Action points, initiative, cover, and flanking are four different parts of tactical combat. Action points limit what a unit can do during its turn; initiative determines when that turn occurs; cover changes how exposed a target is; and flanking rewards attackers who surround a target from opposing positions. Their exact costs, bonuses, and legal positions depend on the game. MENACE, D&D, Pathfinder, and TITAN use the same vocabulary in notably different ways, so never carry a number from one system into another.
This guide gives you a repeatable method: identify your action budget, establish the turn order, trace lines between attacker and target, determine the cover or flank condition under your game’s rules, and then apply only that system’s stated effect.
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Action points: your turn is a budget
Action points (AP) are a pool that pays for activities during a turn. In the official MENACE Beginner’s Guide, every squad has AP that determines everything it can do in a single turn, including movement, using equipment, and attacking. The interface shows the AP cost beside each available action. Instead of asking whether an action is possible in isolation, ask whether it is worth spending part of the remaining pool now.
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How an AP turn works
- Read the current pool. Note the squad’s starting AP before selecting an order.
- List the essential actions. Movement to reach safety, an attack, an equipment use, or a stance change may all consume the same budget.
- Reserve an exit. Keep enough AP for the movement or defensive action you will need if the enemy survives or the position becomes unsafe.
- Spend, then recheck. After every action, confirm the new AP total and whether another action has become unavailable.
MENACE example: crouching is not free
MENACE uses crouching as a defensive choice in low cover. Crouching can improve protection, but it costs AP and prevents movement until the squad stands again. A common beginner error is to crouch immediately, fire until the pool is empty, and discover that the squad cannot stand and relocate. If the enemy can change angles on the next turn, the AP spent on the stance may leave you trapped. Crouch when the protection is more valuable than mobility, and budget the AP needed to stand before you commit to a new position.
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AP systems versus fixed action structures
A pooled AP system makes movement, attacks, equipment, and defensive actions compete directly. A game with a fixed move-plus-action structure separates those permissions instead. D&D’s 2024 Basic Rules, for example, give a character movement up to its Speed and one action on a turn; that is not an AP pool. You cannot assume that an attack costing two AP in one game uses an action, bonus action, or any equivalent in another.
What to record at the table or on a squad sheet
- Starting AP or the number of actions available.
- The cost of each planned action.
- AP reserved for movement, standing, reloading, or defense.
- Whether a stance, reaction, or equipment effect changes what remains possible.
Writing the budget where everyone can see it prevents accidental overspending and makes a tactical plan understandable to the whole team.
Initiative: the schedule for rounds and turns
Initiative answers “who acts next?” It is a scheduling system, not an accuracy bonus by itself. D&D’s 2024 Basic Rules organize combat into rounds and turns. Everyone rolls initiative, the Dungeon Master ranks the results from highest to lowest, and that order remains the same each round unless a rule changes it. A round represents about six seconds in that ruleset, and each participant receives one turn in the cycle.
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- Roll initiative. Each participant makes the game’s initiative check.
- Sort the results. The Dungeon Master lists them from highest to lowest, resolving ties according to the game’s tie procedure.
- Start the round. The first participant takes a turn, followed by each entry on the list.
- Use the turn’s permissions. A character can move up to its Speed and take one action, plus any additional options its specific rules provide.
- Begin the next round. Return to the top of the unchanged order.
Keeping the order visible is more important than memorizing it. A written list, tracker, or tokens let players see whose turn is coming and plan movement, cover, and support without repeatedly interrupting play.
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Delay and ready: when initiative can change
Not every game locks the order permanently. Pathfinder’s legacy rules distinguish two ways to give up or prepare a turn. Delaying is voluntary: the character lowers its initiative count and chooses to act later. Readying specifies an action and a trigger; when the trigger occurs, the readied action can happen before the character’s next normal turn, and the character’s initiative count changes to that new point. Because these choices alter the schedule, announce the trigger and the new position immediately so everyone knows who acts next.
Initiative questions to ask in any system
- Is initiative rolled once for the encounter or repeatedly?
- Is the order individual, side-based, card-based, or otherwise randomized?
- Can a participant delay, ready, interrupt, or trade its place?
- Does a defeated or newly arriving unit enter at a defined point?
