Does anybody have any advice for a games master preparing to run his/her campaign's first battle with the Book of Battles?

I have noticed a few other posts where groups have played out a "practice run" battle using the Book of Battles. I'd really rather do it "for real" in the campaign, as it is the GPC's first battle following the introductory scenario, and so far the players have learnt all the other game rules with lessons in the actual campaign. Should I set aside my preference and run a practice battle beforehand anyway?

What sort of preparation helps to make things go the most smoothly?

Any other advice?

Go through each step methodically until you've got it down.
Keep it simple for the first run, one unit with an NPC leader.
Be willing to rewind when you find something you missed.
Narrating the results as you go along, be they good or bad, is fun.

Oh, and don't forget the height advantages/disadvantages. Being on horseback versus Saxon footmen saved the hides of all of my players.

I recommend running a battle for yourself to learn the rules. Reading the example battle at the rear of BoB is also helpful (though check through the errata here to correct some small errors).

When running it live, be flexible about your own mistakes. There are a lot of modifiers to keep track of, some reflexive, some not. Since the battle can take awhile, I recommend just moving forward if you make a mistake unless it kills everyone!

When asking the players what maneuvers to pick, explain to them what the consequences will be especially when they are facing two attackers at the same time. Remind them about the Withdraw maneuver and that it is not cowardly for mounted knights to withdraw to reform for a second charge--that's their role in the battle afterall.

Although BoB advises you to hide the stats of the opponents, I would make them open for the first battle so that players know if they should fight defensively or not. Especially when facing two foes at once so that they'll have to divide their attacks and facing enemies with +10 passion modifiers can be extremely dangerous.

Enjoy...

A dry run is a good idea (though I didnt myself, and got a check to Reckless). Play through a battle, re-read the rules, it really makes you discover your mistakes. You dont want to make a mistake that kills a PC or two ...

I would echo the advice to keep it simple. Make sure the players are all in one unit. Make the terrain flat and clear so there are no modifiers there. Print out the handouts from the website so the players can see easily what the different maneuvers are and what they do. I would also roll up the opponents beforehand, so you can concentrate on other matters. Roll 3 opponents and jot their stats down on index cards - one card per round. Also note on the card any key scripted events for that round. When the round arises, use as many opponents as you need from that card, starting from the top and working down. when you write them down, not any special rules that might come into play if they're around - sprint, missiles etc. you could always keep it easy and restrict them to simple hand to hand combat troops first time.

You'll find that once you're used to it, it will fly by, but for the first battle I'd more or less expect to get nothing else done.

Also, expect your players to haggle for every possible modifier they can imagine!

Thanks for the advice everyone! I still got bogged down during play when one of the PKs fumbled his Hate (Saxons) roll and went mad, splitting up the unit.

Another PK however got unlucky when a heorthengeart got a critical with a 2-H weapon and cut him in half. I've never had a player knight die in the first year of a campaign before. :(

Still, at least the battle was memorable! :)