The MELEE Action Economy

Tactical Combat played in a Logical Manner

Metagaming's MicroGame 3 - The Fantasy Trip MELEE is is described by its author Steve Jackson (also founder of Steve Jackson Games) as an arena game that "can also be used as a tactical aid to the various fantasy role-playing games...allowing tactical combat to be worked out in a logical manner." Much of what Mr. Jackson calls  'a logical manner" can be found in MELEE's turn sequence, and movement and engagement rules.

MELEE uses a hex-based tactical display and counters to represent the area where action takes place and the position of combatants. There is no simultaneous movement and players take their turn based on a die roll, high score makes their move first, then low score. Attacks are resolved in sequence starting with the figure with the highest adjusted Dex value.

The MELEE system identifies each figure as being in one of three states - Engaged, Non-engaged, or in Hand-to-hand (HtH).

Non-Engaged "figures" - those who are are NOT in a space adjacent to another figure - have the following Action options:

• Move up to their full move allowance - based on armor worn
• Charge Attack including up to 1/2 move
• Dodge - including 1/2 move
• Drop Prone - up to 1/2 move
• Ready Weapon - may move 1 or 2 spaces (hexes)
• Missile Attack - may move 1 hex/space
• Stand Up

Engaged "figures" are those who are in a space/hex that is adjacent to another figure and have the following Action options:

• shift one hex while staying engaged/adjacent and Attack
• one last shot Missile Attack
• Change Weapon - may shift one hex
• Disengage - move one hex away and no Attack
• Stand up
• Pick up dropped weapon or object
• attempt to move into occupied hex and HtH 

Figures that are in Hand-to-Hand (HtH) have the following Action options:

• Draw a dagger and make a HtH Attack
• Attack HtH
• Disengage

Note: Some Action attempts require a successful die roll to succeed (move into or out of HtH)

The modular nature of many FRP games allow for the substitution of one combat system for another. In my experience, the MELEE system works quite well with the original little brown books if one makes allowance for the manner in which the two games generate Strength and Dexterity ability scores.