Tactics
Source Battlecry! pg. 25
The fundamental strategies of war used by many commanders are recorded below. When you first gain your commander’s folio at 1st level, choose five mobility or offensive tactics from the list below; as you increase in level (or if you take the Tactical Expansion feat), you will gain additional tactics. Mobility tactics are basic tactics that make it easier for your party to move across the battlefield or negotiate unusual terrain, while offensive tactics are basic tactics that help you attack enemies, control enemy positioning, or endure enemy attacks.
Defensive Retreat [two-actions] MobilityBrandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25
You call for a careful retreat. Signal all squadmates within the aura of your banner; each can immediately
Step up to three times as a free action. Each Step must take them farther away from at least one hostile creature they are observing and can only take them closer to a hostile creature if doing so is the only way for them to move toward safety (such as if they’re surrounded).
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25
You signal your team to move into position together. Signal all squadmates; each can immediately Stride as a reaction, though each must end their movement inside your banner’s aura, or as close to your banner’s aura as their movement Speed allows.
Squadmates can use Gather to Me! while
Burrowing,
Climbing,
Flying, or
Swimming instead of Striding if they have the corresponding movement type.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25
Your instructions make it easier for you and your allies to scale dangerous surfaces. Signal all squadmates; until the end of your next turn, you and each ally gain a
climb Speed of 20 feet.
Special If you have this tactic prepared, you can use
Warfare Lore in place of
Athletics for checks you make to Climb.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25
Your instructions make it easier for you and your allies to swim through dangerous waters. Signal all squadmates; until the end of your next turn, you and each ally gain a
swim Speed of 20 feet.
Special If you have this tactic prepared, you can use
Warfare Lore in place of
Athletics for checks you make to Swim.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25PFS Note This tactic can be used by
prone PCs, but not PCs who are
grappled,
immobilized, or otherwise unable to move of their own volition.
You command your allies to regroup, allowing endangered units to fall back while rested units press the advantage. Signal all squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; each can swap positions with another willing ally adjacent to them. An ally can’t swap into a space it can’t fit into, and if one of the allies occupies more squares than the other, the smaller ally can move into any part of the larger ally’s space as long as the two remain adjacent after the swap.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 25
You’ve trained your allies in a technique designed to protect war mages. Signal one squadmate; as a reaction, that squadmate Strides directly toward any other squadmate who is within the aura of your banner. If the first squadmate ends their movement adjacent to another squadmate, the second squadmate does not trigger reactions when casting spells or making ranged attacks until the end of their next turn or until they are no longer adjacent to the first squadmate, whichever comes first. If the first squadmate ends their movement adjacent to more than one other squadmate, the first squadmate must choose which of the adjacent squadmates gains this benefit.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
Your team works to slip enemies into a disadvantageous position. Signal one squadmate within the aura of your banner; that squadmate can immediately
Step as a free action. If they end this movement next to an opponent, they can attempt to
Reposition that target as a reaction.
Double Team [two-actions] Offensive
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
Your team works together to set an enemy up for a vicious attack. Signal one squadmate who has an opponent within their reach. That ally can
Shove or
Reposition an opponent as a free action. If their maneuver is successful and the target ends their movement adjacent to a different squadmate, the second squadmate can attempt a melee Strike against that target as a reaction.
End it! [two-actions] Offensive
Brandish Commander Incapacitation Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26Requirements You and your allies currently outnumber enemies on the battlefield, and you or a squadmate have reduced an enemy to 0 Hit Points since the start of your last turn.
At your proclamation that victory is already at hand, your allies march forward with an authoritative stomp, scattering your enemies in terror. Signal all squadmates within the aura of your banner; you and each ally can
Step as a free action directly toward a hostile creature. Any hostile creatures within 10 feet of a squadmate after this movement must attempt a Will save against your class DC; on a failure they become
fleeing for 1 round, and on a critical failure they become fleeing for 1 round and
frightened 2. This is an
emotion,
fear, and
mental effect.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
You call for an aggressive formation designed for exploiting enemies’ vulnerabilities. Signal all squadmates; each can
Step as a reaction. If any of your allies ends this movement adjacent to an opponent, that opponent is
off-guard to melee attacks from you and all other squadmates who responded to Pincer Attack until the start of your next turn.
