Revamping the Rufe

A few months ago I hosted for the Check Your 6! Southwestern Ohio Group the Strike on Kiska scenario from Battles Above 3, and it did not go well for the Japanese (see HERE for that after action report). Outfitted in that scenario with five A6M2-n Rufes, the Japanese players could inflict but little damage to the B-25s or their P-40E escorts. Of course knowing that Check Your 6! is nothing if it is not a dice game, results may vary when running the same scenario several times. However I feel there may be a little more than just "luck of the dice" when it comes to using the Rufe.

On my bookshelves are three titles that deal directly with the Aleutian Campaign, including the recent two part series published by Helion. I've been re-reading these books, and then remembered that there was at least one video on the Aleutian Rufes (initially the 5th, but then redesignated the 452nd Kōkūtai) on the excellent Showtime 112 YouTube channel (it is actually a two part series). This morning I watched both of those videos, and I have become a bit more convinced that the poor showing in the scenario might have been partially due to the Rufe's CY6! ratings. 

In Part I of the Showtime videos it is mentioned that the addition of floats to the A6M2 Model 0 Zeke created a slower aircraft, but one without a loss of maneuverability. In CY6! the Zeke is rated (at lower altitudes) as A4 + 2(-) for maneuverability, speed, and agility, while the Rufe comes in at a paltry B3 + 1. I would make the argument that the Rufe's ratings should be enhanced a bit based on its performance in the Aleutians.

Early in its Aleutian deployment, the Rufe faced unescorted American heavy bombers. The floatplanes, always in fairly limited numbers, were able to damage and on occasion shoot down those large monsters, with one group of seven B-24s all taking damage during one mission. This would be a tough proposition in game terms as the Rufe only has a +1 agility advantage, going up against aircraft that have a robustness of 4. Even facing a B-25C is an almost even fight, as the B-25 has the same game agility as the Rufe, just one rating worse for maneuverability (B Chart vs. C Chart), and is a tough son of a gun to shoot down, as evidenced in the Kiska after action report linked above. 

Rufes also managed to do some solid work against American fighters, namely the P-39, P-40, and P-38 - faster and more robust aircraft. In all the 452nd Kōkūtai claimed seventeen kills and five probables against a loss of a dozen Rufes in combat.

Based on my reading and interwebs research (knowing the latter is always an adventure), I think the Rufe should be slightly improved in performance. Loaded weight and time to 20,000 feet favored the Rufe over the Zeke while both fighters used the same powerplant. I have changed climb and dive rates to a middle ground between the Rufe and the Zeke. Here are the game ratings and my proposed ratings.

I will be hosting the Strike on Kiska scenario a few more times to see if the proposed ratings work, or if I have created an overbalance.