Who Can Strike?

A model can fight if it's in base contact with an enemy model when its turn to strike comes, even if the two bases only touch at a corner. Models attacked in the side or rear can still fight back -- they're assumed to twist around as best they can in the crush of battle, without physically turning to face their attacker.

Normally a model can only strike at an enemy it's in base contact with (the main exception being a supporting attack, below) -- but any model may always direct its attacks at rank-and-file models, as long as it's in base contact with any model of that unit, including characters and command group models. A model with more than one Attack that's in contact with two or more enemies of different profiles must choose which one to attack before any dice are rolled.

Diagram showing models in base contact with an enemy, even just corner-to-corner, being able to attack. — Models in base contact with an enemy, even just corner-to-corner, can attack (marked white).

Diagram showing two models in contact with both a cavalry and an infantry model, able to choose which to attack. — These two blue models are in contact with both a cavalry and an infantry model, so can choose to direct their attacks at either unit.

How Many Attacks?

A model in base contact with one or more enemies strikes a number of blows equal to its Attacks characteristic -- usually 1 for rank-and-file troops, though additional hand weapons, spells, and special rules can raise or lower it, and powerful creatures, characters, and monsters often have 2, 3, 4, or more.

« Close Combat Basics

Supporting Attacks »