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NOTE: This article is about the storyline campaign in ArmA 2: BAF. For the Armaverse conflict of the same name, see Operation Crimson Lance (conflict). |
ArmA 2's Operation Crimson Lance campaign follows the story of British Army paratrooper Brian Frost. It was added with the release of the British Armed Forces DLC.
British troops have been deployed en-masse into the Green Sea nation of Takistan as part of NATO's counterinsurgency offensive/troop surge aimed at rooting out the remnants of pro-Aziz Takistani Army forces.
Summary[]
Several weeks have passed following the invasion and downfall of the Takistani regime of Colonel Muhammad R. Aziz. The Takistani military has been broken and with Aziz's death, its leadership fractured and forces routed. Yet in spite of this, the remnants of Aziz's followers have banded together with their militia allies to wage an insurgency against the supposed "occupiers" of their homeland.
Foxtrot-5, Lancer Red's transport inbound for FOB Arizona.
With the new civilian-led Takistani government facing severe pressure, NATO command has authorised the deployment of additional reinforcements.
As part of NATO's transition to counterinsurgency duties, troopers from the British Army's 2nd Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) will help spearhead coalition efforts in putting a stop to the new threat. Upon arrival, the men of 2 PARA are flown directly to Central Takistan, a hotbed of insurgent activity.
| « | The undulating landscape pulsated below our Wild Cat as we scudded over central Takistan. Those hills were a sullen, lifeless mass of rock and dirt; yet, they betrayed an ominous presence. My lads were fresh - boys in every sense of the word. I felt a paternal connection with them - I had to keep them safe: safe from those bastards, safe from the hills, safe from themselves... Sgt. Brian Frost
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Sergeant Brian Frost, leader of 1st Section, 2nd Platoon, 1st Company callsign Lancer Red, is one of those troopers embarking upon this counterinsurgency campaign, codenamed Operation Crimson Lance. His section was being ferried by helicopter to the coalition airbase at FOB Arizona when suddenly, the pilot reports a missile lock and is struck in the tail.
Though the helicopter is rendered combat ineffective, the pilot manages to autorotate into the valley below. Frost's section leaves the disabled helicopter but in the midst of their struggle, had also attracted the attention of pro-remnant militia from the nearby village. Outnumbered and exposed, Frost's section is forced to hastily return fire.
Not long after the fight commences, friendly reinforcements from FOB Arizona arrive in the nick of time to suppress the militia. Another helicopter also lands nearby to pickup the wayward section, and Frost's men are quickly evacuated back to the FOB. Along the way, Frost's men learn (much to their outrage) that their crash was a case of friendly fire; a team of U.S. anti-air soldiers had shot them down by mistake.
| « | CO: Uh, lads, just overheard the traffic... Sounds like you boys were struck by a friendly missile - a US anti-air team. Gallagher: Howay man, you've gotta be shittin' is! I told you these Yanks were trigger happy, like! Frost: Keep a lid on it, Jack. Look, this isn't Oasis on tour, Gallagher, this is a warzone. Get your head together and pipe down. The troopers of Lancer Red are less than pleased to hear the cause of their shootdown
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Reporting in at FOB Arizona, Frost locates Lancer Red's company commander for a debriefing. The officer reported that their friendly fire incident was being looked into. In the mean time, he would have to find his section's new paramedic (Sgt. James Irvine) and sapper (Sgt. Philip Stephenson); both of whom had just been assigned to his command.
Lancer Red brace for the long day ahead...
| « | Stephenson: 'Ey up, Frosty lad, there are some Czechoslovakian docs running the clinic right near the IED site. Frost: Indeed there are, we should probably lend them a hand. And Stevo, it's just Czech now. Stephenson: Check what, Frosty? Frost: Nevermind. Operation Crimson Lance begins
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The next day, Crimson Lance commences in full swing and the troopers of Lancer Red move out for counter-IED patrols through the valleys of Central Takistan. Riding on their Jackals, Lancer Red were told to drive for FOB Jester, a British outpost established deep within remnant-held areas.
But first, they were tasked with helping to relieve a pinned down convoy in Garmsar. The convoy of Warrior IFVs, callsigned Vector Green, were trapped and under heavy fire from unknown hostiles. Furthermore, there was a suspected minefield blocking their route and needed the services of Lancer Red's engineer, Sgt. Stephenson.
Upon arrival, Lancer Red help fight off Vector Green's attackers and Stephenson immediately gets to work on the minefield. After several tense minutes, Stephenson defuses what he believes was the last of the mines. Frost reports in of their "success" but Vector Green's commander was less convinced, and only reluctantly began driving through the defused minefield.
| « | Frost: Vector Green, the road seems clear, you may proceed. Vector Green CO: 'Seems'? Wish to clarify that, Lancer Red? Frost: At least this area is ok, mate. You're cleared to move. Stay safe. The minefield is defused
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After passing through safely however, he radios in that should Lancer Red ever require their help in the future, Vector Green would be happy to oblige and rush to their aid.
