#japan

The Ki-100 (including the premium Ki-100-II) is a fighter-bomber found in the Japanese air tree. It may look similar to the Ki-61, because it is! It’s essentially a Ki-61 with a Ha-112 radial instead of a Ha-40 inline engine. It is known for its unique playstyle, which is a blend of energy and turn fighting. It can be equipped with some ordnance for Ground Battles. The Ki-100 and Ki-100-II are similar, the only differences being that the 100-II has a turbocharger under the engine. During the Second World War, it was introduced far too late, at a time when Japan was being bombed daily by B-29 Superfortresses.

The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (彗星, “Comet”), called “Judy” by the Allies, are a collection of three Rank II light bomber aircraft that can be found in the Japanese air tree. While called bombers in the game description, these planes play more like heavy strike fighters, due to their great speed and agility.

Kamikaze (神風 “divine wind”) was a military tactic used in the later stages of the Second World War, used by pilots of the Imperial Japanese Air Force and Naval Air Service. The tactic consisted of an aircraft loaded with explosives; the pilot would then attempt to deliberately ram the aircraft into enemy ships to inflict damage.

The Mitsubishi A6M Reisen, also known as the Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, Rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), is a carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945 and was usually referred to by Allied pilots as the "Zero", even though its reporting name was "Zeke".

The Type 74 (E) is a variant of the venerable Type 74 family. It features a thermal sleeve, a dozer blade, an improved Fire Control System for use with the Type 91 HEAT-FS round, and in-game, the new Type 93 APFSDS round. However, it still has poor reverse speed and rather poor armor, but can make up for it with its firepower and hydropneumatic suspension.

The Type 74, or 74式戦車 (Nana-yon Shiki Sensha) is a Japanese main battle tank that began development at the height of the Cold War. Since entering service in 1975, over 800 were built, the most numerous of any post-war Japanese tank, and only recently was withdrawn from service in 2024.

The Chi-Ha LG, despite first impressions, is one of the best early Japanese tank destroyers once you learn how to play it. The Chi-Ha LG can be frustrating to use at first because of the non-existent armor, difficult to use gun and the added difficulty of facing off against more advanced American Shermans and Soviet T-34s; however, when used properly, it is a beast on the battlefield.

The STB-2 is one of the prototypes of the Type 74 program. Despite its appearance, it is a very formidable foe in all situations, equipped with a powerful engine while combining a very potent APDS round, a fully stabilized gun, and a laser rangefinder. Being a Japanese early MBT however, it suffers from a severe lack of armor, being vulnerable to most enemy fire.

Kako (加古, named after the Kako river in Hyogo Prefecture) was a heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy of the Furutaka class. In fact, cruisers of this class were designed as “first-class cruisers”, since at the time of their construction, the term “heavy cruiser” (which was later defined in the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922) did not exist. The cruiser is characterized by a powerful main battery and good survivability, but suffers from a lack of anti-air armament and weak secondary armament. 

The Nakajima Ki-27 (九七式戦闘機, Kyūnana-shiki sentōki), also known as Type 97 Fighter, was a monoplane fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service up until 1940, which was developed to replace the Kawasaki Ki-10, the Army’s last biplane fighter. Its Allied reporting name was “Nate”, although it was called “Abdul” in the China Burma India theater by many post-war sources.