Melee!

This is different from the usual Burning Wheel 'Fight!' rules, for use with multiple combatants. These rules take after more traditional, turn-by-turn, combat rules seen in other tabletop games; specifically The Nightmares Underneath by Johnstone Metzger, which it'self seems to take some ideas from BW. So maybe this brings things full circle?

The inevitable result of contact between humans and monsters of nightmare is deadly combat. Even without monsters, humans may find themselves at odds over pride or resources, seemingly with no other recourse than violence to turn to.

— Nightmares Underneath

The goal of this system is to roughly emulate a full Fight by letting players choose actions freely, under a certain set of assumptions and guiding principles about how to resolve conflicts. Those assumptions are:

• Most of the time in a skirmish is spent being cautious, assessing your opponents and the environment, dodging, blocking, moving around, and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Thus, you are a bit harder to injure until you run out of energy (i.e. disposition) and start moving slower, and then you start taking wounds. And then the death spiral begins.
• A single 'round' is an abstract, variable amount of time that can be as short as a few second or almost as long as a minute, but is generally about 10 actions.
• The dice are rolled when each character's action is declared, but they are not resolved until the end of the round, so there's no need for a script. (This also preserves a sense simultaneous action, even though it's turn-based).
• Each combatant only gets one action per round, so they only need to memorise the result of their current action until the next round.
• Initiative is variable, but goes from lowest to highest; so the one who goes last has the most meta-knowledge about the action that took place in the round. Since there are some advantages to going first too, a character with a higher initiative can 'react' to the effects of lower initiative events. (Even though, again, resolving everything at the end preserves a sense simultaneous action).
• Versus tests are avoided as much as possible to speed up the combat.

Setting Up

First, determine if you even need to use this system. If there are only two or three combatants, don't use this system; instead use Fight or Bloody Vs. If there are multiple combatants both sides are relatively far away and are mostly using ranged weapons, or one side wants to run away from the other; then use Range & Cover or Chase. If there are dozens of combatants, or hundreds; use a Pitched Battle. Use this system for anything else: Usually the sorts of encounters you might have while dungeoneering. (This system can also handle having more than two 'sides' in a conflict, which the other systems can't handle very well).

Combat Rounds

If you decide to use this system then you should first work-out the position and tactical layout of the situation, so the players can make informed decisions about whether to fight or not, and how. Time during combat is divided into rounds, where each character involved gets to take actions. The combat procedure can be thought of as a loop, which reads as follows:

• Determine starting Disposition: [Health] + Steel
• Determine starting Initiative Order: [Reflexes] + 2d6
• Begin Combat:
  1. Check the initiative order for the round.
  2. Combatants take turns in the current order of initiative, declaring actions, from lowest to highest.
  3. At the top of the initiative order, once everyone has had a turn, simultaneously apply the result of all the actions that were taken this round to resolve them.
  4. Check morale (i.e. make Steel tests) if anyone hit zero disposition or suffered a wound this round.
  5. End the round. (If the battle is not over return to step 1).
• End Combat.

Disposition

Disposition represents a character’s ability to avoid suffering serious wounds in a dangerous environment (and defeat in combat), attacks that hit and deal "damage" do not necessarily also inflict serious wounds, and should not be described as doing so. Flashing blades and gunfire can leave you rattled and careless without ever breaking your skin. Anything that wears your opponent down and brings them closer to making that last mistake which leaves them dead by your hand makes for a successful attack. This is why non-lethal attacks reduce Disposition the same as other attacks—it’s much easier to stab someone to death once they've been worn down than it is if they’re ready for you.

At the start of the combat each player character works out their 'disposition' for the fight. Base disposition equals the character's Health exponent, then they add successes from rolling Steel. Remember that Steel is affected by wounds. Mark a passive steel test for the melee at the end (using Obs on pg 364). Write this number down.
Characters with Grey or White Health multiply their base disposition by 2 or 3 respectively. The GM can also work out the dispositions enemies and monsters in advance to speed things up. The GM may decide if the enemies are small fry, tough ones, or big baddies. Small fry only use their Health as the disposition. Tough ones use their Health as the base and roll their Steel, like player characters. Big baddies use their full Health and current Steel added together, without rolling. This decision will likely also arbitrate the length and general hostility of the encounter.
Note: Creatures found in the wild may be tough ones, but those same creatures found in their lairs should be big baddies.

