64.3 Front contact priority

[wybesse]

One item that came up in our mini-marathon last weekend was the case of a defender with attackers whose front edges are in contact with the defender's front and flank edges (just like the illustration to 64.3). The rule is written somewhat from the defender's POV, so I wanted to be sure: if the dark stands, rather than C, in that illustration, were the attacker in a close combat phase, the dark player does not have the option, do they, of choosing the stand that is in flank contact to conduct the attack--they must choose the stand that is in front contact, correct?

We were fairly sure in this diagnosis, but wanted to confirm.

[Rod]

Yes, if a single stand has two enemies in contact it has to fight front, and it only gets to fight once per combat round.

So even during the "dark" stand's turn they have to fight the element facing the front of C.

[coopman]

But the presence of the enemy unit in flank contact with C would reduce C's factor by 1 for the frontal combat resolution, correct?

[David Kuijt]

Sure. And change the results if the flanked stand had to fall back, flee, or similar.