20% off RRPBanzai! Japanese Starter Army
Japan · 1 kits
1× Metal officer · 48× Plastic infantry · 1× Metal medium mortar team · 1× Metal medium machine gun team · 1× Resin and metal Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank
Bolt Action Japan Paint Scheme
A full Bolt Action Japan paint scheme, generated and ready to test: the armour ramp from basecoat to edge highlight plus metals, skin, lenses and basing — every colour matched to real paints from Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and 35+ more ranges, with live prices. Use it as a planner, tweak any colour, or take it into the full generator.
Start this scheme
The boxes we can price for this faction, cheapest first, and the paint sets that cover most of the recipe below.
20% off RRP
20% off RRPFor the Emperor! Japanese Starter Army
Japan · 1 kits
42× Japanese Infantry · 1× Type 91 105mm Howitzer (metal) · 1× Chi-Ha medium tank · 1× Ho-Ro assault gun
Vallejo Model Air - Basic Box Set
71 paints
£191.99
£239.99-20%
+59
from £191.99· compare 2 shops· priced 3 Jul
Covers 9 of 14 colours in this scheme
AK Interactive Signature Set - Historical Figures XVI-XVIII by Pepe Gallardo (AK11762)
18 paints
£44.55
£49.50-10%
+6
£44.55at Loaded Dice· priced 2 SepCovers 8 of 14 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Air - US Army Air Corps MTO WWII Set
8 paints
£19.19
£23.99-20%
from £19.19· compare 2 shops· priced 3 Jul
Covers 7 of 14 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Air - USAAF Aircraft Set Set
16 paints
£38.39
£47.99-20%
+4
from £38.39· compare 2 shops· priced 3 JulCovers 7 of 14 colours in this scheme
Covers 6 of 14 colours in this scheme
Model Color Set - Face/Skin Colours (x16)
16 paints
£17.79
£47.99-63%
+4
from £17.79· compare 2 shops· priced 28 Aug
Covers 6 of 14 colours in this scheme
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Base coat
Shade
Layer
Highlight
Edge highlight
Additional details
Trim
Weapons
Leather
Skin
Lenses
Basing
Puttees & webbing
Hinomaru red
Helmet netting & foliage
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
★ Our pick for base coat
Very Close
Desert Camo
Green Stuff World
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
★ Our pick for shade
Close
Super Wash Dark Brown
Coat d'Arms
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Similar
Similar
Similar
Limelight Dip
Green Stuff World
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Discontinued
Kommando Khaki
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for layer
Very Close
Very Close
Dark Golden Brown
Monument
Very Close
Very Close
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Desert Dust Wash
Vallejo
★ Our pick for highlight
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Details & accent colours
Everything else on the model - metals, skin, leather, lenses, basing and this faction's signature accents.
Metal — trim
Trim and bare plate. Basecoat steel, wash dark, then edge bright silver.
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Heavy Metal
Scale75
Close
Metal — weapons
Bolters, blades and casings. Dark gunmetal, washed black, edged with bright steel.
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Similar
Close
Black Metal
Scale75
Similar
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Exact Match
Very Close
Very Close
Beasty Brown
Vallejo
Very Close
Skin & flesh
Faces and hands. Basecoat, a flesh wash into the recesses, then build the highlights back up.
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
★ Our pick for skin & flesh
Very Close
Very Close
Elf Skin Tone
Vallejo
Very Close
Resurrection Flesh
Scale75
Very Close
Caucasian Skintone
Kimera Kolors
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Eyes & lenses
Lenses, eyes and energy. A bright spot colour that pops against the armour - dot it on and add a white glint.
Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine
Monument
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Exact MatchDiscontinued
Very Close
Very Close
Ultramarine
Vallejo
Very Close
Caledor Sky
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
Discontinued
Graveyard Earth
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
Gobi Brown
Scale75
Exact Match
German Splinter Brown Light
Foundry
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Very Close
Very Close
Dark Beige
Green Stuff World
Puttees & webbing
Leg wraps, belts and pack straps a shade greener than the mustard tunic - the two-tone khaki is what makes an IJA figure read as Japanese and not desert British.
