Final answer:
After losing a combat in an online strategy game, you usually gain 1 gold and a free Shop refresh to aid in your comeback.
Step-by-step explanation:
After losing your combat in certain online strategy or auto-battler games, players are commonly rewarded as a consolation to help them recover and stay competitive. The rewards can vary depending on the specific game mechanics. However, traditionally, you would gain 1 gold and a free Shop refresh after losing a combat round, making option 2 the correct answer. This allows you a chance to purchase better units or synergies without spending additional in-game currency on refreshing the variety of items or characters available to you, thereby slightly mitigating the disadvantage of having lost the round. This allows players to adapt their strategy by refreshing the shop to potentially find new units or items for the next round. The gained gold can be used to buy units or be saved for future rounds. Keep in mind that game details may vary based on the specific title or version.