat – except for the initial slam, attack, etc. when you first move into the foe’s hex – has a penalty equal to the Defense Bonus of your shield! Any DX roll you attempt in close combat after your first turn of close combat has the same penalty. 

It takes a one-turn Ready maneuver and a successful DX roll to get rid of your shield in close combat. 

Multiple Close Combat

Any number of people may participate in close combat in the same hex. This is easy to depict with flat counters, but it can be difficult to show with 3D figures – especially if some fighters are standing and others are lying down. A good compromise is to allow a fighter to declare himself in close combat with an opponent while still in an adjacent hex. Up to two fighters may combine their efforts in a takedown attempt against a single foe; up to three may work together in a pin attempt against a single foe. In either case, use the ST, DX, or grappling skill of the attacker with the best score, and add 1/5 (round down) of the score of each of his helpers.