Charge!

Pick one of your units and announce which enemy unit it's charging. Except in rare cases, you're never forced to charge -- but charging is the only way to reach close combat; you can't simply move into contact without declaring one.

You may always measure the distance between a potential charger and target before deciding whether to declare the charge. To declare it, one or more models in the charging unit must have line of sight to the target, and the target must lie at least partially within the charger's forward arc.

Most units can charge, but a unit already fighting in close combat cannot, and a handful of other situations (fleeing, certain special rules) can also prevent it -- these are rare, and explained wherever they apply.

A unit can't declare an impossible charge -- one it plainly can't complete, either because the target is beyond its maximum possible charge range, or because something in the way (another unit, impassable terrain) makes it impossible to reach base contact. If the obstruction is another unit that might plausibly move out of the way before the charge happens, the charge still counts as "possible" and can be declared (you still need line of sight to declare it, though). Working out whether a charge is possible requires knowing how a charge move is actually completed -- covered below.

A unit that's had a charge declared against it must Hold, or make a charge reaction: Stand & Shoot, or Flee. A unit that doesn't declare a reaction is always treated as Holding. Once a target's charge reaction is resolved, the charging player may declare another charge with a different unit, and so on until all their charges are declared.

A unit that Holds stands its ground to receive the charge -- normally the choice for a unit without missile weapons that fancies its chances in the coming fight. A unit already in close combat can only Hold. Holding units don't move at all; they simply await the charge.

A unit with missile weapons may ready them and fire a volley into the charger instead -- but only if the range to the enemy is greater than the charging unit's Move characteristic, since aiming and firing takes time.

A Stand & Shoot reaction resolves as a normal (if out-of-sequence) shooting attack against the charger, including any resulting Panic test; afterward, the unit is treated as having Held. It can even be declared against a charger that started beyond the shooting unit's maximum range -- resolved as if the charger were just within the range of its shortest-ranged weapon; if the charge then fails, assume the chargers closed to that range before being driven off.

There's rarely a downside to Stand & Shoot over simply Holding -- picking off a few attackers before they arrive is usually worth it.

A Flee reaction is exactly what it sounds like -- the unit turns and runs rather than receive the charge. It's not always voluntary: a unit that's already fleeing must declare Flee again, and some especially terrifying enemies can force it regardless of choice (see Terror).

To resolve a Flee reaction: first turn the unit about its centre to face directly away from the centre of the charging unit (ignoring other units/terrain) -- this turn is free and doesn't reduce the flee distance. Then the unit flees 2D6" in the direction it's now facing (as covered under Move Fleeing Units in the Compulsory Moves sub-phase).

Fleeing doesn't guarantee escape -- a poor flee roll against a good charge roll can still see the unit caught, as covered later.

If the charged unit Flees, or is destroyed for any reason, the charger may either try to complete the charge against the now-fleeing (or empty) target, or redirect against a different viable target (which reacts normally). If that second target also flees, the charge can be redirected back to the original fleeing unit instead. If there's no other suitable target, the charge simply can't be redirected. A unit may only redirect once per turn.

If a fleeing unit touches (or crosses) the edge of the battlefield, the whole unit is removed from play and counts as destroyed -- the survivors are assumed to scatter, regrouping only once the battle is over.

Normally a charge targets a single enemy unit. But if there's genuinely no way to complete the charge against one target without also touching another (sometimes called "clipping"), the charger must declare against both. Each target resolves its own charge reaction, in whichever order its controller chooses -- as always, a unit that doesn't declare a reaction is assumed to Hold.

A unit charged by several enemies in the same Charge sub-phase may have to make several charge reactions. It can only Stand & Shoot once per sub-phase (no time to reload) -- but that doesn't have to be against the first charger; a unit could Hold against the first charge, Stand & Shoot against the second, and even Flee from a third. Once a unit Flees (or starts the phase already fleeing), it must declare and resolve Flee against every further charge that turn -- though it only actually makes one Flee move per phase.

With every charge reaction declared and resolved, it's time to see which charges actually connect. A charge can fall short for any number of reasons -- the unit becomes disordered, hesitates, or simply loses momentum. Work through declared charges one at a time, in whichever order the active player chooses, resolving each charge fully before moving to the next (except when several units are charging the same target).

