RobZ Mod Japan Overview

An overview of the Japanese faction in RobZ Mod.

Intro

I have over 1,500 hours of experience with the Japanese faction (More hours in other factions), I consider myself a Japan main and have come to appreciate this faction's strengths and weaknesses. However, many players tend to overlook Japan when choosing a faction, despite the faction's unique and interesting features. Thus, I'd like to provide an overview of Japan and encourage more players to give this faction a chance. I will say this guide doesn't give you strategy as a whole, but some descriptions for units might describe a best practice.

Updated according to RobZ 1.28.6

Infantry Squads

GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Japanese infantry units are often underrated, but they are actually some of the most versatile in the game. While they may not have the same level of firepower as other factions, they make up for it with their speed, mobility, and versatility. The Japanese infantry units are particularly effective in close combat and urban environments, where they can use their numbers, agility, and equipment to outmaneuver and overwhelm enemy forces.

SQUADS
Banzai Chargers:
A unique squad that can be very effective if used correctly. While they are not good at holding positions or even shooting enemies point blank, they have a large number of men within their squad (15 in total) and every member of the squad carries a grenade. This makes them ideal for brute forcing your way through to an objective or position. They are horrendous for defense and should be used mainly for offensive purposes. Once they have used up all their grenades, they can be used as a form of body shield for your real defenders. Throw every little ♥♥♥ inside a hole or behind a building.

Assault Section:
A well-rounded squad that is effective in a variety of situations. They are equipped with mostly SMG's and carry a significant amount of grenades (usually 2-4 per member of the squad), including 1 anti-tank grenade for each member of the squad. They are particularly effective at close range and can easily overwhelm enemy positions. Typically a step up from the Banzai chargers, it's possible to use this squad for defense but they are unreliable and are only useful at close ranges. They also carry a few smoke grenades; decent for price, relatively cheap, and effective when used correctly.

Regular Infantry (Both Squads):
More basic, but still useful in certain situations. They come equipped with an MG (Type 99 for the 175 MP squad and Type 96 for the 170 MP squad) and an anti-tank rifle grenade (Which is not bad, but not reliable). Most of the squad is equipped with bolt action rifles and are good at picking off enemy infantry. They are useful for holding the line and can be used to set up defenses, they come equipped with shovels for sandbags/foxholes and carry a few landmines. They are not particularly effective in offensive situations since most of them carry a lot of equipment and have low veterancy, still more than squads listed above (Lowers their sprint duration). In general these are your screening troops, not the best, but can hold the line decently for the price.

Imperial Guard:
An above average squad that is useful for a variety of purposes. They come equipped with a significant amount of landmines, a Type 4 bazooka, and the ability to dig foxholes/sandbags. They are equipped with anti-tank grenades, which isn't very reliable but could get the job done in the right situation. They also carry around 54 grenades total, some of which may be grenades for the rifle grenadier. They are a good all-around purchase and can be used for just about anything, but work best in defense. This is typically the squad you'll be buying to hold your line efficiently, they have decent veterancy and two Type 99 MG's.

Takasago Section:
Finally we're getting to the Japanese elite infantry, this one in particular is cheaper than the SNLF Marines but performs just as well with only 1 less veterancy than the SNLF Marines. They are not equipped with any anti-tank weapons other than grenades and some dynamite, but they are equipped with 2 Type 99s (MG's) and with their high veterancy they are very effective. Each member of the squad carries 4 grenades, 2 anti-tank grenades, and 2 sticks of dynamite, making them very deadly. If you buy this squad or any squad listed below this one, it will put your paratroopers on a 15 minute cooldown, so paradrop before you buy these units.

Teishin Paratroopers (Not Dropped):
A good all-around infantry unit, they are probably not worth buying because you have better options (Takasago or SNLF Marines). They are equipped with camouflage kits which are pretty much useless and they are not particularly well-suited for offensive situations. They do not have any anti-tank weapons other than grenades and in general you should avoid buying this unit.

