~ Stratego ~

(Pronounced STRA-TEE-GO) The Classic Game of Battlefield Strategy The STATEGO game is the American version of the game popular on the Continent !hile pieces have militar" designs and are maneuvered across the game#oard$ it is not a %ar game The STRATEGO game is fast moving$ eas" to learn$ and delightful to pla"$ and provides a never-ending variet" of %a"s to out%it "our opponent The colorful pla"ing pieces are mar&ed according to militar" ran& %hich are &ept hidden from the opponent as the" are placed and moved across the #oard to capture "our opponent's Flag The ran& of the piece is revealed onl" %hen an opposing piece is struc& or attac&ed The higher ran&ed piece removes the lesser ran& There are Bombs %hich (#lo%-up( and remove an" attac&ing piece e)cept the Miner %ho can dismantle and remove the Bomb Even the Marshal$ the highest-ran&ing piece$ has a %ea&ness$ in that the lo%l" Spy can remove him from the game The e)citing elements of s&illful planning$ clever deception$ memor" and suspense ma&e the STRATEGO game thoroughl" delightful

~ Rules ~
Rules for the Stratego Game The o#*ect of the game is to capture "our opponent's flag To Start the Game + , . Place the #oard #et%een the pla"ers so that the name STRATEGO is facing each contestant One pla"er ta&es the Red and the other the -lue pla"ing pieces Red starts first Each pla"er gets an arm" of /0 pieces$ in order of ran& from high to lo%$ consisting of these moveable pieces1

2ote that the movea#le pieces have a num#er in the upper left corner to designate the order of ran& Thus$ the 3arshal is ran&ed + (highest)$ the General ,$ the Colonels .$ and so on to the Sp" %ho is mar&ed %ith an (S(

Each arm" also has 4 -om#s and + 5lag$ %hich are not moveable

The Pla"ers place one piece in each s6uare on their half of the #oard All s6uares are to #e filled from each end That is$ +0 per ro%$ / ro%s deep T%o middle ro%s are left unoccupied at the start of the game

The pieces are placed %ith the notched ends up and the printed em#lem facing the pla"er in such a %a" that the opponent does not &no% the arrangement of the pieces

Read the rules for Movement and Striking in order to plan placement of the pieces

Rules for Movement + , Turns alternate$ first Red then -lue A piece moves from s6uare to s6uare$ one s6uare at a time (E)ception1 Scoutsee rule 8) A piece ma" #e moved for%ard$ #ac&%ard or side%ard$ #ut not diagonally . 2ote that there are t%o la&es in the center of the #oard$ %hich contain no squares Pieces must move around la&es and cannot move %here there is no s6uare / 7 T%o pieces ma" not occup" the same s6uare at the same time$ A piece ma" not move through a s6uare occupied #" a piece nor *ump over a piece 4 Onl" one piece ma" #e moved in each turn

The 5lag and the -om# pieces cannot #e moved Once these pieces are placed at the start of the game the" must remain in that square

The Scout ma" move an" num#er of open s6uares for%ard$ #ac&%ard$ or side%ard in a straight line if the pla"er desires This movement$ of course$ then reveals to the opponent the value of that piece Therefore$ the pla"er ma" choose to move the Scout onl" one s6uare in his turn$ so as to &eep the Scout's identit" hidden The Scout is valua#le for pro#ing the opponent's positions The Scout may not move and strike in the same turn

Once a piece had #een moved to a s6uare and the hand removed$ it cannot #e moved #ac& to its original position in that turn

+0 Pieces cannot #e moved #ac& and forth #et%een the same , s6uares in . consecutive turns ++ A pla"er must either move or strike in his turn Rules for Strike or Attack + !hen a red and a #lue piece occup" ad*oining s6uares either #ac& to #ac&$ side to side$ or face to face$ the" are in a position to stri&e No diagonal strikes can #e made , A pla"er ma" move on his;her turn or strike on their turn He/She cannot do both The stri&e ends the turn After pieces have finished the stri&e move$ the pla"er %ho %as struc& has his;her turn to move or stri&e . <t is not re6uired to stri&e %hen t%o opposing pieces are in position A pla"er ma" decide to stri&e$ %henever he;she desires / Either pla"er ma" stri&e (on his;her turn)= not onl" the one %ho moved their piece into position 7 To stri&e (or attac&)$ the pla"er %hose turn it is ta&es up his;her piece and lightl" stri&es the opponent's piece %hile at the same time declaring their piece's ran& The opponent ans%ers #" naming the ran& of his;her piece 4 The piece %ith the lower ran& is lost and removed from the #oard The %inning higher-ran&ing piece is then moved immediately into the empty square ormerly occupied by the losing piece

!hen e6ual ran&s are struc&$ then #oth pieces are lost and removed from the #oard

A 3arshal removes a General$ a General removes a Colonel and a Colonel removes a 3a*or and so on do%n to the Sp"$ %hich is the lo%est ra&ing piece

