Editing Battlefields (section)

=== First contact ===

Eventually, teams will make contact. Since line-of-sight is personal to each trooper, and troopers of a squad can be different positions, each trooper will confirm the contact from his behalf:

<pre>
move s
Mongrel [lp4] moves to south (2/4).
Edge [zw1] moves to south (2/4).
Raine [bbn] moves to south (2/4).
icesus64 >
move s
Mongrel [lp4] moves to south (1/4).
Mongrel [lp4] reports new contact Mercenary [46a] to the southeast.
Mongrel [lp4] reports new contact Mercenary [d12] to the southeast.
Mongrel [lp4] reports new contact Mercenary [aqn] to the southeast.
Edge [zw1] moves to south (1/4).
Edge [zw1] reports new contact Mercenary [46a] to the southeast.
Edge [zw1] reports new contact Mercenary [d12] to the southeast.
Edge [zw1] reports new contact Mercenary [aqn] to the southeast.
Raine [bbn] moves to south (1/4).
Raine [bbn] reports new contact Mercenary [46a] to the southeast.
Raine [bbn] reports new contact Mercenary [d12] to the southeast.
Raine [bbn] reports new contact Mercenary [aqn] to the southeast.
</pre>

Note that only the squad type is revealed from the enemy. This is mainly to keep the position of the squad leader hidden from the other team. And besides, most of the time you don't know your enemy troopers by the name.

To know more about the enemy, we will stop and study the situation a little bit. Remember that this is a turn-based mode of playing and speed doesn't solve anything.

<pre>
contacts
================================================================
   TEAM CONTACTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
 ID           Type           X   Y   Z   R   B    Weapon
 [46a]        mercenary      28  31  0   12  145  short bow
 [d12]        mercenary      28  31  0   12  145  short bow
 [aqn]        mercenary      28  31  0   12  145  short bow
================================================================
</pre>

Ah ha. These bastards are armed with short bows. Each contact has an individual ID using which I can e.g. lock them. The R column shows me the range, which is currently 12 rooms. This also explains why they did not react and shoot at my troopers; they are more than 10 rooms away. Reactions will happen only at <10 rooms. I will lock to one of them to see my odds of hitting them from here.

[[File:Target locked.png|frame|left|Enemy contact - target locked. The tac display will show enemy contacts as yellow, locked contact as red.]]

<pre>
lock 46a
Mongrel [lp4] has locked Mercenary [46a].
Edge [zw1] has locked Mercenary [46a].
Raine [bbn] has locked Mercenary [46a].
icesus64 >
aim
Mercenary [lp4] aims short bow at Dragon [46a] - BTH: 3.
Mercenary [zw1] aims short bow at Dragon [46a] - BTH: 3.
Mercenary [bbn] aims short bow at Dragon [46a] - BTH: 3.
</pre>

This is actually looking good. The range of short bow is 15. The damage of my short bow is 1D6. 

They are inside all of my troopers' range, and their Base-To-Hit (BTH) is 3. This means is my mercenaries have to roll 3 or more with a D6 to hit them. I am willing to take the chance and seize the initiative.

Let's shoot some arrows at them. Shoot to kill!

[[File:Shoot to kill.png|frame|left|Shoot to kill!]]

What happened here is:
* Short bow has 2 hits. It means it will shoot 'twice' per each shoot action because it is fast to use and reload. So my mercenary Mongrel [lp4] (name and rank hidden from enemy) fired the first arrow, it hit enemy mercenary named "Dragon" [46a], who failed his defence with a natural 1. As a result, he will fall to the ground and is now dying. Troopers who are dying will die exactly one battle turn later, unless a trooper with medical skills (air priest) will use their healing powers and revive him before this eventuality.
* Since the first mercenary is down, Mongrel does not waste any more arrows on him, but instead automatically shifts target to mercenary [d12]. He hits this new target as well, but the enemy mercenary (Veil) succeeded in his defence. However, the force of the blow hit him 2 rooms backward, which actually took him out from the line-of-sight. This is very fortunate for him.
* With Mongrel having shot both his arrows, it is now time for Edge to shoot. Edge can't see mercenary [d12] because he was knocked off LoS, so he targets the remaining enemy mercenary [aqn]. Again, the mercenary succeeds in his defence and is hit back by the blow. Also he disappears from the line of sight.
* Since Dragon [46a] is down and dying and other two mercenaries were hit back and out of LoS, Edge realizes there are no more targets in the danger zone and ends his shoot action. Our third mercenary, Raine, realizes the same, and ends her shoot action as well.

Since I have used my two actions for each of my troopers again (move and shoot), I will end my turn by 'endturn'.