Paradropped Teishin Paratroopers:
When paradropped, they are one of the best infantry units in the entire game due to the fact that every single Japanese soldier carries the Type 3 anti-tank grenade (All squads above banzai chargers carry this grenade). The AT grenade acts as an impact grenade which explodes on contact. Although the Type 3 is not the most effective anti-tank grenade, the fact that the Japanese squads have 15 men, each with an anti-tank grenade, means that it is easy to drop on an enemy tank or artillery and spam these grenades. Typically it won't kill tanks unless you're lucky, but they are perfect for artillery and mortars. The paratroopers carry 2 of the anti-tank grenades each, making it possible to take out a tank, if you're lucky, with a few grenades.Typically, this unit is used for a one-way mission but the MP trade is usually worth it assuming you kill what your paradropping on. The paratroopers also spawn with landmines, and half of the squad spawns separately from where you paradrop them at. When they land, try to prone as many guys as possible so they stop running and grab the closest man and press F2 and left click on the enemies artillery or whatever you're trying to kill.

SNLF Marines:
One of the best elite infantry units in the game. Although they may not be as good as the German Fallschirmjager's, they can easily go toe-to-toe with them. They come with an SNLF Type 4 RPG man, which has a range of 75m and is very accurate and very deadly. They come with w Type 99 MG soldiers and have the highest veterancy out of all Japanese infantry. They spawn with up to 4 frag grenades and 2 AT grenades each, the machine gunners spawning with dynamite as well. A very elite unit and a force to be reckoned with.

Notes:
Japanese combat engineers and mine disposal experts are basically the same as every other nation.

A downside is that you can't purchase an elite tank crew.

All Japanese squads spawn with 15 men, the most per squad compared to every faction in the game.

Specialized Soldiers

PURCHASES TO NOTE
Type 2 SMG:
An interesting SMG that is not available in any Japanese squads. This makes it a good purchase if you need a reliable SMG. He spawns with only 2 veterancy which is pretty bad but he does come with a smoke grenade.

Type 89 Mortar Infantry (Knee Mortar):
A unique weapon known as the Knee Mortar, relatively inexpensive at 90 MP. It doesn't hit as hard as it did in RobZ Mod 1.28.4., but can still be useful in the right situation. The mortar shell itself doesn't have a large explosion, but it can shoot extremely fast and catch groups of infantry units at a time. You'll need to give an infantry ammo crate near him because you will run through ammo very quickly.

Kamikaze:
The kamikaze is legendary, it's the most effective anti tank in the game by far and acts as a throwable grenade, meaning you get within throwing distance then blow yourself up. It will literally kill every single tank in the game garunteed as long as you don't mess up. It costs only 50 MP for two soldiers with magnetic mines and explosives on their body. The soldiers themselves have an invisible gillie suit on them, making it easy for them to sneak up on enemy tanks. They are also lightweight and can sprint for good distances. Funny enough they don't spawn with bandages, so if they get hit and are bleeding out, just send 'em in and hope you get lucky. It's important to note that you should press F2 and left click slightly away from the tank to prevent a glitch where the magnetic mine duds and doesn't destroy anything (50% of the time that is).

AT-Rifle Infantry:
An AT-Rifle for Japan, with a range of 120m it's very effective at killing light vehicles and light armor. It's magazine fed and cost 100 MP, mostly depending on the faction you're facing you'll almost always want to get this.

SNLF AT Infantry:
A bit pricey at 160 MP, the Type 4 RPG is one of the most effective shoulder fired rockets and can kill just about every tank in the game in 1-2 shots. You can buy the cheaper AT Infantry that cost 130 MP instead, but the accuracy is slightly diminished, although the range stays the same for both. It's also worth noting that SNLF Marine squad (The 325 MP one) will spawn with an AT soldier, so it might be worth just buying an entire squad.

Type 11 Machine gunner:
An interesting machine gun as it takes rifle clips as ammo instead of a magazine or belt fed machine gun, only from the Type 38 rifle though. So you can pair this machine gunner with other infantry using the Type 38 Arisaka and they will share their ammo with this machine gunner. Just be careful because machine gunners shoot a lot. Also slightly cheaper than the other machine gunners at 32 MP.

Type 96 Machine gunner/Type 99 Machine gunner:
A single magazine machine gunner for fairly cheap, 36 MP for each.

Imperial Guard Type 99 MG team:
A small contingent of 4 above average units, three of them riflemen, and one Type MG. For 96 MP it's a pretty good purchase if you just need a machine gunner and some riflemen without buying the full squad. The riflemen carry some landmines and can dig foxholes/sandbags.

