Winning Strategy for Stratego

Stratego is a fun easy to learn, quick to set up military-based strategy board game. If you are new to the game, the following links will be useful:

• Information and game walkthrough videos on Stratego
• Learn how to play with Easy to Read Rules for Stratego

Now, here are some pointers to help you develop the winning strategy for Stratego.

Recommended Winning Setup Strategies for Stratego

Flag and Decoy at the corners protected by bombs

Put a flag in one corner of the board and a decoy flag in another corner and surround both of them with bombs. Why? This causes confusion for your opponent. Which side is your flag on? And they will commit their pieces to either end of the board.

Support General (second-highest ranked) piece with Spy

Have your spy support your General. In the event, your opponent’s Marshall takes your General down, you can capture the General immediately with your Spy.

Miners support from the back

Miners are useful in removing bombs. Support your troops from the back and keep higher ranked pieces in the front.

Don’t risk all your scouts at the front

Scouts become very useful in the later part of the game. Don’t risk them by placing all of them in the front.

Check out this vid on scout placement strategy.

Counter-attack by supporting lower-ranked pieces with higher-ranked

Try to place higher-ranked pieces close/behind your lower-ranked pieces so that if your opponent captures the piece, you may have opportunity to capture your opponent’s piece.

Marshall (Highest ranked) and General (Second highest ranked) should be on opposite sides

You want your highest ranking pieces to be able to control the 2 areas of the board. They shouldn’t cluster together. Place these pieces in areas where they can get to the middle easily.

Focus Low-ranked (2, 3, 4, 5) pieces to the front

Your low-ranked pieces help clear the way in the front. As mentioned earlier, don’t place all your scouts (pieces with #2 rank) in the front.

Recommended Playing Winning Strategy for Stratego

Control the lanes

There are 3 lanes on the board, created by impassable rivers. Focus your pieces and into opening up the lanes so that you can enter your opponent’s territory. Don’t focus your Marshal and General on the same lane. Divide and conquer.

Value your Scouts

Don’t go kamikaze on your Scouts early. They have value as the game progresses and can scout for bombs once you’ve cleared the passage to your opponent’s flag.

Plan your attack with multiple pieces

Don’t go alone into battle. Have supporting pieces. In a real battle, lone commandos don’t survive. You need your platoon.

Remember the opponent’s pieces and where bombs are

You are not going to win if you don’t remember where the key opponent’s pieces are on the board. If you uncover a bomb, remember its location. Don’t lose men because of poor memory.

Here are some videos on winning Stratego strategy.