Ambush Mechanics

:::tip Fog of War Required Ambush only triggers when Fog of War is enabled. If you can already see all enemies, there are no surprises! :::

What is an Ambush?

An ambush occurs when you move a unit and it stumbles into a hidden enemy. The enemy gets the drop on you — they strike first with a damage bonus before you can react.

When Does an Ambush Trigger?

An ambush happens when all of these are true:

Fog of War is enabled
An enemy unit was not visible to your team before you moved
Your unit moves adjacent to that hidden enemy
The enemy is revealed by your movement

If the enemy was already visible to any of your units before you moved, it’s normal combat — not an ambush.

:::note Team Vision Visibility is shared across your team. If one of your units can see an enemy, that enemy can’t ambush any of your other units — even if the moving unit couldn’t see them on its own. :::

Why Ambushes Happen

Visibility, Not Terrain

Ambushes are based on visibility, not terrain type:

Any enemy outside your team’s combined vision range can ambush you
It doesn’t matter if they’re on grass, forest, or mountain
What matters is: could your team see them before you moved?

Forests and Mountains Make It More Likely

While any hidden enemy can ambush, forests and mountains block line of sight, which means enemies behind or inside them are more likely to be hidden:

Forests: Block line of sight; units inside are hidden
Mountains: Block line of sight; units behind them are hidden

But enemies on open ground can also ambush you if they’re simply outside your vision range.

How Ambush Combat Works

When your unit stumbles into a hidden enemy:

Enemy is revealed and immediately attacks your unit first
+25% damage bonus is applied to the ambusher’s attack (on top of the normal combat damage)
If your unit survives and is still eligible to retaliate, it counter-attacks — usually at reduced strength because it has already taken damage (and may also be suppressed)

Your movement stops completely at the ambush point. All remaining movement points are used up, but your turn continues — you can still act with other units.

Multiple Ambushers

If your movement reveals more than one hidden enemy adjacent to you, each one attacks in sequence before any possible retaliation. This can be devastating — your health drops with each hit, and you can be destroyed before getting a chance to fight back.

:::caution Watch for Clusters Moving blindly into areas with limited visibility risks triggering a multi-unit ambush. Scout ahead when you can. :::

Preventing Ambushes

Expand Your Vision

The best defense against ambushes is vision:

Each unit sees 2 hexes in all directions
Units on mountains see 3 hexes (the mountain vision bonus)
Position units to cover blind spots for each other — remember, vision is shared across your team

Terrain Awareness

Vision-blocking terrain creates ambush opportunities:

Forests: Can’t see through them; units inside are hidden
Mountains: Can’t see through them; units behind are hidden

Open terrain like grass, roads, and shallow water doesn’t block vision — but enemies far enough away (3+ hexes from all your units) are still hidden due to vision range limits.

Unit Range Matters

Not every hidden enemy can ambush. Units with a minimum attack range (like artillery) cannot attack at close range, so they won’t trigger an ambush even if they’re hidden and adjacent to your moving unit.

Examples

Example 1: Forest Ambush

Enemy Infantry hiding in a forest
The forest blocks your line of sight
You move adjacent to that forest hex
Ambush! Enemy strikes first with bonus damage
If you survive and can retaliate, your counter-attack is usually weaker than a fresh strike
Both units are now visible

Example 2: Open Ground Ambush

Enemy Infantry on grass, 3 hexes away from all your units
Outside your team’s vision range
You move toward them and get within 1 hex
Ambush! Enemy strikes first with bonus damage
Terrain type didn’t matter — distance did

Example 3: No Ambush (Already Visible)

Enemy Infantry 2 hexes from one of your scouts
Your scout can already see them
A different unit moves adjacent to that enemy
Normal combat — no ambush because your team already had vision

Example 4: No Ambush (Ally Vision)

Enemy Infantry is hidden from your moving unit
But one of your other units on a mountain can see them (3-hex mountain vision)
You move adjacent to the enemy
Normal combat — no ambush because your team’s shared vision already covered that tile

Key Takeaways

Ambushes are about visibility — if your team can see the enemy, no ambush
Any hidden enemy can ambush you, regardless of terrain
Forests and mountains block vision, making ambushes more likely near them
Movement stops at the ambush point — plan your routes carefully
Multiple hidden enemies can ambush you in sequence, which can be lethal
Mountain vision bonus (3 hexes) helps prevent ambushes — use high ground for scouting
Team vision is shared — spread your units to cover blind spots

Next Steps

Learn about Fog of War to understand vision
Review Terrain Guide for vision-blocking terrain
See Units Guide for vision range details

Scouts on mountains save lives.