Editing Flames of War/Tactics/Japan (section)

==Why Play Japan==
On the WW2 Japanese forces are characterized by it's fanatical soldiers and meme like tanks, this characterization has some truth to it as even the Japanese high command believed that it was the courage and elan of the soldier that won battles instead of firepower, something probably born out of Japan's samurai tradition and poor industrial base. During the war Japan enjoyed considerable success in the early and mid part of the war, if you ignore the defeat at Khalkhin Gol fighting against the soviets, but got stalled at Burma by the British and Indians, Papua New Guinea by the Australians and at Guadalcanal by the Americans and slowly got pushed back to their home islands by the American island hoping campaign before surrendering after being in the receiving end of two nuclear bombings.

Gameplay wise Japanese forces mirror how they would ideally fight, as such they are a fearless and very aggressive force that really wants to be in bayonet range with the enemy where they can not only negate the firepower of the enemy but also inflict the most damage, to this end their special rules gives you better morale, including the ability to not be automatically destroyed upon failing a last stand test, and allow you to close the gap with the enemy 

===Pros===
*THE best morale in the game with units refusing to back down even when their unit or formation breaks
*Access to the regimental standard which while pricey makes the unit its attached to AUTOPASS morale checks
*Infantry comes with grenade launchers that can launch smoke helping in assaults
*infantry can buy banners that makes your platoon harder to pin down
*Your commanders brought swords to gunfights and have a 2+ assault to show for it
*Big platoons of fearless veteran infantry
*Excellent assault anti-tank in the form of Nikuhaku teams, which you will need since it is your only reliable way of taking anything heavier than a Stuart M3
*The ability to attack at night which helps you close the gap without (hopefully) getting torn to shreds by enemy machine guns (just hope you don't get a repeat of Henderson Field)
*Cheap cost effective artillery, while nothing special you can get smoke launching artillery for very cheap due to your batteries coming in units of 2 guns
*No penalty for only having two guns firing for most artillery
*If you get driven back in a assault you can (have to more precisely) test morale you you pass you get to try the assault again, just beware that can lead to you taking extra casualties if you charge a unpinned target with lots of firepower
*Your tanks remain in the fight firing their MGs and fighting in assaults while bailed out
*You can shout TENNO HEIKA BANZAI at every assault (trust me it won't get old at all)
*You can drag games out since your opponent will have to (most of the time) table you to win
*Your Nikuhaku teams can easily take out a Tiger if they get close (seriously it gives some Wehraboos an anger induced stroke when your molotov and AT mine on a stick infantry blow up their Wunderwaffes)
*Many people will underestimate you as a meme list giving you a small psychological advantage
*Your descendants will invent hentai.

===Cons===
*Very poor ranged anti-tank, the best you can get is your heavy AA gun that has the same AP and firepower as a Sherman 75mm while being immobile...
*Your infantry is mostly rifle teams and while you do get awesome light mortars they do not make up for the lack of firepower compared to other nations platoons
*No APCs, your infantry will be footslogging or riding in flimsy unarmored trucks
*By late war your are still mostly using early war equipment 
*Your tanks have paper for armor 
*Your tanks have tiny infantry support guns for main weapons
*Your tanks have meme status, specially in late war they are completely outclassed and will struggle to fight 1v1 some light tanks
*No armored cars although by late war your tanks are about as armored and armed as one 
*Not many options for miniatures, not many people make 15mm Japanese units specially the rarer stuff like the type 4 Ho Ro
*You don't have many formation options due to only having 2 books covering the pacific theater
*Your commanders brought swords to a gunfight
*Bushido and swords are not acceptable substitutes for firepower and modern equipment
*Commandos are better than you in close combat
*The navy spent all the funding and good steel in ships
*You are probably going to starve or die of disease after the Americans beat the shit out of the navy (the same one that stole your funding) and cut off your resupply
*The pacific theater is the red head step-child of the theaters, expect being the last one to receive books if you do get one at all
*Your descendants will invent hentai