★ Our pick for puttees & webbing
Exact Match
Exact Match
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Hinomaru red
Rank patches, flags and the sun disc on banners. One small red note per figure; the banners carry the rest.
★ Our pick for hinomaru red
Exact Match
Evil Sunz Scarlet
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Exact MatchDiscontinued
Exact Match
Exact Match
Helmet netting & foliage
Scrim and tied foliage on helmets - a mid-green scumble broken with darker leaves, the jungle-theatre signature.
★ Our pick for helmet netting & foliage
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Buy It as a Box
Paint sets that cover this recipe - a set is usually cheaper than buying pots one by one.
No price tracked yet
Covers 9 of 14 paints in this scheme (64%) — base coat, layer, highlight, leather & pouches and more.
Or cover 93% of the recipe with 3 boxes (£317.61 for 2 of the 3 — the rest are priced in dollars):
No price tracked yet
Speedpaint Complete Set 2.0
90 paints
£302.76
£336.40-10%
+78
from £302.76· compare 4 shops· priced 3 Jul
AK Interactive 3rd Gen Acrylic Metallics Set (AK11608)
6 paints
£14.85
£16.50-10%
£14.85at Loaded Dice· priced 2 Sep
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
14 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
14 paintspostage per seller
- Dead FleshJadlam£2.49
- Battledress BrownMerlin's Miniatures£3.50
- Desert Dust WashMerlin's Miniatures£3.50
- Grey Knights SteelModel Workshop£2.54
- Aggaros DunesModel Workshop£4.39
- Scarlet BloodJadlam£2.49
- Heavy GreenJadlam£2.49
- not stocked: Kommando Khaki, Ancient Mummy, Iron Wolf, Owlbear Brown, Bestigor Flesh, Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine, Graveyard Earth
free UK delivery over £20
- Dead Flesh£2.36
- Grey Knights Steel£4.04
- Bestigor Flesh£2.34
- Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine£4.50
- Aggaros Dunes£4.04
- not stocked: Battledress Brown, Kommando Khaki, Desert Dust Wash, Ancient Mummy, Iron Wolf, Owlbear Brown, Graveyard Earth, Scarlet Blood, Heavy Green
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
Add 3 to Amazon basket- Grey Knights Steelsee price
- Bestigor Fleshsee price
- Aggaros Dunessee price
- not stocked: Dead Flesh, Battledress Brown, Kommando Khaki, Desert Dust Wash, Ancient Mummy, Iron Wolf, Owlbear Brown, Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine, Graveyard Earth, Scarlet Blood, Heavy Green
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Dead Flesh
Vallejo
£2.36at Wayland Games· priced 28 AugKommando Khaki
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
No price tracked yetDesert Dust Wash
Vallejo
£2.66at Loaded Dice· priced 2 SepAncient Mummy
Army Painter
No price tracked yetIron Wolf
Army Painter
No price tracked yetOwlbear Brown
Army Painter
No price tracked yetBestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
£2.34at Wayland Games· priced 28 AugRogue Hobbies Ultramarine
Monument
£4.50at Wayland Games· priced 28 AugGraveyard Earth
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
No price tracked yetAggaros Dunes
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
£4.04at Wayland Games· priced 28 AugScarlet Blood
Vallejo
£2.49at Jadlam · eBay· priced 28 AugHeavy Green
Vallejo
£2.49at Jadlam · eBay· priced 28 Aug
Recommended Box Set
Banzai! Japanese Starter Army
Buy at Wayland Games Affiliate links — how we make money What's inside this box
The fastest way to start a Japan army — a boxed force to paint with this scheme.
1× Metal officer · 48× Plastic infantry · 1× Metal medium mortar team · 1× Metal medium machine gun team · 1× Resin and metal Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank
Best price
£83.20Wayland Games
in stock · priced 4 Sep · free UK delivery over £20
Buy at Wayland Gamesexcl. delivery
Every Japan kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
More Bolt Action schemes
Is Bolt Action Japan a big job? See how every faction rates for difficulty — model size, detail and what the scheme demands — or work out what an army costs per point.