These details determine whether speed comes from a high roll, careful preparation, or the ability to hold an action for the right moment.
Cover: relative protection between an attacker and target
Cover exists when terrain or another obstacle blocks part of an attacker’s line of sight or line of effect to a target. It is always relative: one attacker may have a clear shot while another sees the same creature through a wall, vehicle, low barrier, or corner. To judge it, draw an imaginary line from the attacker to the target. Grid-based games may use the centers of the creatures’ spaces or another stated tracing method; use the procedure in the current rules, not a visual guess.
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Pathfinder 2e cover scale
| Cover level | Defensive effect | Other consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser cover | +1 circumstance bonus to AC | Use the game’s line-of-sight test to determine whether the obstacle qualifies. |
| Standard cover | +2 circumstance bonus to AC, Reflex saves, and Stealth | The creature can use Hide under the stated conditions. |
| Greater cover | +4 circumstance bonus to AC, Reflex saves, and Stealth | The creature can use Hide under the stated conditions. |
Those figures come from the Pathfinder 2e rules text. A target can have standard cover from one attacker and no cover from another because the relationship depends on the exact line between each pair. Repositioning one square can therefore remove a defense without changing the target’s own location.
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TITAN cover scale
| Cover level | TITAN effect |
|---|---|
| Low cover | Hides at least half the body and imposes a 1-prowess attack penalty. |
| High cover | Imposes a 2-prowess attack penalty. |
| Full cover | Prevents direct attacks and spells. |
TITAN demonstrates why “cover gives plus two” is not a universal rule. Its scale uses prowess penalties and can make a direct attack impossible at full cover, while Pathfinder uses circumstance bonuses to several defenses. Read the game’s cover table before rolling.
A reliable cover check
- Identify the exact attacker and target; cover is not a property of the target alone.
- Trace the game’s required line between their spaces or centers.
- Identify the obstacle and how much of the target it blocks.
- Assign the named cover category.
- Apply that category’s bonus, penalty, concealment, or targeting restriction.
- Recheck if either combatant moves, changes height, or attacks from a different angle.
Flanking: opposing positions that create a tactical opening
Flanking is coordinated positioning. Two attackers threaten a target from opposing sides or corners, making it harder for the target to defend against both. The geometry and reward differ by game, so verify reach, facing rules, and whether both attackers are allowed to participate.
Pathfinder 2e flanking requirements
Pathfinder 2e requires the attacker and its ally to be on opposite sides or opposite corners of the target. Both must be able to act, both must be able to attack in melee, and both must be within reach. When those conditions are met, the flanked creature becomes flat-footed and takes a –2 circumstance penalty to AC in that system.
“Opposite” is a geometric test, not a matter of having two attackers somewhere nearby. If both allies stand on the same side, one cannot reach the target, or an obstacle prevents one from making a melee attack, the condition fails. Large creatures, unusual reach, and diagonal corners require especially careful counting on a grid.
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Legacy Pathfinder and TITAN use different rewards
Pathfinder’s legacy combat rules use the opposite-border or opposite-corner test and award a +2 melee flanking bonus. That is a bonus to the attackers, unlike Pathfinder 2e’s penalty applied to the target’s AC. TITAN defines flanking as threatening the target from directly opposite positions and treats it as an advantageous position. Apply the effect named by the edition or game you are playing; do not combine the legacy +2 with the Pathfinder 2e flat-footed and –2 result.
Flanking check in six questions
- Are there two attackers on opposite sides or corners under this game’s geometry?
- Can both attackers legally act right now?
- Can both make the required kind of attack, usually melee?
- Is each attacker within its own reach?
- Is a wall, gap, or other terrain blocking one attacker’s threat?
- What exact reward does this edition grant: a bonus, a target penalty, flat-footed status, or an advantageous-position effect?
How the four mechanics interact
These mechanics answer different questions and should be resolved in order. Initiative determines who gets the opportunity. Action points or turn permissions determine what that participant can spend. Movement changes the geometry. Cover and flanking are then checked from the resulting positions before the attack or other effect is resolved.
Worked tactical sequence
- Establish the map. Mark barriers, corners, elevations, and each unit’s current space.
- Resolve initiative. Put participants in the system’s required order and note any delayed or readied actions.