Reload! [one-action] Offensive
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
Your drill instruction kicks in, and your allies rapidly reload their weapons to prepare for the next volley. Signal all squadmates; each can immediately
Interact to
reload as a reaction.
Special When leading a
siege weapon crew, you can use this tactic to command your squadmates to Load a siege weapon instead.
Shields Up! [one-action] Offensive
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
You signal your allies to ready their defenses. Signal all squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; each can immediately
Raise a Shield as a reaction. Squadmates who are wielding a
parry weapon can instead position that weapon defensively as a reaction.
Special If one of your squadmates knows or has prepared the
shield cantrip, they can cast it as a reaction instead of taking the actions normally granted by this tactic.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
You command an ally to attack. Signal a squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner. That ally immediately attempts a Strike as a reaction.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
You direct a coordinated maneuver that sends an enemy tumbling down. Signal up to two squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner. Each of those allies can
Stride up to half their Speed as a reaction. If they both end this movement adjacent to an enemy, that enemy must succeed at a Reflex save against your class DC or fall
prone.
Alley-oop [one-action] Expert
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
Your team excels at sharing resources and delivering them exactly where they need to be. Signal a squadmate within the aura of your banner who is holding or wearing a
consumable that can be activated as a single action. That squadmate can toss their consumable to any other squadmate within the aura of your banner as a free action, and the receiving squadmate can catch and activate the consumable as a reaction. If the receiving squadmate chooses not to catch the consumable or if they don’t have a free hand to catch it with, it lands on the ground in their space.
Special If the consumable is a piece of activated ammunition and the receiving squadmate is wielding a compatible weapon that takes 1 or fewer actions to reload, they can load the ammunition into their weapon as part of the reaction used to catch and activate it. The ammunition remains activated until the end of their next turn.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 26
Your squad dashes past enemies, slicing their boot laces and breaking their belt buckles. Signal up to two squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; these squadmates can
Stride up to their Speed as a reaction. Each enemy they are adjacent to at any point during this movement must attempt a Reflex save against your class DC or become
clumsy 1 for 1 round (clumsy 2 on a critical failure).
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27
Your team’s coordinated assault strikes fear into your enemies’ hearts. Signal up to two squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; as a free action, those squadmates can immediately
Stride toward an enemy they are observing. If they end this movement adjacent to an enemy, they can attempt to
Strike that enemy as a reaction. For each of these Strikes that are successful, the target enemy must succeed at a Will save against your class DC or become
frightened 1 (frightened 2 on a critical failure); this is an
emotion,
fear, and
mental effect. If both Strikes target the same enemy, that enemy attempts the save only once after the final attack and takes a –1 circumstance penalty to their Will save to resist this effect (this penalty increases to –2 if both Strikes are successful or to –3 if both Strikes are successful and either is a critical hit.)
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27
Your team executes a brutal technique designed to knock down an opponent and blast them with magical devastation. Signal up to two squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; one of these squadmates must be adjacent to an opponent and the other must be capable of casting a spell that deals damage. The first squadmate can attempt to
Trip the adjacent opponent as a reaction. If this Trip is successful, the second squadmate can cast a ranged spell that deals damage and takes 2 or fewer actions to cast. This spell is cast as a reaction and must either target the tripped opponent or include the tripped opponent in the spell’s area.
If the second squadmate cast a spell using slots or Focus Points as part of this tactic, they are
slowed 1 until the end of their next turn and do not gain a reaction when they regain actions at the start of their next turn.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27
Your team dashes about in a series of maneuvers that leave the enemy befuddled. Signal up to two squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; these squadmates can
Stride up to their Speed as a reaction. Each enemy they are adjacent to at any point during this movement must attempt a Will save against your class DC or become
stupefied 1 for 1 round (stupefied 2 on a critical failure); this is a
mental effect.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27
Your ally leaps to secure the high ground with a little help from the squad. Signal a squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner; as a free action, that squadmate can
Stride directly toward any other squadmate you are both observing. If the first squadmate ends this movement adjacent to another squadmate, the first squadmate can immediately
Leap up to 25 feet horizontally or 15 feet vertically as a reaction, boosted by the other squadmate. This distance increases to 40 feet horizontally or 25 feet vertically if you have legendary proficiency in
Warfare Lore.
