New to the game.

Are battles during battle phase a choice or mandatory? If two players want to create a brief alliance to score VPs in a region, can they choose not to attack each other during battle phase? It would appear so. I don't recall seeing anything about mandatory battles in the rules.

Nope. Battles are mandatory.

If there are figures in the region that can roll battle dice, they must, then assign hits to other player's figures. If you want to form an "alliance" its best to play card that completely prevent battle or just keep cultists in the region.

Ah, I see.

Battle 'occurs in every region where one player is entitled to roll battle dice.' Page 15. So if you got 'em you gotta use 'em. Makes sense.

Thanks. I think in my first reading of it, I misconstrued what they meant by 'entitled,' but now I'm reading it the right way.

Mandatory, as long as opposing factions reside in the same regions you gotta fight