- BGG rating
- 7.7
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi – Dragon's Jaw Expansion Module
- 1–2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,417
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972
2004
Rules assistance for Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 14+
- Complexity 4.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 is a board game released in 2004 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Paper-and-Pencil.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,329
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Flat Top
- 2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,213
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Wing Leader: Victories 1940-1942
- 2 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,670
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
- 2–6 players
- 240–720 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 1974
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,033
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600
- 1–5 players
- 360–420 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1976
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,997
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Air Force
- 1–2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1976
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,908
- BGG rating
- 6.9
London's Burning
- 1–2 players
- 120–480 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,807
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Blue Max
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1983
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,907
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Death Valley: Battles for the Shenandoah
- 1–2 players
- 300–1200 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,659
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 (Third Edition)
- 1–2 players
- 45–360 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,390
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940
- 2 players
- 300 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,126
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Ogre
- 1–3 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,043
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Squad Leader
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1977
About the game
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 is a game of air warfare over Hanoi. During the Rolling Thunder (1965-68) and Linebacker (1972) campaigns, Hanoi and the Red River Valley was the focus of American air operations intended to pressure North Vietnam's Communist leadership into ceasing their attacks on the South. Against large "packages" of US attack and support aircraft, the Vietnamese deployed a formidable array of anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) and Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs). They also had a force of MiG fighter jets. Covering air operations from 1965 to 1972, Downtown simulates the clashes between American air power and the North Vietnamese air defence system. The United States player controls Air Force and Navy strikes into Route Packs 5 and 6 - the heart of the Vietnamese defences. Packages include forces of bombers, fighters, recon planes, jamming aircraft and "Iron Hand" aircraft for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD). The US player's objective is to destroy ground targets. They can only succeed by integrating all the package elements to complete the mission with minimal loss. The North Vietnamese player controls concentrations of AAA, Fire Can radar-directed artillery and SAM . They can launch MiG fighters to intercept the bomber streams aimed at 'Downtown' Hanoi. The Vietnamese player must disrupt enemy attacks. 20 scenarios cover historical strike raids from the Rolling Thunder and Linebacker operations. Campaigns simulate raids taking place over the course of several days. Game Scale: Game Turn: 1 minute Hex: 2.5 miles / 4 kilometers Units: Flights (1-4 aircraft), battalion-sized SAMs (six SA-2 launchers), or multi-battery concentrations of AAA Game Inventory: One 22 x 34" full color mapsheet Two dual-side printed countersheets (560 1/2" counters) One 48-page Downtown rulebook One 40-page Downtown scenario booklet Three dual-side printed Aircraft Data Cards Four dual-side printed Player Aid Cards Six dual-side printed Flight Log Sheets Two 10-sided dice Solitaire Playability: Low Complexity Level: High Players: 2 or more Playing Time: 4-15 hours
Questions and answers
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 has a complexity rating of 4.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Modern Warfare, and Aviation / Flight. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Paper-and-Pencil. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 are: Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.