Help For Stratego

Introduction

Welcome to the network Stratego server. The rules of Stratego are below. The stratego "challenge", "set", and "deploy" commands are described here. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games.

stratego challenge userid1 userid2 [ -small ]

Start a new game of Stratego between userid1 and userid2.

The "-small" option starts a game on an 8x8 board, instead of 10x10. See below for details.

stratego set userid password [ options ]

Selects optional ways of viewing the board. Available options:

    flip    : Rotate the board if you are playing Black (default)
    noflip  : White is always at the bottom.

stratego deploy board userid password
or
stratego move board userid password deploy

The deploy command is used for setting up your army on the board.

The placement of the army is specified in the body of the message. For example:

    To:      pbmserv@gamerz.net
    From:    peterpan@neverland.net
    Subject: stratego move 88 peter gator deploy

    9394924939
    56691S9575
    574BB7668B
    88BF7B88B9

The first 40 (24 for -small) non-whitespace characters are used as the army, and are placed front-row to back-row, left to right on the board. HTML tags are also ignored.

Rules of Stratego

These rules are the most popular way of playing Stratego and they conform to the rules used in Stratego Tournaments. Some boxed sets may have slightly different rule sets printed in them. See the ISK Str@tego Pages for more information on playing Stratego.

Object of the Game

To capture the opponent's Flag.

Initial Setup

The game is played on a 10x10 board (8x8 if the -small options is used) with two lakes in the middle. The lakes may not be moved into or over.

Before starting the game, each player deploys his army using the deploy command. In the regular game, the army fills the four rows closest to the player. In the -small game, the army fills three rows. The opponent does not see what your pieces are; only where they are. (The physical board game uses pieces which stand up. The side with the piece designation faces the player. The other side faces the opponent, and is the same on all pieces.)

Pieces

Twelve different types of pieces are used in stratego, as listed below.

                               Number Deployed
    Piece Name  Display  regular game  -small game 
    ----------  -------  ------------  -----------
    Bomb          /B\          6           4
    Marshall      /1\          1           0
    General       /2\          1           1
    Colonel       /3\          2           1
    Major         /4\          3           2
    Captain       /5\          4           2
    Lieutenant    /6\          4           0        
    Sergeant      /7\          4           4
    Miner         /8\          5           4
    Scout         /9\          8           4
    Spy           /S\          1           1
    Flag          /F\          1           1
                              --          --
                              40          24

Movement

Bombs(B) and Flags(F) never move.

Other pieces, except the Scout(9), move a single space horizontally or vertically.

The Scout(9) also moves horizontally or vertically, but may move any number of spaces, unless blocked by other pieces or water.

No piece may move into or over the lakes in the middle of the board.

Conflict and Captures

When a pieces moves onto the same square as one of the opponent's pieces, a conflict occurs. The identities of both pieces are revealed and the piece with the lowest rank wins. The loser is removed from the board.

If the pieces are equal in rank, both are removed from the board.

The Bomb(B) will win against any piece, except the Miner(8). The Miner(8) is used to defuse Bombs(B).

The Spy(S) may capture the Marshall(1), but only if it is attacking. If the Marshall(1) attacks the Spy(S), the Spy(S) dies. Against other pieces, except the Flag(F), the Spy(S) always loses.

In the -small game, there is no Marshall(1), so the Spy(S) may kill the General(2) instead, but only if it is attacking.

Any piece may capture the Flag(F).

Discovering your Opponent's Army

You can always see where the pieces are on the board. Unless a Scout(9) gives itself away by making a long move, the only way to discover what the pieces actually are is through the conflict process, or deduction.

The server conveniently keeps track for you of which pieces have moved, and which have not.