Height and terrain
Raised ground, cliffs and ramps in Messalith: the high-ground Aim bonus, sight from height, and what each kind of terrain and land does in a fight.
Levels
Every tile has a height from ground level up to 3. A step between two tiles of the same height is free. A step of one level is only possible where a ramp stands on either tile. Anything more is a cliff, and nobody climbs it.
High ground
- Aim: an attacker gets +10 Aim for each level it stands above its target, up to +20. There is no penalty for shooting uphill.
- Sight: each level the viewer stands on adds a tile of sight.
- Cover: a piece of cover only protects a unit at its own height.
- Ridges block sight. High ground between two units hides them from each other.
- Melee: a blade or spear reaches at most 1 level up or down.
The enemy knows all this. Every enemy values high ground when it picks a tile, and the ones that fight from a distance value it most.
Terrain
| Terrain | Walk on it | Blocks sight | Cover it gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | yes | no | No cover |
| Scrub | yes | no | No cover |
| Low rock or fallen log | no | no | Half cover |
| Boulder | no | yes | Full cover |
| Tree | no | yes | Full cover |
| Water | no | no | No cover |
| Raised stone | no | yes | Full cover |
| Wall | no | yes | Full cover |
| Doorway or gate | yes | no | No cover |
| Ramp | yes | no | No cover |
| Chasm | no | no | No cover |
Water and chasms can't be crossed and give no cover, but they don't block sight. A burning tile, set alight by a fire arrow, can't be entered by anyone while it burns.
The kinds of land
A battle's ground comes from the region it is fought in: salt flat, brine shore, canyon, forest, parkland, steppe, scrub, highland, alpine, marsh, coast or desert rim. Each has its own landform, its own cover and its own plants, and the squad always enters from an edge. Sieges are fought on bigger maps against the walls of a place.