Kamikaze Attacks - National Advantage for Japan


  • Variant No1 Kamikaze Attacks
    A terrifying development was the Japanese suicide tactics. The Japanese used pilots who only knew how to take off and dive into their target with an aircraft full of explosives.
    Your fighters may execute kamikaze attacks to target enemy capital ships. Such fighters may make a combat move without having to land in a friendly space afterward. Kamikaze attacks must be declared during combat movement turn. They attack on a 4 during the opening fire step of the first cycle of combat, and the defender must chose aircraft carriers or battleships as casualties. The enemy may chose any other ship as a casualty if no capital ship is present. Kamikaze fighters may not be taken as casualties, as they are destroyed when they make their attack.

    Variant No2 Kamikaze Attacks
    The Japanese developed a small rocket powered aircraft full of explosives guided by a suicide pilot. This aircraft was carried to the target area by a bomber. After being released, it would engage its rocket motors to make a high-speed dash to the target ship.
    Your bombers may target enemy capital ships. Each bomber attacks during the opening fire step of combat, and the defender must chose aircraft carriers or battleships as casualties. If no capital ship is present then your bombers loses its opening fire and the enemy may chose any other unit as a casualty (casualties can fire back).

    Variant No3 Kamikaze Attacks (original)
    A terrifying development was the willingness of Japanese pilots to fly their planes directly into U.S. ships. They even developed “Flying Bombs” piloted by the soldiers inside.
    Your air units may make a combat move without having to land in a friendly space afterward. You must declare during the combat move phase that an air unit is making a kamikaze attack. Each such air unit attacks during the opening fire step of combat, and only an enemy sea unit can be chosen as a casualty. That air unit automatically becomes an opening fire casualty in addition to any other casualties inflicted in this cycle of combat.


  • Variant No1 an No3 works by increasing the Japanese fighters range whithout LRA technology. The effectiveness for a kamikaze attack are worse than for a regular fighter attack, but the kamikaze fighter has an increased range capability! The reason to that kamikazes are a hinderance upon Japan could be explained by that kamikazes are just an advantage and therefore cannot be as good as LRA (a technology)! Variant No1 is obviously more powerful than No3. The US player will most likely try to match his aircraft carriers with battleships if Japan have this advantage (variant No1)!

    Variant No2 works by making Japans bombers more powerful in naval combats by targeting enemy capital ships. They attack capital ships as long as there are any left and then turn into regular bombers, loses its opening fire capability. Any bomber conducting a kamikaze attack does not automatically becomes an opening fire casualty as in variant No1 and No3! The bomber just becomes a lot better and not worse at all, that may seems a bit over the top. But it is not as good as heavy bombers, not even close. And remember that bombers are expensive, so Japan wont buy a pile of them! However variant No2 in combination with heavy bombers is awesome, but cost at least 45 IPCs on average to get along with two bombers (including the one Japan starts with)!!! For these IPCs Japan could also buy another three bombers to get four of them! Hmmm…. I don’t think this advantage will unbalance anything, that means that the US still will buy a Pacific fleet! The US player will most likely try to match his aircraft carriers with battleships if Japan have this advantage! And if Japan already has floatplane fighters advantage, this variant (No2) makes more sense than No1 or No3, since they aslo works by increasing the Japanese fighters range


  • I like the idea of making the fighters more powerful. I never thought the range was enough of a benefit to killing a plane the first turn.


  • Both no1 and no2 seems fair to me, but no2 appeal most to me. The reason is that now I will use kamikazes in situations that are not desperate for the first time! :D

    In no1 there is still now incitement to use a kamikaze attack as long as the fighter can reach target by their movement restrictions! And to loose a kamikaze it will only be worth it in desperate situations or when you can attack an AC, which is unsupported by a BB! Now the Pearl Harbor attack will start with a kamikaze attack! :-?

  • Moderator

    For Balancing #2 for General playability probably #1… #3 is out the Window…

    I have been thinking is there any other Advantage the Japanese had? If we (you :lol: ) changed it to something a little more thinkable instead of a suicide unit… Because it is not really an advantage… Or maybe make a multiple dice rolled for the Kami to give it more appeal… possibly 2 Die? Besides 5 Planes is all that is needed to sink a Carrier not the 200 represented in the piece…

    GG


  • @Guerrilla:

    For Balancing #2 for General playability probably #1… #3 is out the Window…

    I have been thinking is there any other Advantage the Japanese had? If we (you :lol: ) changed it to something a little more thinkable instead of a suicide unit… Because it is not really an advantage… Or maybe make a multiple dice rolled for the Kami to give it more appeal… possibly 2 Die? Besides 5 Planes is all that is needed to sink a Carrier not the 200 represented in the piece…

    GG

    GG isn’t #2 is something else, that really represent an advantage! And it is historically correct too, even if they were not very successful! However one always need to adjust for the game balance, especially Mr. Andersson! In #2 one doesn’t lose the bomber for a suicide as in #1 and #3!!!


  • @Guerrilla:

    For Balancing #2 for General playability probably #1… #3 is out the Window…

    I have been thinking is there any other Advantage the Japanese had? If we (you :lol: ) changed it to something a little more thinkable instead of a suicide unit… Because it is not really an advantage… Or maybe make a multiple dice rolled for the Kami to give it more appeal… possibly 2 Die? Besides 5 Planes is all that is needed to sink a Carrier not the 200 represented in the piece…

    GG

    How about Fugo Raid as a new advantage for Japan? 8)

    Biological Warfare
    The Japanese infamous Unit 731 of the WW2 was a secret government biological-warfare organization that operated in Manchuria. The organization, under the direction of one physician who had become interested in the possibilities of germ warfare in the 1920’s, conducted intensive experiments (mainly centering on plague and anthrax). After tests had been performed on thousands of unwilling human subjects, in 1942, the Unit commenced large-scale germ warfare on Chinese soldiers and civilians; the deaths numbered in the tens of thousands. During the last stage of the war there was a plan of attacking US population with bacteriological warfare, by using “Fugos” or balloons. These balloons were to be released from Japan in the winter months when the jet stream is the strongest. Fortunately for the Allies the war ended before the plan become a reality. The head of Unit 731 ordered the remaining human subjects murdered in order to destroy evidence of the Unit’s secret operations.

    Fugo Raid: Japanese Balloon Bombs
    Japan used balloon bombs, supposed to set fire to and drop antipersonnel bombs randomly on the U.S. There was even a plan to use balloons in order to attack the enemy with plague.
    Once during the game you can launch a Fugo Raid to reduce enemy industrial production. A Fugo raid must be launched during your mobilize new units phase and from an antiaircraft gun, which may attack an industrial complex within 4 spaces. There is no defense against this attack. The Fugo Raid causes both an economic and a military setback. The opponent must surrender the territory’s income value in IPCs to the bank (or as many as the player has), and no units can be built in this territory on your enemy’s next turn.


  • GG are you there, so please answer my question. :-?

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