I'll be hopefully running, this week or next, an encounter with a fairly skilled group against the PC's.

I've picked out about a dozen action cards for them, with a focus on stuff that has interesting effects, level one spells based on defence and other things like that.

The story is the group will be travelling along when they spot a group of people (apparently) tending to a coach with a broken wheel. When they get closer, since it's right on the road in front of them, the dwarf watchman will see the dwarf he has come to the Empire in order to bring to justice...

Initiative rolls!

I'm prepared for a reasonably long combat, I'd like to stick in a rally phase or three, the dwarf party, similar sized to the group they are against is...

Ratcatcher

Ironbreaker

Waywatcher

Duellist

Jade wizard

Grey wizard

The ratcatcher, waywatcher and jade wizard are waiting in the nearby treeline to cover the dwarf's retreat. The duellist is with the ironbreaker, he draws and fires then both he and the ironbreaker try and withdraw back towards the trees and eventually peg it. The Grey wizard waits for some **** fool to break from the group, then he hops him.

The ironbreaker, essentially the leader of the group, only wants to escape, he's willing to throw a few of the others in his way in order to get away. I expect the watchman will give a fairly spirited chase in order to catch him. I'm hoping to throw enough fatigue and wounds around that people will be in danger of passing out, and will welcome a rally if I offer it. Though I imagine the watchman and the slayer may well still keep the pursuit up. I have no big issue killing either of them, but again, the enemy only wants a clean getaway and won't stop to finish anyone off.

Suggestions for running complex combats?

Id complicate it with a herd of beastmen or greenskins moving in..and then have the dwarf take some passerby noble woman hostage (future spingboard to adventure).

Key thing for combats: keep the dice rolling!

jh

Two thoughts.

Though planning for long fight, be open to to changing up based player actions or stunning dice rolls.

Create more than one thing going on, more than one objective or sub objective. For example, a group of screening foes must be engaged and overcome while a progress track or carriage repairs advances to point is would gallop off. As mentioned , innocent travelers to protect against a menace, which leads to a character revealing choice of priorities.