My intentions were to make this faction unique and fun to play while attempting to keep them balanced and feasible within Relics ability and unit design. The Japanese boast a good variety of units, good use of camouflage, a unique tunnel system, and good access to indirect options. While their armor is lacking they can invest in upgrades to unlock more reliable units at a price or compensate with the available infantry AT or doctrinal structures.
Their tier system is made to force the player to make choices, while still giving them access to units they will need to stay in the game and succeed. The first choice the player must make is to build either the aggressive IJN Support or the defensive IJA Command. From there they can either expand their early game by building the other building or choose to get some light vehicle support with the vehicle depot. The final building, armor battalion, comes a bit cheaper than most factions T3 level structures, but the units are subpar in AT compared to other factions. The player can choose to support them with AT options from other tiers or invest in a better medium tank, better Tank destroyer, or artillery.
Starting resources 360mp, 60fuel
Utility Infantry, 220mp:
5 men builder Unit armed with nimbu pistols, can build base and defensive structures, 220 mp:
-Vet ability- Bushido, 20 muni: Squad takes as much experience from taking damage as it does dealing it.
- dual flamethrower upgrade: 90 muni
- mine sweeper :30 muni
- Type 99 mine: General purpose mine, 30 muni
- Tunnel Bunkers (entrance(50mp) and exit(150mp)):
- Entrance can only be built in base territory and can be linked to any non-upgraded tunnel bunker. Exits can be built anywhere including enemy territory, but can only be upgraded in friendly territory. allows for units to quickly move from the base to the frontlines or even flank unsuspecting enemies .
- Camouflage, 30 munitions: Bunker gains camouflage ability, can be used with other upgrades.
- MG nest, 60 munitions: Bunker is upgraded with a HMG gunner
Type 1 Ho-Ha halftrack, 200mp 20 fuel:
A halftrack to reinforce. It has three HMGs located at the front and sides. Units can garrison and fire out the top. Requires at least two buildings before unlocking.
- Unload medical supplies: Ho-Ha locks down. In this state medics come out and heal any injured units. Guns and garrison is disabled, but pop cost is reduced to 0.
Grenade upgrade, 125mp 25 fuel:
- Unlocks Type 97 grenades for IJA and SNLF forces.
Tier 1 - IJN Support: 80mp 50fuel
Requirements-none
SNLF (Special Naval Landing Forces), 240mp:
5 men frontline infantry armed with 3 Type 100 SMGs and 2 Arisaka rifles. Excels and medium to short range making it a good unit for aggressive play. Roughly equivalent to upgraded cons.
- AT rifle grenade: A soldier will launch a AT rifle grenade at a tank disabling the engine if it penetrates.
- Vet ability- Bushido, 20 muni: Squad takes as much experience from taking damage as it does dealing it.
Type 92 Battalion gun, 320mp:
A 4 man indirect unit takes the role of the Japanese mortar. This gun ,which is essentially a miniature howitzer, is unique in that it has a low firing arc allowing shells to reach their target faster and does good damage on light vehicles if it can manage to hit. It's disadvantages are it's long set-up times and it's low arc means it will hit any high buildings in the way of it and its target.
- vet ability- Direct Fire, 25 muni: Fires a shot directly at any vehicle.
Stealth Sniper, 320mp:
A 1 man sniper unit with a Type 97 sniper rifle. While the unit fires slightly slower than the German sniper he can return to camouflage much more quickly.
- Set up position: The sniper can build a small light cover, in the form of a small bush, anywhere on the battle field. The bush is also camouflaged from your opponents.
- Vet ability- Conceal Position 25mp: The snipers first shot does not reveal its position.
Tier 2 - IJA Command: 80mp 50 fuel
Requirements- none
IJA(Imperial Japanese Army) Infantry, 240mp:
IJA are a 5 man squad armed with Type 99 Arisaka rifles. They excel in long to mid range combat and are good for keeping infantry from support weapons. Are most comparable to grens. They lack any sort of AT but make up for it with their high dps when upgraded and their Banzai charge helps to stop flanking infantry from rushing your support weapons.
- Type 99 LMG, 40 muni: A bit less effective than the LMG 42, but also cheaper and faster aim time.
- BANZAI!, 30 muni: Squad charges a single enemy squad, suppressing them if they reach. Has a minimum range similar to ram and takes 50% received accuracy during their charge.
- Vet ability- Bushido, 20 muni: Squad takes as much experience from taking damage as it does dealing it.
Type 92 HMG, 240 mp:
A 4 man Heavy Machine gun team. This units setup and reload times are both rather quick similar to the maxim squad. On top of that its arc is larger somewhere in between the Germans and the soviets. It's disadvantages are a low damage output, slow pinning speed, and a small suppression AoE. Making it good for quickly pinning and fast reacting to flanks, but can easily be overwhelmed by larger forces.
- Vet Ability- Button Vehicle, 45 muni: Stuns target vehicle within its arc for 5 seconds.
Type 90 75mm Field Gun, 320 mp:
A 4 man AT gun team. Has a good rate of fire, high penetration, and does decent damage. Not much special about this unit, but is necessary for this faction to have a good AT gun to deal with heavy armor.