Zero Disposition

If a character has fallen to zero disposition this round, what happens in phase 3 really depends on how much we—the players and the GM—care about them. If they are a player's character or an important non-player character (either ally or enemy) then are still alive and kicking, but they are worn out by the affair and suffer a superficial wound. Furthermore, in all the following rounds, they will now be able to take more serious wounds in from incoming attacks as per the normal Weapons and Armour mechanics (pp 463-480, excluding shields). If the character is a minion, or an extra, then they are assumed to be dead or incapacitated once they hit zero disposition instead: And their death might cause their allies to flee in terror or surrender in awe (see below).

Initiative Order

Combatants then take their Reflexes exponent and add the result of 2d6, to order themselves from lowest to highest. Character's with Grey or White Reflexes always go last, and indeed they are grouped into their own initiative bracket which they cannot be knocked out of. The initiative order is a variable thing, so don't worry if you rolled badly. Some actions will have an up arrow ⬆️ which refers to moving the character or their target to the top of their initiative bracket, or a down arrow ⬇️ which moves them to the bottom, once the action resolves in phase 3; unless the key word 'immediately' is used.
Since initiative can change each round, it is advised that the GM write all combatants names on pieces of card, or some other visual indicator, so they can easily arrange and rearrange the orders of initiative in plain sight where everyone can see it. PCs working as a team can also switch their initiative position at the start of the round if they are currently adjacent in the order.
Surprised characters, from an ambush or sneak attack, are automatically placed at the bottom of the initiative order and they must choose a hesitation action in the first round of combat.

Taking Your Turn

Character usually take actions on their turn as the initiative order reaches up to them—one by one, from bottom to top—however you may act before your turn to:

• Attack someone moving within your range of attack at +1 Ob; then take no additional actions during your actual turn.
• Give chase to someone dashing past you; then take no additional actions during your actual turn.
• Attack someone charging you, if you have a longer weapon or a readied missile weapon; then take no additional actions during your actual turn.
• Declare that you are dodging this round just as you are attacked; then take no additional actions during your actual turn.
• Declare that you will Help someone this round who is about to act, which may including moving with them; then take no additional actions during your actual turn.

Note: If someone charges you but you don't have a longer weapon then you can still make an opportunity attack against them, but at +1 Ob, as per the usual rules. In other words, charging someone with a longer weapon than you just lets them make an opportunity attack against you without the penalty.
But if you wait until your turn to act instead, you may do any of the following:

• Move, or dash, or get up and move.
• Dodge, or move while dodging.
• Attack, or move then attack (i.e. charge).
• Perform a simple action, or move and then perform a simple action, or perform a simple action and then move.
• Perform a complicated action, such as casting a spell.

Note: Essentially, you may move and / or perform a simple action, or perform a complicated action where you stand. However, you must move first, then attack. And you may not move if you acted before your proper turn. You may only attack before you move, or at any point during your movement, if you are mounted or flying.

Dodging

You may choose to dodge all incoming attacks instead of taking offensive action. You must declare this on your own action or the first time you are attacked in the round. When you do; test your Speed. Like an 'Avoid' in the full Fight rules, successes from this manoeuvre add to the base Ob to hit you for all incoming attacks for the rest of the round, not just the first. Mark a test at the end of combat from the attack aimed against you while dodging that had the most successes.
Successes from a dodge also add to obstacles for special attacks (see below).
Also, when dodging, remember to add clumsy weight penalties from armour (if any). Though armour doesn't do anything until you hit zero disposition.

Movement

"Moving" here means, moving a significant distance, or disengaging. Attacking necessarily involves moving around quite a bit—bobbing and weaving, dancing into position, trading places with your enemy after every lunge—all of which does not count as capital-m Movement, that's just you fighting. Should you decide to track movement meticulously (which isn't really recommended), a character can Move a number of paces equal to their Speed times their Stride in a single round. A more complicated form of movement would be dashing.
If you dash past someone then they can't get an opportunity attack on you, but they may opt to chase you (which also counts as a dash). Make a versus Speed test in this instance: If you win, you get away and may effectively leave the combat, if you wish. If they win their marginal successes are applied as damage to your disposition, and you are still in the battle. Sometimes, depending on the battlefield a dash vs. chase action might require a different test, like Swimming or Climbing. If no one chases you, you are assumed to succeed automatically; though you might not be out of range from some missile weapons.
If everyone starts giving chase then it turns into a Range and Cover instead.

