Stratego Board Game: Rules for How to Play

There have been a number of different versions of Stratego released over the years. Most have the same rules, but there are some versions which tweak the rules or add special abilities to the pieces. I will begin with the basic rules that apply to all versions of the game. I will then address some of the versions of the game which have tweaked the rules. This list is not exhaustive, as I don’t have access to all of the different versions of Stratego which have tweaks to the rules.

Setup

Place the gameboard in the middle of the table.
If your copy of the game includes a shield(s), place it in the middle of the board so each player can’t see the other player’s side of the board.
The players choose their colors. In some versions of the game one of the players take one piece of each color. The other player chooses one of the pieces randomly. The piece chosen by the player determines their color. The piece left in the other player’s hand determines their color.
Each player chooses how they would like to place their pieces. Players place their pieces in four rows with ten pieces in each row. Some versions of Stratego only have 30 pieces. In these versions of the game you will create three rows with ten pieces in each row. You can choose where you want to place each of your pieces. You don’t have to place the pieces in a certain order. Turn all pieces so only you can see the identity of each piece.
The player using the red pieces gets to play first.

How to Play Stratego

On each of your turns, you can either choose to move one of your pieces or you can attack your opponent.

Moving

On each of your turns you will choose one of your pieces that you want to move. You can move a piece one space forward, backwards, left, or right. You can never move a piece diagonally or across the blocked sections of the board. If one of your pieces is already on a space, you cannot move another piece onto the same space.

A few of the pieces have special movement rules.

You can never move the flag or bombs. They will stay on the space you place them on at the start of the game.

The Scout (2) is the only piece that can move more than one space on a turn. They can move as many spaces as you want forward, backwards, left or right until they either meet another piece, the edge of the board, or one of the blocked off sections of the board. You can only move the Scout in one direction each turn. While you can move a Scout multiple spaces on a turn, you can also choose to only move them one space in order to keep the piece’s identity secret from the other player.

Moving a Scout — If the red player wanted to move their Scout (2), they could move it up to two spaces forward, two spaces to the left, or back two spaces.

Once you move a piece, you can’t change your mind and move a different piece instead.

You can only move a piece between the same two spaces three turns in a row. Basically you can’t stall by constantly moving your pieces back and forth.

After moving your piece, your turn ends. Your opponent then takes their turn.

Attacking

Check to see if any of your pieces are next to one of your opponent’s pieces. The opponent’s piece can be one space forward, behind, left or right of your piece. When two pieces of opposite colors are next to one another, you can choose to battle the other player’s piece. Battling is optional. If one of your pieces is next to an opponent’s piece, you can choose not to battle it.

Choosing a piece to attack — The red piece is next to two different blue pieces. They can choose to attack one of the two pieces as their action this turn.

After you choose a piece you want to battle, both players reveal the rank of their pieces. The piece with the lower rank/number loses the battle and is removed from the board. If the attacker (current player) wins the battle, their piece moves into the space occupied by the opponent’s piece that was removed from the board. If the defender (not the current player) wins the battle, their piece stays on its current space.

Winning a battle — The red player decided to attack the unit in front of it. Both players reveal their pieces. It turns out the red piece was a four, and the blue piece was a two. The red piece wins the battle. The blue piece is removed from the board, and the red player moves their four piece onto the space previously occupied by the blue two.

Should both pieces be the same rank/number, you will remove both pieces from the board.

Tied battle — In this battle both players’ pieces are fours. Since both pieces are the same number, both are removed from the board.

Different versions of Stratego differ in how they handle pieces when you remove them from the board. Therefore it is recommended that the players agree to how captured pieces will be handled. You can handle captured pieces as follows:

Captured pieces are only visible to the player who controls that color of pieces.
The player that captures a piece is the only player who can see the identity of the piece.
All captured pieces are visible to both players.
All captured pieces are hidden from both players.

After the battle is concluded, your turn ends. Your opponent then takes their turn.

Scouts

Normally you can only move or attack on your turn. The Scout (2) is the one exception to this rule.

In older versions of Stratego you couldn’t move a Scout (2) and attack with it in the same turn. You had to choose to either move the piece, or attack with it. In newer versions of Stratego you can move and attack with a Scout (2) on the same turn.

