Index -> Glossary -> Skirmish Phase

Skirmish Phase

When the assignment phase is complete, each defending character will fight in a separate skirmish phase. In an order decided by the Free Peoples player, skirmishes are resolved one at a time by conducting a skirmish phase for each. During each skirmish phase, players may perform skirmish actions, whether from event cards or from the game text of an active character, possession, artifact or condition (see the Action Procedure).

Once all skirmish actions have been taken and completed and all players participating have consecutively passed, a skirmish is resolved. A skirmish is resolved by totaling and comparing the strength attributes of each side. If one side has double or greater the strength of the other, the side with the lower strength is overwhelmed, and is immediately killed. If the total strength of one side is more than the strength of the other side (but not double or greater), the side with the most strength is the winner of that skirmish (if there is a tie, the Shadow side wins). If one side has a strength of zero, then that side is overwhelmed by the other side if the other side has a strength greater than zero. If both sides have a strength of zero, then the Shadow side wins, but does not overwhelm the Free Peoples side.

Place one wound on each character on the losing side. If the winning side has one or more characters with the keyword Damage +1, then each losing character takes one additional wound for each Damage +1. (Damage +2 adds two extra wounds, and so on.) This is called a damage bonus, and may be increased or decreased by various card effects.

A skirmish phase ends after all actions triggered by winning or losing that skirmish have resolved. Once a skirmish phase has finished, the Free Peoples player must select another skirmish, if any, and perform another skirmish phase. A surviving minion follows the fellowship to the next site if the Free Peoples player elects to move again in their regroup phase.