Stratego Setup

Before the first move, each player arranges all 40 pieces on their four rows. Ranks face the owner. The opponent sees only backs. You may not place a piece on a lake or in the empty middle ranks.

On this site you can swap two of your own squares, randomize your army, or skip setup with one-click play on the play page or the homepage board.

A workable default

• Flag in a corner or on the back row, with Bombs on at least two adjacent squares.
• One Bomb off the flag, so a lucky Scout does not map the whole bunker.
• Miners not all stacked in one file; you need them later, not only as shields.
• Scouts on the front row to probe, not all buried behind bombs.
• Marshal not on the front row where the first unknown can eat it.
• Spy near the Marshal, not on the opposite wing “just in case.”

Those are habits, not a publisher “forced win.” Setup is a taste: some players bomb the back row heavily, some leave a false bunker. The piece counts are on Stratego pieces.

Validation on this site

Ready is rejected until every rank is on your four rows in the classic counts. The computer fills its own rows at random and never shows you those ranks. After Ready, Red moves first.

Walk through a first game in how to play Stratego, then read opening strategy if you want a plan before you click Play now.