Attack with Scout — The red player has decided to move their Scout forward two spaces and attack the blue piece in front of it.

Bombs

Should the attacker (current player) attack a piece that turns out to be a bomb, the attacking piece is removed from the board. The bomb stays on its current space.

Attacking a bomb — The red player attacked the blue player with one of their fives. It turns out that the blue piece was a bomb. The red piece is removed from the board. The bomb remains on its space.

The one exception is if the attacking piece is a Miner. If a Miner attacks a bomb, the Miner wins the battle. The bomb is removed from the board, and the Miner moves onto its space.

Attacking a bomb with a miner — The red player has attacked one of the blue player’s bombs with one of their Miners. The bomb is removed from the board. The Miner moves into the space previously occupied by the bomb.

A bomb can never initiate an attack on an opponent’s piece that is on an adjacent space. The opponent has to choose to attack the piece.

Flags

If the attacker initiates a battle against the other player’s flag, the attacking player immediately wins the game.

Capturing the flag — The red player has used their eight piece to attack the piece in front of it. It turns out the piece was the blue player’s flag. The red player has won the game.

Flags are not allowed to initiate an attack on an opponent’s piece that is on an adjacent space.

Spies

The Spy (1 or S depending on version) piece is unique. When battling it is the only piece beside a bomb that can defeat the Marshall (10). When a Spy attacks the opponent’s Marshall or is attacked by it, the Spy wins the battle and the Marshall is removed from the board.

Spy attacks Marshall — The blue player has attacked the red player. The red player’s piece was the Marshall (10), while the blue piece was the Spy (1). The Spy defeats the Marshall removing it from the board.

The Spy loses in a battle against any piece other than the Marshall or flag.

Winning the Game

Stratego can end in one of two ways.

If a player capture their opponent’s flag, they immediately win the game.

Winning Stratego — The blue player’s Miner (3) attacked the red player’s flag. The blue player has won the game.

Otherwise the game ends if a player is unable to move any of their pieces on their turn. A piece can only move back and forth between the same two spaces three times in a row. If a player is unable to move any of their pieces, they lose the game.

Stratego 2008

Most of the rules for the 2008 version of Stratego are the same. The 2008 version of Stratego includes only 30 pieces and the board is 8 x 10 spaces instead of 10 x 10 spaces like the original board. Because there are less pieces, you will make three rows of ten pieces instead of four rows of ten pieces.

The 2008 version of Stratego also includes a second way of playing the game where each piece in the game has a special ability that you can utilize. If you play this variant game you can move a piece normally, or you can choose to use their special power. Before you use a special power, you have to reveal the associated piece to your opponent so they can verify that the ability can be used.

Dragons (10): If you choose you can fly over a number of adjacent pieces forward, backwards, left or right. You will keep moving in the chosen straight line until you reach the first empty square. The Dragon stops on the first empty square. The Dragon then has the opportunity to attack an opponent’s piece that is on an adjacent space.

Moving a dragon — The blue player has decided to use the Dragons special ability to move it forward. They can move the Dragon past their Elf, and Scout to the empty space next to the red pieces. They then have the option of attacking one of the neighboring red pieces.

Mage (9): The Mage can use the Detect Enemy action on an opponent’s piece that is up to two spaces away (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). The player reveals the location of their Mage, and then chooses which piece they want revealed. Their opponent then shows them what the piece is. You can use this ability across the Forbidden Zones (the areas you can’t move across).

Using the Mage's special ability — The red player has decided to use their Mage’s power to reveal the identity of the blue piece two spaces in front of it. It turns out that piece is a Beast Rider.

Knights (8) and Beast Riders (7): These pieces can move up to two spaces on a turn. They can move vertically, horizontally, or one space in each direction. They cannot move diagonally or across the Forbidden Zones. These pieces cannot move through a space that has one of their own pieces on. Should they move onto a space that has an opponent on it for their first space, they forfeit their second space and attack the opponent. If they end up on an opponent’s space on their second space, they will attack the opponent’s piece.

Using the Knight's ability — The blue player has decided to use their Knight’s ability to move forward two spaces and attack the red piece in front of them.