Knocked Prone & Getting up

There's a few ways you can get knocked to the floor in a fight, such as getting thrown down, pushed, or just by slipping or tripping over (which the GM might impose as an extra failure condition in difficult terrain). If this happens, you can still act normally, but you are typically moved ⬇️ and you suffer +2 Ob to all physical, martial, and sorcerous skill tests; furthermore, all attacks made against you while you're on the floor gain +1D. Getting up costs your movement action. So any time it says 'or move' in the list above, you can replace that with 'or get up' too. However, you can also 'get up and move' as your whole action for the round; so in this sense, a dash action is like a double move action.

Attacking

The main way to win a fight is by attacking your enemies until they flee, submit, or are killed. You may attack anyone within line of sight and range of your weapon on or before your turn, as discussed above. Unless the target is hesitating, all attacks are base Ob 1 to hit. This test may be modified by any of the following:

1. Shields || Dodging: If the target has a shield, or is near cover—and opts to block, or duck—then they add their cover bonus to the Ob; but you also get to add your weapon's VA as bonus dice. (See the 'shields' section below for more details). OR: If they are dodging this round instead, then they add their Speed successes from their dodge roll to the Ob; and you may not add your VA as bonus dice.
2. Bonus Obs:
   • Add +1 Ob if the target is moving past you and this is an opportunity attack.
   • Add +1-5 Ob from relative lighting conditions, visibility, spacing, terrain, etc.
     (+5 Ob is the maximum penalty from such considerations, and it probably applies to everyone in the melee).
3. Advantage Dice:
   • Add +1-3D equal to rounds spent aiming with a ranged weapon, or +1-2D if you are receiving Help.
   • If you are charging an opponent and have longer Stride than them, add +1-2D.
   • If you have not moved this round and are attacking the target after their turn in the initiative order, you may add +1-2D from the absolute difference between your weapon lengths.
   • You may add +1D if you are two-handing a melee weapon, or if you are duel-wielding and have Two-Fisted Fighting Training.
   • You may only FoRK the martial skill of your opponent if you have it (e.g. a knight attacking an axeman with a Sword may FoRK their own Axes skill).
   • Though you may always FoRK Brawling into melee skill tests

When a target with a disposition greater than zero is hit by an attack, their disposition will immediately drop by the result of a Die of Fate, and then further reduced by 1 for each marginal success from the attack, to a minimum of zero. That is, disposition damage = [1d6 + margin of success].
This is assuming you have the right tools. If you're using an improvised weapon—a broom handle for a polearm, a broken bottle for a knife, a mattock for an axe—or unarmed attacks without Martial Arts or Savage Attack, then you only deal [1 + margin of success] disposition damage per attack.

Defining an "Attack"

An attack, for the purposes of this sub-system, is a single, concerted attempt to defeat your opponent. It consists of as many strikes as are necessary before you have a moment or two to re-assess your situation and re-evaluate your tactics. In the case of missile weapons, this usually means a single arrow, bolt, or bullet. In close combat, however, one attack may consist of a single mighty blow from a hammer, a dozen quick dagger thrusts, several seconds of wrestling on the ground, a slash or two at your enemy’s wrist to make them drop their weapon, or even a charge and tackle to knock them prone. It is enough to execute a single intent, no more and no less.
With this in mind, certain actions may cause extra disposition damage at the GM's discretion. Falling under fire is pretty harrowing, for example. The loud noise alone is enough to spook some. So the GM might rule that, regardless of success or failure, everyone in the vicinity who's never been around a firearm before suffers 1 disposition damage when a gun is shot. Some spells might have similar effects, even if though their descriptions may not make any normal mention of disposition damage (though note that most offensive spells will bypass the normal disposition rules anyway, see below).

Special Attacks

Even if you are untrained in any combat skills, you can still fight! The following are examples of special attacks, inspired by some special actions in the usual Fight rules. These attacks always deal 1 disposition damage to their target if they're successful and have an Extra Effect; such as moving you or the target up or down in the initiative order for next round, or staggering the target, immobilising them, or knocking them prone. Note that these attacks also ignore penalties from relative lighting conditions, visibility, spacing, terrain, etc. so that they can be used even if the odds are stacked against you. They can still be dodged though.

Beat Aside
Tests: Melee Weapon Skill
Obstacle: 1 + ½ Target's Agility (rounded down)
Bonuses: Greater stature +1-3D / +1D if two-handing your weapon
Extra Effect: Success will move you ⬆️ and the target ⬇️. Success by 2 also staggers the target, giving them +1 Ob to their next action. Success by 3 staggers them and grants you +1D to your next action.

