I am having difficulty adapting to the Book of Battle. I have a first edition and bought the revised second edition. I don't see a lot of difference.

So, I am about to start 510 with my players. I need help setting up the first battle. Here is the setup from GPC:

Great Pendragon Campaign:

Battle of Carlion: 510
Length: 8
Battle Size: Medium
Commanders:
Arthur (7)
Lot (25)
Modifiers:
Outnumbered: -5
Merlin: +5
Deserters: +3
First Charge: Normal
2-4: Normal
5: Arthur is attacked
6: Excaliber
7: Citizen Attack
8: Retreat


Book of Battle:

Starting Intensity: 17 (20 + 5 - 5 -3 + Event (Or is the deserters the event?))

Starting Zone: 4: +5
Unit Cohesion: -20
First Charge: (+5: Winning Commander or 0 Losing Commander)

So, with the Army Commander Battle Roll, Lot's skill of 25 does not come into play at all? And Arthur rolls his 7 skill against a 2 (17 - 15)?

This is where I get lost. Help please.

J Lee Watts,
Richmond, VA

I am having difficulty adapting to the Book of Battle. I have a first edition and bought the revised second edition. I don't see a lot of difference.


As far as I know (I don't own either), BoB2 is just a better edited and errata-revised version of BoB1. The content is mostly the same. But since you already have both, I hardly need to tell you that. :) Just including it here in case someone else reads the thread.

Alas, my lack of familiarity with BoB leaves me in a poor position to comment. However, let me try, based on the Mearcred Creek example that was freely available...



So, with the Army Commander Battle Roll, Lot's skill of 25 does not come into play at all? And Arthur rolls his 7 skill against a 2 (17 - 15)?


I'd rule the deserters as a pre-battle outcome, not a battle event. So the same way you did in your calculation.

Re: First Charge, the example states:
"Step 3: Army Commander’s Roll
This is the only time in the battle that the Army Commander makes a roll (if he is in
melee, he will be acting as a Unit Commander for his bodyguards). It is opposed by the
“First Charge Intensity or the Enemy Army Commander, whichever is greater.” "

So you'd oppose Arthur's Battle 7 with Lot's Battle 25 in this case, rather than the First Charge intensity of 2.

Hope this helped!