
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,417
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 4.1/5
- 2004

2006
Rules assistance for The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 is a board game released in 2006 for 2 players, 300 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
(from GMT games website:) Beginning with the fighting above the Channel convoys and ending with the assault on London and the fighter-bomber offensive, The Burning Blue simulates battles between German air power and the British air defence system. It recreates the tense minute-by-minute 'plotting board' battles between RAF fighter controllers and the Luftwaffe air raids.[...] Based on original archive research and with the help of pilot veterans of the Battle of Britain, The Burning Blue models this famous conflict in unprecedented detail. Playable and exciting, the game provides new insights into this turning point of World War Two. COMPONENTS : 684 full-color die-cut counters One 22"x34" full-color mapsheet [730 Kb] 40-page Rule Book 48-page Scenario Book 2 11x17 Hostile Raid Displays 1 11x17 Royal Air Force Squadron Tote Board 2 Player Aid Cards Logsheet Booklet 2 6-sided dice DESIGNER Lee Brimmicombe-Wood ART DIRECTOR/PACKAGE DESIGN Rodger B. MacGowan MAP ART Lee Brimmicombe-Wood COUNTER ART Lee Brimmicombe-Wood Burning Blue uses a system similar to the one used in Downtown: Air War Over Hanoi, 1965-1972
The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 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 The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 is 300 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 The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 for ages 12 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.
The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 has a complexity rating of 4.0 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.
The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Aviation / Flight. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 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 The Burning Blue: The Battle of Britain, 1940 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.