https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/app/3508930/Strategic_Command_WWII_War_in_the_Pacific__Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire/

This is the second entry in a two-part Developer’s Diary series covering the armies players will command in Strategic Command: War in the Pacific – 1937: Marco Polo to Pearl Harbor. In Part One, I explored the Republic of China and the forces aligned with her. In this second installment, I’ll shift focus to the Japanese side of the conflict, detailing how I’ve represented the historical Japanese military, their supporting forces, and the various Chinese collaborationist factions within the game.

Japan’s forces were professional, highly trained, and modernized, yet they faced mounting challenges as the war in China dragged on. The Japanese Army that entered China in 1937 was built on a foundation of prewar discipline and an infantry-centric doctrine. Most officers were graduates of the rigorous Imperial Japanese Army Academy, while enlisted soldiers underwent intense indoctrination that emphasized loyalty, obedience, and self-sacrifice. Soldier training prioritized offensive spirit (seishin) and close-quarters combat over firepower or mobility—an approach shaped by Japan’s military culture and its expectation of short, decisive conflicts.

As discussed in our first Developer Diary, in-game Japanese units exceed the offensive and defensive combat values of Chinese units of equal or even larger size. These include veteran formations from the Kwantung Army as well as newly raised reserve divisions from Japan, both of which enter the game with higher research levels and greater experience than their Chinese counterparts. Later in the war, less capable—but numerically significant—Collaborationist Chinese forces will become available to support Japan.

Japan’s allowable builds include heavy and field artillery, light and medium tanks, and a broader range of supporting arms—capabilities that surpass anything available to Chinese forces. On top of this, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force dominates the skies, providing effective ground support for IJA operations.

The Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) officers operated under the nominal direction of Emperor Hirohito and the military leadership in the government. Their relationship was shaped by a complex mix of ideological reverence, military autonomy, and political dysfunction. While officers were formally sworn to absolute loyalty to the Emperor, in practice, the military—particularly the powerful Kwantung Army—increasingly acted with independent initiative, often without direct imperial oversight or approval. This behavior stemmed from a flawed governmental structure: the armed forces were not tightly controlled by civilian political leadership and could not always be counted on to act in the best interests of Japan as a whole.

This lack of cohesion is modeled through scripted events that penalize the Japanese player via reduced MPPs or lowered national morale. Additionally, several Decision Events present the Japanese player with no "good" choices—only "bad" or "worse"—to reflect the often self-defeating or reckless nature of Japanese military politics at the time.

Despite these issues, the IJA was a formidable fighting force—highly disciplined, well-equipped with modern tanks, artillery, and supported by a capable air arm. Drawing on experience from earlier conflicts, the IJA employed aggressive tactics and demonstrated superiority over Chinese forces in the early stages of the war. Their initial offensives resembled blitzkrieg, achieving rapid victories in key campaigns such as the battles for the north-south railways in northern China and the fierce fighting in Shanghai.

However, this early momentum proved difficult to sustain. The IJA, along with their Collaborationist Chinese Forces, struggled to suppress widespread guerrilla activity and maintain control over vast, hostile territory. This rapid expansion into China is reflected through the early arrival of powerful reinforcements from both Japan and the Kwantung Army (stationed in Manchuria). But players will find their advance hampered by the sheer scale of the map (102 x 84 hexes), covering northern China south to French Indochina, and westward as far inland as Szechwan Province.

To model the logistical difficulties of a long campaign, supply is restricted to rail lines. As Japanese forces push away from these rail corridors and into the rough, mountainous terrain of China’s interior, their offensive potential diminishes. Over time, as the war drags on and Japan becomes entangled with Chinese guerrillas, players will experience the historical strain of overstretched supply lines and relentless resistance in a hostile landscape.

Initial Japanese Forces in Northern and Central China
When war broke out in 1937, Japan already had military forces stationed in both northern and central China.

In the north, the primary Japanese formation was the China Garrison Army, a force originally tasked with protecting Japanese nationals and property under the terms of earlier treaties. However, this force became the flashpoint for open conflict following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Numbering around 6,000 men, the China Garrison Army is represented in the game by one Japanese unit, supported by a couple of Collaborationist Chinese units.

In central China, particularly around Shanghai, there were no large Japanese Army formations present at the outset. However, Japan maintained a significant naval presence in the Shanghai International Settlement, an area home to thousands of Japanese civilians and businesses. The garrison there, under the command of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), included around 2,000 men ashore, supported by gunboats and cruisers anchored along the Yangtze River. In the game, this initial presence is represented by one elite Japanese Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) unit and one gunboat.

Kwantung Army
In 1937, the Kwantung Army was one of the most powerful and politically influential formations in the IJA. Stationed in Manchuria (then under Japanese control as the puppet state of Manchukuo), the Kwantung Army held both strategic and ideological importance. It served as a springboard for Japan’s expansion into China and as a stronghold of militarist influence within the Army. Compared to other Japanese formations, it was better equipped and trained, with substantial armor, artillery, and air support.

Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937, Japan began reinforcing the China Garrison Army with elements of the Kwantung Army, along with divisions arriving directly from Japan. By August, a new command—the North China Area Army—was established to coordinate the growing number of troops entering the theater.

