Customer Reviews

Stratego

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

====================================================
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.
====================================================
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.")
====================================================

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.

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!

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.

I finally got this game in the mail and was very disappointed to find it was NOT the classic version of the game. I hate that the theme has gone from the basic battle field to sorcery and magic. I haven't played it and don't really feel like keeping. I hate to waste money. Perhaps had I know right from the start that there were many different versions of the game, I would have never bought it.

My girlfriend and I recently purchased Jenga, Fact or Crap and this game. It is easily the funnest of the three. We bought it this past weekend and have played it five times already.

If you're 'old school' you can play this game same as the classic version, but I recommend playing with the special powers. It adds a new level of excitement -- knowing there is only one or two ways to beat certain characters.

The special character powers are easy to remember, and in case you forget they are written on the ends of both sides of the board.

Play it a couple of times and you'll start to develop your own strategies and even think them up when you go to bed -- eager to try them out on your rival.

hint: your mage can easily kill almost everything on the board - being such high power and using its power to reveal the other sides' characters. if you use him wisely, you're opponent won't know what hit him/her.

I got this game for 2 reasons:
1. It's a simple, short game, so the barrier of entry is low enough that I can convince anyone to play it at least once.
2. It's played competitively, which indicates that there is significant strategic depth to the game. This depth encourages people to play it again.

I am a game developer, and I find a lot of value in games that are both of those things.

I suggest this for:
People who like board games but have trouble convincing people to play with them.
Someone who has heard about the game and has contemplated whether it's good enough to warrant a purchase.
Anyone who likes the idea of board games, but is intimidated by the complexity and time commitment of some board games.
People who like games with strategic and tactical depth.
The casual game player who wants something to add to the collection before having another board game night.

There are different themed versions of this game too, that sometimes add a few extra optional rules. That's good for mixing things up once in a while.

My 5 year old learned how to play it in school. One day I picked her up and saw her playing and warm memories from my childhood made me launch the amazon app on my iphone and 1-click buy it. When it arrived, I was initially upset at myself for not reading the description carefully - it had "fantasy" characters rather than army ones, the numbers go in the wrong direction (higher is stronger, like cards) and the game board is smaller with only 30 pieces per player.

That said, the game is still fun and probably easier to handle for my 5 year old than the original 40 piece per player version. So I am still happy, and may get the full version in a few years if we still like it.

Construction is good, but plan to spend 15 minutes applying all the figure stickers on the game pieces yourself (added value for a 5 year old :))

It will get you to think, its alot like chess, but gives you more set up options and more options. You cannot go wrong with stratego!

I grew up on the old game, so adjusting to the reverse numbering scheme took time. In this new version, high numbers are strong and low numbers are weak.

I like this version because it has more than one way to play. Normal mode or Special Power mode. However, I think I preferred the military theme rather than the fantasy theme.

This is the classic Stratego in a fantasy theme with dragons and mages replacing marshals and generals. The board and the pieces are reasonably solid and the price agreeable. There are optional rules that give the pieces special abilities, but traditionalists like myself can easily ignore them.