Editing Combat

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RimWorld's combat system may seem a little daunting to new players at first, however a few simple guidelines will have you ready to repel attacks and hold ground like a pro.

In every gunfight there is one very important lifesaving rule to remember:<br/>
'''Always use whatever [[cover]] is available!'''<br/>

== Combat mechanics ==

There are several key mechanics in the combat system of the game.

=== Cover ===
{{main|cover}}
Using the best [[cover]] available is key to winning a firefight. Select any pawn with a ranged weapon and hover over a target in their line of sight to see a popup that shows the shooter's chance to hit that target, including the target's measure of cover. Walls and natural rock provide the best cover and are great for flanking positions. [[Sandbags]] make for very effective cover. When placed in a U-shape or zigzag pattern, the extra bags will provide more cover for your defenders.

Chunks of stone and steel slag near your base can be used by attackers as cover. This cover is far better than trees or bushes. Be sure to have your colonists clear away such debris to deprive ranged attackers of using it for cover.

If you have the time and resources to spare, you can make multi-layer defenses, with rows of cover you can fall back to if you're being overwhelmed. The drawback is that if enemies advance they can use your defensive lines as cover.

=== Ranged ===
Ranged involves the use of weapons from a distance. Pawns wielding ranged weapons will shoot at enemies, because what else did you expect them to do?

Ranged weapons consist of many attributes:
<ul>
<li>Damage</li>
<li>Armor penetration</li>
<li>Stopping power</li>
<li>Burst count</li>
<li>Aim time</li>
<li>Cooldown time</li>
<li>Accuracy</li>
<li>Range</li>
</ul>

Each ranged weapon has 4 accuracy values corresponding to accuracy at close (3), short (12), medium (25) and long (40) ranges. Stopping power allows a ranged weapon to stagger whatever their projectile hits if the victim's body size is less than or equal to the stopping power value, slowing them down to 1/6th of their normal speed for {{ticks|95}} - explosives will stagger regardless though.

Whenever a regular ranged weapon misses, the projectile will land within a random distance from the original target depending on the actual accuracy of the shot based on the weapon and the shooter. Stray shots have a 50% chance of damaging another target on the alternative cell it happens to land on. Accuracy to maximum miss distances are as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Accuracy !! Max Miss Distance !! Area (cells)
|-
| 100% || 1.0 || 5
|-
| 22% || 2.0 || 13
|-
| 11% || 4.0 || 41
|-
| 7% || 6.0 || -
|-
| 4% || 8.0 || -
|-
| 2% || 10.0 || -
|}


Ranged weapons with a forced miss radius will hit anything but the target within its miss radius, though there's a small chance that they'll occasionally use standard accuracy with smaller radii having higher chances. Forced miss radius also scales with distance:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Distance (cells) !! Radius Multiplier
|-
| 0 - 8 || 0
|-
| 9 - 24 || 0.5
|-
| 25 - 48 || 0.8
|-
| 49+ || 1.0
|}

Projectiles can also hit other things that are between the target and the shooter, such as stray animals.

=== Melee ===
Melee involves hand-to-hand combat, with or without the use of weapons.

Pawns usually will not stack into a cell with other melee attackers, but if they do, only one pawn per cell may attack the same target. This does not apply to colony brawlers, as they can and may stack into a cell while melee attacking the same target sometimes.

Melee combat has strengths and weaknesses. A colonist skilled in melee and equipped with an effective weapon will easily win any one-on-one melee battle. However, a brawler trying to close the gap to attack a gun-wielding attacker may get shot down before reaching their target. The [[shield belt]] was designed to solve that problem. A colony might develop a [[Defense tactics#Melee sortie|small strike team of brawlers]] that can swiftly eliminate threats in close quarters, especially those that have infiltrated the colony.

Blunt attacks also have a chance to stun enemies on hit. The chance of this is dependent on the damage of the attack and the body size of the opponent, with attacks to the head being much more likely to stun.

