Product Description

Crack open the game and watch history come to life with the Vintage Collection! This unique series of games feature all of the timeless classics that have remained family favorites over the decades! While you strategically plan how to capture your opponent's flag, you'll also capture a piece of the past with this classic game of battlefield strategy! Cover design may vary. 2 Players, Ages 8+

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16211 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Hasbro
• Released on: 2005-08-01

Features

• Library Stratego Game / Vintage Game Collection
• Collectable Wooden Box with Storage Trays / Full-Size Nostalgic-Themed Gamebord / Instructions
• Classic Metallic-Printed Tokens / (40) Red Army Tokens with Gold Painting / (40) Blue Army Tokens with Silver Painting
• Cover Design May Vary
• 2 Players / Ages 8+

Customer Reviews

Stratego the way I had it (1970's) and Better
What prompted me to write this were two valid complaints from the reviews in the current edition of this game here:
Stratego-Milton Bradley Board Games
Namely, that MB reversed the ranking system we're all used to and, well, left the final part of the manufacturing process to the buyer to complete. If you're accustomed to the Marshal as #1 and the Scouts as #9, and don't want to sit and apply stickers just so to 80 Stratego men before your first game, the new edition will frustrate you.

Your deliverance has arrived here in the Library Stratego Game Set. The blue and red plastic pieces arrive ready to engage, stamped and embossed in glorious gold and silver, just the way they used to be. They're numbered Marshal 1, General 2, down to the Scouts as 9, and the board looks right, too.

The part that's better than my long lost original (All it takes to ruin a set is to lose a single piece out the torn ends of that old cardboard beater box) is the game case. It's a finished, polished sturdy thing of solid wood that fits nicely among the leather bound classic volumes on my library shelf. (I'm hoping the kids just might be curious enough to browse the neighboring works of Dickens, Kipling, or Bronte after they play it one day). Treat it well and it will become a treasured heirloom.

Truly one of the best board/strategy games ever; great new presentation
I've noticed that the standard, card-board boxed version of Stratego has very many reviews. Most agree with me that the game is great. So, I'll be brief about the game play. There is perhaps a small amount of luck involved in the game. But, that is more than compensated for in the game's unique pro's. Like the requirement for extensive planning (as you arrange the pieces any way you want before play begins) and the need for a good memory, since you can only see the rank of on of your opponents pieces if its involved in an attack (and then it may be too late!).

This particular version is wonderful. I like the wooden bookcase box. The board is beautiful. And, the art on both is great. The pieces, as far as I can see, are exactly the same as the standard version. The board does have to fold up to 1/6th of it expanded size to get into the box. But, it seems to be well made and it laid flat without any trouble when playing. ... As I write this, this version is priced less than the standard cardboard box version! That's crazy. I would much prefer this one even at the same price.

Your kids will love this game and not even know to what extent it is exercising their minds. I played with my son today and it was a blast for me, too. Sometimes you play a game again that you had played as a kid and are disappointed. But, not in this case. Stratego rocks forever.

The ultimate strategy game
Stratego is one of the best games I have ever played. Winning relies entirely on you and the decisions you make. You must constantly adapt to the changing situations on the board, and always have a plan. Because the battle is always different, you will have an infinite number of campaigns to fight out with your opponent across the board.

The aim of the game is set up your pieces in such a way so that your flag (which is invaluable; lose it and you lose the game) is protected and so that your pieces can go out in search of the opposing flag. Of course, your opponent is doing the same thing. One catch: the other player's army is invisible to you, and vice versa; thus, you and your foe will have to find out where opponent pieces are positioned.

You are in command of an army consisting of 40 pieces. To start, line them up on the game board. But be careful, this line-up will very likely determine the fate of your campaign.

Venture out with high-ranking pieces. The higher the rank, the better the chance is that you'll kill nearly every piece you see. But be careful, because even the general, who outranks colonels and majors, can be killed by the marshal, who in turn, can be attacked and killed by the lowly spy, who would otherwise die in an encounter. It's all great battlefield fun!

The rules of Stratego are not extremely complicated, but the strategy involved will test your reasoning skills to the limit. Indeed, Stratego is like chess, and, in my opinion, is just as intricate and challenging. Good Stratego games involve just as much brain power, planning, and skill as with good chess games. All in all, Stratego a superb two-player game, and definitely in my top 3.

And now for the game contents. The Library Edition has given this game a great, old-fashioned look in a neat, wooden box, complete with instructions, a very nice-looking, old-fashioned game board, and (obviously) a complete set of pieces. A nice, clean version for some nice, clean fun (no blood unless the players are extremely competitive!). Worth your money.