I don't know about you guys, but I've pretty much given up waiting for SOTR II. Consequently, I've gone back to my "homebrew" OOBs and want to put them out there for community playtesting and feedback. I'm working on ANZACs, IJA and Free French at the moment, as well as a few options for existing armies.
Here's my current draft for IJA, looking for feedback and people willing to play a few games:
Imperial Japanese Army Dual Platoon Order of BattleExegesis What follows is my take on the Japanese for 1949 Secrets of the Third Reich. I have seen a couple of attempts at a Japanese OOB, but am yet to find any truly satisfying. The OOBs for Britain, Germany, the USA and the USSR are colourful and draw upon the culture and history of the nations they represent. More than that, the "Weird" elements of each force are taken from the pulps and films from that country where they were available. What I have done here is take the historical late-war Japanese army organization and equipment and added a few weird elements in-line with Japanese fiction and mythology.
Like the OOBs in the SOTR books, the IJA Dual Platoon draws upon the historical WWII forces of Japan and the pop culture that is so recognisable as Japanese. I've drawn upon, Mythology, Film, Literature, Traditional Culture and historical sources to create this OOB, putting thought into what should and should not be included. To evoke a real Japanese feeling, yet keep the list accessible and recognisable to "Gaijin" is a challenge, and a real attempt has been made to keep that balance. I've tried to make the Japanese a unique force, not just a retread of an existing army, the IJA should be something other than just a different version of the Axis. Full consideration was given to all things Nippon; Samurai, Ninja, Kamikaze and many more. If there is something missing that you feel is essential to the "theme" of the army, remember that substitutions and adaptations are thoroughly encouraged in the SOTR Rulebook and there is no reason any two armies need be the same.
This OOB is not a finished product. It requires a great deal more play-testing and editing and "fluff" to make it complete. Some of the units, characters and options are visibly incomplete, as this remains a work in progress.
Anything written in red pertains as to commentary on the thought process behind the rules listed here or to explain any gaps. It should also be noted that the RP values are, at this stage, arbitrary and chosen only because they can be appropriated to similar units already in 1949 SOTR and Doomsday. Order of Battle In this section you will find all the rules and background you need to play an IJA Dual Platoon. Included are a variety of Characters and Support Options for play with your IJA platoon.
Platoon Special Rules Metal Shortage IJA Dual Platoons may not purchase Body Armour.
Gunto All IJA Dual Platoon Officers and NCOs are considered to have a Close Combat Weapon (sword), even if not specifically listed or if they take a weapon upgrade.
Death Before Dishonour An IJA unit that fails a Cool check never Flees for cover, but will always Hit The Dirt. The unit shall remain this way so long as it is Disorganised.
Common Weapons Descriptions Weapon TypeType 99 Rifle
Type 4 Semi-automatic Rifle
Nambu Type 94 Pistol
Type 100 Sub Machine Gun
Type 5 Assault Rifle
Type 99 LMG LMG
Packed Type 99 LMG Packed LMG
Type 92 HMG
Type 97 20mm AT Rifle
Type 4 70mm ATRL Medium AT RPG
Characters Colonel Yamomoto - 4 RP This is to be the more military/commanding type of character like Wild Bill Donovan or Paddy Mayne. I'd like to find an actual historical Japanese infantry commander and use him. Yamomoto has a Cool of 10. He assumes command of any Platoon that purchases him, relegating the Lieutenant to second-in-command.
Yamomoto carries a Nambu Type 94 and a Close Combat Weapon.
Master Strategist Yamomoto may chose to roll 2 Dice in the Initiative Phase and use the better result. This may only be done in the first turn of the game.
Yojimbo - 6 RP The ubiquitous Samurai character that draws heavily upon Kurosawa. Yojimbo is Elite and a Loner.
Yojimbo carries a Close Combat Weapon and wears Body Armour.
Special Rules Ranger, Nerves of Steel, Combat Master, Hard to Kill
Any platoon Yojimbo is purchased with is encumbered by the Light Infantry special rule.
Additionally, Samurai may be taken as Platoon Squads. IJA Dual Rifle Squads become 0+.
Kitsune The Superhuman/supernatural character for the army, at this stage a Kitsune, but a Tengu or Oni of some kind would work just as well.Kitsune is Elite and a Loner.
Special RulesUncanny Resilience, Claws and Teeth, Fast, Hyper Senses, Utterly Fearless
Alluring The supernatural charms of Kitsune are difficult to resist, all models attacking Kistune do so at a -1 Penalty to Hit with Shooting and a -1 Penalty to Close Combat rolls.
IJA Dual Platoon Dual Platoons are Green but may be upgraded to Veteran or Elite.