If a colonist has gone into a berserk mental break they will engage nearby targets. To subdue them with the least risk of causing serious injury, draft one or more colonists armed with nothing but bare fists or marginally blunt weaponry.

If a pawn has lost all the body parts that can melee attack (such as hands), they will resort to using a head butt attack.

Sometimes, humanoid pawns that engage in melee combat may 'kick dirt' in their target's eyes, effectively blinding them (-90% sight) for a short time.

Pawns equipped with ranged weapons such as guns can defend themselves in melee by rifle-butting, pistol-whipping, or 'poking' enemies with them. This is more damaging than mere fists, but is typically not as good as dedicated melee weapons such as the [[longsword]].

=== Accuracy ===

When a pawn attacks another, the chance that the attack hits is known as accuracy.

*'''Melee accuracy''' is very straightforward, simply the chance that a pawn can land melee blows.
*'''Ranged accuracy''', on the other hand, is more complicated. The in-game accuracy is described per tile, meaning that the actual accuracy is much lower at a distance as the accuracy at that distance is calculated by the '''base accuracy to the power of the distance to the target.''' This is further multiplied by the weapon accuracy of that weapon at that distance.
**Many other factors are also taken into account, such as weather.

A pawn's base accuracy is affected by skill, as well as sight and manipulation.

=== Dodging ===

Skilled melee pawns have the ability to evade melee attacks when fighting. When the melee blow is dodged it will always miss regardless of whether or not it is supposed to hit.

== Combat basics ==
The various character roles play a big part in combat. Characters having great skill in at least 1 form of combat are ideal, use them first. Have colonists equip weapons at all time so they can defend themselves or respond quickly when drafted.

It's often handy to keep one colonist with only [[firefighting]] duties nearby in case a fire breaks out. This extra character can extinguish fires leaving shooters to continue engaging attackers. They can also aid a defender if they catch fire and can't extinguish themselves.

If a colonist starts to sustain too many injuries you can use your less combat-skilled colonists to take over while they retreat. If you need to, have your injured colonist drop their weapon and undraft them, then have your reserves pick up the weapon and fight in their place.

=== Tactics ===
{{Main|Defense tactics}}
Sometimes you will have to use more clever tactics to defeat your incoming enemies, such as when you're outnumbered, or you don't have suitable ways to cope with the incoming raiders.

=== Friendly fire ===
Be careful when you shoot at enemies while allies are in the way or near them, as they may have a chance of being hit as well. Colonists can shoot over the shoulders of allies up to 2 tiles away from them, but any further and they may be hit.

Colonists engaging enemies in melee also have a chance of being hit by their ranged counterparts.

=== Aftermath ===
Your defenders will slowly become tired and hungry, eventually leading to a mental break if you don't take them off draft. Undraft them so they may work on cleanup and repair. Select dropped items and corpses and unforbid to allow colonists to move them. Build graves, set up a dumping stockpile accepting corpses, or set a bill for butcher table or crematorium to dispose of bodies and prevent colonists from taking a mood penalty.

=== Colonist morale ===
It's important to keep colonists' mood high and needs satisfied, to prevent them from breaking in the middle of combat, leading to more problems.

A satisfying colony will keep soldiers' spirits high while they starve a sleepless night in the trenches.

== Combat log ==
In Beta 18 the game keeps track of all combat actions done by a pawn. This can be accessed through the 'Combat' tab for a character, and lets you review combat after the battle has finished or in the heat of it.

Each action is accompanied by some flavor text.

== Pause frequently! ==
The most important combat tip is saved for last. Use the pause feature! The tide of battle changes very quickly with a smoking turret or thrown grenade in the middle of your colonists. Take advantage of the space bar to freeze the action and give your colonists new orders.

