a unit of 3 scouts charges a single model. They all are placed in melee range. They have dual attack. The first one does his charge attack and kills the model. He can now throw his axe at somwthing in range.
The other two scouts no longer have a model in their melee range. Must they forfeit their combat action, or can they still throw their axes at something nearby, since they had a target in melee at the end of the charge?
The check for melee range is done at the end of movement. If you kill the targets before they attack, they can still do their ranged attack.
Thanks. But the paragraph i cited does not mention the timing of the melee range check. Could you please tell me where this one is described? I know you are a rules forum veteran, but id love a quote of the rule 
I actually just searched to see if anyone asked this. I also would like clarification.
The way i read it, it ssys if you dont have a target in melee, you have to forefiet the combat action. It doesnt specify that you check after the charge movement, does it?
A successful charge is checked at the end of movement, not when you make your attack as far as I’m aware.
It is made more clear in the Independent model charges section. But, I agree that it could be made more clear in the unit Charges section.
But, the unit rules read sequentially.
Move moving dude. Place rest of the unit.
Check to see who is engaged.
Clarification for making a Charge attack.
But, it is indeed ambiguous enough that we could use an Infernal, and rulebook cleanup.
Is there any chance we could get an official ruling for this? The question has come up again in Discord, and it would be nice to have something official to refer back to.
This came up again today.
Does the Unit Charge rules that read as above, mean that at the start of each trouper combat action - they have to choose to forfit if they can not make a melee attack? So have to shoot.
I really don’t think a ruling is required. The screenshot Malkav posted is pretty unambiguous.
All of those paragraphs are linked to one another. They are not meant to be taken wholly independently.
Complete your charge movement and check if models are in melee. Here’s what happens if they are. Here’s what happens if they aren’t.
These rules lose all sense and meaning if they’re taken out of context.
If you pull out the sentence “Troopers in the unit without an enemy model in their melee range must forfeit their Combat Actions this activation” and free it from the context of the surrounding paragraphs, then weird stuff happens. For example: someone could very convincingly argue that units always forfeit their Combat Actions unless they are in melee. 
If the question keeps on coming up, then a ruling is required. Clearly there’s some people who interpret it differently, otherwise it wouldn’t keep on coming up.
People also seem to agree if you charge a unit into a model and don’t have dual attack, if the first one kills it - the others can not shoot.
Is this the case?
Would this apply to magic abilities as well? Or is this all specific for dual attack.
A Soulless unit charges, and the UA is placed in melee with a model.
That model is first killed by a grunt.
Can the UA cast one of its magic abilities?
Here’s the relevant line in Unit Charges
Emphasis mine.
If the unit model is placed and there’s still an enemy model in their melee range, they must use their Combat Action to make either an initial melee attack or a melee special attack.
If there is no enemy model in its melee range when it comes to that model’s Combat Action, then there are no restrictions. They choose from the Combat Actions menu like normal, because no rule says to do otherwise.
For reference:
So, in this particular example – it was placed in melee but there are no longer any enemy models in melee range when it’s time for its Combat Action – yes, the placed unit model could choose to make a * Attack or * Action.
I don’t think this is correct. The check is made at the end of movement, logically that is also the point when the troopers lock into making initial melee attacks for their combat actions. I would say in this example the model with a *action/*attack could not use that after it’s unit charged since it has already comitted to making it’s initial melee attacks. Doesn’t matter that all of it’s potential targets are dead. (Other ways to cast still work of course, like Battle Wizard).
The only workaround for this as far as I know is Dual Attack.
If you think the choice is locked in, then please cite the rule that says so.
By your rationale, if they’re locked in to making initial melee attacks, but there are no enemy models, wouldn’t that force a trooper without an enemy model in its melee range to attack a friendly model in its melee range?
(That obviously isn’t the correct interpretation, or intent, or the way anyone has ever played it. I’m asking because I believe this logical conclusion indicates there’s a serious flaw in your assertion.)
This sentence indicates to me that there is only 2 choices for troopers in a charging unit:
OR
This makes the most sense to me, especially considering how charging units has worked in previous editions.
But hey, I didn’t write the rules, if you think it’s ambigous just wait for an infernal to make a ruling on it.
And no, since you can’t target your own models with attacks, it would not have that effect.
