Stratego variants compared

• Pieces: 40 per player on a 10×10 board with two lakes.
• Numbering: European style, Marshal 10 down to Spy 1.
• Scout: may move any distance and attack in the same turn.
• Extras: current Jumbo sets include bonus pieces so you can choose a male or female figure for some ranks.

This is the rule set our online game and our rules page follow.

Classic, Nostalgia and Library editions reproduce the older US game. The board and the 40 pieces are the same, but:

• Ranks are numbered the other way round: Marshal 1, General 2, down to Scout 9, with the Spy marked S.
• Some of these sets, such as the Library edition, say a Scout cannot move and strike on the same turn.

If you grew up with a 1960s or 1970s set, this is the numbering you remember. See both numbers side by side on the pieces page.

A children's version with far fewer pieces and simpler rules. Editions differ (some are themed), so check the box. The Junior Stratego rulebook uses 19 castle-shaped pieces per player with fantasy ranks such as king, knight, dragon and wizard, and two ways to play:

• Quest: pieces do not move; you roll a picture die and remove matching enemy castles.
• Triumph: pieces move and fight by rank, close to the real game, with dragons acting like Bombs and dwarves like Miners.

It is a good bridge to the full game, which is rated for ages 8 and up.

A short version from Jumbo with 10 pieces per player and a screen, played in two quick variants called Lock and Duel. Games take minutes rather than an hour. The 10-piece Duel format is also played at world championship level.

Included in some Stratego Original boxes. You play with 30 pieces set up in the first 3 rows instead of 4, plus a deck of move, attack and defence cards that bend the normal rules for one turn, such as moving a piece across a lake by boat.

Tournament formats with very small armies. Barrage uses 8 pieces (Flag, Marshal, General, 1 Bomb, 1 Miner, 2 Scouts and the Spy) and a game takes about five minutes. Ultimate Lightning uses 20 pieces per side.

There are many themed editions (Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Marvel and more), four-player versions, and sets with new pieces such as the Cannon or the Infiltrator. Most keep the core idea: hidden ranks, higher rank wins, capture the Flag.