== See also ==
*[[Defense tactics]] for a more in-depth guide about countering hostile events
*[[Defense structures]] for building defenses in your colony
*[[Offense tactics]] for assaults on hostiles outside your colony
*[[Weapon Guide]] for ways to use or counter different kinds of weapon

[[Category:Gameplay]]
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 '''Always use whatever [[cover]] is available!'''<br/>
-== Combat basics ==
+== Combat mechanics ==
-[[Draft]] pawns to have them enter combat. While drafted, pawns with a ranged weapon will automatically fire at enemies they see. [[Wall]]s and other impassible objects will block line of fire. When adjacent to an enemy, pawns will always fight in melee - even if they are holding a gun. You can assign specific targets for both melee and ranged attackers.
-There are several other key mechanics in the combat system of the game:
+There are several key mechanics in the combat system of the game.
 === Cover ===
-{{main|Cover}}
+{{main|cover}}
-Using the strongest [[cover]] available is key to winning a firefight. Pawns will automatically use cover, like [[sandbag]]s and stone [[chunk]]s, that they are adjacent to.  If you have the time and resources to spare, you can make multi-layer defenses, with rows of cover you can fall back to if you're being overwhelmed. The drawback is that, if enemies advance, they can use your defensive lines as cover.
+Using the best [[cover]] available is key to winning a firefight. Select any pawn with a ranged weapon and hover over a target in their line of sight to see a popup that shows the shooter's chance to hit that target, including the target's measure of cover. Walls and natural rock provide the best cover and are great for flanking positions. [[Sandbags]] make for very effective cover. When placed in a U-shape or zigzag pattern, the extra bags will provide more cover for your defenders.
-[[Wall]]s are the best possible cover, shielding colonists from 75% of bullets. While they cannot be fired through, pawns will "lean" out from a wall and fire from its side. A row of 1-tile wide walls, interspersed with [[barricade]]s or [[sandbag]]s, are the strongest formation of cover.
-Cover can also be used by your enemies. [[Chunk]]s of stone and steel slag are much more effective than [[tree]]s, and should be cleared out. Conversely, if assaulting a [[siege]] or [[mech cluster]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}, you should use any preexisting cover, such as chunks, [[ruins]], or [[mountain]]s.
-=== Tactics ===
-{{Main|Defense tactics}}
-Sometimes you will have to use more clever tactics to defeat your incoming enemies, such as when you're outnumbered, or you don't have suitable ways to cope with the incoming raiders.
-===Logistics===
-During battle, it's often handy to keep colonists with [[firefighting]] duties nearby in case a [[fire]] breaks out. Pawns lit on fire will run around wildly, unable to attack. [[Firefoam pop pack]]s will extinguish colonists while preventing future fires. Even if someone is incapable of violence, they can help end fires nearby and rescue people in need.
-After battle, you'll likely need to clean up and repair any damage done to your base. Undraft colonists so that they can start on work. Build [[grave]]s, set up a dumping stockpile accepting corpses, or use an [[electric crematorium]] to dispose of bodies, in order to avoid the mood penalty for seeing [[corpse]]s.
-=== Pause frequently! ===
-The most important combat tip is saved for last. Use the pause feature! The tide of battle changes very quickly with a smoking turret or thrown grenade in the middle of your colonists. Take advantage of the space bar to freeze the action and give your colonists new orders.
-==Colonist management==
-Ultimately, colonists are beings with [[mood]], [[need]]s, and [[injuries]] to take care of. A tired, hungry colonist will become progressively more upset, while [[pain]] isn't a particularly pleasant experience. [[Mental break]]s are absolutely ''lethal'' in combat, as the pawn will refuse to shoot or follow orders. To prevent this, you should ideally care for colonists ''before'' combat starts.
-A pleasant base - great dining, recreation, and bedrooms specifically - will keep soldiers' spirits high. Alternatively, you can assign colonists to carry [[drug]]s at all times (Assign tab -> Drug policy). Order colonists to take the drug as combat begins. [[Go-juice]], while inherently addictive, confers major combat-related boosts.
-===Skills===