Disarm
Tests: Melee Weapon Skill / Martial Arts
Obstacle: Target's Weapon Skill, +1 Ob if weapon has a knuckle bow or +2 Ob if they are using a locked gauntlet
Bonuses: Greater stature +1-3D
Extra Effect: Success will move you ⬆️ and the target ⬇️, and the target gets disarmed: Their weapon goes flying off in a random direction! To retrieve the weapon you must move and use a simple action, taking a whole round.
Special: Ineffective against unarmed opponents and natural weapons.

Throw / Trip Technique
Tests: Martial Arts
Obstacle: Target's highest Physical Stat
Bonuses: Greater stature +1-3D
Extra Effect: Requires a free hand: Success knocks the target prone and will move them ⬇️ as you throw them to the floor.
Special: Marginal successes can be spent to deal damage using the surface they were thrown against as a weapon. This damage bypasses disposition! Add 2; VA 1; Water (Pow −3), Matting (Pow −2), Grass or dirt (Pow −1), Wood panels (Pow +0), Sheet metal (Pow + 1), Stone (Pow +2), Jagged rock (Pow +3), Spikes (Pow +4).

Push / Shield Bash
Tests: Power / Brawling
Obstacle: 1 + ½ Target's Speed (rounded down)
Bonuses: Greater stature +1-3D / Shield +1-4D
Extra Effect: Requires a free hand or a shield: Success staggers the opponent, giving them +1 Ob to their next action. Winning by 3 successes above the Ob will knock the opponent prone and move them ⬇️, while you remain standing.
Shield Bash: Requires Shield Training: Marginal successes on the Push action can also be also be spent to damage disposition, or to make a normal strike with your shield as the weapon. This damage bypasses disposition!

Flank
Tests: Tactics
Obstacle: 1 + ½ Target's Perception (rounded down)
Bonuses: Lesser stature +1-3D
Extra Effect: Any attacks made against this target by you or your allies next round gain +1D. If the target tries to disengage and move away before or during next round, then opportunity attacks made against them do not suffer the usual +1 Ob and allies still gain the +1D bonus.
Special: Regardless of success or failure, when you Flank you are also immediately moved ⬇️.

Lock / Grapple
Tests: Power / Brawling / Savage Attack / Martial Arts
Obstacle: 1 + ½ Target's Power (rounded down)
Bonuses: Greater Stature +1-3D
Extra Effect: Requires a free hand: Winning the test means the target is grappled and will get moved ⬇️. Neither of you can Move and the base Ob to hit either of you will be 1, beginning next round, regardless of other circumstances which might normally apply. Margin of success (and multiple successful Lock actions across the next few rounds) can increase the pressure which reduces dice from all of the target’s physical stats, and from martial and sorcerous skills. This technically not damage, but it still bypasses disposition! Like with wounds, if they hit 0 in any Stat they will pass out, but unlike wounds these recover instantly if the Lock is ever broken. If you fail the Lock then you are immediately moved ⬇️, if your Lock is broken you are staggered and suffer +1 Ob to your next action.
Escaping Locks: If you are successfully grappled before your turn then you are basically interrupted and immobilised. Once you're turn comes and on on subsequent rounds, you still attack anyone in sight and range, including your grappler, but you cannot move or use any other simple or complex actions. To free yourself test any physical Stat, Escape Artist, Brawling, or Martial Arts; with +1-3D for greater Stature. Your successes reduce the pressure and you regain dice. If you reduce the pressure back to neutral, then you break the Lock and can move away without provoking an opportunity strike, or you can Counter-lock and spend marginal success to increase the pressure for your opponent instead.
Special: Requires Savage Attack and a trait like Crushing Jaws: Marginal successes on a Lock or Counter-lock action can also be also be spent to damage disposition, or to make a normal strike with your teeth as the weapon. This damage bypasses disposition!

Tackle / Takedown
Tests: Power / Martial Arts
Obstacle: 1 + ½ Target's Forte (rounded down)
Bonuses: +1D for Free / Greater stature +1-3D / +1D from Horns (or similar traits)
Extra Effect: Requires a free hand or a shield: Success knocks both you and your target prone, and you will both get moved ⬇️; you first and then the target (so that they go before you next round). Success by 3 knocks them prone while you remain standing, and your position in the initiative not changed. If you fail the Tackle you are immediately moved ⬇️.
Special: You may tackle someone right next to you, or run at someone across the field and leap at them. If you move and tackle then, as with a charge, you may add +1-2D from having a longer Stride.

