Troops in Skirmishes — PF2e Quick Reference

Your Turn: 5 Actions

You 3 / Troop 2lead from the front

You 2 / Troop 3let the troop work

Choose the split at the start of each of your turns.
You and the troop each get 1 reaction.
Pick who acts first, but no interleaving — one of you finishes all your actions, then the other goes.

Any move action moves everyone. The whole unit moves together using the acting creature's Speed.
Hard cap: 3 actions of movement per turn, combined between you and the troop. Activities that include a move action count too.
Off-turn (reactions, forced movement): only one collective movement per trigger.
Speeds only one of you has (fly, burrow…): GM decides if the unit can use them.

Budget it: 3 troop actions ≠ 3 Strides if you already moved on your share.

Form Up ◆ — reshape into any contiguous set of squares within 15 ft of one square the troop occupies.
Stride — the troop first Forms Up for free into a 20 ft × 20 ft block, then moves up to its Speed.
A troop can't share its space with other creatures — except its own leader and the leader's minions.
Damage shrinks the troop at HP thresholds; fewer squares, weaker attacks.

You count as being in every square of the troop for your attacks, ranges, and auras — pick your actual square each time you use an ability.
Enemies using single-target effects choose: you or the troop.
You can't flank with your own troop; two allied troops can flank together.
Cover is judged from the unit's full combined space; you don't block or cover each other.
Mounted? You can ride within the troop's space and use your mount's reach.

Triggered when the troop crosses an HP threshold or its leader goes down (both at once = one check).
Will save vs. standard level DC. Emotion, fear, mental — mindless troops are immune.
Led troops improve the result one degree of success.

Crit Success	Unaffected
Success	Frightened 1
Failure	Frightened 2
Crit Failure	Breaks and flees — removed from battle

Leaderless troop: drops to 2 actions + 1 reaction per round, loses all leader benefits and skirmish bonds, routs at full effect.
Take the Lead ◆◆ — adjacent character rolls Diplomacy to assume command. Success: you're the new leader. Crit failure: the troop makes an immediate rout check.
A revived leader automatically resumes command.
Leaders can issue back-up plans — standing orders the troop follows if the leader falls.