-As pawns can only hold one weapon at a time, colonists that are great at one combat stat (Shooting or Melee) are better than one decent at both. Shooting skill has a greater impact the further away a colonist is shooting from, so assign longer range weapons to skilled colonists. Give your best melee fighters the best melee weapons.
-Ideally, you should keep your best doctors away from direct combat. In practice, having an extra shooter is more valuable - just don't be overly risky with them.
-===Triage===
+Chunks of stone and steel slag near your base can be used by attackers as cover. This cover is far better than trees or bushes. Be sure to have your colonists clear away such debris to deprive ranged attackers of using it for cover.
-Tending to wounded colonists is important to save them from dying. Drafted colonists can immediately tend to others on the field, with or without medicine. Prioritize those who are bleeding out the most. While medicine does not staunch the flow of bleeding of a specific wound any faster, it can stop multiple wounds at the same time.
-If a colonist starts to sustain too many injuries, you can use your less combat-skilled colonists to take over while they retreat. If need be, have your injured colonist drop their weapon and undraft them, then have your reserves pick up the weapon and fight in their place. If a pawn takes on too much damage, they may become [[downed]] and require rescue.
+If you have the time and resources to spare, you can make multi-layer defenses, with rows of cover you can fall back to if you're being overwhelmed. The drawback is that if enemies advance they can use your defensive lines as cover.
-== Ranged ==
+=== Ranged ===
-Ranged combat involves the use of weapons from a distance. Pawns wielding ranged weapons will shoot at enemies, because what else did you expect them to do?
+Ranged involves the use of weapons from a distance. Pawns wielding ranged weapons will shoot at enemies, because what else did you expect them to do?
-Note that RimWorld does not have any ammo mechanics, even for items that visually appear to be finite, like [[pila]] and [[grenades]]. [[Doomsday rocket launcher]]s and [[triple rocket launcher]]s are consumed on use, while every other held weapon is infinite. Weapons will not be damaged so long as they are wielded, and weapon damage has no impact on their combat effectiveness.
-===Weapon stats===
 Ranged weapons consist of many attributes:
-*'''Damage:''' How much health each bullet can do. For reference, the brain has 10 HP, the heart has 15 HP, and the torso (general body) has 40 HP.
+<ul>
-*'''Armor penetration:''' The ability to ignore [[armor]]. AP directly subtracts from armor rating; if a weapon's AP > the armor %, then armor is completely ignored.
+<li>Damage</li>
-*'''Stopping power:''' The ability to stagger, or slow, pawns. A stopping power of 1 can stagger humans and human-like [[mechanoid]]s. When staggered, a pawn is reduced to 1/6th of their normal speed for {{ticks|95}}.
+<li>Armor penetration</li>
-*'''Burst count:''' How many bullets are fired at a time. If a weapon fires multiple shots, there will be a short delay between bullets.
+<li>Stopping power</li>
-*'''Aim time''' and '''Cooldown time''': How long it takes between each burst. Aim time happens before shooting, cooldown happens after.
+<li>Burst count</li>
-*'''Range:''' How far a weapon can shoot.
+<li>Aim time</li>
-*'''Accuracy:''' A weapon's own modifier to accuracy. Shooting skill and other factors also determine accuracy.
+<li>Cooldown time</li>
-** Each weapon has specific accuracy values at Touch (3), short (12), medium (25) and long (40) ranges. Linear interpolation is used for any values in between. (e.g. accuracy at 17.5 tiles is equal to the average of the short and medium accuracy)
+<li>Accuracy</li>
+<li>Range</li>
+</ul>
-There are two summary stats of how a weapon will actually perform:
+Each ranged weapon has 4 accuracy values corresponding to accuracy at close (3), short (12), medium (25) and long (40) ranges. Stopping power allows a ranged weapon to stagger whatever their projectile hits if the victim's body size is less than or equal to the stopping power value, slowing them down to 1/6th of their normal speed for {{ticks|95}} - explosives will stagger regardless though.
-*'''Optimal DPS:''' How much damage a weapon can do, per second, if every shot hits an unarmored target.
-*'''DPS (Range):''' How much damage a weapon can do, per second, factoring in weapon accuracy at a specific range. (Before the shooter's accuracy, armor, etc.)
