Firefight at Kilvasten Farm

The Midlands of England and the border country with Wales suffered at the hands of scores of small bands of Islamic State fighters that acted as scouts, scavengers, and death squads. These isolated cells operated independently under a charismatic leader and averaged a dozen individuals. They dressed in civilian clothing, traveled in stolen civilian vehicles, and rarely possessed heavy weapons (with exception of the ubiquitous rocket-propelled grenade launcher).

Most of these groups attacked isolated farms, small villages, and refugee camps. They committed robbery, arson, rape, and murder in their campaign to terrorize the population and pressure the already fragile local and national governments.

In response, the Home Guard tasked the surviving elements of the 4th Mercian Regiment  with protecting the area. In addition to reservists and police volunteers, the 4th Mercian received a small number of advisors from the Special Air Service. Because armoured vehicles were in short supply, they were initially outfitted with civilian SUVs of various types. Some older armoured vehicles were reactivated for their use, including several venerable (and widely disliked) Saxon APCs.

Because of the large area they were assigned and the limited number of soldiers available, units of the 4th Mercian became adept at operating in small groups with considerable autonomy. Platoons split into sections and fireteams to patrol the country lanes and village roads, trusting to sometimes spotty radio communication for backup.

A History of the European Intifada by Manheim Frye

Scenario

A fireteam of the 4th Mercian Regiment believes that a group of Islamic State fighters are currently bedded down in the remains of Kilvasten Farm, a small farm that was an early casualty in the fighting. Because the IS group is highly mobile and likely to leave before assistance arrives, the fireteam elects to assault the fighters at dawn.

Board

The fighting takes place in and around an abandoned farm in the Midlands of the UK. The ground is flat with many trees and bushes.

The structures marked House 1 and House 2 are abandoned and burned out with no roofs. The barn (marked B) is intact, as are the shed and chicken coop to the left. There are two vehicles, a pickup truck and an SUV hidden behind House 1.

Scenario Rules

• Field of Dreams: The fields in the right of House 2 provide Soft Cover while the rest of the fields provide Medium Cover.
• Renovations in Progress: Houses 1 and 2 have many holes blasted through the walls and figures can enter them through any wall.
• Waking Up: IS fighters within House 1 and the Barn cannot take an action until either the guards successfully Spot the enemy and calls out to his comrades.
• Is Hard to Do: Those IS fighters in House 1 and the Barn require 1 action phase to exit the structure. Figures are placed within 1” of the structure at the completion of their actions.

Victory Points

IS Victory Points

For every British soldier killed or wounded, 25 points

4th Mercian Victory Points

For every IS insurgent killed or wounded, 10 points

Setup

The British Home Guard forces start within 6” of the bottom of the board. The IS insurgents have two fighters on guard, with one above the barn and another below House 1. Both start as Hidden. The rest of the IS fighters are split between House 1 and the Barn.

Briefing

IS Briefing

“Awaken my brothers and gather your wits. It’s time to say our prayers, eat our breakfast, drink our tea, and prepare for another day of service to the Caliph. There are more kafir we must fight before we can rest again.”

UK Briefing

“There’s a good chance that the terrorists responsible for a lot of the murders around here are somewhere over there in those buildings. The problem is that the rest of the platoon won’t get here for another 20 minutes and the bastards can bugger off at any moment. I say that we don’t give them the chance.”


Variations

This scenario was written and played assuming good weather. However, it could play out differently if the weather were to turn foul and heavy wind and rain (does it rain in England?) were to restrict Spotting to 12".