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.
