Played my first game of full 'Impetus' last night, and a question came up during one combat -

If unit A is within it's movement range of an enemy unit B, and therefore doesn't require any charge movement bonus in order to make contact, does it still have to declare a charge in order to advance into melee?

It would seem from reading 5.8 that any movement that takes a unit into contact is, by implication, a charge.

Unit B is not on opportunity, and is not disordered. Can unit B counter-charge unit A if unit A advances to combat without declaring a charge? Rule 5.9 would indicate that you can only counter-charge if a charge has previously been declared.

My opponent was looking at the ZOC rules from 4.2 (example 5) and claimed that since he wasn't declaring a charge, but was advancing directly towards me into my ZOC, my unit was unable to react to his.

yes, any movement that takes a unit into contact is, by implication, a charge.

Declaring the charge is only a way to say to your opponent "Hei, I' going to contact you if you don't move". Just to avoid you have to move back your Unit wainting for your opponent (with the risk you cannot remember exactly where your troops were before moving).

So if you declare or not the charge your opponent can anyway react (if allowed to do so).

It may happen that you declare a charge because you can reach for example a S or a CL Unit. And as they evade you cannot contact them anymore. This is not a charge (even if you have coorectly declared and you can make another movement if allowed). Simply you adviced your opponent that a charge may occour.

That's interesting, because that exact scenario came up later - I declared a charge with a unit of Legionaires against a unit of skirmishers, who decided to evade. I was using the Charge Movement Bonus, so then moved my full movement forward and ended up disordered right in front on one of my enemies legions (not good!)

If the skirmishers evaded, did I then not have to charge them, since the evade took them out of my charge range? I thought that once I had declared a charge, I had to go through with it.

yes, once you have declared a charge you have to make it. I mean your enemy, a S unit, is at 6U, and you are a CM moving of 8U.
If you declare a charge and your opponent evade, than you have to move at least 6U. You can make a second move if you can/want.

If you use the movement bonus then this must be your last move.

Tactical suggestion: never use the movement bonus againts evading troops, unless your real target is something "more solid" behind the evading enemy.

Many thanks for your input Lorenzo

Another question on charges. Can I declare a charge on a unit outside normal movement distance, but inside charge bonus movement? For example I'm a cavalry unit with a 10U move and I wish to charge a unit 12U away. Any roll of 2 or more on the bonus dice would allow contact, but on a 1 I would 1U from the enemy unit and disordered!

yes you can