Ranged Attacks

To nock, draw, and loose an arrow. To throw a knife or a hatchet, or hurl a javelin, or sling a stone. To line up a shot and pull the trigger of a crossbow or rifle. These are all examples of ranged attacks. They count as attacks and damage disposition as per the rules above. And a bowman or slinger can perform them every round if they wish. The only exceptions are for crossbows and firearms: Light crossbows, arbalests, and pistols need a simple action between each shot to reload; Heavy crossbows and arquebuses and the like need a complicated action between each shot to reload, but deal the highest of 2d6 in disposition damage per shot. Also, at the end of the round, once you've finished reloading a weapon, so long as you weren't hit or interrupted you will always get moved ⬆️. (Tip: You could also have a friend and two crossbows to reload and shoot every round, by cycling between them.)

Aiming

Aiming with a ranged weapon is something anyone can do. It counts as a complex action, so you must remain stationary to do it, but each round spent aiming grants +1D, up to maximum of +3D. A friend can also effectively aim with you, or act as a spotter, by Helping your ranged attack with Observation; this speeds up the aiming process rather than stacking dice (i.e. +1D from your own aiming and +1-2D from your spotter's help each round until the maximum of +3D is reached). Additionally, if you spent the round aiming, so long as you weren't hit or interrupted you will always get moved ⬆️.

Simple Actions

As a simple action you may Help someone who has not already acted, draw a weapon, stand fast and look intimidating, quickly search around for traps, pick up or drop an item, lock or unlock a door (with a key), or pull a lever or two. Dropping something you hold in your hand doesn’t count as an action (i.e. a free action), and neither does two-handing a weapon if you have a free hand, but shrugging off your backpack or unstrapping and discarding a shield does (even a broken one). You could also kick over a lamp, or douse a torch as a simple action, but lighting a new one is a complex action. Throwing objects is a simple action.
Generally speaking, simple actions do not require a test to perform. Only your time.

Shrugging it Off

This is a simple action too. The effect is the same as the description on page 497. It tests Health (or costs Artha), and can either:

• Clear the Cobwebs: Test at Ob 2 (or spend a Fate) to ignore a Superficial wound until the end of the fight.
• Grit your Teeth: Test at Ob 4 (or spend a Persona) to ignore a Light wound until the end of the scene.

Speech

You may also speak a few words or sentences during the round, for free. This may sound somewhat unrealistic, considering how little time a single round can take in the game world, but players will end up running their mouths anyway, so there is no point trying to disallow it. Using a social action, like Intimidation or Command, or singing a prayer for Faith counts as a simple action though. You may still move, but you must be stationary when testing to be heard and taken seriously, unless you are flying or mounted.

Intimidate
Tests: Intimidation / Extortion / Falsehood
Obstacle: Target's Will
Effect: Success will move the target ⬇️ and force them to make a Steel test in the morale phase, which may cause them to hesitate for the next round. Margin of success adds to their Hesitation obstacle.

Command
Tests: Command / Howling / Sing / Musical Skill
Special Obstacle: May affect all allies on your side of the conflict. The obstacle is the highest margin of failure on a Steel test among all hesitating allies, but the test is graduated.
Effect: Enough success will make an ally stop hesitating, it immediately moves them ⬆️, and lets them choose a new action for the current round.

Example: If two allies are hesitating, one failed their Steel test by 3 the other failed by 6, the Command obstacle is 6. Let's say you get 4 successes for the Command: One of the allies will stop hesitating (the one who failed by 3), but the other stays frightened.

Complicated Actions

Complex actions include things like aiming a weapon, unleashing a spell, lighting a torch, reloading a heavy crossbow or firearm, performing a finishing move, retrieving something from your backpack, disarming or resetting a trap, or anything else that is similarly involved. If you need to stop-drop-and-roll, for example, it will take your entire action.
Generally speaking, simple actions do not require a test to perform. Only your time.

Spell Casting

Casting a spell is a complicated action and you may not move at the same time. If the number of 'actions' on the casting time exceeds 10 then add +1 Ob to perform the spell hurriedly. If it exceeds 100 then add +2 Ob instead. If you cast a spell and are in the same round attacked, hit, and reduced to zero disposition or suffer a wound, then it counts as a 'may not' for sustained spells or may interrupt a spell you just cast: Test Will to hold your concentration (see pages 508 and 511). Resolve this at the end of the round.
Spells usually have their own unique effects that cannot be accounted for in this system.

