- Players must battle in all territories with 2 or more factions, except if separated by Storm, or at Polar Sink.
- First Player is aggressor and must resolve ALL their battles. Then the aggressor passes to the right and so on. Aggressor wins ties.
- Combatants secretly dial a number from 0 to total strength of Forces in territory, and leader/cheap hero (mandatory unless none available, must announce if so), and optionally 1 weapon and/or 1 defense treachery card if leader/cheap hero present. (Useless card replaces a weapon/defense card). Weapon kills leader unprotected by defense. Killed leaders don't count in battle.
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TLEILAXU leader Zoal has combat strength equal to opponent's leader.
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(Basic) Forces have 1 combat strength per token.
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IXIAN Suboid forces have 0.5 combat strength per token, Cyborg (starred) forces have 2 combat strength per token.
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(Advanced) Forces have 0.5 combat strength per token (Emperor Sardaukar is 1) unless fed 1 spice per Force, then they are worth 1 strength (Sardaukar is 2)
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FREMEN forces fight at full strength without paying spice. FREMEN Fedaykin commandos are worth two normal forces in battle and when taking losses.
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IXIAN Cyborg are worth two normal forces in battle. Suboids are worth half a force. Suboids cannot be supported with spice but each can be sacrificed to spare a Cyborg that would be lost after battle.
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BENE GESSERIT may Voice opponents to play or not play cards.
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ATREIDES may force their opponent to reveal either their dial value, leader, weapon card, or defence card.
- A player in the battle may reveal a Traitor card matching the Leader played by their opponent. The traitor's side loses the battle: all forces and the Leader are lost to the Tanks, Treachery cards played are discarded. The winner of the battle keeps all forces, all Spice supporting those forces, their Leader and Treachery cards.
- If both played Leaders are revealed as Traitors, both sides lose the battle as described and there is no winner.
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When any battle is won, TLEILAXU may reveal a Face Dancer (Traitor card) matching the Leader played by the winner. The battle result does not change. If still alive, the Leader is sent to the Tanks but no Spice is collected for it. The winner's remaining forces return to reserves and are replaced with up to the same number of Tleilaxu forces from reserves or other territories.
- The winner of the battle collects Spice equal to the combat strength of each leader (either side or both) sent to the Tanks.
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HARKONNEN may capture a random leader from their oppenent if HARKONNEN win the battle. They may either (a) immediately kill the leader and receive 2 spice or (b) keep the leader to use in battle, but then return that leader to their faction once used.