-DPS is a measure of how fast a weapon can deal out [[pain]]. [[Pain shock]] is the primary way of disabling pawns in combat; hurt them enough, and they will be [[downed]]. Note that enemies downed from pain have a chance to [[death|die]], anyways. Other factors like range, stopping power, and aiming/cooldown time can all impact how you use a weapon in battle, but damage is a stat to be prioritized first.
-===Effective accuracy===
+Whenever a regular ranged weapon misses, the projectile will land within a random distance from the original target depending on the actual accuracy of the shot based on the weapon and the shooter. Stray shots have a 50% chance of damaging another target on the alternative cell it happens to land on. Accuracy to maximum miss distances are as follows:
-Conventional (non-explosive) ranged weapon accuracy follows the following equation:
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-| Accuracy = ([[Shooting Accuracy]]<sup>Range</sup> &times; Weapon Accuracy &times; Other factors
-|}
-In simpler terms:
-*[[Shooting Accuracy]] is the stat of the shooter. A shooter's accuracy becomes exponentially more important the further a shot is fired. Higher Shooting skill, [[manipulation]], a [[gunlink]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, etc. all improve this stat.
-*Weapon accuracy is the stat of the weapon. Each weapon has specific accuracy values for shooting at specific ranges. This is a factor applied after shooting accuracy.
-*Factors like [[cover]], [[smoke]], [[weather]], and body size are all multipliers or offsets to the "final" accuracy. See [[Weapons#Accuracy]] for the full list.
-If a ranged weapon is calculated to hit, it will hit, regardless of where the bullet visually lands or any defender movement. If the bullet misses, then it can impact other tiles.
-===Miss mechanics===
-Whenever a regular ranged weapon misses, the projectile will land within a random distance from the original target depending on the actual accuracy of the shot based on the weapon and the shooter. Stray shots have a 50% chance of hitting nothing, and a 50% chance of hitting another target on the alternative cell it happens to land on. Projectiles can also hit other things that are between the target and the shooter, such as stray animals. Accuracy to maximum miss distances are as follows:
 {| class="wikitable sortable"
@@ Line 105: / Line 58: @@
 |}
-There are special mechanics in regards to [[friendly fire]], or hitting a pawn from the same faction.
-===Forced miss===
+Ranged weapons with a forced miss radius will hit anything but the target within its miss radius, though there's a small chance that they'll occasionally use standard accuracy with smaller radii having higher chances. Forced miss radius also scales with distance:
-{{Rewrite|section=1|reason=Added in 2018, verify this still works like this and if so then integrate with existing FMR weapon pages}}
-Many weapons (mostly explosives) have a Forced Miss Radius stat. Forced miss is modified with with distance:
 {| class="wikitable sortable"
 ! Distance (cells) !! Radius Multiplier
@@ Line 122: / Line 72: @@
 |}
-Weapons with this stat will ''always'' land within their forced miss radius, ignoring every factor to accuracy. There is a small chance to use standard accuracy instead, more likely with a small radius.
+Projectiles can also hit other things that are between the target and the shooter, such as stray animals.
-== Melee ==
+=== Melee ===
-[[File:Melee_test_eleplants_block.png|thumb|200px|left|A very basic melee block, available in any doorway.]]
+Melee involves hand-to-hand combat, with or without the use of weapons.
-Melee involves hand-to-hand combat, with or without the use of weapons. Accuracy is determined with the [[Melee Hit Chance]] stat.
-Pawns will usually not stack into a cell with other melee attackers. For enemies, only one pawn per cell can attack the same target. Undrafted colony brawllers will not always have collision, so it is possible for them to stack if the [[Menus#Assign|threat response setting]] is set to attack.
+Pawns usually will not stack into a cell with other melee attackers, but if they do, only one pawn per cell may attack the same target. This does not apply to colony brawlers, as they can and may stack into a cell while melee attacking the same target sometimes.