SNLF Type 99 MG team:
Another small contingent of 4 elite units, three of them riflemen, one a Type 99 MG man. It's a useful purchase if you want some marines without paying for the full squad. This is a good second buy, 123 MP, if the first buy is suicide chargers (And assuming you win the first engagement of the game). Although it's more efficient to just purchase the entire marine squad for 325 MP instead. What's better about this unit compared to the Imperial Guard MG team is that the riflemen actually carry 3 extra magazines for the machinegun each, so 9 more magazines in total.

Flamethrower Infantry:
A Japanese flamethrower unit costing 75 MP and comes with a single SMG bodyguard.

Type 97/99 Sniper:
The Japanese snipers are not the best in the game, but they have gillie suits and cost very little. The Type 97 Sniper only costs 40 MP, making sniper spam a thing (If you can afford the CP). You can load up an area with 2-4 snipers can slow down and even halt enemy infantry pushes. However, sicne they're Japanese they sometimes they miss every shot, so don't rely on this. The Type 99 Sniper has the exact range, fire rate, and everything as the Type 97 Sniper, and the only difference is accuracy at a distance. The 99 costs 60 MP and will likely result in similar amounts of kills as the 97 Sniper. A HUGE downside to these snipers is snipers cost 5 CP each.

Type 99 Magnetic Mine:

Transport and Procurement

QUICK OVERVIEW
Like all other factions, there are ammo trucks, ammo boxes, and a truck with defense building equipment and such.

The Isuzu mortar (Same mortar as the Type 97 mortar) is decent, but it's bugged and cannot be repaired, it will literally be considered destroyed and all your men will get out if the tire pops. It spawns with a decent amount of ammo already in the truck and is slightly cheaper than the normal mortar costing 350 MP instead of 390 MP.

The Type 97 motorcycle is similar to all other factions and so if you like them Japan has it.

The Ho-Ha transport vehicle is not very good...it does spawn with 3 mounted Type 99 MG's which face forward, left, and right, but can only hold 6 men and is a pretty big target. Also the men of the machine guns are very exposed and will almost always die before getting off more than 5 rounds. It doesn't even spawn with a bazooka like the American half track.

Other than buying ammo, you will mostly ignore this tab.

Support Weapons

WHAT'S WORTH USING
20mm Type 2:
This is a powerful gun that is great for destroying light tanks and infantry. It's a good investment and is available early on in the game. It doesn't give good cover for the guns operator, but for some reason this thing just does not die, it only costs 180 MP.

Type 97 Mortar:
Probably the best mortar for Japan. It fires quickly, has a range of 275m, and it only needs infantry ammo. It can be very effective in holding your line but suffers on precision, it does have a good explosive radius though. For the most part it's considered a must-have when playing as Japan. It does lack white phosphorus shells and isn't particularly good at counter mortaring because it doesn't like to hit where you're aiming, it's always slightly off.

150mm Type 97 Mortar:
This is an expensive mortar with a range of 275m, costing 590 MP. It's not purchased very often, but it can do amazing things. Because of its 150mm size, it can occasionally destroy enemy tanks with one hit, it will automatically target enemy tanks and you'll see this thing kill a tank every now and then. It has a high explosive radius and can also deploy a sandbag wall covering all 340 degrees of it.

200mm Type 4:
This rocket used to be really good, but its range was increased to 255m, and it destroyed its accuracy in the process. It's difficult to hit anything so it's not recommended to buy unless you're trying to hit a large area at random. The infantry wheeling this thing around are really fast, so you can shoot and scoot pretty easily with this.

75mm Type 90:
This anti-tank gun is cheap at 300 MP and can be difficult to hit because of its small size. It can also deploy a sandbag wall in front of it, which can help against enemy infantry fire. It's great for destroying medium and light tanks but will struggle with heavier tanks such as the IS-1 or KV, although it can kill those too.

Type 41 75mm Mountain Gun:
This is an expensive gun at 360 MP, and it's the only Japanese weapon with white phosphorus other than the 150mm artillery piece. It has a range of 180m and can fire indirectly up to 300m away. It's an alright, but expensive, buy because you can purchase it so early in the game. The HE on this thing is basically useless, the explosive radius is less than a grenade.

