3 replies to this topic

[Ken Portner]

IJN have a better night acquisition table than the USN.

But the USN can detect vessels with radar rather easily and then fire a star shell at the detected blip, thus circumventing their more limited night acquisition table at the cost of only a secondary battery box.

Am I misunderstanding the rules?

[Cpt M]

IJN have a better night acquisition table than the USN.

But the USN can detect vessels with radar rather easily and then fire a star shell at the detected blip, thus circumventing their more limited night acquisition table at the cost of only a secondary battery box.

Am I misunderstanding the rules?

Yes, you can fire starshells (or, for that matter, use searchlights) on a detected target. But remember, if you use starshells, the IJN player will get a two column shift down for your gunflashes. So while your starshells illuminate a 500yd area (which a smart IJN player will quickly move away from or avoid altogether), the IJN player will get a two column shift benefit for ALL of his ships detecting/acquiring ANY USN ship that fired starshells. And that's on top of the IJN's already substantial night acquisition advantage. So, yes, you can do it. It just might not work out as you expect.

[Aman]

There's a rule that you get DOWN 2 for firing at gunflashes? Where is that rule?
Assuming it's correct, the USN is still Acquiring automatically at small gun range, about 12,000y or less, while teh IJN has to roll to Acquire, albeit with a 2 column shift LEFT on the Dark Acquisition Table probably making it easier. Also, the radar is allowed blind fire (and 'R-' probably shouldn't be) and can therefore fire from behind smoke, squalls, etc, and is unaffected by moon phases.

So unless it's a full moon, good weather, and the IJN engage at >12,000y (out of Starshell range) I don't see how they have an edge. And at ranges behond 12,000y, it's a lot easier to disengage, so they'll have a tougher time sinking USN ships.

At least, this is how the game is striking me thus far.

[Cpt M]

There's a rule that you get DOWN 2 for firing at gunflashes? Where is that rule?
Assuming it's correct, the USN is still Acquiring automatically at small gun range, about 12,000y or less, while teh IJN has to roll to Acquire, albeit with a 2 column shift LEFT on the Dark Acquisition Table probably making it easier. Also, the radar is allowed blind fire (and 'R-' probably shouldn't be) and can therefore fire from behind smoke, squalls, etc, and is unaffected by moon phases.

So unless it's a full moon, good weather, and the IJN engage at >12,000y (out of Starshell range) I don't see how they have an edge. And at ranges behond 12,000y, it's a lot easier to disengage, so they'll have a tougher time sinking USN ships.

At least, this is how the game is striking me thus far.

The down 2 (or, more correctly, 2 column shift) modifier is for acquisition, NOT for fire. (You do get a 1 row down shift for firing at an illuminated target.)

Blind fire (per Amendment 2) is restricted to ships equipped with RFC+ and the target must have been previously acquired, ie, visually identified, in order to engage it at all (per 1.11.6 Blind Fire). RFC+ only appears on USN ships (and a very limited number of RN ships) and only late war (this repesents the Mark 12 and Mark 13 RFC and later British Type 274 and 275 equivalents which provided major improvements in accuracy and resolution).

The minimum range for starshells is 5000 yds (per the Amendment 2 CRTs). If a USN force drops starshells on a IJN formation, all ships in the IJN formation (and any other IJN formation in the area) now get a 2 oolumn shift for acquisition at all ranges against all USN ships that fired starshells in the next detection phase. So, you may be able to see those 2 DDs in the screening force, but not the 4 CAs behind them (but they can see you!).

Having played many IJN/USN night actions, I can only say that the early war IJN advantage is real. Rarely does the USN player get the drop on the IJN player.