The Empire of the Rising Sun attacked from the seas using its never-before-seen army, assembled in secret. The Empire met with little resistance overtaking much of the waters north of the Soviet Union, in part because the element of surprise was on the Emperor's side, and in part because of Imperial Naginata cruisers. The mainline ship-hunters of the Imperial navy decimated virtually all that stood in their way, opening up an opportunity for Japan's Shogun battleships to lay down withering coastal bombardment to pave the way for a full-scale invasion. While the Naginata's role is limited to blockading the seas, it excels in this to such an extent that it has proved itself as one of Japan's most-feared fighting elements.