Kamikaze - questions

[Cavalry Corp]

OK some questions feb44 pbem GAME SCN 2

Which planes are most likely to get through - I assume fast small ones like fighters
How does Cap work is it the same do Kamikaze fighters engage the CAP?
What altitude - should they attack at 1000feet as they will be doing low naval?
Which planes do the most damage - I assume bombers? How much more damage than usual?
Why can Kamikaze units convert only at some bases on HI? Can they convert anywhere else?
What is the (6) number beside the convert button?
What kind of skill level LN should they have before trying out!:)
Can I move pilots in and out of Kamikaze units whilst training etc? Is it worth Kami units have high experience?
Are all planes in Kamikaze units lost in a single attack.
What leader skills are better for Kamikaze units?

Any help appreciated - never got this far in a game before.

cav

[crsutton]

From the Allied perspective I can tell you it is not the aircraft but the bomb load. The most effective kamikaze is the one that carries the biggest bomb. 800kg. Fighters are the worst option as they carry the lightest bombs. I have had multiple fighters hit my BBs and just bounce off. Little or no effect. Likewise with any light Japanese bombers. I really am not clear on the effect of medium bombers with multiple bomb loads. Do they get a bigger bang or just the effect of one bomb?

Kamikaze fighters do not seem to engage Allied fighters but are attacked like bombers. Without escort, they get slaughtered by CAP. (not too unrealistic).

[Shark7]

Unfortunately, the best kamikaze units also happen to be your most experienced units. Which means to be really effective, you have to sacrifice your best units. crsutton covered the rest of it fairly well. Planes that carry the most powerful ordnance also do the most damage. Fighters are definitely better used as escorts (no matter their skill), so if nothing else they can absorb the brunt of the CAP attack and let you get more of the kamikazes into the attack phase.

I personally have mixed feelings about it. In a way, its just more effective to take your chances on a regular attack where you at least have a chance to get some of the planes (and more importantly pilots) back to take another shot at it.

Just my observations on it. [;)]

[PaxMondo]

Kami's work and the bonus for IJ is that low skill, low exp pilots can get through as opposed to normal attack that requires high skill, high exp pilots which typically IJ runs short of in the late war, especially after SOV activation and losses really mount.

Tsurugi, 350mph, 800kg bomb is a great kami. Relatively fast and BIG bomb. And uses a very common engine that late war should be huge pools.

Kami groups get ripped, but if you have prepared for it they are reconstituted quickly in a AF9 base. Tsurugi groups are ready to go again in 3 or 4 days, sometimes as fast as 2 days. As noted above, fighters don't work as well for me as kami's and I can never sacrifice the groups to convert.

[Cavalry Corp]

ok thanks for the posts so far - so I need a level 9 base to form them. What about the number like (6) what does that mean.
So if a Kate can carry an 800 kilo bomb it will carry that as a Kamikaze as would a Betty - or is that not the case because of experience etc?

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: cavalry

ok thanks for the posts so far - so I need a level 9 base to form them. What about the number like (6) what does that mean.
So if a Kate can carry an 800 kilo bomb it will carry that as a Kamikaze as would a Betty - or is that not the case because of experience etc?

To carry 800kg bomb Kate will need average XP of pilots 70? or 80?. Impassible with kamikaze pilots that usually have XP ~40. Also i am almost sure that they will carry 800kg bomb only in port attack.

If You want 800kg bomb You will need plane like Ki-115 for Army or D4Y4 for Navy(plus few more that i am not remember)

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: cavalry

What about the number like (6) what does that mean.

(6) number beside the convert button show how many units You can covert today to kamikaze.
If You covert one unit it will change to (5). Every new turn number will increase by 1. But max it will be (7).

[PaxMondo]

You don't NEED an AF9, but using one greatly helps. Kami attacks work best when massed. That means a LOT of groups. To get that without stacking penalty, which can really hurt you, you need to come from an AF9 base. Also AF9 bases seem to help with repair speeds, although that is completely anecdotal.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: cavalry

ok thanks for the posts so far - so I need a level 9 base to form them. What about the number like (6) what does that mean.
So if a Kate can carry an 800 kilo bomb it will carry that as a Kamikaze as would a Betty - or is that not the case because of experience etc?

To carry 800kg bomb Kate will need average XP of pilots 70? or 80?. Impassible with kamikaze pilots that usually have XP ~40. Also i am almost sure that they will carry 800kg bomb only in port attack.

If You want 800kg bomb You will need plane like Ki-115 for Army or D4Y4 for Navy(plus few more that i am not remember)

In a stock game, only the Tsurugi and it Naval complement, and a couple of DB's will carry an 800kb bomb on Naval attacks as kami's. Everything else, in particular anything that carries a torp will be 250kg bomb loads.
4x250kg is NOT as good as 1x800kg against capital ships. Apparently you get 4 individual 250kg explosions which against allied capital ships will create some sys damage but little else. 800k bombs though do significant damage.

[PaxMondo]

I should point out that the Grace is a great kami too because of its range (10). although only 2x250kg, it is a DB and fast. It can wreck havoc on allied invasion TF's. I generally can get 3 attacks in if I can spot the allied tf early enough .. on the way in, during the unload day, and then on the exit. Even if the landing is successful I can usually hit enough AKA and APA to wreck future amphib ops.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I should point out that the Grace is a great kami too because of its range (10). although only 2x250kg, it is a DB and fast. It can wreck havoc on allied invasion TF's. I generally can get 3 attacks in if I can spot the allied tf early enough .. on the way in, during the unload day, and then on the exit. Even if the landing is successful I can usually hit enough AKA and APA to wreck future amphib ops.

Grace can fly 13 hexes with 2x250kg bomb[:D]. 10 hex range is for torpedo

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: koniu

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

I should point out that the Grace is a great kami too because of its range (10). although only 2x250kg, it is a DB and fast. It can wreck havoc on allied invasion TF's. I generally can get 3 attacks in if I can spot the allied tf early enough .. on the way in, during the unload day, and then on the exit. Even if the landing is successful I can usually hit enough AKA and APA to wreck future amphib ops.

Grace can fly 13 hexes with 2x250kg bomb[:D]. 10 hex range is for torpedo

That would prolly explain better why it works so often for me!

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