Kido Butai: Japan's Carriers at Midway
Kido Butai: Japan's Carriers at Midway Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Setup
Place the four Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu - higher-numbered side up - on the spaces provided for them on the map. Each carrier gets one squadron of Zero fighters; Akagi and Kaga each get three bomber squadrons, Soryu and Hiryu two each. The bomber squadrons may be turned to their bomb side or torpedo side as desired. All squadrons are oriented east (note that the map shows the area of operations from the Japanese perspective: east is at the top).
Place the Midway counter - higher-numbered side up - on its space on the map. Throw the three American carriers into an opaque container (for example a coffee cup) to form the US fleet pool. The carrier placeholder ("no carrier") is set aside.
Throw the American bomber squadrons ("Dauntless") together with the bomber placeholders ("no bomber") into another opaque container to form the US bomber pool. Then throw the American Buffalo squadrons together with their placeholders ("no fighter") into a third opaque container, forming the US fighter pool.
Set the turn marker ("turn") to 0430.
2. Sequence of Play
Kido Butai is played in a series of up to 16 turns, each representing one hour of real time. A turn consists of up to three phases, which must be carried out in this order: Japanese phase, mutual reconnaissance phase, American phase.
3. The Japanese Phase
The Japanese player (hereafter "you") may carry out the following actions in any desired order:
- Launch squadrons that are ready on the decks of his carriers, to attack enemy targets or to protect his own fleet. The latter activity is called "combat air patrol" (CAP) and may only be performed by fighter squadrons. These are placed on the CAP box on the map, while attacking squadrons go to the center of the map. All launched squadrons are oriented east.
- Move attacking squadrons from the center of the map to their targets, where they are oriented south.
- Attack with squadrons that have reached their target. After the attack the squadrons are moved back to the center of the map and oriented west.
- Land squadrons from the center of the map or the CAP box on his carriers, where they are oriented north.
- Make squadrons aboard the carriers ready by orienting them east. During this action bombers may be turned from their bomb side to the torpedo side or vice versa.
Each squadron may perform only one such action per turn. Squadrons on the CAP box must be turned 90 degrees clockwise each turn. Squadrons that are oriented west at the start of a turn must land. If you cannot do this, they count as destroyed.
Each carrier may either launch or take aboard squadrons, not both in the same turn. It may not have more squadrons aboard than the number on its counter (damaged ships are turned to their reduced side).
Note that all Japanese carriers remain in one fleet - Kido Butai does not split up.
4. The Mutual Reconnaissance Phase
First roll a die for the Americans. On a result of five or six, the Japanese fleet has been found (for the entire rest of the game). Then roll a die for your own reconnaissance. On a six, an American fleet is reported to you.
As soon as the Japanese fleet and an American fleet have been discovered, the mutual reconnaissance phase is suspended for the rest of the game - unless a Japanese attack on the reported Americans shows that a second US fleet exists (see 6). In that case Japanese reconnaissance resumes in the next mutual reconnaissance phase, until that fleet is also found.
5. The American Phase
If the Japanese fleet has been discovered, then from the third turn on, in every American phase draw a counter at random from the US bomber pool. If it is a placeholder, no attack takes place. If it is a bomber, draw further counters until a placeholder appears. All bombers drawn will attack the Japanese fleet.
If there is an attack, apply the same procedure to the US fighter pool to determine whether and how many fighter squadrons accompany the attacking bombers.
6. Combat in the Japanese Phase
To attack the American base on Midway, move your bomber squadrons from the center of the map to the southeast corner. An American fleet can only be attacked if it was reported in the mutual reconnaissance phase. To attack it, move your squadrons from the center of the map to the northeast corner.
Only bomber squadrons on their bomb side can attack the base, and only bombers on their torpedo side can attack an aircraft carrier.
When you attack an American fleet, draw a counter at random from the US fleet pool. Then throw the carrier placeholder into the pool. Now keep drawing counters until the placeholder appears. All carriers still in the pool afterwards form a second fleet, which must be found and attacked separately. After it is first drawn, the carrier placeholder is removed from the game.
Before you attack an American fleet or the Midway base, check the US fighter pool to see whether a CAP is present. If so, air combat takes place.
a. Air Combat
Each American fighter squadron attacks one Japanese squadron. Bombers are attacked only once all fighters are engaged. If there are more American squadrons than Japanese ones, the surplus is distributed as described above. If there are more Japanese than American fighter squadrons, none of the latter may be engaged by three Japanese fighters until all are engaged by two.
Both sides fire simultaneously. Roll for each fighter squadron (bombers do not fight aircraft in Kido Butai). An American fighter squadron destroys a Japanese one on a six; conversely on a five or six. A bomber - of whichever nationality - is destroyed on a five or six, and warded off on a three or four. "Warded off" means it may not bomb.
