The Charge Phase

The Charge phase is where the active player moves units into close combat, closing the distance so they can fight. You resolve charges one unit at a time: declare a charge, roll 2D6 for the distance, and make the move if it is possible and you still want to.

Sequence of the phase

The phase has three steps: the start of the phase, the charge step, and the end of the phase. Any rules that trigger at the start or end resolve during those bookends. Only the active player charges.

In the charge step, work through your army one unit at a time until every unit you want to charge with has declared and resolved its charge. Each charge follows three steps:

• Declare Charge. Pick one eligible friendly unit that has not yet declared a charge this phase; it declares a charge.
• Make Charge Roll. Roll 2D6. The total is the maximum distance the unit may move this charge.
• Attempt Charge. If a legal charge move is possible and you still want to make it, do so. Otherwise the unit does not move. Either way, the charge is now resolved.

Which units can charge

Provided it is on the battlefield, a unit is normally eligible to declare a charge, though several common exceptions lock it out:

• It is not within 12" of any enemy unit.
• It is already engaged.
• It performed an Advance or Fall Back move earlier this turn.

Because a unit must end within Engagement Range (2") of a target to succeed, and it cannot begin the charge already within that range, the lowest useful roll matters. A charge roll of 2 — a double 1 — can never reach an enemy, so it always fails and the unit stays put, barring modifiers to the roll.

Making the charge move

A successful charge move has its own set of conditions. The maximum distance is whatever the charge roll produced, and the unit must have declared a charge this phase to make it. The move itself follows the standard Moving rules.

Before moving, choose your charge targets: one or more enemy units that are both within 12" of your unit and within the maximum charge distance. Every unit you name becomes a charge target until the move ends. Note that both conditions must hold — an enemy more than the rolled distance away cannot be a target even if it is within 12".

While moving, each model must obey a strict hierarchy:

• Every model must finish closer to one or more charge targets than it started.
• Any model that can end within Engagement Range of a charge target must do so.
• Any model that can end engaged with a charge target must do so.

After moving, the whole move only stands if it satisfies two rules:

• Your unit must be engaged with every one of its charge targets.
• Your unit must not be engaged with any enemy unit that is not a charge target.

If terrain, spacing, or intervening enemies make it impossible to satisfy those conditions, the charge cannot be made and the unit does not move. This is why a target can be within your rolled distance yet still be unreachable — if your models cannot physically path around terrain into Engagement Range with every declared target, the move is illegal.

Fights First reward

Charging carries a combat bonus. Until the end of the turn, every model in a unit that made a charge move gains the Fights First ability. That unit will be selected to fight before ordinary combatants in the Fight phase, letting a successful charger strike ahead of the enemy it just reached.

Points to remember

Declaring multiple charge targets is powerful but demanding: you must reach Engagement Range with all of them, so overreaching can void the entire move. Weigh a safe single-target charge against a riskier multi-charge, and remember that a failed roll simply leaves the unit where it stood, ready to try again another turn.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Charge phase work in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

The active player resolves charges one unit at a time through three steps: Declare Charge, Make Charge Roll, and Attempt Charge. You roll 2D6 for the maximum charge distance, then make the move if a legal one is possible and you still want to.

Which units can declare a charge in 40k?

A unit must be on the battlefield and within 12" of an enemy unit to charge. It cannot charge if it is already engaged or if it performed an Advance or Fall Back move earlier this turn.

What is the minimum charge roll needed in Warhammer 40,000?

A charge roll of 2, a double 1, can never complete a charge because a unit cannot begin already within Engagement Range (2") and must end within it. Barring modifiers, that roll always fails and the unit stays put.

Can you charge more than one unit at once in 40k 11th edition?

Yes. Before moving you may name several enemy units that are both within 12" and within your rolled charge distance. The move only stands if your unit ends engaged with every charge target and not engaged with any enemy that is not a target, so overreaching can void the whole charge.

What bonus do you get for charging in Warhammer 40,000?

Every model in a unit that made a charge move gains the Fights First ability until the end of the turn. This lets the charging unit be selected to fight before ordinary combatants in the Fight phase.