Multi-round / continuing melee

Quick Attack strengths apply only in the first round, then Tired. Steady Attacks keep Steady values while winning, then Tired. Tired attacks last indefinitely. Cavalry attacks last two rounds, then retire one Quick move and attack again as Tired. Belaboured winners get an extra card next round.

Steady Attacks- if the Ward is under Steady Attack orders in the turn when a company or companies enter into an encounter, use the Steady Attack Strengths

Attackers must start within 12 inches, with at least one unsuppressed Team that has LoS, and no more than two may contact one enemy Team. Defenders activate for free, rally and resolve RFPs; any not Ready are destroyed. Ready defenders may move away or roll an Assault Check to kill an attacker, then attackers roll, and the steps alternate with 3-inch consolidation moves. Every Team that made an Assault Check ends suppressed (Regroup), leaving victors spent.

Repeat - Continue alternating Steps 2 and 3 until no Teams remain in contact.

The first melee after a charge is an Epidromos melee using momentum; if units remain engaged next turn it becomes an Othismos, using a rolled shoving value, depth (+1 for 3-stand, +2 for 4-stand lochoi), hamippoi and ground-given modifiers (-1 pushed back, -2 broken into last turn). A Crafty hegemon with over half the hoplites in othismos may call One Step More! for 1-2 Arete. Horse vs horse retreat after 2 turns of othismos.

The first melee that results from an Epidromos move is called an Epidromos Melee; if the two units remain engaged on the next turn, their melee is called an Othismos.

Spearmen, cavalry and chariots have impact bonuses of +1 to +4 (+6 for pike blocks), capped by stands remaining and reduced by 2 in column. A unit that forces a recoil or flee follows up and keeps its impact bonus next round. Once neither side moves, an SC marker is placed and no impact bonuses apply until contact breaks. Fresh units joining a Static Combat use their impact bonus.

Only a unit following -up a recoiling or fleeing unit can continue to use its Impact Bonus in the next round of hand-to-hand combat, and each subsequent round until the advance is stopped

The attacker moves into base contact (max 8"), then the defender adds unengaged figures within 3". Both roll one die per figure against Expertise; previously suppressed figures strike last. Hits are casualties only and cover has no effect (LWTV: cover for defender in first round only). Combat resumes at the start of each later turn, and engaged units auto-activate and cannot activate again that turn.

The combat continues at the beginning of each subsequent turn. The units involved automatically activate at that point.

Roll 1d10 per 4 figures in melee from two ranks deep; the side with most casualties loses and the loser tests morale. Infantry vs infantry/cavalry melees last one round, cavalry melees two rounds. Ties leave the defender shaken in place and the attacker retiring shaken.

Cavalry Melee Procedure - all melees last tworound sonly

Each side finds its troop-type base number (10 US Regulars down to 6 Mexican militia), adds modifiers (cover +1, uphill +1, assault column +1, unformed -2, flank/rear -3, square vs cavalry +8, infantry not in square vs cavalry -4), rolls a d10 and cross-references on the melee table to get casualties inflicted. One round is fought per turn; if neither side breaks contact through morale the melee continues next turn. Units are always unformed after melee.

One round of melee takes place each turn. If neither side breaks contact through a morale check, the melee continues to the next turn.

If both sides suffer equal casualties, all units stay locked and fight again next turn without modifiers (newcomers get theirs). Locked units cannot move, fire or be fired on; a locked unit that reaches 50% casualties tests morale and falls back on failure.

In case of a tie (both sides suffer the same number of casualties), all units are locked in melee until the next turn when they fight again.

In the core rules a tied melee stays engaged and is fought again next melee phase, with the previous winner marked by a Charge order die. In v4.4 rounds continue immediately until one side is broken or all its units retire.

If both sides are tied, the melee is a draw and units will remain engaged.

If losses are equal the fight continues next turn. After a loser backs off, the fight is renewed next turn if either side attacks again, without the cavalry charge bonus. Macedonian units (and Spartans) close gaps in their front rank after winning a round; others must re-form at the start of the next Move stage and then only half-move.

Renew the fight next turn if either side attacks again. The cavalry charge bonus does not apply this time.