A unit's charge range is its Movement value plus 2D6, picking the higher of the two dice. If that range is equal to or greater than the distance to the target, the charge succeeds; if it's less, the charge fails.

A faster unit can therefore charge further than a slow one, and every unit can charge further than its plain Move value, representing an all-out effort to reach the enemy (and no small amount of luck). For example, a unit with Movement 4 that rolls a 2 and a 5 can charge up to 9" that turn -- which is exactly why charges get riskier at longer range.

Measure from the charger's and target's closest points along an uninterrupted line between them. If several enemy units are being charged at once, the rolled range must be enough to reach all of them, or the charge only resolves against whichever targets are actually in range.

A unit that fails its charge has started toward the enemy but realises partway through that it can't cover the distance, and its momentum peters out. It moves directly toward the target a number of inches equal to the higher of the two charge dice (rolling a 2 and a 5 means a 5" move), wheeling around any impassable terrain or units -- friend or foe -- by the shortest route.

A successful charger moves into base contact with its target, straight ahead, though it may make one wheel of up to 90° during the move and a further wheel of any angle once in contact -- bringing as many models from both units into base contact as possible. There's no limit on how far a successful charger can move; it's already been confirmed to be within range.

The wheel may be used to angle the unit against the target's own facing however you like, but it can't be used to reduce the number of models brought into contact, unless there's genuinely no other way to avoid intervening units or terrain. Notably, a charging unit is allowed to end up within 1" of a unit other than the one it's charging -- the only time that's normally permitted.

Charging in the way described above will usually leave the two units in contact at an awkward angle, with a gap between them -- in reality, both sides would immediately close that gap to get at each other, so that's exactly what happens in the game.

Once the charger contacts the target, it makes a second, bonus wheel (if needed) to bring its front facing fully into line with the target's facing, maximising models in contact on both sides. The one exception: if a unit below Unit Strength 5 is charged by a unit of Unit Strength 10 or more, the charged unit aligns to the charger instead of the other way around.

Charging an enemy in the flank or rear is especially effective -- an attack from an unexpected direction gives a real advantage in the fight to come.

Whether a charge hits the forward, flank, or rear is fixed by the charger's position the moment the charge is declared: inside the target's forward zone means a forward charge (the most common case, since units usually start facing each other); from the flank zone, a flank charge; from the rear zone, a rear charge. This is worked out before charges are declared, so check it beforehand. If a charging unit straddles two zones, use wherever the majority of its front rank models actually are -- roll a die if there's no clear majority.

Sometimes a charger can reach its target but can't "close the door" because something else -- another unit or a piece of terrain -- is in the way. The charging player should try to complete the charge around the obstruction, usually by adjusting how much the unit wheels, or by having the enemy unit close the door instead. If no amount of adjustment avoids the obstacle, the charge fails.

One firm rule to remember: a unit can never use its charge move to contact an enemy it hasn't actually declared a charge against.

If a charge is completed against an already-fleeing enemy, the charger moves into contact as normal and simply runs the fleeing unit down -- most of it is cut apart or trampled, and any survivors scatter. The fleeing unit suffers two Wounds, with no saves of any kind, for every point of Unit Strength the charging unit(s) has (a Unit Strength 10 charger inflicts 20 Wounds). If anyone survives, the charger stops 1" behind what's left of them.

Running down fleeing troops this way often leaves the charger out of position and open to a counter-charge. To help with that, the charging unit may attempt a reform by passing a Leadership test -- pass, and it immediately reforms; fail, and the troops are too caught up in the aftermath to do so. Either way, the unit can't move any further this Movement phase.

If several units have charged the same target, roll all their charge distances together. Their charge moves must then bring as equal a number of models from each charging unit into contact as possible -- though the real priority is always maximising the total number of models fighting, even if that means one charger contributes more than another.

If the target Flees in response to multiple declared charges, all of them may redirect together if another viable target is in range, in whatever order their controller chooses. If, between exceptional rolls, more chargers succeed than can physically fit in contact with the target, the controlling player nominates which units actually complete the charge -- the rest count as having made a failed charge.