Can Impetuous troops disengage?

Assuming they are faster and pass the discipline test? The rules on disengagement are silent but it seems contrary to the rules on impetuous troops having to advance towards the nearest enemy??

Once within impetuosity distance they must make a forward move unless in combat when they fight. I don't see how they can disengage

5.11.3 includes:"Impetuous troops may also attempt to disengage".

Seems daft to me. Have no rules in front of me as I'm on holiday by the pool with a drink but it does seem very odd.

Yes, GG is correct, impetuous units may disengage like all other units. It makes sense to me. At Hastings the Norman milites attacked the Saxon line and then fell back, regrouped and charged again. In Impetus terms this means the CP goes in and gets disordered, disengages and falls back to reorder before moving forward again.  It is very hard with most impetuous units to do this since they typically are C class and in armies with poor command. Personally I would make it easier in Impetus for cavalry to disengage from infantry.

As a side note, I've noticed as part of our evolving play in Impetus that we are attempting to disengage more often.

Or was it defeated, retreated and the English opted not to pursue (until they disastrously did). CP within 30 of the enemy have to advance or charge little chance to mill about and regain disorder.just the single dice roll and then it's avant mes braves.

As a side note with the advent of support bonuses we find maintaining a coherent battle line argues against disengagement. Disengagement seems to be more used in 28mm games where there tend to be less units of similar type forming a battle line.

At Hastings the Normans did engage in feigned flight to encourage the Saxons to pursue. That comes reasonably close to disengagement. I don't mind the current rules around impetuous but they don't always conform to specific historical events (the Normans were known for being able to perform feign flight yet in the rules one cannot easily build a tactic around disengaging.)

I would have thought it a major part of the way war bands in particular fought ?  Charge in (if not successful) break off  regroup and charge in again.
Well that's how I've rationalised it in my head anyway

Well one theory is that the Norman or Bretton did conduct feigned flight. It's not proven though and is just as likely to be post victory spin. The Norman were nearly spent and then got a lucky roll on the threat to general table. I certainly wouldn't accept using Hastings as evidence that impetuous CP should be able to disengage . The rules allow it so fine but that's a poor example IMO.

The idea thta it could happen, as Tarty describes, makes me think that having it as an attempt is ok.