From page 20 of the rulebook:
Attacking Population: After all battles have been resolved, the remaining Ships may attack the population in the hex.
From page 21:
Influencing Hexes: If a hex has no population after all battles have been resolved and you have at least one Ship there...
Does this mean when all battles have been resolved across the board, or just all battles within that hex? Or is the timing left to player discretion, so long as it's all done "after all battles have been resolved"?
For example, in a case where the blue player, who has no influence discs remaining, successfully attacks a hex, but loses another hex in a later battle (which frees up a disc), this can be understood three ways:
- Battles are resolved completely on a hex-by-hex basis, ending with attacking population and influencing the conquered hex.
- Ship battles are resolved completely across the board, then population attacked and hexes influenced on an arbitrary basis at the end of the combat phase.
- Ship battles are resolved completely across the board, then population attacked across the board, then hexes influenced across the board, all in descending hex order.
In the first interpretation blue would not be allowed to influence the first hex since the disc would not be freed at all until the later battles are resolved. However, in the second and third interpretation, blue would be allowed to influence the first hex attacked since the disc freed from the later battle would be available.
How should this be played?