The Speed of Heat: Air Combat Over Korea and Vietnam

About this board game

The Speed of Heat is a two-player tactical simulation of air-to-air and air-to-ground combat during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, with games lasting approximately 150 minutes.

Each turn represents 12 seconds of real time, while every hex covers one-third of a statute mile. Altitude is tracked in levels of 1,000 feet, and each counter represents a single jet. These scales present combat as a focused representation of jet operations rather than a broad strategic campaign.

Aircraft do not all fly alike. Each type is represented by an aircraft data card that depicts its qualities and available weapon loadouts, reflecting the different aerodynamic properties of the jets included in the game.

The rules in The Speed of Heat are the second-generation rules descended from those previously seen in GDW’s Air Superiority and Air Strike. The result is a dedicated air-combat simulation built around individual aircraft, tactical positioning, altitude, and weapon information.

The game includes the following components:

• A 72-page rulebook
• A 48-page scenario book
• 240 counters
• Six geomorphic map sections
• Twenty two-sided aircraft data cards
• Twelve two-sided player aids
• One ten-sided die

With its detailed time, distance, and altitude scales, The Speed of Heat provides a structured tabletop setting for recreating jet combat over Korea and Vietnam. Its combination of map sections, aircraft data, counters, scenarios, and player aids supports a precise tactical presentation of the period’s air warfare.