In Age of Magic, combat is played out in combat turns. Each turn represents five seconds of combat.
In each turn, each character involved in the combat has one (and only one) phase. During his/her phase, a character may initiate actions (such as attacking an opponent). During others' phases, a character may only carry out reactions in response to actions initiated by the phasing character (such as parrying an attack).
The order in which characters take phases is determined by an initiative dice roll at the start of the combat turn. Each turn, every character involved in a combat must make a dice roll using his Tactics skill + PE. Each time a new phase is ready to start (i.e. at the start of the turn or at the end of a previous phase), the referee asks each player (whose character has not already had a phase) whether his/her character wants to take his/her phase at that point in the turn, starting with the character with the highest initiative and working down to the character with the lowest initiative. Hence, the character with the highest initiative score can choose exactly when he/she takes his/her phase in the turn, and the character with the lowest initiative has no choice as to when he/she takes his/her phase in the turn. For example, Cogan has a Tactics score of 2 with +1 specialism score in Initiative, and a PE score of +1/2 (reduced by -1 due to his helmet), giving a basic initiative score of 2 1/2. He is fighting Urlik in single combat and decides to risk two dice, giving Cogan an initiative of 2D - 4 1/2. He rolls a 3 and a 5, giving an initiative for that turn of 3 1/2. Urlik has an initiative of 5, and so Urlik's player can choose whether Urlik phases before or after Cogan that turn. Characters who have the same initiative score flip a coin or roll a die to decide who is deemed to have the higher initiative for that turn.
During a character's phase, he/she may make any number of actions that he wishes, providing he/she has sufficient action points. Immediately after the phasing character carries out an action, any other characters who are aware of the phasing character's action can choose to make reactions to the phasing character's action. Other characters (including the phasing character) may then choose to make reactions to these reactions, and so on. Any reactions must be valid and in response to the action (or reaction or follow-on) to which the reaction is being made. A character can also follow up an action or reaction with an appropriate follow-on (e.g. a character who successfully parries an attack can launch a riposte attack on the original attacker).
There will be occasions when two characters both wish to react to the same action, reaction or follow-on. On such occasions, the character with the highest initiative reacts first; his/her reaction (and any reactions to this) are resolved before the second character's reaction. For example, Erik and Cogan are fighting against a group of men-at-arms. One of the men-at-arms moves into the hex adjacent to both Erik and Cogan. Both Erik's and Cogan's players declare that they want to react to this move action by attacking the man with a stand and melee attack. Cogan's initiative score for the turn is higher than Erik's, so Cogan's attack is resolved first. If the man reacts to Cogan's attack with a dodge or parry reaction that results in him no longer being adjacent to Erik after Cogan's attack and all reactions to it are resolved, then Erik can cancel his proposed reaction and/or choose an alternative reaction.
When all reactions and follow-ons have concluded, the phasing character may then take his/her next action. The process continues until the phasing character either runs out of action points or chooses to take no more actions that phase, at which point his/her phase ends and the next character takes his/her phase.
When all characters have had their phase, the combat turn ends. If the combat is still underway, the referee starts the next combat turn.
The sequence of play for each turn is summarised below: