After totaling the Strength of their armies, both players
- gather their hand of 7 Tactic Cards
- secretly select 1 card to play which adds a bonus to their army’s Strength
In the event that one or both players have no Units or Structures remaining in the Region due to spells or abilities, the Battle ends and no Tactic Cards are played.
The amount of Strength added is listed in the upper left of the card, as well as any bonus Strength or effects listed below if against a specific card chosen by the enemy.
When players select a Tactic Card, they must factor in these two rules:
- The player MUST be able to afford the cost of the Tactic Card, as noted on the upper left of the card, and MUST Spend the appropriate Resources AND/OR Sacrifice Units (see related rule).
- Some Tactic Cards may only be played by an attacking or defending player, and some may not be played if there are only Serfs in the army and no Structures.
Proceed to "Sacrificing Units in Battle" or "Resolving the Battle" (see related rules).