¶ Battle
Once finished the maneuver, the active player may attack with one's 
army the units or structures of another player. In this case, the active player is the attacker, and the attacked player is the defender.
During the battle the attacker army attacks the defender army. The defender army counterattacks if the attacker is located within the 
attack range of the defender.
Each fighter calculates the strength of their army and prepares the corresponding number of 
attack cubes and/or 
defense cubes. Both fighters put their cubes into the bag. The attacker then mixes the bag and draws the defined number of cubes at random, without looking. Each fighter deals to the opponent a number of damage equal to the number of their own cubes drawn from the bag.
Let's look at the battle step by step:
¶ 1. Bag Preparation
Each fighter prepares a number of attack / defense cubes equal to the strength of their engaged army:
- +1 or +2 for each unit in the army (according to its strength value)
- +n strength bonus of one unit in the army against one enemy unit or structure
- +1 for every
relic of the army - +1 if the defending army is located in mountains
- +1 if the defending army is located in a city
- +1 if the defending army is behind an allied wall or palisade
- +2 if the army is located in a castle
- -1 for every depletion cube in the army, except the first one
- ± all applicable strength bonus for you and your enemy
- + any number of action cubes or experience cubes the player chooses to add
If the attack range of the units lets you attack the enemy, those units are active in the battle. Take attack cubes for active units, and defense cubes - for the inactive ones. However, both sides may opt out from adding defense to the bag.
Once every fighter has prepared one's cubes, the attacker puts all the cubes to the bag.
military units on the target hex, and only peasants are present, they do not form an army. In this case, add 1 defense for each peasant and do not apply any of the listed bonuses that apply to armies. However, you may add any number of action or experience cubes.
¶ * Conversion
Conversion is an action that allows one of the enemy units to switch to your side.
This stage occurs only if the defender has the conversion action available.
-
Randomly draw 2 cubes from the bag.
Draw +1 cube if the enemy army is located in their
community.
Draw -1 cube if the enemy army is located in your community.
-
If no enemy cubes are drawn, this is a success. Discard any neutral cubes drawn, then transfer your cubes to your
card - they become experience cubes. Then convert 1 enemy unit:
- Discard one enemy unit of your choice from the engaged army (except an elite unit).
- Place your unit of the same type on an adjacent hex and deplete it.
- The converted unit does not take part in this battle.
- If you draw any enemy cubes, this is a failure. Return all drawn cubes to the bag and proceed to the next battle stage.
-
Repeat this process as many times as the conversion action is featured on your game components (,
, 
).
¶ 2. Clash (Bag Check)
The attacker mixes the cubes in the bag thoroughly. They randomly draw from the bag any number of cubes from one up to the value of courage of their (attacker) army.
If the attacker decides to draw fewer cubes than the value of defender army courage, the defender may draw additional cubes. In this case, the number of final draw is limited to the value of defender army courage.
¶ 3. Losses
The cubes drawn from the bag symbolize the success of each side and show the extent of the military losses.
You deal 1 damage to the enemy target for each of your attack cubes drawn. In order to destroy the enemy object, you need to deal as much damage as the number of 
hit points this object has. For instance, usually you have to deal 1 damage to destroy 1 unit, 3 damage to destroy a city and 4 damage - to destroy a castle.
The enemy deals the damage to your army as well. Lost units are removed from the map for both fighters at the same time.
- Wall / palisade (if present)
- Units
- Structures
1), place corresponding number of 
black cubes on it. Units (including galleys) with > 1 ignore non-lethal damage - no black cubes are placed on them.
¶ * Recovery
Recovery is the action that allows you to cancel 1 damage you have taken, so that one of your units may be returned back to the map.
This stage occurs only if one of the fighters has the recovery action available. If both fighters have recovery, the defender performs it first.
- Randomly draw 2 cubes from the bag.
- If you draw no enemy cubes, this is a success. Discard any neutral cubes drawn, then transfer your cubes to your card - they become experience cubes. Then recover one of your lost units:
- Place it on an adjacent hex and deplete it.
- The recovered unit does not affect the determination of the winner of the battle.
- If you draw any enemy cubes, this is a failure. Return all drawn cubes to the bag. You do not recover a unit.
- Repeat this process as many times as the recovery action is featured on your game components (, , ).
¶ 4. Resolution
You win the battle if you destroy all enemy units and structures involved in this battle.
Possible outcomes:
- Attacker victory (defender lost)
- Defender victory (attacker lost)
- Stalemate (neither side lost)
During resolution, you may gain experience cubes and Glory if you meet your government or technology requirements.
