4th Edition: The Combat Phase

By Alessio Cavatore

Getting the feel of hand-to-hand combat just right has been one of the most challenging, and rewarding, parts of designing this edition. One of the things I was asked to address was some dissatisfaction with the Withdraw method and to tackle things like the dreaded “corkscrew” charge!

For Kings of War 4th Edition, I spent a lot of time experimenting with different ideas to make the Combat Phase more intuitive, cinematic, and tactically rich. The result is a system that gives players more agency in how they manage their units in a fight, while keeping the game fast and fluid.

Let’s dive into the key changes.

From Melee to Combat

First off, we’ve renamed the phase from Melee to Combat.

It’s a small but important change. “Combat” is a more familiar and intuitive term, and it helps distinguish stat names from phase names, which improves clarity across the rules. Now we have:

• Sp used in the Movement Phase
• Sh used in the Ranged Phase
• Me used in the Combat Phase

Reforming in Combat

As mentioned in the Movement Phase blog, units that are Engaged in only one facing can now use the Reform! order to turn and face their opponent.

This gives players more control over positioning and opens up new tactical options.

Reforming can also be used to reposition for future turns or to make space for friendly units as part of a multi-charge.

Under some conditions, Reforming can even allow a unit to wrap around into a different arc, adding a cinematic flair to your battlefield manoeuvres. Here's the relevant diagram again from the Movement Phase blog:

Sticky Combats, But With Options

Combats are now “sticky”, so units remain Engaged unless they actively try to disengage using the Withdraw! order. But once a unit is in combat, it’s not locked into a single opponent. One of the most exciting updates is the ability to split attacks.

Units can now divide their attacks between any enemy units they are Engaged with, regardless of whether they’re in the front, flank, or rear.

This gives players the chance to take on multiple foes at once, and adds a layer of tactical depth to every engagement. You allocate attacks, in combination with special rules, and artefacts before rolling any dice, giving you full control over how your unit fights.

Nerve Test Updates

The classic snake-eyes result remains unchanged...sometimes fate just isn’t on your side!

However, the We Are Doomed result now causes additional damage instead of Wavering the unit. This makes the outcome more impactful and better reflects the chaos of a unit breaking under pressure.

Victory Options

Once a unit has defeated all its opponents, the usual options still apply: move forward, change facing et cetera. And of course an overrun is still possible if the unit ahead is Yielding.

These mechanics remain familiar, but now extend a more engaging combat system.

In Conclusion

The changes to the Combat Phase are all about giving players more tactical control and making every fight feel meaningful.

Whether you're splitting attacks across multiple enemies or reforming to set up a cinematic charge, Kings of War 4th Edition spices up the Combat Phase like never before.

Thanks Alessio!

New blogs, videos and stories will be dropping regularly between now and the launch of 4th Edition in December 2025.

Make sure to bookmark the launch hub, HERE, and check back regularly.