Moving on to the next village, Falar, Lancer Red are hailed by a Takistani villager who pleads for them to stop. Frost disembarks and questions the man, who reveals that the marketplace had been boobytrapped with an IED, and its triggerman was simply waiting for coalition soldiers to disarm the device before detonating the explosive.
| « | Villager: Stop! Stop! You must no go! Bombs is in market. Bad man explodes when he see soldiers! He hide in house far. Go my house, he no sees you. Stephenson: Shite! Frosty: you better flank that nutter; I can't do anything from here. Frost: Alright. Lancers, I'll try to neutralise the triggerman. Everyone, take cover! The villager hails down Lancer Red
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Frost immediately orders Lancer Red to halt and to hunker down, observing the nearby surroundings for signs of militia activity while he tracked down the triggerman. The villager motioned that the insurgent was hiding in a nearby hut. Frost stealthily moved to get within range of the house before eliminating the triggerman. Radioing the all-clear, his men reported back that one of the NGO aid workers in the village, Dr. Hladik, wished to speak with him personally.
The Doctor thanked the section for their efforts, but requested that they help him with one additional task. Bandits had raided his clinic and had stolen his vehicle that carried important medical supplies. Frost agreed to his request and began searching the nearby hills for the bandits' camp. Upon sighting the camp with the vehicle parked nearby, Lancer Red took down the bandits before commandeering the Doctor's car and driving back to the village.
Dr. Hladik thanked Frost and as a token of goodwill, would pass on word to the local Takistani police force commander in Sakhe. If Lancer Red came under attack from the militias, the officers would be happy to assist them in combat. In addition, he suggested that Frost's men should head to the city of Feruz Abad further up from Falar; another NGO aid worker, Rita Ensler, was based there and might have useful intelligence to share.
Once again, Lancer Red boarded their Jackals and drove to the coalition base at Feruz Abad. Upon arrival, Frost began chatting with the city's United Nations Forces Takistan (UNFORT) commander to gather intel. He spotted Ensler along the way, and talked about their situation. She requested that the troopers first help her deliver some important medical supplies to the village of Jilavur. Since the village was located right next to FOB Jester, there would be absolutely no trouble involved in bringing it to them.
Moving further along the road, Lancer Red suddenly come under heavy fire from mortars somewhere along the valley. After fighting their way through more militiamen, they track down the mortar and eliminate its crew. With the threat neutralised, Lancer Red continues to make its way towards FOB Jester. Before reporting in to Jester's commander, Frost dropped off Ensler's supplies to the village elder, Masood Rabbani.
| « | Thank you, Sergeant, we are grateful. These medicines are badly needed. The tribe of Jilavur is in debt, we can assist in defending your base. I think you will soon need every hand you can muster. Elder Rabbani thanks Lancer Red for their delivery and offer to assist the troopers
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The elder thanked Frost and assured that should they require assistance, his village would be glad to join them in battle. Frost mounted up again and drove into the FOB to report in. However, word had just come through that a massive force of Aziz remnants were making their way towards the FOB. Reinforcements were being diverted their way but would take time to arrive. Frost wasn't pleased to hear of reinforcements being brought in; it meant Lancer Red was clearly outnumbered.
The battle for Reegshur Valley begins...
| « | Divert reinforcements? Jesus Christ, man... Just get your finger out with those reinforcements, alright? Lancer Red out. Frost
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Lancer Red and Jester's troopers fortified the FOB as best they could. Heavy machine guns and improvised bunkers were quickly assembled, while Jilavur's villagers rallied up the valley to set up sniping positions at the peak of the Reegshur Valley.
Barely an hour later, the first of the remnant forces arrive and begin shelling FOB Jester with mortars and heavy machine gun fire. Others began setting up outposts overlooking the valley itself though thankfully, they were intercepted by Rabbani's fighters.
Luckily however, their actions earlier in the day to help the locals had finally paid off; Sakhe's police commander had assembled his men and were acting as a spoiling force, protecting their flanks from an expected armoured assault force. Vector Green's commander had similarly received word of their struggle and were racing towards the FOB.
With their combined assistance, the FOB was successfully defended and the remnant forces were completely routed. Better yet, NATO intelligence had finally tracked down the location of the remnant base. Lancer Red were to help coordinate the assault against the stronghold by neutralising its defences first, while allied forces remained on standby for their signal.
| « | Hell. I know what hell tastes like. Salt, silicon, cordite. Victory is sweet - that's what they say - whoever they are. Victory isn't sweet; victory is the absence of the taste of fear and the stench of death. These hills are stained with the still and silent presence of both. In sharp counterpoint, the crescendo of our operation approached, my lads could sense it... Frost
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Arriving on the outskirts of the remnant base, Frost's section quietly infiltrated to a vantage point overlooking the entire base. After confirming the base's location, he quickly went to work on identifying the stronghold's key defences. First, howitzers, anti-tank guns and anti-air emplacements were marked for artillery strikes.
The final battle commences.
