Failed Evade Question

[Kineas1]

My opponent has 2x4 base units of Cav in a single rank (formed in a battle line). He chooses to evade from two of my BGs--one of light chariots, and another of Cav. Due to the line up of bases, one base of my chariots catches one base of his Cav--put another way, the rightmost base of my chariots catches the leftmost base of my opponents "right hand" unit (all from my perspective.)
Never mind if that didn't communicate. We fight an impact round--I'm catching him, so I assume I get the "rear" POAs. However, neither of us rolls well and nobody does a hit, so there we are. other battlefield events lock BOTH ends of both of our battle lines, so no one can move in Maneuver to get more bases in contact (as I read it).
So--(I'm sure this is clear as mud) my chariot unit can't get any other bases in contact, as they can't possibly line up because both ends are pinned by other units (I think.)
1) Can my chariots, because they caught one base of his evading unit on the right, step forward the 1/2 MU to catch his other BG? (I said no, but it hurt).
2) On the melee phase, do we now fight with 1 base each plus one overlap each? (and no one else can join in because the rest of his BG is facing a different one of my BGs, thus unable to make a "new contact" outside of impacts?)
3) On my next impact phase, can my 2nd unit now charge his engaged unit? And does he suffer ANY penalty for being already stuck in when all the rest of my Cav hits his Cav (we didn't think so, so his lancers beat up on my Gallic nobles)

If all of this was totally unclear, here's a summary of the action as we played it. My chariots caught one base of his Cav in an evade. Impact did no hits. Melee resulted in his becoming disordered. I charged in with another Cav unit and he beat them. This all seems to me to be by the rules, and yet it means that I caught some evaders and they turned around and ate me....

[lawrenceg]

1. If chargers hit something, IIRC the step forward is compulsory and is allowed to hit new BGs. There may be exceptions, but the rules ought to be pretty clear on this.

2. It looks to me as though you are correct here.

3. You can charge into an existing melee on a later turn and there is no penalty for being charged while already in melee, so you were correct here.

Shouldn't the enemy BGs have dropped a cohesion level immediately for being charged in the rear?
THis could have made a big difference to the outcome.

Occasionally a BG catches evaders and comes off worst. This also occurred in history. Just assume with hindsight that it was a "feigned flight".

[Kineas1]

Thanks--yes, the guys caught were dropped to disrupted. they rolled well. And yes--I accept that it happened in history. Why me? (LoL)

So I should have stepped forward... I'll look at the rules again. It seemed as if the step forward didn't apply to a BG that had successfully evaded. My fault.

[rbodleyscott]

So I should have stepped forward... I'll look at the rules again. It seemed as if the step forward didn't apply to a BG that had successfully evaded.

It hasn't successfully evaded if the enemy are able to step forward into it.

I lost 2 BGs of LF that way at Burton. One was caught, then the enemy stepped forward into the other. Ouchy!

[Kineas1]

I see it now.

I have to learn to play the rules, not the rules as seen through some other rules. Sigh.

Thanks!