75mm Type 4 AA:
This is Japan's best anti-tank gun, with a range of 230m it slaps everything. However, buying the special point ones instead is probably a better idea because they have a range of 250m, come with two of them, have an elite crew, and have the special ammo that gives more penetration. They are expensive (For Japan at least) and easy targets to destroy if targeted, protect them and they will protect you.

105mm Type 91:
Japan doesn't have access to the long-range heavy mortars that the USSR and Germany have, but they do have the 105mm Type 91. It's a fairly cheap artillery piece at 500 MP, small in size, and fires quickly. It's effective against heavy mortars and shorter-range artillery and can also bombard areas with high volumes of infantry.

Ho-Ni 2:
The same as the 105mm Type 91, but is mobile and costs 650 MP instead of 500 MP. Really good for countering enemy artillery as it's very mobile. Typically a much better purchase than the normal 105mm, if you play against an enemy using a lot of mortars and artillery, get this to counter it all.

Ha-To:
This is Japan's best anti-tank option for heavier vehicles with longer ranges. It has a range of 265m and is very effective at destroying whatever you hit. It's a fast vehicle, so the shoot n' scoot tactic works well with it. It can sometimes be a little inaccurate, but comes with plenty of ammo and out ranges all tanks so just hide it from artillery and you'll be fine.

Light Support Vehicles

WHAT'S USEFUL
Type 92:
A light vehicle that costs only 160 MP. It's equipped with a 360 degree rotating machine gun turret, and fixed machine guns on the left and right sides, as well as the front. It's relatively fast and has that "X factor" that allows it to survive longer than you might expect. This vehicle is particularly useful for taking out infantry, but if there's any anti-tank (AT) equipment around, it's unlikely to survive for very long.

Ha-Go:
The Ha-Go is one of the fastest vehicles in the game, and while it doesn't offer much protection, its speed makes it difficult for enemy tanks to hit. You can think of it as the shock trooper of the light tank world. It can handle infantry fairly well, with a rear-facing machine gun and a fixed frontal-facing machine gun, as well as a 37mm cannon. However, it's vulnerable to weapons like the 50 cal, and it's probably the worst option for taking out other tanks, even other light tanks. It's possible to drive right up to the side of a Sherman and shoot into its flat side, which usually destroys your Ha-Go too from the resulting explosion. Overall, it's a decent vehicle, especially for rushing into enemy back lines and creating havoc.

SS-D:
The SS-D lacks range, but makes up for it with 350 degree coverage of flamethrowers and fixed forward and right-facing machine guns. If placed in a good position, it can effectively lock down an entire area. However, its lack of range means it's vulnerable to longer ranged vehicles, including longer ranged flame tanks like the wasp which can burn your SS-D out before you can even drive within range.

Tank Support

USABLE TANKS
Chi-Ha 120:
If you're looking for an anti-tank option, the Chi-Ha 120 is your best choice. It's a bit pricey at 500 MP, but it can one-shot almost anything, including Churchill and KV/IS tanks. The HEAT shell isn't very useful and typically I drop them on the ground as soon as I spawn one in. It doesn't have the greatest range , being at 190m, but it can shoot over hills, so if you position it behind a hill, it's really hard for enemies to hit you while you can still hit them with your 120mm shots. On a map with a good spot, this tank is necessary, also good at bombarding objectives to rid them of infantry. Usually you'll just buy the Marine tank for 4 SP instead of using your MP.

Chi-Nu:
The Chi-Nu is a pretty good tank, especially with the most recent RobZ update that gave Japanese tanks better armor-piercing ammunition. It's not too expensive at 370 MP and it's essentially the Japanese version of the Sherman, but with less armor and a worse coaxial machine gun. Also it's really tiny making it hard to hit.

Chi-To:
I usually go for the SP Chi-To, but since the RobZ 1.28.4 update, the Chi-To has become a pretty damn good tank. It's a bit pricier at 575 MP, but it has a longer range of 230m and spawns with experimental ammo that performs really well. The SP version spawns with a lot more special ammo then this version, which only spawns with 5 rounds.

Chi-Ri:
The Chi-Ri is pretty expensive at 650 MP, but it has an autoloader and a really good gun. It's a pretty big target and the 37mm and coaxial machine guns aren't that effective. But since the autoloader loads three shells at a time, missing your first shot isn't as bad because you can reload quickly for the first three shots. It's armor is pretty bad and will blow up spectacularly if it gets hit.

