Please forgive my ignorance...

o.K., I know my hero, if fighting alone, may attack in one phase and defend in the other two....

If I have an ally with me, can he/she attack in one of the stages in which I would normally be defending...meaning that the challenge now defends in two phases and attacks in only one?

Also, if the above is the case...and the challenge attacks in the phase that does not involve an attack by my hero or my ally, who is the target? Is it my hero? Or is it my ally?

Also, if I have a familiar- may I now attack in all three stages?(myself in one, my ally in another, my familiar in the third?)?

Sorry about these rudimentary queries but I am having trouble wrapping my mind around this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

An ally or a familiar may never defend against an attack, but they may attack in a phase where you have not attacked (provided they haven't made an attack already). One good thing about allies is that while they may not defend attacks for you, they may make attacks for you in phases where if you failed you may die. Sometimes they get lucky. Don't want to defend Margath's Magic attack? Have the Rune apprentice attack in that phase.

Ok, so is there a limit on the number of phases that my hero, allies or familiars are attacking in? May I have the challenge on defense for all three phases(Ranged, Melee and Magic)?

Yes you may. It gets even better when you have a situation where you have more attackers available than combat phases. Yourself, two allies, and a familiar for example.

So if you are loaded with attackers, forcing the challenge on defense for all three phases...the only way your hero takes damage is if he/she fails their attack?

Gareson said:

Yes.

Allies make excellent meat-shields!

yes

they

do