Nowadays, these floating kites are a common sight along the Kaiu Wall. After their use during the last battle against Iuchiban and the Blood Speakers, several other clans tried to bargain with the Crab for the secrets of the battle kites, but the Kaiu are keeping their secrets.
The Kakita Artisans of the Crane Clan have imitated the kites to some extent: they can send a person up to observe, but cannot yet create a stable enough model to hoist an archer.
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The Battle Kite requires a TN 20 Intelligence + Engineering roll to build (it is, after all, capable of carrying a lightly armored samurai aloft, after all). It can attain an altitude of 15 ken-an (yards) plus 1 ken-an for each point of success over TN 1 5 on the ground operator's Agility + Engineering roll. It can carry a samurai aloft; ranged attacks targeting the passenger require two raises added to the to-hit roll for the kite.
Combat Statistics
TN to be hit: 10
"Wounds": 15
Special: Arrows only cause 1 point per strike, plus 1 point per raise devoted to damage, unless burning, in which case the kite is consumed in 2 rounds. The kite loses its airworthiness after taking 10 points, and floats to the ground in two rounds, unle
ss destroyed before then. Falling character take 1 die of wounds per 3 ken-an fallen, subtracting the character's Earth rank from each die roll (minimum 0 points, but 10s still re-roll).
In Clan War, use the following basic stats for a Kaiu Observation
Unit using the Kite.
TN: 6 (the kite)/9 (the bushi on the kite)
Wounds: 1
ATT: +1/0
DAM: +1/0
Strikes: 1
TL: 7
ML: 6
Equipment: Katana, Yumi
Honor: 1
Affiliation: Crab
Cost: 10
Special: The kite itself has two wounds and a TN of 6 -- the kite is hit on ranged attacks from 6-8, and the passenger is hit on a 9 or higher. While on the ground, treat it as a standard ground unit, with a TN of 7. Instead of its usual move, it may raise or lower the kite 2", to a maximum of 6" high, allowing sighting and a ranged attack over sufficiently short terrain. Ranges on ranged attacks against the kite are reduced by 1/4 per 2" in altitude above the attacker's "altitude" (ie a daikyu attack on a 4" high kite would have a close range of 6", and an extended range of 12"). A destroyed kite descends 2" per turn, until the passenger is returned to the ground. The unit is organized as one kite unit, surrounded to the sides and front by guard models (a total of 6 models.) A kite model directly attacked while in the air is destroyed without a combat roll. The unit may not move while the kite is aloft. Maximum of 3 units, 6 models per unit (as noted above.)
The Crane's Kakita Origami Kites have similar stats and abilities, with the following differences: The Kite has only 1 wound, no yumi, Honor: 3, Cost: 6, and Affiliation: Crane.
Return to the Intelligence Bureau.