Kihetai are a type of elite infantry in Fall of the Samurai.
Description[]
The Kihetai are line infantry, and deadly with their modern rifles.
These men have been trained to deliver disciplined volleys of gunfire into enemy formations. They are well drilled, and can maintain a good rate of fire and be fairly accurate too. Their weapons are capable of inflicting horrible wounds, like most modern large-bore rifles. The Kihetai have a robust sense of morale, but their resilience is not bottomless. They are not particularly competent in close combat, and will suffer if they are overrun by a cavalry attack.
The Meiji Restoration saw the foundation of a modern army and navy for Japan. Many of the senior officers in the Imperial Japanese Army were natives of Choshu, and this lead [sic] to tensions with the Imperial Japanese Navy, where men from Satsuma occupied the top jobs. The two domains had a long traditional enmity, and this continued as a not-so-covert struggle for dominance in Japanese affairs between the Army and the Navy. Favouritism in both services made sure that men of Choshu and Satsuma were usually favoured for promotion in the services, further entrenching the rivalry. This was to have profound consequences for Japanese politics, diplomacy, and even the course of the Second World War. Well before then, however, the situation became so bad that Army officers from regions other than Choshu actually formed a secret society, the Double Leaf Society, to root out “corrupt” officers. Their fanaticism, and the fanaticism of other secret groups, also spilled out into wider politics.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Good accuracy and reload rate.
- Average in melee.
- Weak against cavalry.
- Presence encourages nearby friendly units.
- Very good morale.
General Information[]
Unique to the Choshu, Kihetai are somewhat inferior guard infantry when compared to their peers. However, they are still significantly better than standard line infantry, and can be trained in unlimited number unlike other guard units. In addition to being strong in combat, they inspire nearby men and don't suffer from winter attrition, making them ideal for spearheading offensives during winter months.
Kihetai use older model rifles when compared to Shogunate/Imperial/Republican Infantry, and so unfortunately fire more slowly than their statistics may suggest. Their base reload rate is 18 seconds; this stands in poor contrast to SIR infantry's base reload rate of 10 seconds. As base reloading skill for Kihetai is 55, their default reload speed is 8.1 seconds. Due to their reload animation not being able to be cancelled, Kihetai's reload rates are capped when they reach 85 reload skill, completing reloads in 2.7 seconds.
Available at second-tier barracks, Kihetai can be acquired much earlier than any other elite infantry, and even a good portion of line infantry. This can make Kihetai a mainstay of Choshu armies for much of the campaign.
Fall of the Samurai Infantry | |
---|---|
Sword Infantry | Katana Kachi • Shogitai |
Spear Infantry | Spear Levy • Spear Levy Garrison • Kyoto Police • Yari Kachi |
Bow Infantry | Bow Kachi |
Matchlock Infantry | Matchlock Kachi |
Special Infantry | Kisho Ninja |
Militia Infantry | Levy Garrison Infantry • Levy Infantry • White Tiger Force |
Light Infantry | Sharpshooters • Tosa Riflemen • Yugekitai |
Line Infantry | Azure Dragon Force • Black Bear Infantry • Black Tortoise Force • Garrison Infantry • Imperial Infantry • Line Infantry • Red Bear Infantry • Republican Infantry • Shinsengumi Police Force • Shogunate Infantry • Vermilion Bird Force • White Bear Infantry |
Elite Infantry | Imperial Guard Infantry • Infanterie de marine • Kihetai • Republican Guard Infantry • Royal Marines • Shogunate Guard Infantry • United States Marines |