The War Sled functioned as a sizable offensive vehicle utilized first by the Alliance to Restore the Republic and subsequently by the Galactic Empire. This massive vehicle acted as a mobile stronghold for Rebel forces on Akuria II, enabling them to stay ahead of Imperial forces while conducting quick strikes against their adversaries.
Around the time of the Battle of Yavin, the War Sled was under the command of Rebel Colonel Odan. Odan and his company of rebel soldiers were successful in evading capture by Imperial forces by consistently staying on the move. The War Sled's design allowed it to traverse the arctic tundra of the planet swiftly, thanks to its two substantial ski treads that ensured it remained afloat on the snow. Eventually, a squad of snowtroopers managed to launch a surprise assault on the War Sled, leading to a firefight within the vehicle, in an attempt to put an end to Odan and his forces. The majority of the Rebel soldiers were either killed or taken prisoner, but Colonel Odan managed to get away, eventually reaching the Akuria Rebel Base, a clandestine base used by the Rebel-sympathizing Akurians.
The Imperials, anticipating that Rebel soldiers would eventually attempt to contact Odan, decided to employ the War Sled as a deception. They placed an Imperial commander and crew inside the sled, who were instructed to pose as an impostor should any Rebels arrive. This strategy proved successful when the Rebel heroes, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, arrived on Akuria II with the intention of contacting Colonel Odan. After staging an attack against the Rebels, the impostor Odan "rescued" them and brought them on board the War Sled. While aboard, the Imperial commander attempted to extract Rebel secrets from them. However, Skywalker and Organa uncovered the deception before divulging any information and attempted to flee the War Sled. The Imperials subdued the two Rebels, and in a last-ditch effort to force at least one of them to speak, the Imperial commander strapped Skywalker into the cockpit and rigged the controls to send the War Sled and Skywalker into the Geyser Sea. The commander hoped that Organa would reveal the Rebellion's plans in order to save her friend.
Fortunately for Skywalker, the real Odan, accompanied by the Rebel droids C-3PO and R2-D2, rescued him from the War Sled before it crashed into the geyser sea. The Rebels were able to escape the doomed vehicle by using power skis that Odan had kept hidden inside the War Sled. The War Sled crashed into the geyser sea immediately after they piloted themselves off of the mobile fortress, resulting in the vehicle's destruction.