Ship Review:
IJN Ise


Ise was Japan's third class of dreadnought battleships. She and her sister were like repeat Fuso's, but with a slightly better turret arrangement (in my opinion) and better looking (also my opinion). We won't mention the hybrid aircraft version. Much. Maybe.


Firepower: B At 5.5 units, Ise is a powerful battleship, with the ability to carry a 75 round haymaker, and a good turret to put it in. With the extra turrets in the middle, she can be set up with double sterns, a haymaker, and a third sidemount for a nasty porcupine effect.

The number of turrets available means that there are other options too, but this is the one that I would prefer.


Speed: B

At 26 seconds, Ise is in the midrange of battleship speeds. Her speed is good, but perhaps not good enough, considering that there are ships which are just a touch longer that get 24 second speed. Interestingly, the hybrid aircraft carrier version is just long enough to get 24 second speed. To bad you'd have to give up your two stern turrets and have to sail an abomination for that extra two seconds.


Maneuverability: B

Ise has twin rudders and four shafts, and should turn quite well. The only downside here is the relatively narrow stern.


Target Factor: B

In addition to being better looking than Fuso, Ise also has a shorter forecastle and better casemate arrangement, which should result in slightly more favorable target area.


Skill Floor/Ceiling: High/Moderate

Due to the lack of an available hull kit and the complexity of her hull and superstructure, Ise would take quite a bit of effort to build, and I'm not sure that effort would be rewarded with performance on the water. A skilled battler would probably be frustrated by the Ise's comparative lack of speed and maneuverability compared to other ships that aren't much larger.


Conclusion:

Ise is a ship that I've always liked, and wanted to see on the water, but no-one has ever built her. I suspect there are reasons for this. I think that she could be a decent boat, but the amount of effort required to build her would probably best be spent on ... (wait for it...)


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