Commander Tactic Visual Source Battlecry! pg. 27Requirements At least one of your squadmates is in
bright light or has a focused light source available, such as a
bull's eye lantern.Frequency once per 10 minutes
Your squadmates have polished their shields to a reflective sheen and now position them to reflect a blinding light into your enemy’s eyes. All of your squadmates can
Raise a Shield or cast
shield as a reaction. Then, signal a squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner who currently has a shield raised (including spellcasting allies with an active casting of the shield cantrip), and choose an enemy within 60 feet. The formation bounces light off the raised shield and into the enemy’s eyes; the target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw against your class DC or become
blinded for 1 round (on a critical failure, the creature remains
dazzled for 3 rounds after the blindness ends).
You can signal additional allies with raised shields to participate in this tactic; the target takes a circumstance penalty on this save equal to the number of additional participating squadmates (to a maximum –4 circumstance penalty to the target’s save).
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27Frequency once per 10 minutes
You know that a thousand small bites can fell a large foe just as surely a single well-placed hit. Designate a creature within the aura of your commander’s banner and signal all squadmates; for 1 minute, each time they attack that creature and deal damage to it of a type the creature resists, they ignore an amount of that creature’s resistance equal to your level.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per 10 minutes
You command your squadmates to perform a devastating coordinated takedown. Signal up to three squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner who all have the same enemy within their reach; the squadmates can attempt to
Strike,
Trip, or
Grapple the opponent as a reaction. Each squadmate can only attempt one specific action granted by this tactic, the actions can be attempted in any order and a specific action can only be attempted once as part of this tactic.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per 10 minutes
You signal a volley of ranged attacks from your allies. Choose an enemy and signal up to three squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner; your squadmates can
Interact to reload as a free action and attempt a ranged
Strike against the enemy as a reaction.
Special If one of your squadmates knows or has prepared a cantrip with a range of 30 feet or more that deals damage and requires 2 or fewer actions to cast, they can cast it targeting the enemy instead of taking the other actions normally granted by this tactic.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per 10 minutes
You and your squad surge forward with a mighty roar. Signal all squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner. As a reaction, these squadmates can
Stride up to twice their Speed directly toward any enemy they are observing. Any creature within 10 feet of a squadmate once all movement from this tactic has been completed must attempt a Will save against your class DC with the following results. This is an
emotion,
fear,
incapacitation, and
mental effect.
Critical Success No effect.
Success The target is
frightened 1.
Failure The target is frightened 2.
Critical Failure The target is frightened 3 and
fleeing for 1 round.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 27
Regardless of your individual strengths, collectively your squad has the power to move mountains and topple giants. Signal a squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner. That squadmate can attempt to
Reposition,
Shove, or
Trip a target within their reach. Each other squadmate who is adjacent to the original squadmate or the target can attempt to assist with the maneuver as a reaction. For each squadmate who assists in this way, the original squadmate increases the maximum size of creature they can target (for example, if a total of two squadmates participated in this maneuver, the initial squadmate could target a creature up to two sizes larger than them.) The original squadmate gains a circumstance bonus on their check to Reposition, Shove, or Trip equal to the number of additional squadmates who assisted in the maneuver (maximum +4).
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per day
Your squad performs a brutal combination attack that levels an enemy and attempts to put them down permanently. Choose and signal up to three squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner. Each squadmate can
Stride up to half their Speed directly toward a single enemy you designate as a free action. Any who end their movement adjacent to the designated target can attempt to
Trip or
Strike it as a reaction. The first time a
prone enemy is successfully dealt damage by a Strike from this tactic, they must immediately attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC or die; this is a
death and
incapacitation effect. All enemies who witness a creature slain by Bloody Guillotine must succeed at a Will save against your class DC or become
sickened 1 for 1 round (sickened 2 for 1 round on a critical failure); this is an
emotion and
mental effect.
