All missile fire is resolved first before melee combat.
With missile fire, damage is one-way - the firing unit does damage on the target unit, but the target unit does not do damage on the firing unit (unless of course it is armed with missile weapons and is firing back).
The commander of the firing unit makes a dice roll using his/her Tactics (including leading a unit in battle specialism) + IQ. Situational modifiers apply as follows:
| Attacking unit's status | Modifier |
| Strength of firing unit | Add unit's missile value |
| Firing unit's morale | +2 (if good), +0 (if average), or -2 (if poor) |
| Firing unit's tiredness level | +0 (if fresh or normal), -1 (if slightly or quite tired), -2 (if tired or very tired), -3 (if exhausted), or -4 (if reeling) |
| Firing position | +2 for a good location (e.g. from the top of a
hill), +0 (if normal), or -2 for a poor location (e.g. firing up a hill, partial view, etc.) |
| If firing while moving (e.g. charging or hit and run) | -2 |
| Target unit's status | Modifier |
| Protection of target unit | Deduct target unit's defence value |
| If target unit is in skirmish order | -3 |
| Conditions | Modifier |
| Visibility | +0 (normal), -2 if reduced (e.g. cloud cover, torchlight), -4 if poor visibility (e.g. twilight), or -6 very poor visibility (e.g. at night) |
| Wind conditions | +0 (normal), -1 (if windy), or -3 (if very windy) |
The dice roll result determines how much damage the firing unit inflicts on the target unit, as follows:
| Missile fire dice roll result | Number of casualties inflicted on target |
| zero or lower | None |
| 1-3 | 1% of own unit size |
| 4-6 | 2% of own unit size |
| 7-9 | 4% of own unit size |
| 10-12 | 6% of own unit size |
| 13-15 | 8% of own unit size |
| 16-18 | 10% of own unit size |
| per extra point | +1% of own unit size |
For example, Alexander's Archers 3 unit (500 strong, with a missile value of 20) is led by Ptolemy, who has a Tactics score of 5 (with +2 specialism in leading a unit in battle) and an IQ of +1. The unit is fresh and has good morale. It is standing and firing from a normal firing position (i.e. nether advantageous or disadvantageous) at Darius' light cavalry (with a defence value of 11) in skirmish order. To determine how many casualties are delivered this battle turn, Ptolemy makes a dice roll, with a basic value of 5 (Tactics) +2 (specialism) +1 (IQ) +20 (missile value) +2 (good morale) +0 (fresh) +0 (normal firing position) -11 (defence value) -3 (target in skirmish order) +0 (normal visibility/wind) = 16. He risks 3D+7, rolls a 3, 4 and 2 giving a dice roll result of 16. This results in the firing unit causing casualties in the target equal to 10% of its size (i.e. 10% x 500 = 50 casualties). The unit strength of the light cavalry unit is reduced by 50.
Meanwhile, the light cavalry return fire at the archers. The light cavalry unit (400 strong, with a missile value of 18) is led by Xerxes, who has a Tactics score of 3 (with +1 specialism in leading a unit in battle) and an IQ of +0. The unit is fresh and has good morale. It is moving (hit and run) over open terrain (i.e. neither advantageous or disadvantageous) at the archers (who have a defence value of 7) in skirmish order. To determine how many casualties are delivered this battle turn, Xerxes makes a dice roll, with a basic value of 3 (Tactics) +1 (specialism) +0 (IQ) +18 (missile value) +2 (good morale) +0 (fresh) +0 (normal firing position) -2 (moving) -7 (defence value) -3 (target in skirmish order) +0 (normal visibility/wind) = 12. He risks 2D+6, rolls a double 6, giving a dice roll result of 18. This results in the firing unit causing casualties equal to 10% of its size (i.e. 10% x 400 = 40 casualties). The unit strength of the archers is reduced by 40.
Note that the two sets of missile fire are resolved simultaneously, so both units use their starting unit strength to work out the casualties done.
The casualties inflicted by missile fire (and any melee combat) may result in the affected unit losing morale.