Stratego Classic is the classic game of battlefield strategy that has been around. And because there are rules for how each piece can move and attack, you'll. The game is made up of one board, containing a 10 by 10 grid of squares, with two impassable areas in the middle. There are 80 pieces, 40 for each player, including one flag, six bombs, a spy, and military pieces ranging in value from one to nine.
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Setup:The game starts with each player choosing a color (blue or red). The game recommends you have one player hold a single army piece of opposite colors in each hand, and have the other player choose a hand, with the color of the piece now representing the color of their army. Since the armies consist of exactly the same pieces, this is of little consequence, other than deciding who goes first.Each player takes the opposite side of the game board that is temporarily sectioned off in the middle, using a screen or partition (these generally come with newer copies of the game, though they are absent from some vintage versions).
Each player may only place pieces “notch-up” and in the available rows closest to their side, filling each row horizontally in any order they wish until all 40 pieces are placed in their own individual tile. The image on each piece should face you, not your the controlling player, not the opponent.Pieces are separated by rank, with some ranks having different abilities:F = Flags are the enemy objective and determine the winner of the game. Place your flag in a defensible location, generally near the rear of the map.S = Spies are able to take any pieces on the board, but are destroyed if attacked.B = Bombs are able to destroy any piece that attacks it except the miner, which is the only piece in the game that can remove a bomb. Even if a piece detonates on a bomb, it is not removed without being swept by a Miner (3). Bombs are often placed around flags to protect them.2 = Scouts are able to move in any legal direction as far as they want but only once a turn. Additionally, they may also attack on the same turn that they move. They are the weakest piece on the board and are defeated by everything except a spy, and then only if they are on the attack.3 = Miners are able to remove enemy bombs from play.
They are unable to remove your own bombs, so do not block yourself in. It is a good idea to keep some miners in case your opponent walled his flag in with bombs.The rest of the pieces in each army represent the rank/power of that individual piece, where a higher number is needed to defeat another piece.
Stratego at a Glance
About
Stratego the board game was first released in 1946, although it does have a history that dates back to 1910 in France and was known as L’attaque, this Stratego is slightly different.
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This battlefield strategy game was created by Jacques Johan Mogendoff and is suitable for players aged 8 years and over.
It has been made for two players only and takes around 45 minutes or more to play.
There is an International Strategy Federation that has a governing body with a World Championship held annually.
Best Suited For Families
This strategy game is suited for families, couples and two friends getting together. Children from the age of 8 can play it.
It could also be considered to be a good choice for players who prefer games that involve fighting and battles, and war games.
It may even be considered to be educational in a sense as it requires children to memorize and learn certain aspects of the game.
Skill – Complexity
Stratego is not a game that requires a huge amount of skill and is slightly below average in complexity terms for a strategy game. However, players do have to make calculated decisions with every move.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
Setup can take around ten minutes and in the box, you will find 40 gold-embossed red playing pieces and 40 silver-embossed blue playing pieces. There is also a board, with early sets containing painted wooden pieces or plastic pieces.
The aim of the game is for players to protect their own flag and capture the flag of their opponent.
Players will need to place their men, bombs and a flag in secret positions on the game board and that means that players have to think about defensive and offensive tactics.
Players begin by alternating their moves with the red player moving first. Each turn players can only move one piece and they must move a piece.
In the middle of the board are two areas that are forbidden to enter.
All pieces have to move vertically or horizontally, except for the Scout, while flags and bombs cannot be moved.
As each player has an army and a bomb, the army is used to steal the flag and protect your flag with the bombs adding an additional challenge to the game. Players can attack opponents pieces and when they are attacked they are removed from the board. If a player lands on a bomb then that piece is removed from the board.
The winner is the first player to make their way across the board to steal the flag of their opponent.
This how to play video is very useful…….
Versions – Editions
Stratego has been released in many countries and a number of different editions have also been released. Among these included a Travel Edition released in 1994 and a 50th Anniversary Edition.
There are three main themes which includes the Original (original play, not look and parts), Conquest and Waterloo.
There have also been themed editions released including Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, Marvel Comics and Star Wars.
Likes & Dislikes
Players love the way in which this game is a timeless classic and is simple enough to set up and play.
It’s a still a game that looks great and plays brilliantly and as it is suitable for such a young age, it is great for families.
However, some players have found that although the rules are simple, the game could be considered difficult to play for some younger children.
As with many newer versions of old classics the details may differ or even the quality, which are important to many people. Putting the stickers on the characters and them falling off has been a common issue mentioned to us, and the lack of quality compared to the older versions.
Final Thoughts
This is a game that really has grown through the ages. A quick game that requires strategy, memory yet is easy to play, ensures that it still continues to appeal to many.
Stratego Board Game Reviews
Jun 4, 2019
Not Bad
Would Play Again?:Yes
Stratego board game is and OK game for me personally, but it does seem to lack more mechanisms and length play alongside other factors, although this is just my likes. For those that like battlefield short play gaming then I can see the appeal. I would play it again if someone come around and wanted to give it a go but, it would not be the first game of choice to pull out. Just got stuck into Shogun which I much prefer with a lot more challenge in play.
Thank you for your Stratego board game review Carlos. (BGW)
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