Intent:

Intent defines in what terms the Story Guide interprets the Degree of Success for the action

whether :

• immediate harm of your opponent
• a gain in your position (to further attack)
• withdrawal from combat,
• forcing the loss of opponents position/balance
• removing a tool, inhibiting future ability to fight etc.
  

Intent may be simple but often the effects are not

(Don't forget those secondary results striking someone causes harm and also causes imbalancing, firing a lightning bolt can deafen and blind your opponent for a moment... effectively imbalancing them as well as the obvious ouch!)