The reliability of an Allied Commander is tested by checking his dice roll after his first troops are placed on table (if not flank marching).
Now, if I put the whole allied command in a hidden command stratagem. I do not put any of his troops on the table during deployment.
Comes turn 1 for me. Now, even if I dice a 1, I can use the pips to move the allied command forward out of the ambush (the ally is not unreliable, because the 1 was rolled with none of his troops on the table). I will likely get close to the enemy.
Now, even if I roll a 1 on the next turn, he will be unreliable during this turn in my move, but the enemy will in all probability be close enough to make the Ally reliable again after the end of this turn.
In effect, an Ally can move into contact, before his reliablity is checked, if his command starts hidden.
Do I get the sequence right?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/824840264342234/posts/3496082107218023
The suggested playing condition in the Commentary is that the first pip die of the GAME be used to determine initial reliability, even though no troops of the command are yet deployed.
That makes more sense, but of course into the face of the Rules as written... Thx to point me to the commentary, I had forgotten about it, need to dig that out now.
Tilman Walk If you need it, it is in the Files section of this FB group
Tilman Walk We had a long discussion on the DBMM list about this. You can read RAW in different ways. Didn't realize this had been added to the commentary, but seems sensible.
Also, if it is a concealed command, it “is not placed on the table until the 2nd bound  in which the army dices for PIPs”. You don’t have the choice to move the command in your first bound unless the enemy had already discovered it.
Lawrence Greaves well spotted. That seems to make Tilman’s initial understanding the literal meaning of what is written as no element had been placed on the table. However, the commentary makes for easier play.
Yes, its a bit confusingly written. If I read the rules, they say following the possible detection by scouting...or immediately any of its elements move.... Now, unless moved by by the hand of somebody higher up, they only move, if by the owning player. And if they move before Turn two, that means the player can move them in his first turn. Ambush rules are written in the same strange way of only implying that the player can move.
