FIBUA

FIBUA, as I’m sure most of you know, is a British army acronym for fighting in built up areas… but it’s also known by British squaddies as FISH and CHIPS (Fighting In Someone’s House & Causing Havoc In People’s Streets.

As you can see from the piccies below that’s exactly what I’m about to embark upon in the fictional town of Brompton during A Very British Civil War.

A general overview of the Parkside industrial area, north is the right hand board edge bordered by the Birmingham road. 

Since the terrain is based on interlocking tiles I can jiggle the whole lot around and reposition things for a different future layout, and It’ll also be possible to add to it with a few rows of terraced houses or even a high street with shops if my spot the ball entries ever produce a win. 

I’ve tried to avoid my previous mistakes, made back in the day, where I went full railway modeller and created terrain that looked lovely but that I couldn’t actually fit my soldiers in, so if it seems a bit cartoony, that’s the reason.

A view to the north west showing the refugee control point on Caldwell lane. 

Looking south west from the Birmingham road.

While all this was being built I’ve been conducting test games with various skirmish rule sets and was disappointed that the ones I was expecting to use didn’t really cut the mustard. You never really know until you get the toys on the table, do you? Eventually I stumbled across Fistful of Lead which I’d discounted previously as a cowboy and injuns game. To my relief its not, and it really has everything I want out of a system, with the bonus being that its sister game of Bigger Battles works well for my Indian mutiny and possibly my HYW stuff too. Sharing the same core system (mostly) may mean that my increasingly foggy memory isn’t tested too much each time I get the boys out (I live in hope - or hippy, according to the modern marvel that is auto correct).

Proof of the new rules efficacy was provided in the usual way when No2 son turned up, ate everything in the fridge and thrashed the life out of me with them. It’s a family tradition thing.

Anywhoo… I’ll be running five games in a mini campaign, over the next few months, details of which have already been worked out and all of which will involve fighting for control of this industrial area in the North East of Brompton. The game area is about 4 x 3 and if that seems small don’t forget these will be skirmish games involving as few as 7 to 10 figures per side. I’ve had test games that lasted a mere 10 minutes (never bunch up in front of a dug in Lewis gun) and one game that I had to finish the next day so it’s going to be difficult to judge how in depth the expected bat reps will be. Hopefully we won’t have too many…Turn 1 Side (A) died to a man while entering the board. lol. 

Modelling will be taking a bit of a back seat for a while, I hope, but there are some new Army of The Severn Valley (British Army regulars), a naval landing party and a bloody great tank with numerous turrets on to get to grips with at some point, so no peace for the wicked eh.

Vickers MkIII in case you were wondering. Only three ever produced. 

Right then I’ll be back in February with some games if the Gods spare me, but before I sling my hook I came across this monstrous concoction when I was looking for advertising posters to put on the side of a building.

Jeez. Did they really drink this stuff back in the day?

Toodleooh mes amis.