How to Play Stratego? Rules & Strategies

Stratego is one of those classic 2 player board games that has captivated people for years. It’s a veteran of board game nights and successfully combines multiple different genres. Stratego may seem like Chess and first glance, but it plays very differently. 

If you’re a fan of strategy games, then Stratego is easy to recommend. Getting to grips with the gameplay may seem challenging at first, but Stratego is suitable for children 8 and up. Our guide will be sure to help outline the Stratego rules for you as well. 

What is Stratego?

Stratego combines elements of war and strategy games but also contains puzzle-like elements. The game was created by Jacques Modendorff, in the early 1940s. It was sublicensed to Milton Bradley, who was later bought out by Hasbro. 

While there are numerous different variants of Stratego available nowadays, the classic version still uses Napoleonic themes and imagery. In Stratego, each player will have their own army composed of 40 pieces. 

Some pieces can move while others are immobile. In Stratego, players can win by capturing their opponent’s flag. Or by capturing enough of their opponent’s pieces that they can’t continue to play. If you like Chess or Shogi, then Stratego is definitely something you’d enjoy. 

What You’ll Need 

If you want to give Stratego a try, then you’ll need a game board/ set. Stratego might not rival Monopoly when it comes to themed sets, but there are still plenty of options. However, since we’re focusing on classic Stratego, finding a set shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Some sets come with plastic pieces with engravings/ designs which identify them. While others will use stickers that you affix to them. There is a lot of variation to the artwork as well, but these are generally just cosmetic differences. The two products below are great examples of Stratego sets to try:

The Pieces 

Each team in Stratego will have 40 pieces. One team is red while the other is blue. In Stratego, the pieces need to be placed so your opponent can’t see the engraving/ sticker that identifies it. This makes using the pieces more strategic. 

Because unlike Chess, you won’t be able to see what piece your opponent is moving. There are a lot of different pieces in Stratego, but most move in the same way. They move one space at a time. Scouts are the only pieces that can move more than one square in any direction.  

Each moveable piece in Stratego carries a numbered rank. Pieces of a higher rank can take lower pieces. The strategy comes into play because you won’t know whether you can take a piece till you attempt to take it. 

Immovable pieces are called bombs. These pieces act as barricades to other pieces unless they are disarmed. This can only be done using the Miner piece. The grid below details the information you need to know about the Stratego pieces. 

The Game Board

Stratego boards contain a lot of squares. Although when you start most of these squares will be holding a piece. The middle of the board will have two blocks covered with water which players can’t move on. 

This is done to make direct assaults more difficult and thus ensure more strategic gameplay. At the start of a match, players can arrange their army however they like. As long as it only covers their side of the board. Let’s now take a look and how you play Stratego.