Stratego

by Milton Bradley

Product Features

• The new Stratego-the classic game of battlefield strategy with optional special powers for an exciting level of play
• Choose to lead warriors from an ancient arctic realm or a fierce army from a land of fiery molten lava
• Command knights, wizards, even a mighty dragon as you advance your pieces or strategically attack your opponent
• Play by the classic rules of Stratego or include special powers that bring an added level of excitement to the game
• Includes 1 game board, 30-piece Fire Army, 30-piece Ice Army, 2 storage bags and instructions
• Then, secretly set up your pieces on the game board--a frozen battlefield where the 2 powerful armies prepare to clash

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0019L5ZZY
• Item model number: 45068
• Our recommended age: 8 - 15 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 10 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,378 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The new Stratego-the classic game of battlefield strategy with optional special powers for an exciting level of play. Who will claim victory? Choose to lead warriors from an ancient arctic realm or a fierce army from a land of fiery molten lava. Then, secretly set up your pieces on the game board--a frozen battlefield where the 2 powerful armies prepare to clash. Command knights, wizards, even a mighty dragon as you advance your pieces or strategically attack your opponent. Play by the classic rules of Stratego or include special powers that bring an added level of excitement to the game. Can you capture the enemy flag to win? It includes one game board, 30-piece Fire Army, 30-piece Ice Army, 2 storage bags and instructions. For 2 players ages 8 and up.

Product Description

Step onto the battlefield and put your strategy to the test in this classic game. Each player must use cunning and luck to outwit their opponents and win the game. It's the same classic "capture the flag" gameplay, but with an all-new heroic fantasy theme. For 2 players.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Stratego is a classic, BUT be sure to get the right version!, October 25, 2010

By 

Jason Kirkfield "The Pride and Sorrow of chil... (Purple Mountains Majesty) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Stratego (Toy)

Stratego was introduced in the United States in the early 1960s. Offering strategic elements of chess on a familiar board game motif, it became a very popular game in American households during the 1960s and 70s. By 2000, no doubt caving to constant reports of how stupid American children were becoming, Hasbro changed the numbering system on the pieces, completely inverting the familiar 1-9 scale. Historically, the most powerful piece (Marshall) was marked "1" while the least powerful piece (Scout) was marked "9." More recent editions contain pieces marked in the opposite manner, with higher ranked (i.e., stronger) pieces displaying higher numbers. This decision was not met with universal applause, and in response (or perhaps it was planned all along to generate multiple streams of revenue?), Hasbro released a "Vintage" edition. So if you wish to own the same Stratego game you grew up playing, you are forced to find an older game or else purchase the more expensive Vintage edition. Another pitfall for would-be buyers is that Hasbro recently capitalized on the popular fantasy theme, releasing a version of Stratego which replaces the classic Napoleonic army with medieval themed pieces (i.e., dragon, dwarf, slayer). Confusingly, this version is NOT named Stratego--the D&D Battle or Stratego--the Fire and Ice Edition or any other moniker that might be helpful in distinguishing among them. Note also that this version also reduced the number of pieces from forty to thirty.

To recap, there are three current Hasbro (Milton Bradley) offerings. They are all offered on Amazon (at varying price levels) and I will cross reference the manufacturer's part numbers and also provide the relevant links to the games on Hasbro's Web site, although you cannot purchase directly there.

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Stratego Nostalgia
Hasbro Item #40836
(See Comments section below for link.)

The Vintage edition (confusingly titled "Nostalgia" by Amazon) offers the proper (in my opinion!) numbering system, and comes in a keepsake wooden box.
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Stratego-Milton Bradley Board Games
Hasbro Item #04714
(See Comments section below for link.)

The basic Stratego (post-2000) edition offers the proper number of pieces (40) but the inverted ranking system. This last and most important point is not obvious until you scrutinize the Product Details. ("This new, updated version of Stratego is slightly different than the original, though the gameplay is the same.") Plus you need to apply the stickers yourself! Ouch, Hasbro cheaped out.
====================================================
Stratego
Hasbro Item #45068
(See Comments section below for link.)

The fantasy-themed version with 30 pieces. Again, Amazon has failed to adequately label the game, simply titling it "Stratego." However the Product Features make it clear. ("Choose to lead warriors from an ancient arctic realm or a fierce army from a land of fiery molten lava.")
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Your best bet? If you simply want the same game you grew up playing, just look for a cardboard boxed set from the 70s or 80s. For example, this version (Stratego - The Classic Game of Battlefield Strategy 1986 Edition) is the same one I have. I have owned it for many years with no complaints. Finding one for yourself, however, might be trickier than you think. Unless you buy it here from a Amazon Marketplace vendor--which is not recommended, given the ridiculous prices--you are left to your own devices to find it in a used game store or at a garage sale. Alternatively, you can buy one of the currently offered versions. But as I have demonstrated, they are not all the same as one another, and indeed very few are identical to what you may have grown up playing.

P.S. After much further research, I believe either of these two sets (Stratego Vintage Wood Book Edition) or (Library Stratego Game Set) are equivalent to the Vintage edition described above, and at least one may be available inexpensively at Target.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the classic with a twist, November 9, 2008

By 

J. Enszer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Stratego (Toy)

This version of Stratego is similar to the classic version, with one notable (and arguably major) exception: the number of playing pieces has been reduced.

The game pieces are revamped for a fire-versus-ice fantasy setting: the Spy is now a Slayer, who can take out the highest-ranked Dragon piece. Name changes aside, the gameplay remains the same as the original game. However, the number of pieces has been reduced from forty to thirty, and the gameboard therefore only has three rows of ten spaces instead of four on each side of the board. This alteration in the board alone can considerably change winning game strategies compared to the classic version.

The game also supplies rules for an optional variant on the game where each numbered piece has a special ability - for example, the second-highest ranked piece, the Mage, can force the opponent to reveal the identity of a distant piece without attacking it; the Knight can move two spaces instead of one. These optional rules are also printed on the game board itself for easy reference. This gameplay variant can sometimes make the game feel considerably different than the original version.

Overall, I'd say the game remains similar to the original, but is not an exact substitute. The classic version of Stratego is still available, so make sure you know you want what you're buying!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stratego updated for today's kids, October 10, 2008

By 

Sleepless (Anoka, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stratego (Toy)

I always liked Stratego as a kid, but for some reason my own kids were not that into the game. They tend to like video games better than sitting with mom or dad at the kitchen table playing a traditional board game.

I am always on the lookout for games and toys that allow me to have time with my children having some family fun. I have one son who LOVES dragons and wizards so I took a chance and bought this game for him hoping it would catch his attention and it did. He loves it.

In the game, you pit fire army against the ice army. The game pieces and board layout are very familiar to those of us who have played regular Stratego. The graphics are updated to appeal to what kids today like. The pictures are very similar to some of the collectable card games that my kids play, so they were very comfortable with the characters from the first time we had the box open. There are some new moves that make the gameplay a little more exciting and action oriented, but you don't have to play them... normal rules apply too.

So, if you have children who like fantasy characters, I highly recommend this game. Two of my sons (age 10 & 12) have played it with me so far and they have both enjoyed it. Since it only requires two players, this is a great game for some one on one quiet time with your child.