Certamen styles: clarifications sought

[Timothy_Ferguson]

@ezzelino

There are a few points that are not clear to me in the "Certamen styles" subsection of HoH:TL. I'm wondering if it's just me, or perhaps they are unclear to several other people - in the latter case we can ask Timothy Ferguson what he meant, and perhaps ask David Chart to put it into the errata.

QUESTION 1: A number of styles allow a duelist to somehow impair the opponent if the duelist "lands a blow/attacks successfully but declines to do damage". What do "land a blow" and "attack successfully" mean? Do they mean "the Attack Total exceeds the Defense Total" (akin to hitting the opponent in physical combat)? Or do they mean "the Attack Total exceeds the Defense Total AND the Weakening Total exceeds the Resistance Total" (akin to hitting AND bypassing the opponent's soak in physical combat)? I'm referring to:

Essedarius: "After a successful attack, the essedarius may choose to do no damage and instead..."
Gladiatrix: "On a successful attack, a follower of the School can choose to do no damage and instead..."
Laquerius: "If they land a blow that round, they may choose to inflict no damage and instead ..."
Pumilius: "The Pumilius declines to do damage after a successful attack, and instead..."
Retiarius: "...may force a fresh initiative roll by landing a blow and declining to do damage."
Velitus: "A velitus who lands a blow and declines to do damage ..."

Exceeding resistance, as far as I recall.

QUESTION 2: A few other styles allow the duelist to decline attacking during a round, in exchange for some advantage. Must the decision be made at the beginning of the round, or any time before attacking? I'm referring to:

Hoplomachus: "In a round where the hoplomachus declines to attack at all, their Defense total gains a bonus..."
Scissor: "The scissor may choose not to attack in a round, then, in the following round..."

It's made at the beginning fo the round.