Lightning Vaccus is a futuristic turn-based war strategy game. The plot is advanced through cutscenes and involves a struggle for dominance between two fictional countries, each in possession of powerful mecha units called "AD". The first scenario follows a battle on the Vaccus peninsula, subsequent scenarios can be chosen by the player. The story also reflects the experiences of an officer who has lost his teammates and longs to end the war and return home. The battles take place on a grid with hexagonal fields. Before each battle the player selects a number of units, ranging from simple AD to tanks, mobile rocket launchers, etc. Then the player positions the units tactically on the map. When two units belonging to opposing sides meet on adjacent hex fields, an automatic battle ensues, which is displayed on a separate screen.