Position in combat matters: A character that is surrounded is in significant trouble.

A character is said to be flanked if they have opponents on opposite sides of themselves. If a line can be drawn from the center of one opponent's square to the center of another's, and it passes through either opposite corners or opposite edges of a square containing a character, that character is flanked.

<WRAP 80% center box round> In the illustration below, a line can be drawn from the square containing Character A to the square containing Character C, and it passes through opposite corners of the square containing Character B. Character B is flanked.

A line drawn from the square containing Character B to the square containing Character D passes through the square containing Character C, but it does not pass through opposite sides or corners. Character C is not flanked. <WRAP>

A character that is Flanking an opponent gains favour to any melee attack roll made against that Flanked opponent. Ranged attacks do not gain favour against a Flanked character. A character that is not Flanking an opponent does not gain favour against that target if the target is Flanked by anyone else.

Some traits, such as Precision Attack (page

grant bonuses against a target that is flanked.