Once the static defences were destroyed, he signalled the green-light for friendly air support to fly in. The gunships made short work of the stronghold's tanks and APCs.
With the crews annihilated and most of the base's defenders now in disarray, the remainder of insurgents began to lay down their arms and surrendered - just as British and American troops surrounded and moved into the base.
The victory dealt a severe blow to the remnants and with their loss of the base, would be unable to mount further attacks against coalition forces and the Takistani government. All made possible thanks to the efforts of Lancer Red and Frost's superb leadership skills. Thus far, Operation Crimson Lance had proven itself as a total success.
| « | The livid sky soared above us, the heat of the day burned out. The Lance drips crimson rain onto the scorched dirt. The blood pools and collects, an oasis in the desert sand. Aye, an oasis - life will spawn from this quickened pool. Lads give their lives so others might live, might grown, might flourish. We've done something here, aye; we stand upon the threshold of revelation... Frost closing soliloquy
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But this was merely the start of Operation Crimson Lance. There will be much more work to do in the weeks and months ahead to ensure the fledging Takistani nation's revival...
Timeline[]
Blue Jam (19th July, 2012) []
| « | British troops are being flown to central Takistan, converging in preparation of Operation Crimson Lance. | » |
On approach to NATO's FOB Arizona in Central Takistan, Sgt. Brian Frost's transport is shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. Fortunately, the members of Lancer Red and both pilots land safely without suffering a single casualty. They manage to fight off several insurgents attempting to overrun their crash site, and are soon evacuated by another helicopter to FOB Arizona. Sgt. Frost soon finds out that his transport was mistakenly shot down by U.S. forces.
Lancers (20th July, 2012) []
| « | Operation Crimson lance is in effect; lancers strike out into unfriendly territory. | » |
The paratroopers of Lancer Red are deployed on routine counterinsurgency patrols throughout the the hazardous, insurgent-held valleys of Central Takistan. Along the way, Lancer Red assist in the clearing of a minefield, successfully stop an attempted IED attack on a civilian marketplace in Falar, retrieve stolen medical supplies for a local NGO group, and deliver humanitarian aid to the villagers of Jilavur. They finally reach FOB Jester after some time, a remote British Army outpost established between two valleys.
Heat (20th July, 2012) []
| « | The insurgents are attemping to encircle FOB Jester. The battle of Reegshur Valley has just begun. | » |
FOB Jester comes under heavy attack from all directions by Takistani Army remnants. Thanks to his superb commanding skills, Sgt. Frost successfully leads Lancer Red in preventing the FOB from being overrun. After foiling the assault, Lancer Red are reassigned with a priority tasking; the main remnant base was located by NATO intelligence, and his section were to initiate the attack.
Mountain Lair (20th July, 2012) []
| « | After fighting off the immediate threat, it's time to assault the enemy stronghold in the mountains. | » |
Landing by helicopter close to the remnant Takistani Army base, Lancer Red succeed in setting up a position overlooking the insurgent base. One-by-one, Sgt. Frost calls in artillery strikes and air support to neutralise the insurgent defences before signalling the green-light for joint British and American ground forces to move in. The base is successfully razed to the ground, and the main remnant army is decisively defeated by NATO forces at last.
Trivia[]
- Along with Armed Assault's Rahmadi Conflict and ArmA 3's Altis Requiem campaigns, Operation Crimson Lance is one of the shortest campaigns in the entire series.
- Chronologically, it is also similar to Rahmadi Conflict in that the entire campaign takes place in the span of less than two days.
- Like Silver Lion, it is the only other campaign in ArmA 2 to not feature multiple endings. However, the epilogue of the campaign will differ depending on whether the player took casualties in any mission or managed to avoid losing a single member of their section.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Operation Arrowhead (previous)
- Silver Lion (next)
- Operation Black Gauntlet (next)
| Campaigns | |
|---|---|
| ARMA: Cold War Assault | Resistance (1982) • Cold War Crisis (1985) |
| ARMA: Armed Assault | Armed Assault (2006) • Rahmadi Conflict (2006) • Royal Flush (2007) |
| ARMA 2 | Harvest Red (2009) [ Eagle Wing ] • Silver Lion (2010-2012) • Operation Arrowhead (2012) • Operation Crimson Lance (2012) • Operation Black Gauntlet (2013) |
| ARMA Tactics | Operation Tempest (201X) • Operation No Deal (201X) |
| ARMA 3 | Beyond Hope (2026) • Prologue (2034) • The East Wind (2035) [ Survive, Stepping Stone, Adapt, Win, Steel Pegasus, Altis Requiem ] • Remnants of War (2034/2035) • Apex Protocol (2035) • Old Man (2038) • First Contact (2039) |
| ARMA: Mobile Ops | Liberator of Lignos (20XX) |
| ARMA Reforger | Operation Omega (1989) |
| Entries are listed in canonical order from left-to-right. [Brackets] denote campaigns taking place concurrently within the same time period. Italics denote spin-off or non-canon campaigns. | |