[Global 1940] Japanese Destroyers

[Andy Palmer]

I wanted something that better represented some of the capabilities and uses of the IJN destroyers. Their ability to carry troops was used heavily in battles like Guadalcanal and their long lance destroyers were a well respected weapon. Instead of just giving an attack of 3, I came up with the long lance tactics, to ensure the bonus was restricted to true naval battles and not when sub hunting.

Japanese Destroyers
Cost: 9
Attack: 2
Defense: 2
Move: 2
Unit Characteristics
Japanese destroyers were unique for two reasons: their powerful long lance torpedoes and their doctrine of ferrying infantry units. Except the characteristics above and where mentioned below, they are treated as destroyers for all other purposes, including Anti-Sub Vessel.
Limited Nationality: Only Japan can purchase Japanese destroyers.
Long Lance Tactics: Cruisers and Battleships can be combined with Japanese Destroyers. A matched pair of a cruiser or battleship and a Japanese destroyer increases the Japanese destroyer’s attack value from 2 to 3.
Carry Units: A Japanese destroyer can carry land units belonging to you or to friendly powers (provided both powers are at war). Its capacity is 1 infantry unit. Units on a Japanese destroyer are cargo; they can’t attack or defend while at sea and are destroyed if their transport is destroyed.
Loading and Offloading: A Japanese destroyer can load cargo in friendly sea zones before, during, and after it moves.
Loading onto and/or offloading from a Japanese destroyer counts as a land unit’s entire move; it can’t move before loading or after offloading. Place the land units alongside the transport in the sea zone. If the Japanese destroyer moves in the Noncombat Move phase, any number of units aboard can offload into a single friendly territory.
Land Units belonging to friendly powers must load on their controller’s turn, be carried on your turn, and offload on a later turn of their controller. This is true even if the transport remains in the same sea zone. Whenever a Japanese destroyer offloads, it can’t move again that turn. If a Japanese destroyer retreats, it can’t offload that turn. A t Japanese destroyer can’t offload cargo onto another transport. A Japanese destroyer can’t load or offload while in a hostile sea zone. Remember that hostile sea zones contain enemy units, but that for purposes of determining the status of a sea zone, submarines, u-boats, and transports are ignored.
A Japanese destroyer can load and offload units without moving from the friendly sea zone it’s in (this is known as “bridging”). Each such transport is still limited to its cargo capacity. Once it offloads, it can’t move, load, or offload again that turn.
Amphibious Assaults: A Japanese destroyer can take part in an amphibious assault step of the Conduct Combat phase. That is the only time a Japanese destroyer can offload into a hostile territory.

[barnee]

@Andy-Palmer Yea, just let DDs carry one infantry. Act same as trprts. Think there are other games that do that. Maybe the old Pacific ?

At any rate, they probably won’t have any allies anyway.

Good stuff though. I like alternate rules.

[Midnight_Reaper]

@barnee said in [Global 1940] Japanese Destroyers:

@Andy-Palmer Yea, just let DDs carry one infantry. Act same as trprts. Think there are other games that do that. Maybe the old Pacific ?

{snip}

There were three A&A games to have rules for this: Pacific, Revised (2004), and Guadalcanal:

Pacific p 16
A Japanese Destroyer may transport one infantry unit.

Revised p 37
Optional Rules
Japan National Advantages
Tokyo Express: Each of your destroyers may act as a transport for one infantry.

Guadalcanal p 11
A destroyer has 1 space for transporting a land unit or supply tokens. (Destroyers from both sides have this ability.)

And that’s what they wrote.

-Midnight_Reaper

[General 6 Stars]

We use the Revised one in my game.

[Midnight_Reaper]

@GEN-MANSTEIN said in [Global 1940] Japanese Destroyers:

We use the Revised one in my game.

Do you have national advantages, or do you just use that bit from the Revised optional national advantages?

-Midnight_Reaper

[General 6 Stars]

We have them for all countries in game. Before game starts each country rolls 2 dice to receive your 2 NAs for whole game. This allows each game to be 20-40% different based on what you get. Most difference would be Germany wether they can go for Moscow or have defend Europe more. Also based on UK joint strike.

[major_payneee]

@gen-manstein
What advantages are those? Do you have an overview?

[General 6 Stars]

@major_payneee
For the National Advantages over all ?

[General 6 Stars]

Well what they do is change the game up some. If Germany gets there 2 best NA they have a better chance to go all out for Moscow
If allies UK gets joint strike then they have a better chance to liberate Paris.
If Japan gets lightning assaults NA they can capture more islands early like war for a few 3 island group No’s for 5 icps each and block a couple island group NAs for the allies…

If US gets fast carriers and fletcher destroyers they both can move 3 with an already Cruiser moving 3 in game. So now they can get like real war take back a bunch of 3 island group NOs.

One game they had 6 island groups for 30 icps. Japan went for Calcutta and got it but left islands close undefended. Also left China alone and China actually took Hong Kong at end of game for an allies win.

[major_payneee]

@gen-manstein

What do the advantages entail?

[General 6 Stars]

@major_payneee
Mentioned some above post

[major_payneee]

@gen-manstein I understand, but do you have stats or descriptions of each advatanges?

[General 6 Stars]

@major_payneee
Yes. I post in a bit

[General 6 Stars]

Cruisers in game move 3 spaces so as mentioned above post US can have some quick strike forces with AC CR and DD.

[General 6 Stars]