- Vet Ability-HE round, 30muni: Fires a HE round at the target location, can stun vehicles if it hits them.
Tier 3 - Vehicle Depot, 250mp 60 fuel
Requirements- At least 1 base structure built
Isuzu AA, 260mp 15fuel:
A Type 96 25mm dual purpose gun mounted on a Isuzu truck. Like a light Ostwind this unit can do good damage to both infantry and light vehicles, but it's low armor and health make it a glass cannon. Best used to support other units. It also has the role of Anti Air giving Japan a relatively cheap anti air option compared to other factions.
- vet ability- perceptive driver, 20 muni: Can detect mines for 10 seconds.
Anti Tank Team, 300mp:
A 5 men team armed with 2 Type 97 Automatic Cannon and 3 Arisaka rifles. The type 97s are similar to the soviet PTRS, but fire much faster due to their semi-automatic nature, making them better against medium tanks if allowed to fire with impunity, but their true danger comes from their lunge mine ability which can heavily cripple tanks if careless around them.
- Lunge Mine, 45 muni: A single entity from the squad charges the selected vehicle for a short distance. If he connects with the tank it will cause 400 damage and heavy engine damage. If he fails to reach the vehicle in 3 seconds the unit will still detonate killing him and any nearby units in an honorable explosion.
- Vet ability- Bushido, 20 muni: Squad takes as much experience from taking damage as it does dealing it.
Model 92 "Osaka" armored car, 240mp 15fuel:
This armored car has 4 Type 92 HMGs, one on the front, one on each side, and one on the Turret on top. Like the 222 this armored car is fast and can kill infantry even better than the 222, but lacks any sort of AT weaponry and is relegated to AI and scouting duty . Good for light armor rushes.
- vet ability- Perceptive Driver, 20muni: Can detect mines for 10 seconds.
Tier 4 - Armored Battalion 250mp, 90 fuel
Requirements- Any two base structures.
Unlock Chi-Nu, 50 fuel: Command has given you access of reserve Chi-Nu tanks.
Unlock Ho-Ni III, 50 fuel: Command has given you access of reserve Ho-Ni III Tank Destroyers.
Unlock Ho-Ro,30 fuel: Command has given you access to Type 4 Ho-Ro SPGs.
Chi-Ha, 280mp 85fuel:
Armor: 100
health:640
damage: 120
penetration:80
reload:4.3
Armed with a high velocity 47 mm gun and thin armor, the Chi-Ha isn't the best match for enemy armor, but what it does have is an exceptional rate of fire giving it good damage against infantry and allowing it to quickly tear through tanks if allowed to hit the rear. It can work well when paired with other units that can handle armor better.
- Off road expertise, 20 muni: Ignore terrain effects.
Chi-Nu, 380mp, 130fuel:
Armor:130
Health:640
damage:160
penetration:120
reload:4.3
A late war produced tank designed to go toe to toe with tanks like the Sherman. Armed with a 75mm the Chi-Nu performs much better than the Chi-Ha while still retaining a high rate of fire makes this tank lethal to any armor. Although it has lower armor then its adversaries making even smaller at weapons a threat and it's won't be easy to penetrate heavy armor making flanking a must.
- Off road expertise, 20 muni: Ignore terrain effects.
Ho-Ni I 280mp, 90 fuel:
armor:70
Health:340
damage:160
penetration:170
reload:4.2
The Ho-Ni I was tank destroyer designed to take on tanks like the Sherman. It boasts a 75mm gun mounted on its front. In game it will have a high penetration, rate of fire even making its offensive power comparable to a SU-85 while even turning slightly faster. Where it starts to fail is in its durability. The Ho-Ni has thin armor and low health make it similar to the SU-76 and can be easily destroyed by any enemy with even a modicum of AT power and it's penetrating power stats to fail when fighting heavy tanks.
- Focus Sight: Crew focuses on scanning forward of their vehicle to reveal distant targets.
- Vet ability- HE round, 25 muni: Fire a single HE round at the designated area. Same effect as a T34-85 round.
Ho-Ni III, 320mp 130 fuel:
Armor:160
Health:640
Damage:160
penetration:190
Reload:3.8
The Ho-Ni III was an improvement of the Ho-Ni I. It's improved Type 3 75mm Gun helps it penetrate even the heaviest of armor. It's enclosed top also gives it more survivability allowing it to take a couple more shots then it's predecessor. All while keeping it's good turn rate.
- Focus Sight: Crew focuses on scanning forward of their vehicle to reveal distant targets.
- Vet ability- HE round, 25 muni: Fire a single HE round at the designated area. Same effect as a T34-85 round.
Type 4 Ho-Ro SPG, 360mp 105fuel:
The Ho-Ro takes the role of Japan's late game artillery. About what you would expect from a mobile artillery. Like the soviet's ML-20 it fires 4 rounds rather slowly with similar results and has a lower range then artillery emplacements, but can quickly relocate after barrages.
- Vet Ability- predesignated location: Unit will focus on a single area and fire on any unit that enters the targeted location.