Does the crosshair icon on Thief's turn indicate backstab availability?

[Jamers]

I'm just getting started and am a little confused on when backstab is triggering.

It seems to me that perhaps the animated crosshair indicator is showing that this is a target who will trigger a backstab if targeted, but I never see more than one in a given turn. I was also a bit confused as to why backstabs were being applied sometimes, but I just read that it triggers on status effects like Panicked and Blinded as well as being flanked.

I think I'm about to start over as I gave +Initiative to my Thief (Kat), and realize that I'd rather have my main PC go first to set her up for a backstab, but how exactly does this setup look?

If an enemy is adjacent to my PC, does that mean that he and the enemy are "engaged," thus they are vulnerable to a backstab? Or does the PC have to attack or otherwise actively engage with them first in order for the backstab to trigger?

Thanks for any help here!

[Wlerin]

The crosshair is your current target. If you just hit the attack button, that is who you will attack.

Backstab triggers against any enemies who are "Defenceless" (it should show this on the sidebar if you target them), or "Flat-Footed" (shown at the top when you right click on an enemy). (I believe these two terms are synonyms and the game should probably choose one or the other.)

Various effects will make an enemy Defenceless, such as being Flanked by your party (two character on opposite sides who are not themselves Defenceless), having a Panic attack, or being Blinded or Stunned.

There is a specific icon for Flanked that looks like two pink arrows pointing inwards at a red vertical line.

[Jamers]

Originally posted by Wlerin:

The crosshair is your current target. If you just hit the attack button, that is who you will attack.

Backstab triggers against any enemies who are "Defenceless" (it should show this on the sidebar if you target them), or "Flat-Footed" (shown at the top when you right click on an enemy). (I believe these two terms are synonyms and the game should probably choose one or the other.)

Various effects will make an enemy Defenceless, such as being Flanked by your party (two character on opposite sides who are not themselves Defenceless), having a Panic attack, or being Blinded or Stunned.

There is a specific icon for Flanked that looks like two pink arrows pointing inwards at a red vertical line.

Thanks! It's coming along a bit more smoothly now. Appreciate the info!

[SFSGT Bombathon]

Originally posted by Wlerin:

The crosshair is your current target. If you just hit the attack button, that is who you will attack.

Backstab triggers against any enemies who are "Defenceless" (it should show this on the sidebar if you target them), or "Flat-Footed" (shown at the top when you right click on an enemy). (I believe these two terms are synonyms and the game should probably choose one or the other.)

Various effects will make an enemy Defenceless, such as being Flanked by your party (two character on opposite sides who are not themselves Defenceless), having a Panic attack, or being Blinded or Stunned.

There is a specific icon for Flanked that looks like two pink arrows pointing inwards at a red vertical line.

lurker here I appreciate this info as well, backstab is OP and I was somewhat unsure of how to manipulate it