Sorceress (6): The Sorceress can use the Enchant ability. When you use the ability you have to reveal the location of your Sorceress. You then choose an enemy piece that is up to two spaces away from the Sorceress horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or a combination. You can enchant over the Forbidden Zone. Your opponent reveals the identity of the targeted piece. If the targeted piece is equal to or higher than the Sorceress (6), nothing happens. If the piece is a lower rank, the Sorceress’ player takes control of the chosen piece. Turn the piece around so it faces the same direction as the rest of your pieces. You now control that piece for the rest of the game. Once a piece has been enchanted, it cannot be enchanted again. You will maintain control of the piece for the rest of the game, or until it is captured. Any enchanted pieces keep their special abilities. You cannot enchant a Trap (bomb) or Flag.

Using the Sorceress' Ability — The red player has decided to use their Sorceress’ ability. They have chosen the piece that is up one and left one space from their position. The piece turned out to be a Dwarf, so the Sorceress enchants it. The red player will control the blue Dwarf for the rest of the game.

Yeti/Lava Beast (5): These pieces can use the Rampage ability. You first reveal the piece’s identity to your opponent and them move it one space onto an unoccupied space. The piece then simultaneously attacks all pieces that are vertically, horizontally, and diagonally adjacent to the piece. These pieces also attack your own pieces that are adjacent. Any pieces that are the same rank or lower than the Yeti/Lava Beast are removed from the board. If any of the adjacent pieces are higher than the Yeti/Lava Beast, the Yeti/Lava Beast is also removed from the board. Flags and traps (bombs) are not vulnerable to a Rampage.

Using the Yeti's rampage ability — The blue player has decided to use the Yeti’s Rampage ability. They will attack all of the pieces shown. They will defeat the Lava Beast, Dwarf, and their own Elf piece. The Yeti loses to the Beast Rider, so it is removed from the board in addition to the other three pieces.

Elf (4): The Elf can choose to use the Arrow Strike ability. If you choose to use this ability, you can choose an opponent’s piece that is up to two spaces away horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or a combination away from the Elf. You can use the ability across the Forbidden Zone. You will reveal the location of your Elf, and then your opponent reveals the identity of the piece you targeted. If the targeted piece is a lower rank than the Elf (4), remove it from the board. If it is higher or the same rank as the Elf, nothing happens.

The red player has decided to use their Elf’s Arrow Strike ability. They decide to attack the piece two spaces in front of them. It turns out the blue piece was a Dwarf (3), so it is removed from the board.

Stratego 2011

The 2011 version of Stratego is similar to the main game but has two changes. The game only includes 30 pieces unlike the normal game which has 40 pieces. Since the board is 8 x 10 instead of 10 x 10, to start the game you will place your pieces in three rows of ten.

The other main difference is the addition of the Spotter piece. The Spotter has a rank of 1 and can attack normally. Otherwise you can use piece’s special ability instead of a normal attack. If you choose to use the special ability, you have to reveal the Spotter to your opponent. You will move the piece and then take the special action. Choose one of your opponent’s pieces that are adjacent horizontally or vertically to the Spotter. You can guess the identity of the chosen piece. Your opponent then reveals the identity of the chosen piece. If you guessed correctly, the piece is removed from the board and the Spotter remains on its current space. If you guess incorrectly, nothing happens. Your opponent now knows where your Spotter is though. You can use this ability on the Flag and Bombs.

Components

The components are going to depend on the version of the game.

2021 Version

40 blue pieces
40 red pieces
Gameboard
Screen
2 holders for pieces
2 envelopes with training missions
Instructions

2008 Version

30 blue pieces
30 red pieces
Gameboard
2 storage bags
Instructions

Year: 1946 | Publisher: Hasbro, Jumbo, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Patch Products, PlayMonster, Spear’s Games, Spin Master | Designer: Jacques Johan Mogendorff | Artist: Donato Giancola, Paul Windle

Genres: Abstract, Deduction, Family, Memory

Ages: 8+ | Number of Players: 2 | Length of Game: 45 Minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Moderate | Luck: Moderate

For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.

Written By:

Eric Mortensen

Eric Mortensen is an owner and head writer on Geeky Hobbies since 2014. He is an avid board game player and collector with over 3,000 board and card games in his collection. Since 2014 he has written more than 1,100 board game how to play guides.