Stratego cheat sheet (printable)
Each army has 40 pieces of 12 types. Higher rank wins; Miners defuse Bombs; the Spy beats the Marshal only by attacking. Capture the Flag to win.
All 12 pieces
| Rank | Piece | Count | Moves | Classic US | Special rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Marshal | 1 | 1 square | 1 | Strongest piece, but lost if the enemy Spy attacks it |
| 9 | General | 1 | 1 square | 2 | Loses only to the Marshal and Bombs |
| 8 | Colonel | 2 | 1 square | 3 | |
| 7 | Major | 3 | 1 square | 4 | |
| 6 | Captain | 4 | 1 square | 5 | |
| 5 | Lieutenant | 4 | 1 square | 6 | |
| 4 | Sergeant | 4 | 1 square | 7 | |
| 3 | Miner | 5 | 1 square | 8 | The only piece that defuses Bombs |
| 2 | Scout | 8 | Any distance | 9 | Moves any number of empty squares in a straight line and may attack at the end |
| 1 | Spy | 1 | 1 square | S | Defeats the Marshal only when the Spy attacks |
| - | Bomb | 6 | Never | B | Removes any attacker except a Miner and stays |
| - | Flag | 1 | Never | F | Capture it to win |
Total: 40 pieces per player, 33 that move and 7 that never move. Full explanations are on the pieces page.
On your turn
- Setup: place all 40 pieces in your four rows nearest you, ranks facing you. The two middle rows with the lakes stay empty.
- Red moves first, then players alternate. You must move or attack with one piece; you cannot pass.
- Pieces move one square forward, back, left or right, never diagonally. Never into a lake, onto your own piece or over pieces. The Scout moves any distance in a straight line.
- Two-square rule: do not move the same piece back and forth between the same two squares more than 3 times in a row.
Combat
- Move onto an enemy piece to attack it. Both pieces are revealed.
- Higher rank wins and the lower piece is removed.
- Equal ranks: both pieces are removed.
- Bomb: removes any attacker except a Miner, which defuses it.
- Spy: beats the Marshal only when the Spy attacks first.
- Flag: any movable piece that attacks it captures it.
How to win
Capture the enemy Flag. You also win if your opponent has no piece that can move or attack on their turn. Rare draws happen when both Flags are walled in by Bombs and neither side has a Miner left.
More detail: rules, special pieces, setup ideas and edition differences.
FAQ
Is there a printable Stratego rules sheet?
Yes. Use the Print / Save as PDF button on this page. The print layout drops the menus and keeps the piece table, turn rules, combat rules and how to win.
How many of each piece are in Stratego?
1 Marshal, 1 General, 2 Colonels, 3 Majors, 4 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 4 Sergeants, 5 Miners, 8 Scouts, 1 Spy, 6 Bombs and 1 Flag: 40 per player.
What is the rank order in Stratego?
Marshal (10), General (9), Colonel (8), Major (7), Captain (6), Lieutenant (5), Sergeant (4), Miner (3), Scout (2), Spy (1). Classic US sets number them the other way, with the Marshal as 1.
How do you win Stratego?
Capture the opponent's Flag, or leave them with no piece that can legally move or attack.
Can I save the cheat sheet as a PDF?
Yes. Press the button, then choose Save as PDF as the printer in your browser's print dialog.
Sources
- Koninklijke Jumbo B.V.Stratego Original rules (rulebook PDF)checked Nov 15, 2026
- WikipediaStratego: Classic pieceschecked Nov 15, 2026
Keep reading
Pieces & ranks
All 12 pieces ranked, with counts and special moves.
Rules
The complete rules: setup, movement, combat and winning.
Spy, Bomb, Scout, Miner
The four pieces that break the normal rank rules, explained.
Stratego Original
What Stratego Original is, how it differs from other editions, and which to buy.