Once all the shooting has been resolved it is time to deal with the brutal cut and thrust of hand-to-hand combat or melee, as it's sometimes called. All units that are in contact with the enemy must fight. The hand-to-hand combat phase is an exception to the normal turn sequence in that both sides fight, regardless of which player's turn it is.

Work out combats one at a time - resolve the fighting for all the troops involved in one combat before moving on to the next. A combat is usually a fight between one unit from each side, but it is possible that several units, monsters, and heroes may become involved.

In the illustration at the bottom of the page, for example, there are three separate combats: one between two units and an Elf griffon rider on the left; a huge fight between two units of Elves, two units of Goblins and a Goblin chariot in the centre; and a combat between two opposing units, an Orc Wyvern rider and an Elf bolt thrower on the right.