Surviving American squadrons and placeholders are placed three turns ahead on the turn track on the map. As soon as the turn marker reaches them, they are thrown back into the US fighter pool.
For each American squadron shot down, a fighter placeholder is likewise removed from the game. If none was drawn, it is taken from the fighter pool; if there is none in that either, from the turn track.
b. Anti-Aircraft Fire
If you are attacking more than one aircraft carrier, assign your bomber squadrons as desired - after any air combats. For each attacked carrier, or the Midway base, one die of anti-aircraft fire is now rolled. On a five or six, one bomber squadron is warded off.
c. Bombardment
Surviving bomber squadrons now attack their targets by rolling once for each. A carrier is hit on a five or six, Midway only on a six. The first hit damages a target: turn it to its reduced side. A second hit sinks a carrier or destroys the Midway base, respectively.
If the attacking bombers were not disturbed by a CAP, all ships roll for anti-aircraft fire and each hit wards off one bomber. Then roll for each bomber squadron not warded off, and all pips count as hits! (See the Clarifications for the amended wording of this paragraph.)
If the aircraft capacity of an American carrier or of Midway was reduced through damage or destruction, and a corresponding number of US squadrons was not lost in combat, the missing squadrons are removed from the turn track (instead of becoming available again when the turn marker reaches them). If both bombers and fighters could be removed, begin with the more numerous category. In case of a tie, the dice cup decides.
7. Combat in the American Phase
American attacks are carried out like Japanese ones, with a few exceptions:
- If a Japanese CAP is present, roll a die. On one to three they are torpedo bombers that it has to fight; otherwise they are dive bombers. (Mixed attacks do not occur: all attackers count as either torpedo or dive bombers. You can turn them to the corresponding side.) After a fight against torpedo bombers, surviving Japanese CAP squadrons are turned to their "low CAP" side for one turn, on which they cannot fight dive bombers! Note that if you have more than one fighter squadron in the CAP, not all of them have to intercept the attacking torpedo bombers.
- Bomber squadrons that have passed a Japanese CAP attack the Japanese aircraft carriers as follows: the first squadron attacks Akagi, the second Kaga, the third Soryu, the fourth Hiryu, the fifth again Akagi, the sixth Kaga, and so on.
- Japanese anti-aircraft fire hits only on a six.
- Squadrons aboard a sunk Japanese carrier are lost. Through damage, squadrons are lost only if their number exceeds the carrier's reduced aircraft capacity. If both bombers and fighters could be removed, begin with the more numerous category. In case of a tie, make a random choice by die roll.
- At the end of the American phase, all surviving American squadrons and placeholders are placed five turns ahead on the turn track on the map. As soon as the turn marker reaches them, they are thrown back into their respective pools.
8. Victory
Both sides can earn victory points, as follows:
- every second enemy squadron destroyed: half a victory point (round fractions up to full victory points)
- enemy aircraft carrier damaged: one victory point
- carrier sunk: two victory points for Soryu or Hiryu, three for Akagi, Kaga or an American carrier
- Midway base destroyed: one victory point
Victory points are calculated at the end of the game. If you have sunk an enemy carrier, you receive the points for that, but not for the earlier damaging of the ship.
The American victory point total is subtracted from the Japanese. The possible results mean:
- -6 or less: major Japanese defeat
- -5 to -1: minor Japanese defeat
- 0: draw
- +1 to +5: minor Japanese victory
- +6 or more: decisive Japanese victory
9. Example Game
0430: Chuichi, the Japanese player, launches from his four carriers five bomb-armed bomber squadrons and two escorting fighter squadrons for an attack on Midway. They are placed in the center of the map and oriented east. Five torpedo-armed bomber squadrons and two fighter squadrons remain aboard in case an American fleet is sighted. In the mutual reconnaissance phase, however, a three is rolled for the Americans and a five for the Japanese, so neither fleet discovers the other. The American phase cannot occur before the third turn anyway.
0530: The Japanese attack group reaches Midway and is oriented south. In the mutual reconnaissance phase Chuichi is again not told of a US fleet. But a six is rolled for the Americans, so Kido Butai is found.
0630: Since a US attack threatens in the American phase of this turn, Chuichi launches one of his two reserve fighter squadrons as CAP. It is placed on the CAP box and oriented east.
Also in the Japanese phase, the attack group attacks the Midway base. Chuichi draws one squadron from the US fighter pool before a placeholder appears. The American CAP now fights the two Japanese fighters. Chuichi rolls a three for the opponent, and two and five for his Zeros. The US squadron has thus missed its target, is shot down itself, and is removed from the game together with the placeholder.
