Tabletop Tuesday - Stratego

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of hidden ranks to outflank that is the classic Stratego.

Players: 2
Time: 45-90 minutes
Genre: Strategy




Stratego is a cunning battle of wits and deception in which 2 players secretly assemble an army and then attempt to either capture the enemy flag or eliminate the opposing army.  The catch is every piece of the opposing side remains a mystery until confronted or otherwise deduced from observation.  There are 40 pieces that make up an army, of which the varying types include:

• Bomb (B) - Does not move; Defeats any attacking piece except for the Miner.
• Marshall (10)
• General (9)
• Colonel (8)
• Major (7)
• Captain (6)
• Lieutenant (5)
• Sergeant (4)
• Miner (3) - Can defuse Bombs.
• Scout (2) - Can move any distance in a straight line.
• Spy (1) - Can defeat the Marshal, but only if attacking (not defending)
• Flag (F) - Does not move; Ends the game if captured.

Note: Some older versions of this game have the rank values flipped, so that Marshall is listed as Rank 1 and so on.  Just be aware that the Marshall is the strongest piece and you can verify from there.

Players take turns moving one piece of their army one space at a time (with the exception of the Scout), the suspense slowly building until confrontations unleash in exciting rallying effect.  While the premise of this game is quite simple to pick up and play, the true test of this game comes from one's ability to carefully observe and gather information.  For starters, any piece that remains stationary during the course of the game is suspect of being a Bomb or the Flag.  The last thing any player wants to do is have a powerful Marshall be torn to bits by accidentally attacking a Bomb.  And any time a piece is revealed after a skirmish, players will most certainly make a mental note to remember its rank and location, so as to effectively counter / react as needed.  But again, this is a game of wits and cunning, for reacting could prove to be revealing information to the opponent, or a clever bluff to intimidate.

Player Red decides to guard their flag with bombs in the back.  Well protected, but will it prove too telling?

There are various versions of Stratego to also be found, allowing for varying maps, scenarios, unit types, and in some cases even extra players.  There are even various themes of Stratego, from Lord of the Rings to the unlikeliest of properties like Transformers.  But one can't go wrong with the original version that offers a well balanced and stimulating skirmish, in which you'll find yourself frequently contemplating strategies for numerous games to play again and again.  I recommend this game for those who enjoy tactical thinking and have a good memory.

If you have any questions about Stratego, let me know in the comments below.  Otherwise, stay tuned to future installments of Tabletop Tuesday.  And happy gaming!