Avalon: The Riven Veil · Board game rules
How do Strength tokens work with drawing combat cards?
Quick answer
Strength Tokens don't interact with Combat Cards directly — they add fixed strength before the battle starts, while Combat Cards add extra strength on top during Step 4 of a Hero Battle.
Details
Strength Tokens are permanent tokens that give +1 strength to whatever they are attached to (Settlements, Lords, and Mythical Beasts) [p.13 — Terminology]. This bonus is included in a player's Starting Strength, which is calculated in Step 1 of a Hero Battle using the Unit and Settlement Strength Table before any Battle Plans or Combat Cards come into play [p.10 — War Phase].
Combat Cards are a completely separate strength source. They are drawn only during Hero Battles (Step 4), one at a time from any Main Deck, after a player has committed a Battle Plan and Bonus Cards. Their combined initiative values are compared to the Battle Plan's strength limit to determine success or failure, and — if successful — add that total strength to the player's existing total [p.11 — Phases: War Phase].
So in effect, a player's final battle strength is: Units + Settlements (each boosted by any Strength Tokens) + Artifacts + successful Battle Plan/Combat Card total [p.10 — War Phase; p.11 — Phases: War Phase]. Strength Tokens simply raise the baseline strength recorded in Step 1; they have no special rule tying them to the Combat Card draw itself.
Watch out: Because Strength Token bonuses are locked in before Combat Cards are drawn, they also determine your position in the draw order (players draw from highest to lowest Starting Strength) [p.11 — Phases: War Phase], so a Strength Token can indirectly affect when you draw Combat Cards, even though it doesn't add to the Combat Card total itself.