Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion · Board game rules
How does the +1 Attack action card work?
Quick answer
The +1 Attack action card increases the attack value by 1 for that attack, applied before the attack modifier card is added.
Details
The +1 Attack action card grants a +1 bonus to the attack value when used. This bonus is applied to the base attack value of the character or monster before resolving the attack modifier card. For example, if a character has a base attack value of 3 and uses a +1 Attack card, the total becomes 4, and then the attack modifier card (e.g., +2, -1, etc.) is added to this modified value [p.8 — Attack].
Monster abilities or character actions that grant "+1 Attack" function similarly. If a monster’s ability card says "Attack +1" and its base attack is 2, the effective attack value becomes 3 for that turn [p.17 — Monster Ability Decks].
Watch out:
If multiple bonuses (e.g., +1 Attack from a card and another +1 from an active bonus) are applied, they stack additively unless specified otherwise. For example, two +1 Attack bonuses would result in a +2 total bonus [p.21 — Active Bonuses].
This bonus only affects the attack value and does not alter other aspects like range, conditions, or line-of-sight requirements. The attack modifier card (drawn from the attack modifier deck) is still used after applying the +1 bonus [p.8 — Attack Modifier Cards].