Stratego is a game of strategy that has been around for nearly a century. The basic premise is as follows: each player starts out with an identical set of forty pieces. These pieces have numbers indicating their rank and value. The Marshal has the number one, and is the most powerful piece. The General, number two, is the next most powerful piece. If a Marshal attacks or is attacked by a General, the General loses and is removed from the game. Likewise, both the Marshal and General can defeat the Colonel, which bears the number three. The pieces are laid out on opposite sides of the board, which are connected by three lanes that the pieces can move up to attack.
The object of the game is to capture the enemy flag. The flag is a special piece with no number. It cannot move, and it is captured if any piece attacks it. There are several pieces with special properties that also lead to more strategies. For instance, bombs are another immobile piece. They destroy any unit that attacks them, except for the miner (number eight), who destroys the bomb.
One of the most important things to note is that the number on the pieces are only printed on the front and visible to the player that owns them- the pieces owned by your opponent all look identical. The only way to discover the value of the piece is when they engage in combat. The pieces, with one exception, can only move to an adjacent square on the board (no diagonals), and attack when they move into an enemy square. This makes attacking a risky proposition.
Since players choose how to set up their pieces at the beginning of the game, there are many strategies that players can try. As players gain experience, new strategies can keep the game different and interesting. You can expect many hours of entertainment from Stratego. The biggest weakness is that the game only allows for two players. If you enjoy games like chess or Risk, Stratego is simply a must-buy. Stratego is also highly recommended for anyone who likes board games or computer strategy games.
In the United States, Milton Bradley distributes Stratego. Newer themed versions and computer versions exist, and leagues and tournaments exist, including a World Championship. It can be found online on popular retail sites such as Amazon.com.
