The Commander Series Forum

Working with the Japanese will probably be fun in this system, given the doctrinal advantage they get.

One more thing I want to add is the banzai attack.

What I had in mind was giving the Japanese a chance to conduct a banzai charge whenever they have two or more stands touching. You spend actions maneuvering the stands adjacent to each other, and then just use only one command action for all bases to allow them to conduct a banzai charge en mass.

The charge would be double movement allowance, and all the bases would move together simultaneously in an "impulse" move (stolen from ASL) to reflect the fact the soldiers are charging in a mass wave and aren't trying to stay low or taking cover. The bases would keep charging until they are all dead, or come in contact with the enemy to carry out a close combat action.

How's that sound for starters?

The Fanatic doctrine covers them quite nicely. I'm unconvinced by any advantage given by "banzai" charges - it's a bad and exceedingly wasteful way to overrun anyone forced onto them by being woefully under resourced and equipped.

When your enemy is already spooked & ready to run away that's fine. When they just shoot you it really doesn't work...

You mean there's no tactical advantage to making banzai charges? I was thinking the Japanese would use banzais when they outnumber the enemy, or are poorly led in a scenario (lower command rating). They could pool their forces go in for the kill with a single command then, and get the benefit of moving double the movement allowance.

I could be wrong about this working, I haven't yet played the rules, just trying to find ways to add flavor and historicity.

Would the reaction fire be too deadly towards charging troops?

The usual result of a banzai charge against American troops was a bunch of dead Japanese. The banzai charge was usually done by the remnants of forces facing defeat as an honorable form of suicide instead of surrendering. Part of the Bushido code. They did work against the poorly trained Chinese army though.

i'd be very tempted to make a Banzai a blunder.

IanS

A command blunder results in a banzai? That's a great idea

Having not played the game, I'm not totally aware of all the factors involved in a frontal assault situation. I read about the reaction fire against advancing forces.

Billb said it best, it was a form of honorable death for the Japanese. I thought it could be a tactical last ditch maneuver, or lack of maneuver rather.

Making it a blunder makes the most sense. The commander thinks they are losing the fight -> let's have a BANZAI everybody

I thought the commander on Iwo Jima forbad Banzai attacks as being too wasteful of men. At Kohima it was regarded by the British as scary, but an excellent opportunity to kill them. If they ever make a Banzai charge it should be a sign that things are going badly for them, or they're desperate.

Hence the blunder idea...

IanS

Sometimes games need a Banzai element to stop them from being stifled. I used to enjoy leading charges across the field, sometimes it brings surprises!

.303" Mk 7Z ones normally.

IanS

... nice one Ian.

Yes and it could be built in to your game plan that you have to roll Banzai dice and thus risk an end to the game?