Repel
Repel is how Dominions represents the effectiveness of long weapons, such as halberds, and pikes, and the reach advantage of being larger than your opponent. If a unit swings at an enemy who has a longer weapon, the enemy may actually repel the swing and prevent it from happening. This occurs as follows:
The Repel Check
1) Weapon Length Check
Repeller Weapon Length: Weapon length
+ 1 if repeller is size 6 or greater
Repelee's weapon length: Weapon length
+ 1 if Repelee is size 6 or greater
If Repeller's Weapon Length > Repelee's Weapon Length ⇒ The repeller can attempt to repel
2) Attack Roll
Repeller Attack roll: Repeller's Attack value
- Fatigue penalty
- Harassment penalty, if any
+ DRN
Repelee Defense roll: Repelee's Defense value
- Fatigue penalty
- Harassment penalty, if any
+ DRN
Repeller wins ties!
If repelee wins ⇒ The repelee continues to resolve the attack steps as normal
If repeller wins ⇒ The repelee makes a morale roll. Simultaneously the repeller makes a regular damage roll against the repelee for a maximum of 1 damage capped.1)
3) Morale Roll
Repeller roll: 10
+ Amount the repeller won its attack roll by
+ DRN
Repelee morale roll: Repelee Morale value
+ Repelee size - Repeller size
+ DRN
Repeller wins ties!
If Repelee wins ⇒ The repelee continues to resolve the attack steps as normal
If repeller wins ⇒ The attack is abandoned and the repeller gains +1 harassment penalty 2)
Note that units with low morale are more likely to be repelled, and thus using long weapons against low-morale troops is very effective.
In theory it's even possible for thugs with extremely high attack values to repel mindless units (who has morale 50 and are normally unconcerned with repel) but that is unlikely to happen in a normal game.
Bear in mind that the defender gets one repel roll per weapon regardless of the number of attacks of that weapon. Being quick will not provide additional chances to repel but carrying an extra weapon with enough reach will if you can manage to wield it adequately.
In Dominions 6, unlike in Dominions 5, attacks from non-weapon items like the Dancing Trident and Stone Bird cannot be used in repel attempts; but as a consolation, attacks from non-weapon items generally cannot be repelled.