The game box of the 1977 edition includes: Counters represent brigades and artillery battalions (blue for the Union and pink for the Confederates).

The turn sequence is move and then fight, although defending artillery can break with this to fire at enemy units up to two hexes away.

[1] Chancellorsville and its sister game Gettysburg were designed by Charles S. Roberts, and were published by Avalon Hill in 1961 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War.

[3] Ten years later, Randall Reed revised the game rules, and the map was redrawn with traditional terrain marks.

"[1] In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming, Nick Palmer thought the 1974 edition was much improved over the 1961 edition, mentioning new additions such as "Attractive board; detailed rules for river crossing; bloodless CRT, with units dispersed and regrouping, often during the night; optional artillery rule and other possibilities."

Freeman also questioned the historicity of the game, saying, "the tremendous problems inherent in the battle are largely ignored by the designers.