The Sp"$ ho%ever$ has the special privilege of #eing a#le to remove onl" the Marshal provided he;she stri&es irst That is$ if the Sp" stri&es the 3arshal on his;her turn$ the 3arshal is removed >o%ever$ if the 3arshal stri&es first$ the Sp" is removed All other pieces remove the Sp" regardless of %ho stri&es first

+0 !hen an" piece (e)cept a 3iner) stri&es a -om# (-ang?) that piece is lost and is removed from the #oard The -om# does not move into the empt" s6uare$ #ut remains in its original position at all times !hen a 3iner stri&es a -om#$ the -om# is lost and the 3iner moves in to the unoccupied s6uare ++ A -om# cannot stri&e$ #ut rather must %ait until a movea#le piece stri&es it +, Remem#er$ the 5lag can never #e moved To End the Game !hen a pla"er stri&es his;her opponent's 5lag$ the game ends and he;she is the winner 2ote1 <f a pla"er cannot move a piece or stri&e in his;her turn$ the" must give up and declare their opponent the %inner

Additional Rules >ere are three rule variations included for the STRATEGO game pla"er %ho %ants an added challenge 5eel free to add one or an" com#ination of theses rules to "our game1 Aggressor Advantage !hen pieces of the same ran& #attle$ the attac&ing piece %ins Silent Defense !hen a stri&e is made$ the attac&er is the onl" pla"er %ho has to declare the ran& of his;her piece The defender does not reveal the ran& of his;her piece$ #ut resolves the stri&e #" removing %hatever piece is lo%er ran&ing from the game#oard Pla"ers &eep

their o%n captured pieces E)ception1 %hen a Scout stri&es$ the defender must reveal the ran& of his;her piece Rescue !hen "ou move onto a s6uare in "our opponent's #ac& ro% "ou have the option of rescuing on of "our captured pieces <mmediatel" pic& an" piece from the pieces "our opponent has captured and return it to the game#oard Place "our piece on an" unoccupied space on "our half of the game#oard and "ou turn is over !estrictions" Scouts cannot ma&e a rescue @ou cannot rescue a -om# Each pla"er can ma&e onl" t%o rescues The same pla"ing piece cannot ma&e #oth rescues

~ History ~
The First Skirmishes <n +:08 a 5rench %oman$ 3 >ermance Eden filed a patent for a (*ue de #ataille avec pieces mo#iles sur damier$( %hich translates as (a #attle game %ith mo#ile pieces on a game #oard ( The game$ soon sold as #$%ttaque$ has a red arm" vs a #lue arm" -- and %as the ancestor of the STRATEGO game #$%ttaque #ecame ver" popular and %as sold all over Europe and -ritain through !orld !ar << and #e"ond The Battle Escalates The name STRATEGO %as first trademar&ed #" a Autchman named Bac6ues Bohan 3ogendorff in +:/9 <n the '70s it %as sold to a European game compan" Earl" version of the #oard had onl" plain s6uares$ and a (no man's land( instead of la&es

Some earl" sets had %ooden pla"ing pieces Then in +:4+ 3ilton -radle" #ought the rights to the STRATEGO game$ and introduced (The Popular Old !orld Game of S&ill and Strateg"( to America All!"ut Attack Although first advertised as an adult game$ STRATEGO 6uic&l" #ecame a famil" favorite Over the "ears the game's art%or& has had man" ma&eovers$ from simple illustrations to full-color game #oard landscapes and realistic #o) cover #attle scenes Toda" the STRATEGO game is pla"ed all over the %orld= in tournaments= as a computer game= and over the internet -ut all the %hile the o#*ect has remained the same1 Perfect "our strateg" and tr" to capture the enem"'s flag?

~ Strategy ~
Flag #lacement and #rotection One of the most important aspects of an" Stratego strateg" is protecting "ou flag <f "ou place "our 5lag in one of the #ac& corners then it is onl" accessi#le from t%o sides This can ma&e it easier to defend$ #ut it is also an o#viousl" set up Sometimes placing "our flag in the center of the #oard and luring "ou opponent a%a" from it %ith deco"s can %or& out #etter !hat "our protect "ou flag %ith can #e more important than %here "ou place it 3an" people li&e to protect their flag %ith #om#s This can %or& out #ut "ou must hunt do%n "our opponent's miners <nstead < li&e to protect it %ith m" higher ran&ing officers$ such as t%o Colonels(.) and m" General(,) Another good strateg" to emplo" is to surround "our flag %ith Sergeants(9) or Cieutenants(4)$ and then surround them %ith #om#s <n this strateg"

the idea is to prevent a 3iner(8) from dismantling a #om# and then immediatel" capturing "our flag #iece $sage <t is generall" a good idea to &eep "ou Sp" %ith "our 3arshal(+) or "our General(,) This %a" if "ou run into "our opponents 3arshal(+) "ou can ta&e it out and hopefull" &eep "our 3arshal(+) alive <t is a good idea to save some 3iners(8) "our the end of the game %hen "ou ma" need to dismantle a #om# or t%o to reach the flag <t is also a good idea to &eep at least one Scout(:) in "our #ac& lines to #e used for a s%ift flag capture at the end of the game

Fuente: http://woz.commtechlab.msu.edu/courses/346fa02/stratego/index.html