Offensive Spells Bypass Disposition

Offensive spells—such as Death's Howl, Shards, White Fire, or Havoc's Hand—have independent obstacles from the attack rules above, and can effectively deal 'weapon damage' to a target magically, bypassing disposition! Eldritch Shield and similar enchantments could negate spells like these, though.

Wounds & Steel

In phase 3 of the procedure above, once everyone has taken their action for the round, at the top of the initiative order; everyone applies the results of their actions. This includes the application of a superficial wound if they hit zero disposition this round, as well as more serious wounds from successful attacks made against combatants who already had no disposition left, and wounds suffered from special attacks and spells that can bypass disposition.
Since everyone only gets one action per round, you each only need to remember what the result of that action was. (Did you do damage? To whom? How much? And should either of you get moved ⬆️ or ⬇️?) This is typically a only single digit number and an up or down arrow. Pretty easy stuff.

Morale

After applying disposition damage and wounds, the players and the GM must check to see if their characters are still willing to fight or if their nerve is broken and they are routed. There are two ways do to this depending on the situation:

• A group of similar NPCs must roll 2d6 equal to or below 1 plus their collective Steel rank if one or more of their allies dropped to zero disposition this round. Margin of failure is the number of hesitating members.
• An individual PC or unique NPC tests Steel as per the usual rules; if they took a Li, Mi, Se, or Tr wound this round, for example.

As we've seen above, spells and other unique actions, like Intimidate, can potentially cause Steel tests too: These are usually dealt with in the same way as the above, depending on whether the target is a group of minions, a boss, or a player character.

Example: A band of eight brigands and bandits are waylaying the players. After a few rounds of combat, one of them drops. Since they all use the same stats, their Steel is 6, the GM rolls 2d6 and must get a 7 or less. He rolls 4 + 6 = 10, so three of the remaining men end up fleeing. The four left standing fast and the corpse that remain decide to pick up their buddy and some of the dropped weapons in the next round, and then run away as well.

Reinforcements & Retreats

If reinforcements show up on one side in the the middle of a conflict, they will roll their dispositions at the start of the next round. They are all moved ⬆️ when they join too, so if there's more than one reinforcement they should roll initiative to determine their place in the new order. That is, everyone who didn't just join the battle should be below them in the order. If one side assess the situation at the end of the round in phase 5 and calls for a retreat, the other side can choose to give chase. If they do, the conflict turns into a Range and Cover instead.

Hesitation Actions

Failing a Steel test means you will hesitate during the following round. You are moved ⬇️ and forced you to take one of the following hesitation actions, instead a normal action. The base obstacle to hit you while hesitating changes depending on which one you choose, but these obstacles are not affected by penalties from relative lighting conditions, visibility, spacing, terrain, etc. So beware!

Fall Prone & Beg for Mercy
Obstacle to Hit: 1
Effect: You fall prone and must plead for you life with your aggressors.
Special: Depending on the kind of enemy being faced, there is a chance that you could use Persuade, Soothing Platitudes, or Begging to get the enemy to stop attacking you.

Run Screaming
Obstacle to Hit: ½ Speed (rounded up)
Effect: You drop anything you're holding that isn't strapped on and make a bolt for the nearest exit at full speed.
Special: While a character is running away screaming they may not be Commanded to stop, and they may even be able to completely escape the combat scenario if no one follows them. This counts as a dash, so even opportunity attacks can't be made against them. The Ob is for ranged attacks only.

Stand & Drool
Obstacle to Hit: 1
Effect: You are stunned and can do nothing but watch in awe and fear.

Swoon
Obstacle to Hit: 1
Effect: You pass out, fall prone, and appear to be dead to all other combatants unless special attention is paid to you.
Special: A swooned character can remain on the ground for as many rounds as they like, so long as they are not Commanded. To notice if a swooned character is still alive or not, use a simple action and test Observation vs. Inconspicuous. Note that a swooned character counts as Incapacitated for purpose of performing a Coup de Grâce!

Remember: Falling prone means you have to use your movement after you finish hesitating to remove the +2 Ob penalty, and anyone who tries to hit you gets +1D.

Note: Margin of failure on a Steel test only affects the Command obstacle to make you snap out of it. If you fail the Steel test, you hesitate for 1 round at most (unless you swoon and choose to stay down).

