This really is charge path redux as we’ve been through this all before a year ago and more.
The rules actually work well as is. The problem is that the sequence of play should be more detailed in the FAQ. The sequence of play is actually rather simple and actually common sense but unfortunately needs to be pieced together from different parts of the rules as it is not laid out step by step (which I attempted to do in the thread quoted below). I hope for a more complete sequence of play page in the future, or a charge sequence page in the FAQ.
First of all, charge declaration is declaring a charge against targets, not necessarily declaring charge direction or charge path.
Second, charge direction and charge path are two different things.
Charge direction is the direction from which you will hit your target. It may require a wheel somewhere along your charge path. Charge path is the exact path you will take, including the wheel at some point.
The general design concept was that charge direction and charge path only need be declared when necessary for the opponent to respond. If there is a possible interception move, the charge PATH must be declared so the inactive player can see if it will cross any ZOI. This fact may affect evade and other decisions made by each side.
Evaders don’t need to know charge direction or path to decide to evade – all they know is the enemy is commencing a charge in their general direction that will hit them if they don’t get out of the way. They don’t need to choose their evade direction until it is time to make evade moves, which is why the charger must declare charge direction for all charges right before evaders make their evade moves, which requires them to choose evade direction at that time.
Depending on the position on the table, the charger might have no flexibility or significant flexibility in charge direction. The charge direction might not be the exact one the evader expected. This is the reason it is useful for skrimishers to keep a clear path directly to their rear as an evade option. Facing other angles for tactical advantage poses some risk. Deciding to evade without a safe evade option may risk burst through. Encouraging skirmishers to keep clear evade paths actually simplifies the game since lights that do so are unlikely to decide to burst through friendlies, reducing complexity and saving time.
People often declare direction or path immediately, and often it does not matter. Sometimes it does, particularly so if interceptions are possible and if there are multiple charges in the same local area. Not declaring direction and path until necessary saves time for calculating players who don’t need to premeasured and precompute all the scenarios of interceptions, evades, and charge results at the moment of declaring a charge – it’s easier and quicker to decide later based on the situation on the table.
The most important tip for playing FOG is print and follow the sequence of play that is the magic of the system. The charge sequence works if followed, but many people including me have been confused because the sequence is not laid out in one place and players often skip ahead in practice (some without knowing what they are skipping).
Accordingly, I’m copying the following charge SOP from post
viewtopic.php?t=8752. It is the work of uncounted hours of toil and discussion and is based on the rules as written and the rules works. If there are any comments/issues/updates directly on the sequence, please post in that thread and I’ll clean it up, though proposals for changing the rules belong here.
DETAILED IMPACT PHASE SEQUENCE OF PLAY FOR CHARGES
1. Charge Declarations: For each declaration,
Designate BG that will charge and at least one legal target.
Declare on as many enemy as can be legally contacted within the charge distance, but an enemy BG is a target even if not declared if it can be legally contacted by the charge (including stepping forward), but not if friends intervene unless it later becomes a target because revealed by friends evading or routing.
There must exist some possible Charge Path that hits all declared targets
assuming they stand.
2. If an interception is possible for a charge declaration, Declare the Charge Path by marking it. It must comply with the Base Hit Rule on p53. (FAQ practice)
3. Charger rolls any necessary CMTs for charges based on any legal targets (not counting ones that might be revealed by evaders later).
4. Charger rolls CMTs to charge without orders
for any shock troops who have not declared a charge.
NOTE: If they can’t contact ALL potential legal targets in charge range, then they charge all those straight ahead, or if that is not possible, the ones requiring the least wheel (p59). This may involve burst-throughs (pp48, 58-59).
5. Potential evaders now in turn declare an[ EVADE, and roll any required CMT to not Evade.
6. If any targets declare an Evade, Declare the Charge Direction if not already done (p66).
7. Resolve CTs for Fragmented troops being charged, then any tests triggered if they break, then any initial routs.
8. Non-charging player declares eligible INTERCEPTIONS based on declared Charge Paths.
9. Make
INTERCEPTION MOVES (it is possible after charging is done that Interceptors don’t contact any Chargers). An interception that counts as a flank or rear charge cancels the target's charge (p63).
10. Make
EVADE MOVES directly to “rear” or parallel to Charge Direction (p66). Evaders roll VMD (Variable Move Dice).
11. FRAGMENTED BGS which become a target because revealed by evasions now cohesion test and make an initial rout move if they fail.
For each charging BG, do steps 12 through 14 before continuing to the next charging BG:
12. IF, after Evades and after any other BG in the Charge Path becomes a target, is charged and responds as in (6)(7)(10), ALL targets have Evaded out of the Charge Path (note this means no Interceptors or revealed targets may remain are in the Charge Path), ONLY THEN
First, Charger rolls a charge VMD, and then
Second, Charger may choose to Declare new Charge Direction/Path by changing the timing and/or degree of the wheel in an attempt to catch a selected evader (p68) unless the Base Hit Rule prevents this because the change would mean fewer base contacts than by continuing the initial charge path. The changed wheel must bring the BG closer to the final position of the evader rather than farther away compared with continuing on the original charge path. Because the BG must attempt to catch evaders, it must select an evader the BG can catch in preference to one it can't and the changed charge path must be one that contacts an evader in preference to one that does not contact an evader or that contacts a new target.
13. Make all charge moves including contractions to avoid friends and stepping forward, but charges unable to make legal charge contact are cancelled.
14. Ready to continue to Impact Phase combat resolution.