Tank Destroyers

VERY FEW OPTIONS
Ho-Ni 3:
It costs 400 MP, which isn't too bad, but its armor is quite weak and can be penetrated by the SG-43 and DS-39, both of which can also damage the gun. It does have the same gun as the Chi-Nu, but given its poor armor, I wouldn't recommend buying it unless you have no other options. Even then, I would suggest using special points to obtain it instead so you don't have to spend any MP on this thing.

Type 5 Ho-Ri Production:
The Type 5 Ho-Ri Production tank is one of the most consistently reliable Japanese tank destroyers. Its armor is sturdy enough to block some shots, and its gun is excellent with a range of 250m. Additionally, it also has a 37mm gun that can be used for taking out infantry. However, it is quite expensive at 1400 MP. Moreover, the version of this tank that you can get through special points is a better option as it only costs 12 SP. So, while the Type 5 Ho-Ri Production is a great tank, I would still advise against buying it and suggest using special points to obtain it instead, but only if you REALLY need it.

Special Points

In honor of my friend Robin D. Banks who passed away May 31st 2022, his recommended picture for this portion of the guide.

GOOD BUYS
SS-D:
Only costing 2 SP you can literally just spam the crap out of these. Mainly depending on the map, you will almost always be using one of these as soon as you can buy one, either to clear your side or to place in a cheeky spot.

2x Elite Type 4 75mm AA:
These are the 75mm AA AT guns you could normally buy except they have a range of 250mm and significantly better accuracy. The auto targeting and loading the correct ammo has been fixed on this. If you play on a very flat map these are your best bets for AT.

Marine Tank:
This is essentially a Chi-Ha 120 but costs only 4 SP instead of the regular 500 MP. It's a good option for those who want a tank without spending too much MP. Remember to drop the HEAT shells when it spawns in. If you want to win you'll be buying this almost every game.

Banzai:
This purchase spawns semi-elite infantry and 2 Japanese tanks. It's a fun purchase and unique, but not very practical. The Teishin paratroopers that come with this purchase only spawn with rifles, with no SMGs or MGs. The 2 tanks that spawn with it are also garbage.

200mm Rocket:
This unit costs 6 SP and is a good purchase if you don't want to spend MP for it. However, it's not as good as it used to be and typically you'll avoid this.

Chi-To With Experimental Ammo:
This tank is similar to the regular Chi-To, but it spawns with 45 experimental ammo shots instead of just 5. This is a good option for those who want to minimize micro-managing between ammo types, also cost 8 SP instead of MP.

Ho-Ri Prototype:
This tank is similar to the Ho-Ri Production, but it costs only 12 SP, which is a great deal for the best Japanese tank available. It's recommended to save up SP for this purchase if you're playing against lots of long range heavy tanks or tank destroyers.

Conclusion

Review:
Japan is a faction that primarily focuses on infantry rather than relying on its tanks. However, there are some notable tanks such as the Chi-Ha 120 and Chi-To that can be quite effective.

Overall, you should prioritize building up your infantry and support equipment rather than investing heavily in tanks. While the Japanese tanks can be useful in certain situations, they are not the faction's main strength.

I have updated this guide according to RobZ Mod 1.28.6

Japanese Strategy:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2483936369

Ostfront Veteran Overview:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2760510387

United States Overview:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2760809169

Commonwealth Overview:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2761628438

[Welkon]

Yeah this guide is for RobZ Mod multiplayer, the missions aren't made to be played with RobZ Mod on.

[RedDevil22A]

I have been playing the very first Japanese Skirmish Mission depicting one of the earliest and most unknown battles Between the Soviet Red Army and Imperial Japan. Maybe it is just me, but it is incredibly hard to even take that first Objective on the left flank of the Camp and not even the main objective of crossing the stream /river, and taking that objective. Ill get it one of these days lol

[Welkon]

F1, then left click.

[morskiq123]

how do I throw grenades w/ banzai chargers?

[cjprince]

i swear it was working I made a whole mobile battery of em
guess i mustve been using vanilla or another mod

[Welkon]

There has been no update to RobZ and as of 1.28.6 it isn't fixed.

[cjprince]

reevaluate the izuzu mortar it's fixed now

[Zergursh]

Thanks for the guide!

[Seek Inscrutable]

Wow. You just described my strategy, using suicide chargers to defend...

[Scientist]

nice