Cry Havoc! [three-actions] Legendary
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per day
Your squad rallies with a resounding clangor that drowns out all other sounds of war. Choose an enemy you are observing and signal all squadmates within the aura of your commander’s banner. All squadmates can
Stride up to twice their Speed directly toward the target as a reaction, yelling and trampling. When any squadmate enters a square adjacent to any enemy, that enemy must attempt a basic Fortitude save against your class DC or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 sonic damage, plus an additional 2d6 bludgeoning and 2d6 sonic damage for every squadmate participating in Cry Havoc! (enemies who critically fail are
deafened for 1 round). Regardless of the outcome, the enemy is then temporarily immune to any further damage from Cry Havoc! for 24 hours.
Squadmates can use Cry Havoc! while
Burrowing,
Climbing,
Flying, or
Swimming instead of Striding if they have the corresponding movement type.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 28Frequency once per day
You command your squadmates to act as a lethal firing squad. You and each squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner can attempt a ranged Strike as a reaction against a single target you choose; combine the damage from all attacks for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses. If the designated target is a living creature, these attacks gain the
death trait. If the designated target dies as a result of this tactic, all other enemies within the affected area of your commander’s banner must succeed at a Will save against your class DC or be
frightened 2; this is an
emotion,
fear, and
mental effect.
Special If one of your squadmates knows or has prepared a cantrip with a range of 30 feet or more that deals damage and requires 2 or fewer actions to cast, they can cast it targeting the designated enemy instead of taking the other actions normally granted by this tactic, gaining all other listed benefits.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 29Frequency once per day
Your squad quickly assembles a special impromptu ballista and fires it to lethal effect. Signal all squadmates you previously chose to participate in this tactic (see Special); these squadmates must be within the aura of your commander’s banner. They can all Stride as a free action to assemble into a close formation; as long as all the chosen squadmates end their movement no more than 10 feet away from any of the other chosen squadmates. They quickly assemble an impromptu ballista and fire it at an enemy of your choice within 200 feet.
This is a ranged Strike using your proficiency bonus with martial weapons and gets an item bonus to the attack roll you make with it equal to the number of assisting squadmates (maximum +4). It deals 10d12 piercing damage. Once the attack is completed, the pieces of the impromptu ballista fall apart.
Special You must choose all squadmates who will participate in this tactic at the time you prepare it. Those squadmates must carry the pieces of your impromptu ballista, which can be made out of easily scavenged materials; these pieces are 8 Bulk in total and can be divided in 1 Bulk increments among any number of the chosen squadmates.
Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 29Frequency once per day
Your squad is rejuvenated by the arterial spray of your enemies. Choose a creature within the aura of your commander’s banner and signal all squadmates within the aura who are wielding a piercing or slashing melee weapon, or who have a piercing or slashing melee unarmed attack. Those allies can
Stride up to half their Speed as a free action. If they end this movement within reach of the designated target, they can Strike the target with the required weapon or unarmed attack as a reaction.
Once all Strikes are completed, if the target took damage and is not immune to
bleed damage, it must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw against your class DC or take 10 points of persistent bleed damage. The target takes a circumstance penalty on their save equal to the number of successful Strikes made as part of this tactic (up to a maximum –4 circumstance penalty). Your squadmates are energized by the display of your enemy’s imminent defeat; each squadmate in a 20-foot
emanation is healed for 10d6 Hit Points.
Brandish Commander Tactic Source Battlecry! pg. 29Frequency once per day
You and your allies defy death and defeat to make a glorious final charge. You restore 80 Hit Points to each squadmate within the aura of your commander’s banner; this effect has the
healing trait. If an affected ally was unconscious due to their Hit Points being reduced to 0, they can immediately
Stand and pick up any dropped weapons as a free action. Then, each affected squadmate can, as a free action,
Stride up to twice their Speed directly toward an enemy they are observing; if they end this movement with an enemy within their reach, they can attempt to Strike that enemy as a reaction.
Squadmates can use Valkyrie’s Charge while
Burrowing,
Climbing,
Flying, or
Swimming instead of Striding if they have the corresponding movement type.