IJN Musashi

The Musashi, as seen in game.

"It may have been free, but it sure doesn't feel like it." - *Player after getting sunk by Musashi*

IJN *Musashi* was a Japanese battleship of the *Yamato*-class featured in the game.

It can only be obtained by various Containers.

## Background History

The IJN *Musashi* (武蔵) was a *Yamato*-class battleship for the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the sister ship of the IJN *Yamato*. Commissioned in 1942, she served as the flagship for the combined fleet and spent some time training her weapons and sailors. She was then sent to Truk in 1943 to search for American forces, but it turned out unsuccessful. She transferred Japanese forces and equipment between Japan and various occupied islands. While departing Palau, she was torpedoed by the American submarine USS *Tunny* (SS-282). She was forced to return to Japan for repairs where they also immensely improved her anti-air suite. She was later present during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, but encountered no American surface warships.

On the 24th of October, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, *Musashi* became under attack by American aircraft, being struck by a total of 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes. They frantically tried to stop flooding and even tried to beach her, but her engines stopped working. Half of the crew was rescued by the IJN *Shimakaze* while the *Musashi* slowly listed before capsizing. Her wreck was discovered on March 2015, off the island of Masbate by a team of researchers employed by Paul Allen. The ship currently lies at the bottom of the seafloor around 3,500 feet below sea level. The ship is even referenced on a Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho video.

## Tactics and Overview

For all intents and purposes, *Musashi* is basically a free *Yamato* but with some slight buffs and debuffs. The *Musashi* is nearly identical to the *Yamato*, except it boasts an additional second in turn rate, an additional 0.3 or 0.4 knots, and aircraft with a 10+ health increase over *Yamato's*. However, it has 2k less max damage and a 1k loss of hull. What brings out the difference is the AA suite, which is lesser than her sister ship. The Yamato has an overpowered class 1 AA group, but weak AA in classes 2-4. *Musashi*, on the other hand, has a moderate and equal damage dealing among all three of AA groupings. But the biggest difference is the amount of AA. *Yamato* holds about 10 more AA guns over the *Musashi*, putting her in a disadvantage against aircraft carriers.

Despite these slight differences, she is essentially as powerful as the *Yamato* with barely any buffs or debuffs. She can be played exactly like the *Yamato*, but exercising caution around carriers due to moderate AA. Taking on the Musashi means taking it on as if it were *Yamato.*

### Playing As Musashi

Due to *Musashi* being a near carbon copy of *Yamato*, it holds no significant advantage over her sister ship. Her turn rate can make her dodge slightly quicker and bring her rear turrets to a firing position. Her lower damage is not noticeable, as she still packs a punch as hard as her sister ship. Her low speed makes her a fortress like ship, meaning she is more able to play a support role battleship or a ship that waits for the enemy to come to her. Just like Yamato, she has no automatic secondaries, which means close range brawls are to be avoided.

Her low appearance in matches may lead the enemy to believe you are not a worthy adversary. However, they would find themselves severely mistaken. By sitting back or off to the side and raining down hell upon enemies from a far with her 15 shell broadside. Some people would not bother to look at you until the damage is already done. Some people will go for you regardless though.

When facing aircraft carriers, you must have interceptors up in the air in order to compensate for your slightly lower damaging AA suite.

### Playing With Musashi

Her low AA requires any ship with high AA to stick with her. Destroyers and cruisers need to put themselves between the enemy aircraft carriers and the ally *Musashi*. These ships are more capable of dodging such attacks and provide a deterrent. Such ships sticking with *Musashi* also means any smaller ships will most likely pick a different target or get sunk trying for her.

Battleships can provide additional AA support, but act more like support for the *Musashi*. Her reputation of being a lesser ship may put her at stake, as enemy vessels will most likely gun for her as an easy target.

Aircraft carriers can provide strong AA support for her, and kill off the enemy carrier for the *Musashi.*

### Playing Against Musashi

Facing a *Musashi* is like facing a *Yamato*. There's no difference to battleships, cruisers, or destroyers. Closing range is significant in bashing *Musashi*, as her absence of secondaries leaves her defenseless in close quarters combat. This means ships with torpedoes can get a lot closer to her than usual. Battleships with secondaries are advised to focus on closing the gap using icebergs or islands.

Aircraft carriers feel the difference in facing the *Musashi*. Her lower AA damage makes her much weaker to aircraft carriers. Aircrafts are likely to stay alive long enough to drop at least 4 torpedoes before leaving or dying.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

**Advantages**

* Insanely powerful main guns(3rd place in DPM by main guns rating), which are further reinforced by its clever quirk that gives even more damage from flags.
* High HP.
* Admirable accuracy and dispersion.
* Outstanding turret angles, doesn't require you to show much broadside to use all the guns.

**Disadvantages**

* Below average AA damage.
* Does not have any secondary armament at all.
* Rather slow.
* Very long turning time.
* Costs of upgrades are doubled due to 2 sets of main guns
* Pooer reload rate

## Trivia

* The model used for the in game *Musashi* was later on used to replace the in game *Yamato's* old model.
* The in-game model of the *Musashi* you see is the mid-1944 refit before the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
	+ Her previous fit was around 1942, which presented 2 additional secondary 15.5 cm (6.1 in) turrets with one on each side, but with a horrifying low amount of anti-aircraft guns.
		- If the 1942 version of the ship was in the game, it might be considered the weakest warship against aircraft carriers.
* *Musashi's* AA guns are packed near her citadel, but are not as dense or spread out as her sister ship
* Due to its rare appearance in matches and low tier rating compared to other superior battleships, it is often judged as a less worthy adversary
	+ Judge all you'd like. This ship is still a very, serious threat, like that of the *Yamato*, as it still brings the hp and damage to quickly dispatch your fleet.
* Due to her rare appearance in matches and her awful reputation, she has gained a cult hero status as the "late finisher".