Stratego · Rules guide
Stratego rules: how to play
All forty pieces explained, how strikes resolve, why the Spy only beats the Marshal when it attacks, what Miners are for, and the rules that stop endless shuffling.
The short answer
- Each player deploys forty pieces face down across their four nearest rows.
- Ranks run from Marshal (10) down to Spy (1), plus six Bombs and the Flag, which never move.
- In a strike both pieces are revealed and the lower rank is removed; equal ranks both die.
- Only a Miner can remove a Bomb, and the Spy beats the Marshal only when the Spy attacks.
- Win by capturing the flag or by leaving your opponent with no legal move.
The board, the armies and secret deployment
Stratego is chess with the pieces turned around. Each player deploys forty pieces face down, so your opponent can see where your army is but not what any of it is. You win by capturing the enemy flag — and the whole game is the process of finding out what is where without giving away what you have.
- Board: 10×10 squares, with two 2×2 lakes in the middle that nothing may enter.
- Deployment: each player fills their four nearest rows, in secret, before the game begins.
- Red moves first. You must move a piece every turn.
The forty pieces
Ranks run from 10 (Marshal) down to 1 (Spy), plus six Bombs and the Flag, which never move.
| Rank | Piece | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Marshal | 1 | The strongest piece — beaten only by the Spy striking first, or a Bomb. |
| 9 | General | 1 | Second strongest; usually held back until the Marshal is located. |
| 8 | Colonel | 2 | Strong attackers. |
| 7 | Major | 3 | Mid-rank workhorses. |
| 6 | Captain | 4 | Mid-rank workhorses. |
| 5 | Lieutenant | 4 | Low-mid rank. |
| 4 | Sergeant | 4 | Cheap probing pieces. |
| 3 | Miner | 5 | The only piece that can defuse a Bomb. |
| 2 | Scout | 8 | Moves any distance in a straight line and may strike in the same turn. |
| 1 | Spy | 1 | Loses to everything — except that it kills the Marshal if it strikes first. |
| B | Bomb | 6 | Never moves. Destroys any attacker except a Miner. |
| F | Flag | 1 | Never moves. Lose it and you lose the game. |
The three special pieces
- Scout (2) — moves any number of empty squares in a straight line, and may attack at the end of that move. Scouts are your eyes: they find ranks cheaply. Spend them.
- Miner (3) — the only piece that removes a Bomb without dying. With five Miners and six Bombs on the board, Miner management is a real resource problem.
- Spy (1) — beaten by everything, but if the Spy attacks the Marshal, the Marshal dies. If the Marshal attacks the Spy, the Spy dies. Order matters.
Moving and striking
Every piece except Bombs and the Flag moves one square up, down, left or right — no diagonals. Scouts are the exception: they travel any distance in a straight line over empty squares.
What happens in a strike
Move onto an occupied enemy square and both pieces are revealed:
- The lower rank is removed. The winner takes the square.
- Equal ranks — both are removed.
- Bomb — the attacker dies, unless it is a Miner, in which case the Bomb is removed.
- Spy attacking a Marshal — the Marshal dies.
- Flag — the game ends immediately.
The two-square and chasing rules
To stop endless shuffling, a piece may not move back and forth between the same two squares more than three turns in a row, and you may not chase an opponent's piece indefinitely around the same circuit. Different editions word these rules slightly differently; the effect is the same.
Winning, and what the rules do not tell you
You win in one of two ways:
- Capture the enemy flag.
- Leave your opponent with no legal move — every remaining piece is a Bomb, the Flag, or blocked.
The information rules are the real rules
Stratego's rulebook is short, but the game has a second layer that no rulebook states:
- Everything you reveal is permanent. Once a strike happens, your opponent knows that rank forever.
- Movement is information. A piece that has moved is not a Bomb or the Flag. A piece that runs is probably weak; a piece that advances confidently is probably strong — or bluffing.
- Every attack costs information, even when you win it.
Editions and variants
| Version | What changes |
|---|---|
| Classic (1961 onwards) | The rules above, with Napoleonic or generic military pieces. |
| Stratego Original / Fortress | Different board features and deployment areas. |
| Duel / Quick Battle | Fewer pieces and a smaller board for shorter games. |
| Barrage | Eight pieces a side — fast, and a good way to learn probability. |
| Free-for-all house rules | Some groups allow a Spy to be captured only by a strike, or vary the Miner count. |
Competitive Stratego — played under the International Stratego Federation and its national bodies — uses the classic rules, plus tournament conventions on move repetition and on how long deployment may take.
Common questions
Can the Spy kill the Marshal in Stratego?
Only when the Spy attacks. If the Spy strikes the Marshal, the Marshal is removed. If the Marshal strikes the Spy, the Spy dies. Everything else beats the Spy in either direction.
How many bombs are in Stratego?
Six per player, plus one flag. Neither ever moves, which means a piece that has moved can never be a bomb or the flag — the most useful deduction in the game.
What can a Scout do?
Move any number of empty squares in a straight line, and strike at the end of the same move. Scouts are rank 2, so they lose almost every fight — their value is the information the fight reveals.
Can a Miner beat a Bomb?
Yes — the Miner removes the bomb and survives. Every other piece is destroyed by a bomb. With five miners against six bombs, spending them carelessly can cost you the game.
What is the two-square rule?
A piece may not shuttle between the same two squares for more than three turns in a row. It exists to stop a player avoiding a decision forever, and similar limits apply to endless chasing.
Do you have to move every turn?
Yes. There is no passing in Stratego, which is why a player whose remaining pieces are all bombs, flag or blocked loses the game outright.
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