combat:
the screen layout is identical
to that of the play screen in
certain respects.  At the
bottom of the screen, character
portraits are displayed. five
icons make up the icon bar in
the center of the screen:
attack, defend, cast, flee, and
use.  your enemies are displayed
at the top of the screen.

character postions:
when engaged in combat, the two
middle characters are placed 
higher on the screen - they form
the front rank.  the outside
characters form the rear rank.
front rank characters may attack
with any weapon but will take 
more of the enemy blows.  the
rear rank characters may only
attack with ranged weapons or
spells due to their position
behind the front rank characters.

attack icon:
in order to attack a foe, this
icon must be selected.  it can,
for a shortcut, only be selected
once during the entire combat.
to attack a creature, click
on the monster picture at the
top of the screen.

defend icon:
when a characters combat turn
comes about, he or she may opt
to defend against attack.  this
will decrease the chance of that
character being hit by an 
attacking monster.

flee:
when faced by superior foes, you
may choose to flee the battle
field. if successful, the
character slab will disappear. 
front rank characters are less
likely to get away since they are
closer to the monsters.

use:
if a character is in possession
of a magical item, he or she can
opt to use the item. select this
icon, and then select the item.