Chuichi now rolls for Midway's anti-aircraft fire. A six is rolled, so one bomber squadron is warded off. The four others can bomb the base. Chuichi rolls one, one, four and six: Midway is damaged and is turned to its reduced side. The Japanese attack group is placed in the center of the map and oriented west.
Since Kido Butai has already been discovered, only one die is rolled in the mutual reconnaissance phase. A six comes up: Chuichi is told of an American fleet.
In the American phase Chuichi first draws one squadron and then a placeholder from the US bomber pool. A corresponding check of the fighter pool shows that the attacking squadron has no escort.
Now a die is rolled and the result of two means the attacker is a torpedo bomber, not a dive bomber. Chuichi attacks it with his CAP, which is turned to the "low CAP" side. He rolls a four, so the US bomber is warded off. Both the bomber counter and the two placeholders are placed five turns ahead on the turn track.
0730: Chuichi now faces a dilemma. The presence of a US fleet has been reported to him and five torpedo-armed bomber squadrons and one fighter squadron stand ready on the decks of his four carriers to attack it. However, he cannot at the same time take aboard the attack group returning from Midway, which threatens to plunge into the sea.
Chuichi decides to land the attack group and orients it north. He wants to make his entire force ready for attack first and then attack the US fleet.
The Japanese CAP squadron is oriented south and stays on its "low CAP" side. In the American phase it again succeeds in repelling a torpedo bomber attack, and this time the enemy is even shot down. (The mutual reconnaissance phase was skipped.)
0830: Aboard the Japanese carriers, the seven squadrons returned from Midway are oriented east and the bombers are turned to their torpedo side. The entire Japanese air power is now ready to be sent out against the US fleet at 0930.
The Japanese CAP squadron is oriented west and stays on its "low CAP" side, since it fought torpedo bombers in the last turn. It will have to land at 0930.
In the American phase Chuichi draws two squadrons from the US bomber pool before a placeholder appears. The die roll shows them to be dive bombers. They have no fighter cover, but the low-flying Japanese CAP cannot intercept them!
All four Japanese aircraft carriers roll for anti-aircraft fire, and only one six is rolled, which wards off one of the attackers. Now the die is rolled for the second. To Chuichi's great misfortune, the result is a six. Since the Americans were not hindered by a CAP, all pips count as hits: Akagi, Kaga and Soryu and all squadrons aboard are lost.
This example resembles the historical course of the Battle of Midway.
Clarifications
To 6. Torpedo bomber squadrons may not launch before an American fleet has been sighted.
6.c. Addition to the second paragraph: "If attacking bombers encountered no CAP at all (this includes low CAP against attacking dive bombers), every ship rolls for anti-aircraft fire and each hit wards off one bomber. Then roll for each bomber squadron not warded off and all pips count as hits!"
Imagine two different kinds of attack, regular and special. In a regular attack each bomber is assigned a ship, which it hits on a die roll of five or six. A special attack takes place only if the attackers encountered no CAP at all, or they are dive bombers and only low CAP was present. In these two cases there is no individual assignment of bombers to ships. All ships roll for anti-aircraft fire (in a regular attack only assigned ships do so, and only against the bombers attacking them). Then a die is rolled for each surviving bomber and all pips count as hits. If there were only regular attacks, a historical outcome of the battle, the sinking of Kido Butai by a handful of dive bombers, would be impossible. For you in the role of Admiral Nagumo this means that neglecting your CAP invites disaster.
To 7. After a fight against fighter squadrons escorting torpedo bombers, CAP is likewise turned to its "low" side - not only after fights against torpedo bombers themselves.
Fighter squadrons on their "low CAP" side cannot fight escorting fighter squadrons, but they can be fired upon. The latter also keeps "low CAP" fighter squadrons from fighting attacking torpedo bombers.
To 8. If you still have squadrons in the air after the last turn, roll once for each. On a five or six the squadron is destroyed and counts for victory points. This represents the dangers of night landings. This rule does not apply to American squadrons; they always count as safely landed.
You may destroy your own units at any time.
10. Optional Rules
a. Superior US Damage Control
American aircraft carriers sink only with the third hit. After the first they are turned to their reduced side, after the second they are turned 90 degrees. The latter has no further effects.
b. No US Fiasco Possible
If you want to make it even harder for yourself to win, ignore the second paragraph of rule 6.c when attacking American fleets. US fleets are subject only to "regular attacks" (see Clarifications).
c. Random Target Assignment
Some players found it unrealistic to know in advance in which order their ships would be attacked (7). Instead you can let a die roll decide for each attacking American bomber squadron, with Akagi targeted on one and two, Kaga on three and four, Soryu on five and Hiryu on six. An attack on the two large carriers should always be more probable, since they were the more attractive targets.