Iron and Fire is a diceless simulation of battles of the American Civil War in the Valley of the Shenandoah in 1862. The game uses terrain and counters included with the game with essentially a miniatures system of tactical combat and movement. Orders are issued to units with impulse counters. Combat is resolved by calculating "total fighting power" of units rather than rolling dice and looking on a chart. There are several tactical battle scenarios and also rules for an operational level game with point to point movement, with individual battles resolved with the tactical rules.