Does facing matter?

[iamtim]

In regular HeroQuest, does the facing of your figure matter in combat? Can you strike monsters to your front, right, left, and back equally? Or do you need to turn to face the monster to your back before you can attack it?

Thanks!

[drathe]

No need to turn your figure around unless you really want to. It won't count as movement when you're still on the same square. Adjacent is all you need for close combat and line-of-sight in any direction for ranged combat and spells. If you have the Instruction Booklet, it's shown on page 13 and 15 (North American), pages 8 and 10 (1st Edition European) and pages 9 and 11 (European).

I have some players that will turn their Hero for realism and others that pretend to show off heroic feats by not bothering and imagining their Hero is performing some cool attack to the side or backwards over their heads.

[iamtim]

Excellent! Thanks.

[Kpax]

In brazilian version this doesn´t happen cause are paper miniatures and have the same image at both sides!

I think this convenient for who want introduce a variation to a surprise attack, or something that. But for the original rules as said above, no problem.

[Pugahla_272]

When I play with my group we don't really bother.

[Jaguar69]

When I play with my group we don't really bother.

Err, yes it does Pug!! There is an attack that we brought in for the Assassin, if he attacks the back of a monster he can get in an additional attack with his assassin dagger!! If using spacial combat attacks etc, where you face can affect things, but it is purely for the feel of the game otherwise. Most players always do turn to face what they are attacking etc, if only so evryone else playing can see exactly what is happening! Espeacially as we play with 6 heroes!! I turn my monsters to face who they are attacking if there is a choice just so i know whats going on!! and piss poeple off!!

[el_flesh]

house rules: take away a move for next turn to be able to turn and face a monster fighting you THIS turn. It really isn't easy to defend against a rear attack. Usually we defend by attacking backwards. If you want to assume that in your "defense" roll, hey no problem!

Of course, I DO like drathe's suggestion for fighting - it really isn't very hard to stab backwards with a reverse grip on almost any weapon. The lack of aim is made up for by the sheer surprise of it poking backward from under your arm.

[Big Bene]

The question, as you put it, has a simple answer:
No.
In the original rules, facing doesn't matter.
But of course, if you find this "unrealistic", you can make up some house rules (like Jaguar and Flesh).