Am I correct in understanding how battles work:

1. initiate battle

2. determine initiative

3. range skirmish

4. action window (player with initiative goes first)

5. player with initiative shoots with range

6. action window (player with initiative goes first)

7. other player range

8. so on

So before any shooting happens, we both get to take actions. correct?

And another thing.

What's the difference between "action" and "combat action". I take that you can only take "action" during the command phase / combat phase (which is before resolving any battle. e.g. gift of ishha. while combat actions are used only on resolving battles which is step 4. The rule book doesn't specify this clearly. I could use a little common sense but i want to be sure of how it works. thanks!

Not sure I can improve on the flowchart sequence (RRG pg22) here in the forum, just follow that.

Which shows that an action window opens before the ranged skirmish, so yes, you both get to do actions before the shooting starts.

Actions and combat actions are identical in concept ... it's just that combat actions can only be done in an action window in the combat phase (whether in battle or not is irrelevant) whereas "Action" (without a precursor) can be done in any action window in any phase. (RRG Actions pg 3)

(As I said to Kealios yesterday, we're encouraging players to first check out the rules forum at cardgamedb to see if the answer's already there, as well as helping centralise rules answers at just the one FFG site. Thanks.)

Thanks for the info! I just got into these forums but this is really helpful.

So flamers does work in a such a way they can attack and explode in combat in such a way. (if they're still alive of course)

Yes. They can attack for 2, then explode for 2 more (assuming in remembering the damage amounts correctly) as an action before your opponent gets a chance to take a combat turn.

Worth noting that the player with Initiative always has first opportunity to act in any Action Window as well.

Yes. They can attack for 2, then explode for 2 more (assuming in remembering the damage amounts correctly) as an action before your opponent gets a chance to take a combat turn.

I was going to ask about this.

Can they attack, deal damage, and then sacrifice themselves before taking damage from an opponent?

Or does combat damage happen at the same time, and IF the flamer survives it can then sacrifice itself to deal 2 damage?

It does its combat turn, fully resolving its attack, dealing its 2 damage. ZF's combat turn is then considered done.

Then an action window opens (check out the flowchart, RRG pg 22). In that, Zarathur's Flamers can do its action, sacrificing itself.

Sorry for going on about this, I really like Chaos in general so I want to know I'm playing properly.

So ZF attacks, deals damage, receives damage from opponent, and ends its turn (If it survives). Then the action window opens and it can sacrifice itself to deal more damage.

Is that correct?

An attack only ever does damage from the attacker to the defender. Not both ways. Units take turns doing attacks, and that's what a combat turn is. So I attack, action window, you attack, action window.

Otherwise, correct. But it sounds like you might need to re-read the rules to ensure you're getting it right if you've missed this.

Yeah, this isn't like Magic where creatures attack each other simultaneously - attackers don't take damage unless a card says otherwise (like Repulsor Impact Field).