A Prelude to Combat

The Prelude
Before blows are traded, there is often a moment of "size-up" between opponents. This may involve conversation – talking trash – where pending combatants attempt psychological maneuvering. The mind games can play a significant role in the resolve and commitment to the conflict, as well the first stages of tactical positioning (looking for openings, weaknesses, etc.).

Assessment
If it looks like a conflict is about to break out, and players mention they're checking out the other guy, Refs will provide a quick analysis based on their character's own skills. The player can use that to guide their next step...
 * "You're not impressed." NPCs with a low HTH skill may appear outright nervous, and may project bluster and pose. PCs with a skill higher than 15 over the NPC will likely see through the charade. Not Impressed may also indicate a difference of greater than 15 of strength (PS), conditioning (PC), endurance (CE) or overall movement (CM); though these would only be individually assessable if the conditions are right for it: depending on what the other combatant is wearing, how they're moving (if they're moving) and so on.
 * "Looks tough" to "This is going to hurt." Where there is posturing and movement indicative of commitment to the conflict. As in: it's about to go down. The opponent's skill (plus the CM mod) adds up to within parity of PC by +/- 5 points. Note: this could be bluffing, too.
 * "You can't really tell." This is probably bad news. Anyone with that kind of cool and confidence is either one badass fighter (HTH of 30+) and has no reason to get worried (and/or hide his skill), or is really good at faking it (MS of 90+). That might also be a good sign the opponent has a backup plan which could include friends, a hidden weapons, or doesn't care if he loses because he already knows something about your mother.
 * "You have a Very Bad Feeling about this..." Where the opponent's apparent HTH is likely superior to the character, and may also project superior physical traits. This opponent is big, quick, aggressive, might have a few less teeth than nature, and wears a few scars to boot. His HTH+CM mod is more than 10 above the PC's. This should be the indicator for players that they're going to need change the playing field if they're planning on winning.

Psychological tactics
Assessment will often continue as opponents resort to psychological tactics. This starts with "trash talk," but can go so much deeper. It's an opportunity to get into the head of the opponent, to create a particular behavioral effect, to spark a fight, shape a fight or even avoid a fight.

The tactics themselves may verge on physical, trying to goad an opponent into attack – an important factor if there's an audience where either group prestige or self-defense claims need to be legally justified.

Within this miniature battlefield of psychological warfare are tools of facial expressions, gestures, posture and words designed to illicit a particular frame of mind in the opponent. Common "trash talk" is most often intended to spark confidence issues. "Psyching out" an opponent is likely spark a more defensive performance on their part. On the opposite end, provoking them into a blind rage is a physical risk, but can be an excellent tool if one needs to demonstrate the opponent has either a lack of self-control (and charging them with assault) or if they lose their tactical sense when enraged (and that be an advantage).
 * Compare MS. For systematized trash talk, check for greater than a 10 point MS difference.
 * Add five morale bonus points to the higher combatant's HTH when actual combat comes around.
 * A difference greater than 30 will automatically initimidate the lesser into submission.
 * Apply other appropriate mods here, such as intimidation skill (Intel/Interrogation).
 * Other reasonable situations: a hunch that the opposition is packing (big knife, gun) may dissuade aggression. Be careful, because although the armed one might get his 5 point bonus, he may spook the other into attack. Borderline paranoid psychotics may attack out of territoriality or overreaction to perceived aggression.