So, in the rule book, Before Combat rules are in the 'Combat' adventure section which has led to confusion in our house. Is Before Combat considered part of combat or or is it more like an Event/Encounter - something that should be resolved before the 'real' challenge begins.

What implications does this have for the combat round. I know this is a fairly open ended question but any thoughts anyone has would be appreciated.

wxbuff said:

Before Combat is not considered part of Combat; this should be self-explanatory, but there are several sentences in the Rulebook that are misleading.

You must first resolve any Before Combat effects on the Challenge card you've drawn. Then you may use Before Combat Abilities (remember, only once per Hero or Ally) and activate one Item that gives Before Combat abilities (i.e. White Sword). You may use as many "discard to use" Items as you have/like.

Before Combat it's not a Combat Phase, so you can't benefit from any Items or Allies that have abilities related to Phases (Ranged, Melee, Magic and even "All Phases"). You can use a Padded Leather Armour to prevent damages received in Before Combat, though it counts towards the limit of one Item used in Before Combat (= you can't activate the White Blade after this).

If you fail a Before Combat attack (i.e. your hero is Varikas the Dead as in the Rulebook example) you won't receive any damage from the Challenge, but you just have one chance. You cannot use any Items that have specific timing to gain bonuses in Before Combat attacks, because Before Combat is not a Phase. This is perhaps the most important thing that has been clarified by Runebound FAQ 2.2. You cannot use all powers that give you bonuses related to phases, even "always on" Items (i.e. the Runeplate).

I hope this is of some help!

Enjoy the game

Sorry, I must correct myself about the Runeplate, 'cause it explicitly states it can be used once in Before Combat.

Let's say you're playing Varikas and use the Before Combat attack, you cannot use Immolate or Soul Burn Runes. It is a Magic attack, but these work only in the Magic Phase of Combat. Shall you have a Character with the ability to make a Melee Attack Before Combat (i.e. the bonus Character Nara the Fang found in Descent Expansion "Sea of Blood"), you cannot use the Lightning Mace, an Always On Item that works only in the Melee Phase. Finally, if you use the Dwarven Fire Bomb or Dwarven Fire Mug to make a Before Combat ranged attack, you cannot count on the +3 provided by your Bow of Bone. For this reason, items such as the Belt of Strength and the Scorpion Helmet from Island of Dread are particularly valuable, because they give bonuses to "values".

Moreover, I found an important paragraph in the Rules, which I eventually forgot:

The Combat Roll
When you roll the dice to attack or defend in the ranged, melee,
and magic phases, this action is called a “combat roll.” Many
card abilities and effects can add to your combat roll in addition
to the relevant attribute.

Looks like a roll in Before Combat actions (incl. attacks) is not considered a "combat roll". Any Item (Ring of Protection, Ring of the Arcane...) or Ally (Runemaster Baras, Burning Priest) that acts on combat rolls cannot be used in Before Combat.

There are some open points still, but I think these thoughts complete the issue. Anyone has something to add or clarify?

The bit about the ranged, melee and magic rolls being combat rolls is just what we needed.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.