IJA Dual Platoon Organization
1 IJA Dual Platoon Command Section
1-3 IJA Dual Rifle Squads
0-1 Sniper Team
0-3 MG Teams
0-1 Mortar Team
0-2 Anti-Mech Rifle Teams
0-3 RPG Teams
0-2 Flamethrower Teams
IJA Dual Platoon Command - 4 RP 4 Man Team. Lieutenant, Sergeant and 2 Privates.
Unit Equipment - Type 4, Smoke Grenades, Hand Grenades
Lieutenant - Nambu Type 94
Unit Upgrades Up to 4 Models may trade their Type 4 for a Type 100 or Type 5.
One Private may trade his equipment for a Medic Kit and Nambu Type 94 to become a Medic.
One Model may be given Explosives.
One Private may trade his Type 4 for a Radio and Nambu Type 94.
One Private may take a Packed Type 99 LMG or a Flame Thrower for 1 RP.
IJA Dual Rifle Squad - 6 RP 13 Man Team. Sergeant and 12 Privates.
Unit Equipment - Type 4, Hand Grenades, Smoke Grenades
Sergeant - Nambu Type 94
Unit Upgrades Up to 3 Models may trade their Type 4 for a Type 100 or a Type 5.
One Private may trade his Type 4 for a Type 97 20mm.
Up to 2 Models may be equipped with Explosives.
One Private may take a Packed Type 99 LMG or a Flame Thrower for 1 RP.
Up to 2 Models may be equipped with Rifle Grenades.
IJA Sniper Team - 2 RP Veteran 2 Man Team.
Unit Equipment - Hand Grenades, Camouflage, Sniper Rifle.
Special Rules: Sniper
IJA HMG Team - 3 RP3 Man Team. Corporal and 2 Privates.
Unit Equipment - Type 4, Hand Grenades, Smoke Grenades.
Corporal - Type 92, Nambu Type 94
IJA Mortar Team - 4 RP4 Man Team.
Corporal with Light Mortar, Nambu Type 94
3 Privates: loader, spotter, ammo carrier with Type 4
Unit UpgradesMay upgrade to Medium Mortar and add a Private for 1 RP.
IJA Anit-Mech Rifle Team - 1 RP2 Man Team.
Corporal with Type 97 20mm.
Private with Type 4
IJA RPG Team - 2 RP2 Man Team.
Corporal with Type 4 70mm ATRL
Private with Type 4
IJA Flamethrower Team - 1 RP 2 Man Team.
Corporal with Flamethrower
Private with Type 4
Support OptionsShinobi - 6 RPFearsome creatures of ancient myth, the Shinobi, or Shadow Warriors are creatures formed from supernatural darkness that live only to kill. It is not known what dark pact the IJA has made to ensure the help of the Shinobi, but Allied soldiers have learned to fear these nearly invisible killers that never make a sound.
Elite 2 Man Team
Shinobi are armed with Close Combat Weapons
Special RulesFast, Utterly Fearless, Uncanny Resilience, Combat Monster, Deep Insertion, Super Strength
Living Shadows All Long Range shots fired at Shinobi automatically miss. All shots fired at Short Range suffer a -2 penalty to the to-hit roll.
I didn’t like the idea of Ninja for the army and I couldn’t figure out a way to make them work that wasn’t a rip-off of the old WHFB Dark Elf Assassin rules. Samurai - 5 RPAncient warriors of honour, the Samurai were thought to be all but extinct at the outbreak of the war, however, it was soon revealed that the tradition had gone underground, waiting until Japan needed them again. With the soulless Gaijin using Atomic and chemical weapons against Japan, the Samurai have returned to defend the homeland.
Elite 7 Man Team
Corporal and 6 Privates with Close Combat Weapons and Body Armour.
Entire Squad may be Mounted for +2 RP
Special RulesNerves of Steel, Ranger, Combat Monster
Should this unit have ranged weapons as well? Atomic Monster - 8 RPNuclear Weapons have left a strange legacy in Japan; many Pacific islands are now home to creatures that can only be described as monsters. Rather than let this menagerie of fire breathing reptiles go to waste, the IJA have begun to steer these creatures into battle.
Atomic Monster and Green 4 Man Team
4 Privates armed with Type 4 and Close Combat Weapons
Atomic Monster armed with Flame Thrower (Atomic Fire Breath)
Special Rules (Atomic Monster Only) Tough, Utterly Fearless, Combat Master, Teeth and Claws, Super Strength, Hard to Kill, Horror, Thick Skull, Fast
Minders Atomic Monsters may be Activated normally whilst at least one of their “Minder” Privates are alive. Should all the Minders be killed, the Monster will Charge the nearest unit (friend or foe) during its activation and engage them in Hand to Hand Combat.
More to come...
December 05, 2009, 10:10:24 PM