Sprue Focus: New Japanese Infantry!

Armies of Imperial Japan hits shelves around the world at the end of January, and it’s not alone. Accompanying it will be a brand new plastic Japanese infantry boxed set, and with the test sprues landing in our laps, it’s time to show them off to you!

As always, we’ll start with the bodies. Six per frame (that’s thirty per box, for those keeping score at home), with one kneeling, two running, two standing, and one advancing make for a dynamic group of figures, perfect for equipping with the many, many weapons on this sprue. Japanese uniforms were pretty simple and widely used across the armed forces, making these figures perfect for virtually every unit in the book, as well as quick and simple to get painted up. For those wanting to model their troops as Veteran Jungle Fighters, there are also three foliage ‘capes’ that can be attached around the shoulders of any of these bodies, as well as camouflaged (and uncamouflaged!) backpacks. Full sets of of belt equipment are included for each body, and Special Naval Landing Forces players will also be happy to see their unique respirator sets available to add to the figures.

Moving on up, we get to the heads. These are a good indication of just how versatile this kit is, as we’ve got helmeted heads for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Special Naval Landing Forces – two of the four Yamato Damashii national special rules options we’ve already looked at. Alongside them are a trio of heads covered in foliage camouflage, plus separate camouflage add-ons, designed to represent the Veteran Jungle Fighters option and give your forces a truly ‘Pacific’ look, as well as the usual bare and officer heads. There’s also one in a bandana, ideal for recreating the iconic ‘Banzai charge’ appearance.

The thing that determines most of a kit’s utility is of course the weapons options, and the new Japanese plastics are absolutely loaded with them. The first thing you’ll notice is the bayonets – there are a lot of bayonets! Japanese command doctrine really, really liked bayonets, so much so that you find them attached to basically every individual infantry weapon, including light machine guns. Naturally, we had to follow this directive, and so you’ll find both Arisaka rifles, Type 100 submachine guns, and Type 99 LMGs with bayonets fitted, ready for action!

These stalwarts aren’t the only weapons, though – not by a long shot! The famous Type 89 Grenade Discharger (better known as the ‘knee mortar’) appears not once, but twice, which is helpful given just how many of these useful little HE-slingers Japanese armies can bring to bear. For a more direct long-range impact, a scoped Arisaka equips your snipers, while a Nambu pistol and no fewer than four Shin Gunto swords ensure that none of your officers or NCOs need go without their badge of office. We also find a Nambu pistol, hand grenades, several satchels (perfect for either medical supplies or a rather-less-healthy demolition charge), and a bugle. While this last isn’t a weapon (unless the bugler is really bad at their job), it is an important part of the Japanese Quartermaster’s Stores!

Two paragraphs, and we’re still not done with weapons. The second part of the sprue, in addition to most of the heads, contains a couple of very useful bits of kit. The first is… a wooden pole, which on the face of it is great for holding a flag, but particularly threatening. Veteran Japanese players, however, will immediately recognise it as the base for the infamous ‘lunge mine’ suicide anti-tank weapon, giving Japanese forces the ability to threaten even the heaviest armour. Alongside the pole is a certified Bolt Action first – the first ever plastic Medium Machine Gun*! The inclusion of the Type 92 (confusingly called a heavy machine gun in Japanese service, but definitely an MMG in Bolt Action!) means that the new kit makes not only Rifle Platoons, but also Heavy Weapons Platoons for your Imperial Japanese forces.

*The MG 34s and 42s on our German sprues don’t count, as they’re being used in the LMG role!

Finally, we’ve got some really fun components to add character to your force, and with a little bit of cunning hobby they can even become units in their own right! A plastic shell crater per sprue makes basing a doddle since it’s sized to fit on a standard 25mm base, and it’s accompanied by a rather curious piece. The ‘spider hole’ cover gives you a propped-up camouflaged board, under which you can insert a weapon of your choice, instantly making a hidden Japanese soldier, ready to open fire from ambush. The possibilities really are endless here – whether you turn it into a Lone Sniper, objective marker, terrain piece, or even an extra member of a squad, it’s there for you to enjoy and go wild with!