Turns revolve around Order Points generated by platoon leaders and vehicle formations. Successful dice rolls create a pool of activations that players spend, one team at a time. Hero Points provide occasional bursts of initiative, allowing units to interrupt enemy actions or activate again when needed. This is a game where leaders matter. Platoon commanders can coordinate multiple teams, rally suppressed troops, and improve firepower or movement.

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Movement uses randomized distances—2d6" for infantry, 3d6" for vehicles—which serves as a built-in overwatch mechanism. Short dashes across cover are safer than long sprints across open ground. Combat is where Hail of Fire truly shines. Rather than removing casualties immediately, successful shooting generates Received Fire Points (RFP). These are resolved later when the target activates, producing suppression, survival, or destruction. A unit pinned under heavy fire may discover its losses only when attempting to move. The result is pretty nerve-wracking for both sides! Suppression is central to the system. As the designer notes, relatively little fire is required to keep enemy troops pinned. Maintaining just one unresolved fire point can prevent a unit from rallying, encouraging players to establish and maintain fire superiority before attempting assaults.

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Much like Crossfire, the Arty Conliffe classic that has some clear influences in Hail of Fire, close combat is decisive and brutal. Assaults are resolved in alternating rounds of checks, with units frequently emerging victorious but exhausted and suppressed. The emphasis is clearly on using firepower to set up the assault rather than charging recklessly.

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The artillery rules are notable and get more focus here than in most other company-level systems. Barrages require spotting, ranging-in, and deviation rolls, but once established, they become deadly zones that players must either endure or avoid. Smoke missions and forward observers are also represented.

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Scenario design uses hidden deployment, reserves, and a Break Point system rather than fixed turn limits. Forces gradually accumulate pressure until one side finally collapses, producing battles that often feel more narrative than competitive. Speaking of scenarios...it's hard to find any available officially or unofficially for Hail of Fire. Some historical scenarios would be a most welcome addition for the game, but Hail of Fire is well designed for pick-up play. The rules include a "Force Parity Procedure" to help balance engagements. Instead of assigning points to units, opponents evaluate and compare each other's formations and adjust break limits accordingly. It's an unusual approach that echoes an older school gaming philosophy among friends over tournament optimization.