-Melee combat has strengths and weaknesses. While a pawn can bash with a gun barrel in melee, a fighter with a dedicated melee weapon remains much more effective. However, a brawler may get shot down during their approach. The [[shield belt]] was designed to solve that problem. A colony might develop a [[Defense tactics#Melee sortie|small strike team of brawlers]] that can swiftly eliminate threats in close quarters, especially those that have infiltrated the colony.
+Melee combat has strengths and weaknesses. A colonist skilled in melee and equipped with an effective weapon will easily win any one-on-one melee battle. However, a brawler trying to close the gap to attack a gun-wielding attacker may get shot down before reaching their target. The [[shield belt]] was designed to solve that problem. A colony might develop a [[Defense tactics#Melee sortie|small strike team of brawlers]] that can swiftly eliminate threats in close quarters, especially those that have infiltrated the colony.
-One of the most common tactics is the ''[[Defense_tactics#Melee_blocking|melee block]]'' (see left). Stand 3 colonists just outside a hallway or door entrance. This ensures that you only fight 1 enemy at a time, reducing their relative damage output. Other colonists can fire behind the melee blockers, though enemy raiders can fire behind each other too. Effective against [[infestation]]s and melee rushes.
+Blunt attacks also have a chance to stun enemies on hit. The chance of this is dependent on the damage of the attack and the body size of the opponent, with attacks to the head being much more likely to stun.
-{{clear}}
-===Other mechanics===
-*Skilled melee pawns have the ability to evade melee attacks when fighting. When the melee blow is dodged, it will always miss, regardless of whether or not it is supposed to hit.
-*Blunt melee attacks don't cause bleeding (unless a body part is destroyed), but they have a chance to stun enemies for a short time on hit. In addition, most pieces of [[armor]] will protect poorly against blunt attacks.
-*Pawns that engage in melee combat while standing on dirt may 'kick dirt' or 'water' in their target's eyes, effectively blinding them for a short time (-80% [[sight]] for dirt, and -50% sight for water).
-== Friendly fire ==
+If a colonist has gone into a berserk mental break they will engage nearby targets. To subdue them with the least risk of causing serious injury, draft one or more colonists armed with nothing but bare fists or marginally blunt weaponry.
-{{stub|section=1|reason=this is two of the quoted several subsidiary mechanics, more detail is needed}}
-[[File:Friendly Fire Radii.png|thumb|right|Friendly fire safety radii:<br>Central pawn will not hit any friendly pawn on or within the gold radius<br>Any pawn on a sterile tile will not hit any other friendly pawn on a sterile tile.]]
-Friendly fire is a mechanic in which ranged attacks that missed their target have chance to hit nearby targets, including allies. As such it is important to be careful when you shoot at enemies while allies are in the way or near them, as they may have a chance of being hit as well.
-There are several subsidiary mechanics in this process.
+If a pawn has lost all the body parts that can melee attack (such as hands), they will resort to using a head butt attack.
-First, there is radius of immunity around the shooter in which friendly targets cannot be hit by missed attacks at all. Colonists can shoot over the shoulders of allies up to 5 tiles away from them, but any further and they may be hit. In the image to the right the two radii are displayed. Any pawn standing on a gold or sterile tile cannot be hit by friendly fire by a pawn standing in the center. The inner radius of sterile tiles defines an area in which no pawn standing on one of these tiles will hit any other allied pawn also standing on a sterile tile with friendly fire. Both of these are still the case, even if the actual target is also within with radius. '''Note''' that standing inside an open [[door]] invalidates this immunity for some reason, allowing pawns to be hit with friendly fire even if inside these radii.
+Sometimes, humanoid pawns that engage in melee combat may 'kick dirt' in their target's eyes, effectively blinding them (-90% sight) for a short time.
-Second is the [[AI_Storytellers#General|Friendly Fire Difficulty Setting]]. This acts as chance multiplier on the existing chance of friendly fire, ranging between 0% and 100% to pawns in the red area of the image or beyond. Note that 100% will not result in all misses causing friendly fire, it only adds an additional scalar to the existing chance.
