3.4.8 Bracing against a mounted attack

A character on foot, who is armed with a spear or pike, can brace the polearm by ramming its butt against the ground. This takes a ready weapon action to perform. Once braced, the character cannot move or turn without losing the effect of the bracing.

If a mounted character moves into the strike range of a braced character and the braced character declares a stand and attack reaction to this movement, the braced character gets a number of advantages in attacking the mounted character (or his/her mount):

• firstly, the braced character's attack is automatically deemed to take place before any attack by the mounted character regardless of initiative (normally, the mounted character might get first strike if he/she was also armed with a polearm and had the initiative);
• secondly, the braced character receives a +2 bonus on the attack dice roll for being braced;
• thirdly, the braced character receives a bracing bonus on the damage dice roll if he/she hits the mounted character (or his/her mount), depending on the mounted character's current speed:

As with any other stand and attack reaction, the braced character may declare the reaction (and resolve the attack) part way through the mount's movement action.