The army of Laura of 3 spearmen units attacks the army of Alex of 2 cavalrymen units.
Laura is the attacker, she prepares her cubes:
+3
for the strength of her units+2
for the strength bonus of spearmen against 
cavalry5 attack
total.
Alex is the defender, he prepares his attack cubes as well:
+2
for the strength of his units+1
for the strength bonus of cavalrymen against 
infantry3 attack
total.
Laura puts all 8 cubes into the bag and mixes them thoroughly. Laura's army has a courage value of 3, so she can draw between one and three cubes from the bag. She drew three cubes at once: two green and one purple. So the battle losses are -2 cavalrymen for Alex (for 2 cubes of Laura), -1 spearmen for Laura (for 1 cubes of Alex).
Therefore, Laura is the winner of this battle, as her army destroyed all the units of Alex. This battle was quite favorable for Laura, as spearmen are cheaper and weaker than cavalrymen, but at the same time they are effective against cavalrymen.
Army А of Alex attacks the army B of Albert. Army B consists of melee units, therefore, the enemy army is out of its attack range.
Alex is the attacker, he prepares his cubes:
+3 for the strength of his active units (archers)Total: 3 attack
. Alex decides not to add 1 defense for his swordsmen unit.
Albert is the defender, he prepares his cubes:
+3 for the strength of his inactive units (they cannot reach the enemy)+1
for the strength bonus of inactive swordsmen against infantry-1
for the strength bonus of this depleted army with two depletion cubes+2 experience
Albert adds from his DEMOCRACY cardTotal: 2 attack
and 3 defense .
Alex mixes those 8 cubes in the bag and draws 3 cubes. They are 2 purple and 1 neutral.
Therefore, Alex causes losses to Albert, removing his 2 swordsmen units.
Since Albert has a DEMOCRACY government, he attempts to recover his losses by performing a recovery action. He randomly draws 2 cubes from the bag: 1 of his own cubes and 1 neutral cube.
Therefore, he passes the check and places his lost swordsmen unit on the adjacent hex. He puts his just drawn cube on his DEMOCRACY card, getting experience, and discards the neutral cube drawn.
¶ Siege
When structures are involved in battle, special siege rules apply.
melee and 
ranged units. The attacker cannot apply these bonuses during the bag preparation phase.
Laura moves her army A, combining it with army B and finishing the maneuver on a hex adjacent to Alex's city. She can have 5 units in a single army because she has a castle, which increases the army size limit. She then declares an attack on city D with the newly combined army C.
Laura is the attacker, she prepares her cubes:
+5 for the strength of her units+2
for the strength bonus of catapult against 
structure+1
for the relic in her army+2 experience
from her government card+1
from the bank, due to her AUTOCRACY abilityTotal: 11 attack
.
Alex is the defender, he prepares his attack cubes as well:
+1 for the peasant in his army+1
for the strength of the swordsman+1
for the strength bonus of swordsman against infantry+1
for the army defending the city+1
for the army defending the wall+2 action
that will no longer be available to Alex this roundTotal: 6 attack
and 1 defense .
Laura uses her FABIAN TACTIC technology, discarding 4 green and 4 purple cubes. The remaining cubes are added to the bag.
Before the battle, Alex performs a conversion action, due to his THEOCRACY. Since Laura's army is located in a province with Alex's religious community, he draws 1 cube from the bag instead of 2. He draws a defense . Since no enemy cube was drawn, the conversion is successful and the defense cube is discarded.
Alex converts one of Laura's units: he discards Laura's catapult, places his own catapult on an adjacent hex, and depletes it. The converted unit does not participate in this battle.
Although Alex converted the catapult, Laura still has 4 active units in her army. In addition, the SIEGE TOWER technology grants her army +1 courage. Therefore, she draws 5 cubes from the bag: 4 green and 1 purple. Laura uses TRAINED ARMY, returning the purple cube to the bag and drawing a new one, which is green. She now has 5 green cubes, allowing her to deal 5 damage.
While dealing damage, Laura first destroys 1 building that already has a black cube, as it has 0 hit points. She then allocates her 5 damage to destroy 1 swordsman, 1 peasant, 1 building, and the city with 2 hit points. Thanks to her SIEGE TOWER technology, Laura ignores the destruction priority and bypasses the wall. Alex does not destroy any of Laura's units, while the destroyed city and buildings are returned to his player mat.
Without the SIEGE TOWER technology, Laura would not have been
able to destroy the city due to insufficient damage. Since the city is destroyed, Laura acquires the MIGHTINESS achievement.
Alex returns 1 action to the supply on his mat and no longer pays additional consumption for the destroyed city.