Combat Tokens · Basic tokens
There is no Wait action in the board game rules: an activated unit moves and attacks, or Defends. Details: Paralysis, Defense.
If a unit would activate with a Paralysis Token, skip its activation and remove the Token instead. If the unit is attacked or takes any damage while it has the Token, remove the Token. The Token does not stop Retaliation Attacks. Sources include the Blind Spell, Medusas and Basilisks; Cure removes it; Troglodytes ignore it.
Paralysis Token
skips its next activation; removed early if attacked or damaged; can still retaliate
Instead of attacking, a unit may take a Defense Token and end its activation. When a unit with this Token is attacked, roll the Attack Die again after the attack roll: on a +1 the defender gets +1 Defense against this attack. The Token is discarded at the start of the unit's next activation, and the unit cannot Defend again in that activation. Neutral units cannot Defend in Neutral Combat.
Defense Token (Defend action)
instead of attacking; attacker rolls again, on +1 the defender gets +1 Defense
If a unit survives an attack by an adjacent unit, it attacks back. Each unit makes only 1 Retaliation Attack per Combat Round; a Retaliation Attack cannot cause another one. Mark the unit with a Black Cube after it retaliates. Some units (for example Griffins) may retaliate any number of times, so no Cube is placed on them.
Retaliation Attack and the Black Cube
once per Combat Round; mark the unit with a Black Cube
Units activate once per Combat Round in descending Initiative order; on a tie, alternate attacker and defender, starting with the attacker. When a unit activates, place a Faction Cube on it. When every unit has activated once, the Combat Round ends.
Faction Cube (activated)
marks a unit that already activated this Combat Round
Units that deal elemental damage attack normally, but the damage works like Spell damage and ignores the target's Defense. Elemental damage does not count as damage from Spells. Part of the Conflux Expansion.
Elemental damage
attack as normal, but the damage ignores Defense; it is not Spell damage
Every card on the Combat Board is a Combat Obstacle and blocks the movement of all non-flying units. Flying units move over Obstacles. Town Walls are Obstacles; the Gate is not an Obstacle for the defending player.
Obstacles
every card on the Combat Board blocks non-flying units
Combat Tokens · Spell tokens
Summoned units act in the Round they appear only if their Initiative is at most the current unit's Initiative.
The Clone Spell places a Clone on an empty space that copies everything printed on a chosen allied unit's card (not other effects played on it). If the Clone takes any damage or is attacked at all, set its HP to 0. It is removed if the original unit leaves the board. Part of the Cove Expansion.
Clone (Cove)
copies an allied unit; dies to any damage; gone if the original leaves
Summon Elemental Spells add an Elemental unit (Few or Pack, by Power used) to an empty space from the face-up Summoned Unit Deck. It stays under your control until it dies or Combat ends and is not added to your Unit Deck. Types: Fire, Earth, Water, Air. Part of the Conflux Expansion.
Summon Elementals (Conflux)
add a Few or Pack Elemental to the board (not to your Deck)
A Pack of Pit Lords (Inferno) can summon Few Demons adjacent to them, or reinforce Demons already in Combat. Unless stated otherwise, the summoned Demons are added to your Unit Deck after Combat.
Summon Demons (Inferno)
Pit Lords summon or reinforce Few Demons - kept after Combat
When casting Quicksand, take 2, 4 or 6 Quicksand Tokens of one color, by the Power used: half empty, half with the Quicksand symbol. Shuffle them face down and place one on each chosen empty space; extra Tokens are discarded. You may look at your own Tokens. When a unit enters a space with a Token, reveal it: empty - the unit keeps moving; Quicksand - its movement and activation end at once. Two Tokens may share a space only if different players placed them.
Quicksand (Stronghold)
2/4/6 face-down tokens, half empty; entering a real one ends movement and activation
When casting Land Mine, take 2, 4 or 6 Land Mine Tokens by the Power used: half empty, half with 2 damage. Shuffle them face down and place one on each chosen empty space; extra Tokens are discarded. You may look at your own Tokens. When a unit enters the space, reveal the Token: empty - it keeps moving; 2 damage - the unit takes 2 damage and, if still on the Board, continues its activation. Two Tokens may share a space only if different players placed them.
Land Mine
2/4/6 face-down tokens, half empty; a real one deals 2 damage
The Fire Wall Spell and Luna's Specialty cards I and VI place the Fire Wall onto a Combat Board space. You may use a Fire Wall Token instead of the card; keep the card next to the board as a reminder and discard the Token together with the card. On the Battlefield Board you must use the Token. The Spell deals damage to a unit stopping on the space and to Ground or Ranged units passing through it.
Fire Wall
a token may replace the Fire Wall card; on the Battlefield Board the token is required
The Force Field Token marks the Force Field Spell. It is an Obstacle: only Flying units can move through its space. On the normal Combat Board place 1 Token; on the Battlefield Board place 2 Tokens on two adjacent spaces. How long it stays depends on the Power used.
Force Field
an Obstacle only Flying units pass; 1 token, or 2 adjacent on the Battlefield Board
optional: token examples, PDF p.90-92
Combat Tokens · Unit tokens
Many cards have tricky wording - the community Fan-Made Wiki (en.homm3bg.wiki) clarifies most of them.
Sorceresses (Cove) place a Weakness Token on a unit: -1 or -2 Attack as shown on the Token's side. A unit can hold only one; gaining a second, the controller chooses which to keep.
Weakness Token
-1 or -2 Attack; one per unit
Ogres (Stronghold) place Attack Tokens on allied units: +1 or +2 Attack as shown. A unit can hold only one Attack Token at a time.
Attack Token
+1 or +2 Attack; one per unit
Behemoths (Stronghold) place a Corrosion Token on a unit they attack: -1 Defense to a minimum of 0, lasting until the end of Combat unless removed. A unit can hold only one; a second one discards another.
Corrosion Token
-1 Defense (min 0) until end of Combat; one per unit
Each Stack Token gives a unit +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +1 HP or +2 Initiative, and makes it a Stacked unit. When a Stacked unit takes damage equal to or above its HP, discard the Stack Token instead of removing the card and deal the leftover damage to the new HP. Creature Bank units without a Token are defeated normally. Difficulty sets the number of Tokens: Easy 1, Normal 2, Hard 3, Impossible 4. Part of the Naval Battles Creature Banks variant.
Stack Token (Creature Banks)
+1 Attack, +1 Defense, +1 HP or +2 Initiative; absorbs one defeat like a reinforced unit
optional: unit ability tokens, PDF p.93
Combat Tokens · Battlefield Board
These apply only on the large Battlefield Board (Battlefield Expansion).
When the Battlefield Board is used, the attacker receives the Initiative Token at the start of Combat Setup.
Initiative Token
the attacker takes it at the start of Combat Setup
On the Battlefield Board you must use the Fire Wall Token instead of the card, and Summon Unit Tokens instead of Summoned unit cards. The Force Field covers 2 adjacent spaces.
Tokens instead of cards
Fire Wall and Summoned units must be tokens on this board
Combat on the Battlefield Board uses Miniatures. Once placed, every model counts as an Obstacle and blocks non-flying units, like Walls and other Obstacles.
Miniatures are Obstacles
every placed model blocks non-flying movement