You need to bid up to at least your opponents defensive edge in order to ensure getting through on a marginal success (after allowing for your offensive edge).
So when you bid and win, you add your Offensive Edge to your bid, and subtract your opponents Defensive Edge. If you bid and loose you just use the value of your bid.
So if you have a high net advantage you can afford to bid low (an Enchanted Iron Greatsword enhanced by Strength for a total of ^11 against an unarmoured foe (no defensive edge) will cause a grevious wound (14ap) on a default bid of 3 if successful, but risks loosing only 6 even on a "lose 2x bid" result).
Alternatively if you have a high net handicap you *must* bid high (and risk big losses) in order to get any result Punching a Gargoyle (armour ^9) with your bare fist (^0) means you need to bid at least 10 to get anywhere, and will loose all 10 even on a marginal defeat...)
> For example:
> Boomer, a Mostali, has enchanted armor ^7 + ^2 sorcerous physical
>defense for ^9. If he bids 9 and fumbles vs. the opponent's
>critical, he transfers 3X the bid, but according to HW, the edge is
>subtracted before multiplication. So, (Bid 9 - ^9) x 3 = 0 AP lost.
>
> Is this how everyone else understands it to work?
> (This assumes, of course, that the opponent has offensive edge 0.)
>
Nope. If you lose on your bid edges have no effect.
Some people think they should, but it rapidly gets hideously confusing - "I'll defend with my Close Combat (Sword & Shield) - Parrying his blow, and looking for a chance to strike back" - If the defender wins the exchange, have they succesfully struck back or not? If they lose, did they parry with the sword or the shield (they may have different defensive edges) or mearly dodged the blow? Hero Wars combat leaves much/all of the description up to the GM and players - IMO it would be wrong to give this an undue effect on the mechanical aspects of the game...
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