I love that game! Period!

It's a shame that few gamers move throu complicated on the beggining rules and selling it.

But ok, I have a few question to check:

1. When I'm attacking a player and battles start and I'm using an Elite Unit on table - effect of this card is present in the game till whole battle is finished or just for one roll? Same with forced march - it's still counts or I have to use it again?

2. On red attack dices there is symbol HIT/CONAN - that counts as a succes, and two success if I posses conan or if he is in that battle?

3. I can use forced march when I'm moving two units from different province to start attack?

Thanks in advance!

1. It's just for one roll. You have to refresh it before you can use it again.

2. It counts as two success if you are the Conan player and he is in that battle.

3. No.

Thanks!

This way is not so great to use those on table characters :/

Hey, what if you aren't the Conan player and you're in a campaign in a neutral province, does the hit/conan die counts as two successes against me?

Nevermind. I've found the answer, rulesbook page 14. I guess it pays to re-read rulebooks from time to time…

1. When I'm attacking a player and battles start and I'm using an Elite Unit on table - effect of this card is present in the game till whole battle is finished or just for one roll? Same with forced march - it's still counts or I have to use it again?

1. It's just for one roll. You have to refresh it before you can use it again.

I just finished my first game of AoC and I had exactly the same issue.

The use of the term 'contest' is extremely confusing. That's because sometimes it says 'contest roll' and other times it says 'contest' - so it was my understanding that the term 'contest ROLL' meant one roll only, and 'contest' it was the entire battle.

As an example I was playing Turan and had the Hyrkanian Archers that grant 'an extra die and hits on shields in a military CONTEST' and the special character (don't remember his name) that grants 'reroll on up to 2 dice on a military contest ROLL' .

In the rule book the word 'contest' also describes the initiation of an entire battle - meaning from first roll until the battle is solved. So it doesn't really make any sense that the two play-on-the-table cards mentioned above are solved exactly the same way (on first roll only)?

Isn't 'contest' just the AoC-word for 'battle'?

You have a point there FS1976.

As I interpret it, Battles are one big continuous Contest, not like Campaigns where you roll once and then the Contest is over (using Forced March will initiate a NEW Contest, however). In Battles, you fight til Death (or someone withdraws), but it is still one Contest.

Anybody else interpret it this way?

In Battles, you fight til Death (or someone withdraws), but it is still one Contest.

My thought exactly.

I would think that the Hyrkanian Archers are 'active' during the entire battle between two player armies. And in a campaign they would only be active in the first roll - since 'forced march' initiates a new contest.

But every roll in a battle is IMO the same contest... or what?

No.. every roll is a separate roll. In Battle, there can be several rolls. In Campaign, there is only one roll per Contest.

Summary:

Battle Contest : 1 Contest, several Rolls. Continues until one army is annihilated or flees.

Campaign Contest : 1 Contest per terrain type, 1 roll per Contest.

Siege Contest : 1 Contest, several rolls. Continues until attacking army is annihilated or the Fort/City/Tower is destroyed.

That sounds about right. So according to your summary, a kingdom card like the Hyrkanian Archers (Turan) in a BATTLE grant their bonus from the start and until either side is wiped out or retreats?

Do you have an official reference to that summary? A page in the rulebook or a post somewhere by one of the developers?

It was my own summary

I will read the rules right away and come back to ya.

OK, having read the rules I have come to the following conclusion:

Contest = one attacking dice roll versus one defending dice roll = Attacker Contest Roll versus Defender Contest Roll

Let me cite the book:

Page 13: The Contest Roll

" Contests are resolved through contested dice rolls . Both players involved in a contest roll a specific number of dice (determined through various in-game factors) and compare their results. The player with the most successful die rolls (see blow) wins the Contest. This is referred to as the contest roll ."

Page 15: Campaigns - Outcome of a Campaign Contest

"In a subsequent turn, the attacker may use a military action to continue his campaign and fight another contest in the province."

Page 16: Sieges - Outcome of a Siege Contest Roll

" At the end of the siege contest , the attacker chooses whether he wants to stop the siege and retreat to the province his army previously occupied. If he does so, he immediately moves his army back to that province. If he does not, the two players fight another siege contest . Successive contests continue until the attacker decides to retreat... etc."

Page 17: Battles - Outcome of a Battle Contest Roll

"If neither side retreats, new battle contests are fought until one combatant decides to retreat, or one army is completely removed."

This is my interpretation of the rules. I have highlighted the specific wording that makes me believe that a contest equals two opposing die rolls

So therefore, any Play-on-the-table card that states "Use at the start of a military contest." and "... during that contest." simply refers to one die roll .

I would guess that having lingering effects of both Strategy Cards and Empire Cards throughout the whole of a Battle Contest would be too powerful in some cases (just look at those Turanian Immortals!!!). It's more of a strategic game where you should use your POTT cards and Strategy Cards wisely when fighting another player's army.