This game is the re-enactment of the German capture of Smolensk in 1941 played in twelve turns, each one representing approximately 2 days of time. The Soviet player begins the game by deploying his units in a mixture of predetermined and user determined hexes. These units are in an unknown state - their chits are upside down. The German player then enters units from the West on a deployment schedule each turn. If enemy units are in adjacent hexes at any time they enter combat. If the Soviet units are in an unknown state they are flipped, revealing their strength, and combat is carried out. At the end of twelve turns, the sides add up their victory points to determine the winner.

The game includes: 1 hex map board, 260 markers, 1 6-sided die, 1 Soviet reference card, 1 German reference card, 1 rules book, and 1 advanced rules insert.