The (cardboard) board has 11 x 11 squares, and also has several landscape features: a defenders' camp, a lake, and anti-tank obstacles.
The pieces are plastic squares, triangles and cylinders, representing infantry units, tank units, and air support or command units. The exact set-up for attackers and defenders is determined by the throw of a die.
The aim of the game is different for the two sides, as in traditional hnefatafl. The defenders win by getting two of their three command units to the forest at the edge of the board. The attackers win by capturing two of the defenders' three command units.
Surprise Attack! is hnefatafl-inspired as is obvious from the asymmetrical aims of the game, and the key to winning being the escape or capture of command units. At the same time, there are clear differences. First of all, both sides have (almost) equal numbers of pieces rather than the normal 'n + 1 vs 2n' numbers (the attackers can bring in air support during the game, giving them slightly more pieces than the defenders). Both sides have several different pieces, unlike traditional hnefatafl, and the throw of a die determines the exact configuration at the start of the game. And, finally, whereas in hnefatafl there is a single king piece, here we have three, and the capture or escape of two of these three determine the winner.