In the game, Japanese reinforcements include a headquarters unit, infantry brigades and divisions, cavalry, artillery, and aircraft, many of which arrive directly from the Kwantung Army and are positioned close to the front lines, ready to engage Chinese forces.

Reserves from Japan
In the summer of 1937, Japan escalated its military involvement in China by mobilizing reserve divisions from the Japanese home islands. Initially expecting a limited punitive campaign, the IJA quickly realized that the conflict would expand, prompting a broader mobilization.

The reinforcements included several “Type B” reserve divisions, composed largely of conscripted soldiers and reservists with limited peacetime training. These divisions were generally less experienced than Japan’s active-duty formations, such as those stationed in the Kwantung Army, but they were still well-disciplined and cohesive.

By August 1937, Japan had deployed several reserve divisions to reinforce operations in both northern China and around Shanghai, where intense fighting broke out later that month. These divisions played a pivotal role in expanding Japan’s offensive capabilities, allowing it to conduct multiple large-scale operations simultaneously and maintain momentum during the initial phase of the war.

In the game, these reserve formations are represented by standard Japanese division units, but they do not carry any experience ratings. However, they are well-equipped and arrive with advanced infantry weapons research already in place. These Type B reserve divisions can be identified by their numbering—typically in the 100s. For example, Japanese units named the 101st or 104th Division represent these mobilized reserve forces.

Imperial Japanese Army Air Forces
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) played a pivotal role in Japan’s early campaigns in China, beginning with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. At the time, the IJAAF was a growing and relatively modern force, designed primarily to support ground operations through tactical bombing, reconnaissance, and close air support for Imperial Japanese Army units.

In the early stages of the war, the IJAAF enjoyed air superiority over Chinese skies. Its aircraft outclassed those of the Chinese Air Force, which relied heavily on outdated or foreign-supplied planes. The IJAAF conducted devastating bombing raids on Chinese cities, airfields, and troop concentrations, contributing to early Japanese successes in places like Shanghai, Nanking, and along key railway lines. As with ground units, Japanese air units in the game benefit from advanced research levels and higher experience ratings compared to their Chinese counterparts.

In response to Japanese dominance in the air, the Chinese Nationalist government received support from the Soviet Union, which provided aircraft and volunteer pilots under the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. These Soviet-flown aircraft challenged Japanese air superiority and forced the IJAAF to adapt. Early in the game, the Soviet Volunteer Group (SVG) will activate and join China as a minor faction. The SVG begins with a headquarters unit, a fighter unit, and a medium bomber unit, and it can expand further through the production of additional aircraft units.

Historically, the IJAAF eventually became overextended, especially as the IJA advanced deeper into China’s interior and expanded south into French Indochina. In the game, players may face a similar challenge. However, they also have the opportunity to the size of their air force and invest in research to build a more powerful IJAAF.

Collaborationist Chinese Forces
As Japan occupied large portions of China, it established puppet governments to help administer the conquered regions—most notably the Wang Ching-wei regime in Nanking. These regimes fielded Chinese collaborationist armies that served under Japanese direction. In the game, the Japanese player will receive Decision Events allowing for the creation of several collaborationist puppet states and their respective military forces.

These units were large in number but often fragmented, poorly equipped, and hampered by internal divisions. While they possessed some local knowledge and were tasked with maintaining order, they were generally considered unreliable in frontline combat. They proved useful in rear-area security, allowing Japanese forces to focus on frontline operations. In-game, Chinese collaborationist units will have offensive and defensive values comparable to standard Chinese forces, but the Japanese player can employ them most effectively in anti-guerrilla operations and other support roles.

Imperial Japanese Navy
As a major supporting entity in the war, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) played a critical role in Japan’s campaign in China. While the IJN is more commonly associated with the Pacific Theater, it was heavily involved in the early stages of the war in China. Naval forces were essential for transporting troops, blockading Chinese ports, and conducting amphibious landings in key locations such as Shanghai, Canton and other coastal cities.

In-game, IJN units include light cruisers, destroyers, and gunboats used to screen reinforcements bound for China, aircraft carriers increase Japan’s air power and several elite Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) units are available to deploy or build. These naval forces, along with IJA formations, can be transported to Chinese ports or conduct amphibious landings. The design provides ample troop transport and amphibious lift capacity to support such operations.

The IJN’s air arm also played a major role in bombing campaigns across China, using long-range bombers and fighters to target Chinese infrastructure and cities. In the game, this is represented not only through carrier-based aircraft but also through the deployment of medium bombers.

Overall, the IJN provides Japan with the ability to rapidly reinforce positions, support ground operations from the air, and launch amphibious assaults against the many exposed Chinese port cities along the eastern coastline.

I designed this game to reflect the historical situation, while also endeavoring to make the game playable, balanced and enjoyable. To that end, at the start of the game, China’s Army is large but fragmented. The NRA fields significantly more units than the IJA but suffers from lower combat values, minimal research, and no experience. A small number of German-trained divisions form an elite core, while most other units—including warlord troops—are much weaker than their Japanese counterparts.

As the game progresses, guerrilla warfare options will become available, introducing a new dynamic that, along with the map’s size and terrain, will test the Japanese player. Japan will commit a large number of modern, disciplined units from the Kwantung Army and home islands, and being supported by the IJAAF’s air power and the IJN’s combat and logistical strength will give Japan a strong, though not guaranteed, chance at victory.