Coup de Grâce

This is a complex action that can only be used on characters that are incapacitated from their wounds, drugged out by narcotics, currently swooned, etc. There is no test, simply an investment of time via your action for the round. It counts as a complicated action, so you must move to the target one round and finish them off the next.
The player of the character performing the action may describe in no uncertain terms how they deliver a finishing blow to the wounded target. This is an execution. It may be quick and clean, or gory and viscous. It may be a mercy killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies; with or without the sufferer's consent.
The target instantly suffers a Mortal Wound.
Special: When a Coup de Grâce is used, if the target is a PC (or an important NPC) they may spend a Persona just before it to add a Complication to the situation that saves them from a mortal fate, but endangers everyone else. If nothing comes to mind, they will have to take the Mortal Wound and use Will to Live instead.
Warning: If the target has a Grey or White shaded mortal wound, but your best attack only does Black damage, then the target cannot be killed by your Coup de Grâce and your action this round is wasted, but you may at least move.
At the end of the combat, if everyone on the losing side is incapacitated or at zero disposition; you do not need to perform finishing blows on them to end the combat, though you certainly may. They are at your mercy either way.

Appendices

Shields

Shields are complicated. Surprisingly so, given that they're just bits of wood and metal strapped to your arm. But shields are a defensive weapon and (in the right hands) an offensive one too. They provide cover, but they're not indestructible. They can't nullify damage like armour can, but the base BW rules might leave you to believe that they can. Hopefully, this section clears some things up.

A shield, at it's core, provides cover. There are four or five types of shield, depending on how you count them. Confusingly, these are given die-ratings: 0-4D, but this is often more of a quick-reference name since what we're really interested in is their size. They are, in order:

1. 0D: Basket-hilted weapons & Gauntlets — Provide no cover. Technically not even shields.
2. 1D: Bucklers & Targes — Provide no cover.
3. 2D: Target Shields — Provides +1 Ob of cover, the equivalent of dashing between hedges and foliage.
4. 3D: Heaters & Kites — Provide +2 Ob of cover, the equivalent of standing by a chest-high palisade wall.
5. 4D: Tower Shields — Provide +3 Ob of cover, the equivalent of hiding behind a big tree or closing a door.

So long as you carry a shield, the cover obstacle is passively added to the Obstacles of all ranged attacks aimed at you, but the ranger also gets to add bonus dice to their own attack equal to their weapon's VA (which may vary, depending on the weapon and the range). If you carry a shield and are also nearby some cover then use the highest of the two bonus penalties, do not combine them.

In the Melee! system, all attacks are treated as ranged attacks for this purpose. That is, you can add the cover bonus to the obstacle to hit you if you use any shield larger than a buckler. Bucklers are meant more for duelling anyway, so it makes sense.

The bonus dice that an attacker gets from their VA should be rolled first, if any of them are sixes then the shield may get damaged, depending on the quality and the following:

• Poor Quality: All 6s rolled on the VA dice damage the shield's rating.
• Run of the Mill: A single 6 rolled on the VA dice will damage the shield's rating.
• Superior Quality: A single exploding 6 rolled on the VA dice, that turns up another success, will damage the shield's rating. (Yes, that means the attacker has to spend Fate, or needs a magic weapon).

When a shield's die-rating is reduced, the effective cover that it provides is reduced too (e.g. A damaged tower shield is no better than a heater). But it's other stats remain the same. Note that an attack can seem to "miss" but still damage a shield.

When you Push or actively Block (in Fight) you get to add the shield dice to the manoeuvre, since marginal successes count in those instances. In the case of Block (or Block & Strike, and Counterstrike), roughly the same rules as the apply: The shield only get's damaged by 6s on an opposing force's VA bonus.

Basically, under this system, the shield's rating has to be actively destroyed by an opponent, rather than passively destroyed by the user.

Also Note: Shields do nothing against magic (unless it's a magic shield).

Clumsy Weight

While useful, shields are heavy, difficult to use, and require some serious shield-arm strength and stamina.

• Carrying a shield around with you all day, or at the end of each battle where you used a shield, induces a Forte-based Tax test at an Ob of 1, 2 or 3; for targets, heaters, or towers. This test can only reduce your Forte to a minimum of 1. (Shield Training gives +1D).
• Using a shield restricts you to one-handed weapons. You cannot two-hand a shield for bonus dice.
• The +1-3 Ob cover bonus from a target, heater, or tower shield gets added to your own obstacle as a penalty when you try to Lock someone and continue to wield the shield.
• In Fight and in Range and Cover, using a shield reduces your ability to utilise the relative distances between you and the opponent, affecting the Vie for Position action, and the Withdraw and Engage manoeuvres, as follows:
  
  1. Target shields reduce any advantage dice from positioning by 1, to a minimum of 1.
  2. Heater shields reduce any advantage dice from positioning by 1, to a minimum of 0.
  3. Tower shields reduce any advantage dice from positioning by 2, to a minimum of 0.
• If a shield is destroyed while you're wearing it—reduced to zero dice—then the shattered remains strapped to your arm make you suffer +1 Ob to all martial actions until you get rid of it. This requires a simple action in Melee, a physical action or two in Fight, or a free action in Range and Cover. (Shield Training and a strapless shield will basically negate this penalty, though a destroyed shield cannot be used as a weapon).