- Plan the budget. In an AP game, reserve enough points to reach the intended position and leave safely; in a fixed-action game, decide how movement and the action interact.
- Move and reassess. After movement, draw the attacker-to-target line again. The move may create or remove cover.
- Test a flank. Check opposite sides or corners, reach, ability to act, and legal attack type.
- Apply one ruleset’s result. Use the stated cover defense and flanking effect for that edition, then resolve the attack.
For example, a MENACE squad may spend AP to move behind low cover, crouch for protection, and fire, but must retain enough AP to stand before relocating. In Pathfinder 2e, two melee characters may move to opposite corners, making the target flat-footed and imposing the system’s –2 AC circumstance penalty, while a separate attacker might still have a clear line with no cover. In TITAN, the same barrier could impose a prowess penalty or block a direct attack entirely.
System comparison at a glance
| Axis | MENACE | D&D 2024 Basic Rules | Pathfinder 2e | TITAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action economy | Pooled AP pays for movement, equipment, attacks, and other actions. | Move up to Speed and take one action, subject to character rules. | Uses that edition’s separate action and reaction structure; do not import MENACE AP costs. | Use TITAN’s own action procedure; exact AP values are not stated in the cited material. |
| Initiative | Use the game’s turn order; AP controls what happens during the turn. | Roll once, rank highest to lowest, and repeat the order each round. | Legacy rules explicitly allow delay and ready to alter initiative counts. | Use the game’s initiative procedure. |
| Cover | Low-cover protection interacts with crouching; the cited guide does not give a universal numeric bonus. | Use the current D&D cover rules for the specific attack. | Lesser +1, standard +2, greater +4 circumstance bonuses to the listed defenses. | Low: 1-prowess attack penalty; high: 2-prowess penalty; full: no direct attacks or spells. |
| Flanking | Use the scenario’s positioning rules. | Check the current D&D rules; do not assume a Pathfinder flanking bonus. | Opposite sides or corners, both able to act and attack in melee, within reach; target is flat-footed and takes –2 AC. | Directly opposite attackers create an advantageous position. |
The comparison is useful only as a reminder of categories. The numbers are not interchangeable.
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Beginner checklist before every attack
- What is the active unit’s AP, action, movement, and reaction budget?
- Who acts next, and has anyone delayed or readied an action?
- What is the exact line from attacker to target?
- Which cover category applies to this attacker-target pair?
- Can an ally create a legal flank from the required opposing side or corner?
- Are both flanking attackers within reach and able to make the required attack?
- Which edition’s numerical effect applies?
- After spending the attack’s cost, can the unit still retreat, stand, reload, or defend as planned?
Common mistakes and fixes
Mixing numbers from different games
Pathfinder’s +1, +2, and +4 cover bonuses, its 2e –2 AC flanking penalty, TITAN’s prowess penalties, and MENACE’s AP costs belong to different rules engines. Write the game and edition at the top of your reference sheet and quote only that table.
Calling any two attackers a flank
Two attackers on the same side do not satisfy an opposite-side test. Draw a line through the target between the attackers, then verify reach and the ability to act. If the game uses corners, a diagonal position may qualify; if it requires directly opposite positions, a merely adjacent square may not.
Assuming cover follows the target
Cover changes with the attacker’s angle. Check every attack separately, especially when units occupy different elevations or fire around a corner.
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In an AP game, reserve points for the movement or stance change that keeps the squad alive. In a fixed-action game, remember that movement and an action are separate permissions, but reactions or readied actions may still constrain your plan.
Hiding initiative changes
A delayed or readied action changes who acts next. State the trigger, resolve it when it occurs, and move the participant to its new initiative position immediately.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- Action points are a budget; preserve enough for the position you need after attacking.
- Initiative is a schedule. It determines timing, while the game’s action rules determine what a turn can contain.
- Cover is measured between a particular attacker and target, not assigned permanently to a creature.
- Flanking requires legal opposing geometry and usually reach or melee eligibility.
- Use the current game and edition’s own numbers: MENACE AP costs, D&D’s move-plus-action baseline, Pathfinder’s edition-specific cover and flank rules, and TITAN’s prowess-based cover effects are not interchangeable.
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