+Pawns equipped with ranged weapons such as guns can defend themselves in melee by rifle-butting, pistol-whipping, or 'poking' enemies with them. This is more damaging than mere fists, but is typically not as good as dedicated melee weapons such as the [[longsword]].
+=== Accuracy ===
+When a pawn attacks another, the chance that the attack hits is known as accuracy.
+*'''Melee accuracy''' is very straightforward, simply the chance that a pawn can land melee blows.
+*'''Ranged accuracy''', on the other hand, is more complicated. The in-game accuracy is described per tile, meaning that the actual accuracy is much lower at a distance as the accuracy at that distance is calculated by the '''base accuracy to the power of the distance to the target.''' This is further multiplied by the weapon accuracy of that weapon at that distance.
+**Many other factors are also taken into account, such as weather.
+A pawn's base accuracy is affected by skill, as well as sight and manipulation.
+=== Dodging ===
+Skilled melee pawns have the ability to evade melee attacks when fighting. When the melee blow is dodged it will always miss regardless of whether or not it is supposed to hit.
+== Combat basics ==
+The various character roles play a big part in combat. Characters having great skill in at least 1 form of combat are ideal, use them first. Have colonists equip weapons at all time so they can defend themselves or respond quickly when drafted.
+It's often handy to keep one colonist with only [[firefighting]] duties nearby in case a fire breaks out. This extra character can extinguish fires leaving shooters to continue engaging attackers. They can also aid a defender if they catch fire and can't extinguish themselves.
+If a colonist starts to sustain too many injuries you can use your less combat-skilled colonists to take over while they retreat. If you need to, have your injured colonist drop their weapon and undraft them, then have your reserves pick up the weapon and fight in their place.
+=== Tactics ===
+{{Main|Defense tactics}}
+Sometimes you will have to use more clever tactics to defeat your incoming enemies, such as when you're outnumbered, or you don't have suitable ways to cope with the incoming raiders.
+=== Friendly fire ===
+Be careful when you shoot at enemies while allies are in the way or near them, as they may have a chance of being hit as well. Colonists can shoot over the shoulders of allies up to 2 tiles away from them, but any further and they may be hit.
+Colonists engaging enemies in melee also have a chance of being hit by their ranged counterparts.
+=== Aftermath ===
+Your defenders will slowly become tired and hungry, eventually leading to a mental break if you don't take them off draft. Undraft them so they may work on cleanup and repair. Select dropped items and corpses and unforbid to allow colonists to move them. Build graves, set up a dumping stockpile accepting corpses, or set a bill for butcher table or crematorium to dispose of bodies and prevent colonists from taking a mood penalty.
+=== Colonist morale ===
+It's important to keep colonists' mood high and needs satisfied, to prevent them from breaking in the middle of combat, leading to more problems.
+A satisfying colony will keep soldiers' spirits high while they starve a sleepless night in the trenches.
 == Combat log ==
-The game keeps track of all combat actions done by a pawn. This can be accessed through the 'Log' tab for a character, and lets you review combat after the battle has finished or in the heat of it.
+In Beta 18 the game keeps track of all combat actions done by a pawn. This can be accessed through the 'Combat' tab for a character, and lets you review combat after the battle has finished or in the heat of it.
 Each action is accompanied by some flavor text.
+== Pause frequently! ==
+The most important combat tip is saved for last. Use the pause feature! The tide of battle changes very quickly with a smoking turret or thrown grenade in the middle of your colonists. Take advantage of the space bar to freeze the action and give your colonists new orders.
 == See also ==
@@ Line 161: / Line 143: @@
 *[[Weapon Guide]] for ways to use or counter different kinds of weapon
-== Version history ==
+[[Category:Gameplay]]
-* [[Version/0.18.1722|0.18.1722]] - Storyful combat: A major rework of melee combat, and a new way to report all combat interactions. Storyful combat generates a combat log that reports each blow, miss, swipe, block and fall in the combat. During or after a fight, you can review the combat log to see what happened, to generate a richer story.
-[[Category:Game mechanics]]