My group and I played through our first battle (Battle of Salisbury) using BOB2 rules last night (actually this was our second run-through to try to get to grips with the rules) and we are struggling with a few areas that hopefully somebody can help us with.

Maneuver Choices in UI Critical Success Scenarios (middle column p.33)


UI critical success, Unit Commander partial success
Is 'Stand vs. Two the only maneuver possible in this scenario? This seems to be the case based on the text on p.42 stating that "these maneuvers...can't be chosen voluntarily, but are imposed on the unit after parricularly bad die rolls. If they occur, they're always imposed." Or, does this text mean that if the Unit Commander chooses to Stand that, because the pre-requisite of UI critical applies, then the Stand is a Stand vs. Two? However, the Unit Commander is still permitted to choose to Attack vs. Two, Pull Back or Run Away?
UI critical success, Unit Commander failure
Similarly, Is 'Stand vs. Two the only maneuver possible in this scenario? Or, is this only when the Unit Commander chooses to Stand and he is still permitted to choose to Run Away?

Alone Knights

Should a unit result be determined for an Alone knight? The first paragraph of Unit Results on p.69 states that "A unit victory or loss is determined by the cumulative results of all (and at least three) of the (player) combatants in a unit in a round" which suggests 'No'. However, only a few sentences later is the seemingly contradictory statement "If only one knight is attached, or the unit is made up of only a single individual, then it has no chance of Triumph" which suggests 'Yes'.
If 'Yes', how does an Alone knight determine a unit result? It seems Loss is not a possible outcome - is that correct?

Against a single foe: successful melee roll = Win; failure/fumble = Crush?
Against two foes: 1 or 2 successful melee rolls = Win; 2 failure/fumbles = Crush?


If 'No', how does an Alone knight achieve anything?
Can an Alone knight be 'Disordered' or suffer any other negative Unit Cohesion modifiers? "Unit Cohesion isn't about individuals, but rather how those individuals work together" (p.30). Or, does +10 to UI for 'Alone in Battle' override all other possible Unit Cohesion modifiers?

Maneuver Choices
Look to the prerequisites
Whatever maneuver is chosen, the unit will always be subjected to confrontation by two enemy units
Alone Knights
No, Alone knights do not create any Unit Result
He does not suffer any other Unit Cohesion results
The +10 is plenty!
Basically, he cannot achieve anything. He is doomed unless he can escape to the rear.

Thanks Greg. That clears up the UI critical situations for me and modifiers for Alone knights. Our third run-through of the battle should make a lot more sense now!

If Alone knights are still Engaged when they become Alone, is there a maneuver or other means by which they can actually become Disengaged to have a chance to get to the rear? If they can not create a Unit Result, my understanding is that they can not therefore successfully complete any maneuver which would allow them to become Disengaged. Am I missing something?

Alone Knights
No, Alone knights do not create any Unit Result
He does not suffer any other Unit Cohesion results
The +10 is plenty!
Basically, he cannot achieve anything. He is doomed unless he can escape to the rear.

Thinking about this further, do you mean that the Alone knight does not create any Unit Result for the purposes of reducing Army Intensity, but he does register a result in terms of his own success or failure in whatever maneuver he is attempting? Or, he does not create any Unit Result in any way? If the latter, I am still stuck as to how an Alone and Engaged knight can do anything to become Disengaged.

Thinking about this further, do you mean that the Alone knight does not create any Unit Result for the purposes of reducing Army Intensity,

Yes, correct


but he does register a result in terms of his own success or failure in whatever maneuver he is attempting?

Sure, that is reasonable
if he succeeds then he deserves to harvest his rewards for it


Or, he does not create any Unit Result in any way? If the latter, I am still stuck as to how an Alone and Engaged knight can do anything to become Disengaged.
Basically the Run Away maneuver has no prerequisites so it can be done anytime
However, his options also depend upon the results of his Battle vs Intensity roll, which he must do as a one-man unit

Thanks Greg for your clarifications and the timeliness of your response too - we were able to use the feedback to help in our third run-through of the Battle of Salisbury last night. This time, the game went really well and the battle seemed to pan out as I expected. I think we have the majority of the BOB2 mechanics locked down now.

However, last night's run-through did raise a few more subtler points of clarification, which I'd appreciate any feedback on:

Extended Rounds


p.77 "Note: The final Unit Result depends on all combats for the round, including those of the extended melee rounds."
Does this mean that the PKs can change the original outcome of the Unit Result for the round through their wins, ties and losses through the extended rounds?
p.77 "The extended melee phases are over when...The unit suffers a Crush for the round"
Presumably this refers to the last Extended Round, not the original outcome (or revised outcome per above) of the Battle Round?


Rescue A Friend 3b.

What if the squire fails his Squire roll? Is he considered to have failed to both dismount and grab the body? Or, to have dismounted but failed to grab the body? What are his options to try again?


Multiple Opponents

When PKs are faced by multiple opponents and/or attacks, should the cap on the maximum number of melee attacks still apply per. KAP5.1 p.119 i.e. up to 3 vs. character on foot, up to 2 if all are mounted?


Glory for Double Attackers

p.61 "Glory for these units is as shown, and does not double as in a ×2 attack (that’s already included)."
Does the PK have to record, for example, a win-win against each attack to gain normal Glory for this unit for the round or a critical-critical to gain double Glory? Or would you divide the unit's Glory in half and apply it to the result of each attack?