Greyhawk Wars is a boxed game which included an eight-page rulebook, a 32-page Adventurer's Book, two fold-out color paper maps; two sheets of cardboard chits; 153 playing cards representing the various countries, events, mercenaries, and treasures; two ten-side dice, and a 32-page Adventurer's Book, containing a history of the war and a set of scenarios.

[1] The maps depicted the various lands and nations involved in the war, and were joined together along the edge to form the full game world.

The map is sub-divided into areas of roughly equal size, with edges often lying along various boundaries, such as nation borders or terrain features.

The nations are divided into good, neutral, and evil states, with green, gray, and red borders, respectively.

The terrain types included plains, forest, marsh, mountains, hills, lakes, oceans, and wastes.

The map contained a series of iconic symbols depicting the various capitols, ports, fortifications, and sites where treasure or mercenaries could be obtained.

Troop chits have a strength rating, a silhouette symbol for the creature type, and sometimes special information indicating a unique ability.

There are a number of different creatures represented by these chits, and the various races or species are drawn from the Greyhawk world setting.

Players deploy the counters for their armies on the map, a detailed rendering of Oerth, divided into dozens of discrete regions.

Players also receive a fixed number of hero counters, which function as super soldiers capable of a variety of special actions.

After making sure his heroes are properly positioned, the active player begins his turn by drawing an Event Card and following the instructions.

Troops may move (up to three regions for infantry and four for cavalry, with forests and other rough terrain impeding normal movement rates), fortify (by constructing a castle to increase the defensive capacity of the region), or disband (the player removes a stack from the map, making the troops available for deployment elsewhere).

If the roll is equal to or less than its strength, modified by any applicable Mercenary or Treasure Cards, the enemy suffers a hit.

[1] Each turn of play represents a full year in the game setting, and is divided into a series of phases.

The remaining phases are used to place heroes, draw event cards, and perform actions, in that order.

The event cards produce a random element that can positively or negatively affect a player's situation.

Certain special units have unique abilities in combat; cavalry can pursue a retreating enemy, or screen against pursuit (if the optional rule about pursuit is in play); marines can take part in sea battles; scouts can attack first in a round, with the result applied before being attacked.

The Greyhawk Wars game featured design by David Cook, editing by J. Robert King, and was published by TSR, Inc.[1] The cover was by Roger Raupp, interior art by Ken Frank and Charles Frank, counter and card art was by Robin Raab and Karl Waller, and graphic design was provided by Dee Barnett.

To put it all in context, the 32-page Adventurer's Book provides a detailed historical background, enabling ambitious players to incorporate the results of the board game into a Greyhawk campaign.