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:

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:

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:

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

If terrain, spacing or intervening enemies make it impossible to satisfy those conditions, the charge cannot be made and the unit does not move. A target can therefore 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. 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?

Pick a unit, roll, then decide. Targets are only named after the dice are down, so you never commit to an enemy you cannot reach, and you can decline a charge you rolled well enough for if the position no longer suits you. A unit that declines has still used its charge for the phase.

Which units can declare a charge in 40k?

Anything on the table within 12" of an enemy that has not Advanced, Fallen Back or become engaged this turn. Note that the 12" is measured to any enemy unit, not the one you intend to hit, so a unit can be eligible and still have no legal target once the roll comes up short.

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

A 3, in the best case, with the target just over 2" away and nothing in the path. Real charges need more: every model in your unit has to end closer to a target, and the ones at the back may have further to travel than the roll allows.

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

Yes, and it is how you stop a second enemy unit shooting next turn, but each extra target is a further condition on one move. If one target cannot be reached the whole charge fails and no model moves, so name the second unit only when the roll plainly covers both.

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

The charging unit is bumped into the Fights First step for the rest of the turn. Two things blunt it: an enemy with Fights First of its own shares that step, and the bonus expires at the end of the turn, so the charger does not keep it when your opponent fights back next turn.