Shield Training

Having the Shield Training skill lets you do several things:

• You may add +1D to all Forte Tax tests related to extended shield use.
• You may use strapless variants of shields, which means you can drop them as a free action.
• You may use a shield as a weapon, to strike or bash with the following stats:
  1. Buckler: Pow +1, VA 1, WS 2, Shortest.
  2. Target: Pow +1, VA 0, WS 2, Short.
  3. Heater: Pow +2, VA 1, WS 1, Short.
  4. Tower: Pow +2, VA 0, WS 1, Short.
• In Fight, you may script Block against the Great Strike manoeuvre.
• In Fight, you may script the Block & Strike action, and add the shield dice to either portion of the manoeuvre.
• In Fight, you may add the shield dice to the defensive portion of a Counterstrike manoeuvre.
• In Fight, Charge and Push manoeuvres may use the Short weapon length instead, if it more advantageous.

The Two-Fisted Fighting training skill also lets you script the Block & Strike action when using a basket-hilted weapon, or when wearing gauntlets. If you have both Two-Fisted Fighting Training and Shield Training they let you duel-wield shields, and always use the best most-intact die-rating / cover bonus!

Writer's Note: Yes, I slipped my shields hack into this melee hack. But it's important enough to clarify on under this system, so I figured I might as well explain the whole thing. I also use these rules in Fights and in Range and Cover, as you can probably tell.

Mounted and Flying combat

I'm only going to write this once I actually need it.

Battle-mats Vs. Theatre of the Mind

The age-old question. This is a question best answered by the group's personal preference. That said, there's a good argument to be made that you should not use battle-mats and figurines or tokens: No other system in Burning Wheel uses these tools, so this one shouldn't either.
I recommend keeping it conversational, and try to use a lot of relative terms to describe the positions of everyone and all the in-between motions. Patrick Stuart has a great article about this on Natural Language and Gross Positioning.
If you're going to put sketch down a map of the room though, then you'll also want to use figures or tokens with it. They are a good visual aid, and without them people would just use their fingers or laser pointers to mark their current location anyway.
To a degree it depends on the complexity of the space. If you're all in a relatively open space, or a room with a simple rectangular or circular shape, with no great height differentiation, and clear sides in the conflict; then you probably don't need a battle-mat.
Still even with complex spaces; using visual aids such as drawings and handout of what the players see around them in the space, but not the physical area of that space—and using theatre of the mind for everything else—will probably still work best.

Extra Cards

In case you want to screen-shot or print the tables and turn them into cards. Here's some extras:

Coup de Grâce (Finishing Blow)
Effect: This is a complex action that can only be used on characters that are incapacitated from their wounds, drugged out by narcotics, currently swooned, etc. There is no test, simply an investment of time via your action for the round. It counts as a complicated action, so you must move to the target one round and finish them off the next. The player of the character performing the action may describe in no uncertain terms how they deliver a finishing blow to the wounded target. This is an execution. It may be quick and clean, or gory and viscous. It may be a mercy killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies; with or without the sufferer's consent. The target instantly suffers a Mortal Wound.
Special: When a Coup de Grâce is used, if the target is a PC (or an important NPC) they may spend a Persona just before it to add a Complication to the situation that saves them from a mortal fate, but endangers everyone else. If nothing comes to mind, they will have to take the Mortal Wound and use Will to Live instead.
Warning: If the target has a Grey or White shaded mortal wound, but your best attack only does Black damage, then the target cannot be killed by your Coup de Grâce and your action this round is wasted, but you may at least move.

Pray / Sing / Howl (Channel Divinity)
Obstacle: Varies
Effect: Depends on the power or type of miracle you want. This is always a simple action, except for Intercessions which are instantaneous free actions, or Major Miracles which are complicated actions. Consecrations cannot be performed during a Melee!
Note: Miracles with spell-like intents should use an actual spell effect as the base, but always set at Ob 5. Occasionally, a very powerful spell-like effect might jump up to Ob 10. But there's no in-between.