I'd normally post this on the Yahoo! group, but I have been struggling to get into that today, so:

In Polemos SPQR there is a rule that "Bases moving into charge range of legitimate targets must declare a charge".  There is no other qualification to this rule.  As it stands, this rule seems to have a few unfortunate consequences:

Foot skirmishers moving into skirmish range (2BW) must immediately declare a charge.

Archers moving to maximum shooting distance (2BW) must also immediately declare a charge, even if it is against (say) Pike (charge factor 0 vs charge defensive factor 4)

Legionaries must declare a charge at 2BW even though they are very poor at charging.  This means that the likely result of a base of veteran legionaries moving towards a base of raw skirmishers is that the legionaries will simply stop at 2BW distance.

Mounted troops must foot troops in defensive positions if they get to within 3BW; conversely troops moving to the edge of a wood must move out of it to charge enemy troops within 2BW of the edge of that wood.

None of this intuitively seems very right.  Any thoughts?  Or am I misreading something?

all the best

I don't have the SPQR-Rules, but a lot of other Poelmus-rules: "Bases moving into charge range of legitimate targets must declare a charge" - is this not ment only for a unit, that you want to charge? So, if you want to charge with a unit, you have to declare it (maybe with a marker), that you opponent knows, that your unit is charging this turn. But if you don't want to charge, then there is no need to do it.

Maybe that is what is intended although I have trouble making the wording mean that - there isn't any element of discretion or intention in the rules as written.

Actually, I have other problems with this rule:

- The rule implies the text is taken as soon as a base moves into range (2BW or 3BW respectively), even if the base doesn't have enough movement left to reach the target base.

- The rule as written also implies that it is only on the advancing base at the moment it comes within range.  So, imagine a legionary base advancing against a tribal foot base.  At 2BW the legionary base, tests to charge and fails.  The tribal foot doesn't have to charge.  The Legionary unit can then resume its advance to contact without testing again.  Is this working as designed?