Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

2nd Lt +2 lackeys - Scout car
Flamethrower team - Scout car
Sniper team
3 suicide AT teams
Heavy mortar team
IJA Grenadier army - 6 men, 3 light mortars
Para Squad - 3 SMG, light truck
IJA Infantry Squad - 10 men, truck
IJA Infantry Squad - 10 men, truck
IJA Infantry Squad - 11 men, truck

I am currently only using stuff found within the starter box except for the flamethrowers and vehicles (vehicles are not there yet), I feel the list is solid but it does not utilize IJA's biggest strength which is 190 points of 18 men blobs marching up the field. I chose to use normal infantry because everything has Fanatic and banzai charge rules where I automatically pass my tests for assaults. While 4 mortars lay down a massive curtain of smoke barrages. I am also debating by replacing the heavy mortar with a medium mortar to put another infantry man into the trucks.

If you're going to lay down a smoke barrage why bother with rucks and vice versa? Those trucks will move you 24 inches turn one with a run order and if they get destroyed up there it doesnt matter because of banzai. If i was you i'd either switch that mortar squad for a squad in a truck or ditch all your transport and just go infantry heavy.

I would be nervous of taking huge infantry squads as they are sure to get pinned. Two 9 man squads would each take half the number of pins that a single 18 man squad would take and also dish out two pins per turn instead of just one.

The thought was to run the trucks up with smoke cover but I have never used trucks before either. I may keep the scout cars though and build massive infantry blocks.

NickP wrote:
I would be nervous of taking huge infantry squads as they are sure to get pinned. Two 9 man squads would each take half the number of pins that a single 18 man squad would take and also dish out two pins per turn instead of just one.

Banzai takes care of pinning!

I use the standard 13 man squads and do fine with regards to pinning. I do take a +2 Lt who is well worth his points.

Well the general idea for the mortar squad is to be set up in ambush and to drop a smoke screen on either a tank, AT gun, or whatever I just want to die. With 3 3" smoke clouds and one 5" smoke cloud I feel I can clog up their long range heavy hitters for nearly a full turn with the goal of letting my Japanese soldiers disembark from the transport completely unmolested. That is the intent, what will probably happen (based on my area) I will cackle madly as I drop mortars everywhere while my trucks run down their meanie faces.

Smoke is pretty inaccurate, if you miss which is likely then your opponent gets to relocate it. I found it took several turns to get good smoke coverage, mostly through clogging up the board with smoke until some shells ended up in the right place. I use a grenadier squad, a medium mortar and sometimes a Type 97.

Ultimately if the mortar squad turns out to be worthless I plan on dropping them for an additional squad of 8 in a light truck and putting the anti tank guys into a scout car, since their technically all one selection they won't mind brushing shoulders for a bit. This has the added benefit of giving me a total of 20 order dice, which is insane.

Just a small update, it took an entire game for me to get a handle on dropping smoke instead of laughing manically as I dropped mortars instead. We played envelopment and I still don't have my much needed trucks and jeeps in yet either.