Stratego: Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition
Stratego: Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Capture your opponent's Flag before he or she captures your Flag.
The First Time You Play
Remove the game parts from their wrappings, and discard the wrappings. Then apply a label to each piece as follows: apply the Forces of Good labels (Gandalf, etc.) to the beige pieces; apply the Forces of Evil labels (Witch-king, etc.) to the gray pieces.
The Three Games
Stratego: Lord of the Rings Edition features characters from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in a classic battle between the Forces of Good and the Forces of Evil. There are 3 versions of play:
Game 1. Classic Stratego
This game plays the same as the classic game of Stratego.
Game 2. Special Powers
This game plays the same as Classic Stratego, but certain characters have special powers (printed on each end of the gameboard).
Game 3. Destroy The Ring
This game plays the same as the Special Powers game, with an added feature: the player who controls Frodo must try to move him to Mount Doom, to destroy The Ring. The other player must try to find and capture Frodo before he is able to do this.
Game 1. Classic Stratego
Game Setup
- The beige pieces represent the Forces of Good; the gray pieces represent the Forces of Evil. Hide a gray piece in one hand and a beige piece in the other. Your opponent chooses a hand, and takes the color army of the piece in that hand. The other army is yours.
- Place the gameboard on a level surface between you and your opponent, with the Stratego Lord of the Rings logo facing each of you. Make sure the pictures on the end of the gameboard match the pieces in your army. Note: Ignore the "special power" references to the characters on the gameboard; special powers are used only in Games 2 and 3.
- Place each of your pieces on a gameboard square in the first four rows in front of you. Make sure that the labeled side faces you and is hidden from your opponent. Your opponent sets up his or her pieces the same way.
Placing your pieces strategically is an important part of the game. After you've played a few times, you'll form your own strategy and have a better idea of where to place your pieces. For now, take a look at the rules for moving and attacking, and read the Strategy Hints. They'll help guide your decisions.
Figure 2 shows the game setup: the gameboard with the Stratego Lord of the Rings logo, the Beige Army occupying rows nearest one player, the two Forbidden Zones in the center of the board, and the Gray Army occupying rows nearest the other player.
How To Play
You and your opponent alternate turns. The player controlling the Forces of Evil goes first.
On Your Turn
On each of your turns, you must do one of the following:
- Either move one of your pieces; or
- Attack one of your opponent's pieces.
In a case where you cannot move or attack, the game is over and your opponent wins.
Rules For Movement
The only pieces that you cannot move are your Flag and your Strongholds. Move your other pieces according to the rules below.
- Move only one piece on a turn.
- Move your pieces one square at a time to an open adjacent square (a square next to it). Pieces can move forward, backward or sideways, but not diagonally. Exception: See Special Rider Movement, below.
- You cannot jump over other pieces, or move a piece onto an occupied square. Exception: See Special Rider Attack Privilege, below.
- You cannot jump over or move onto the two Forbidden Zones.
- You cannot move a piece back and forth between the same two squares on three consecutive turns.
Special Rider Movement
As mounted soldiers and the "cavalry" of their armies, Riders of Rohan and Warg Riders (pieces ranked 2) have special movement rules. A Rider can move any number of open squares forward, backward or sideways in one direction. Riders cannot move diagonally, nor can they pass over or move onto the two Forbidden Zones. Before moving a Rider more than one square, you must reveal it to your opponent. (You may wish to move a Rider only one square at a time, to confuse your opponent.)
Rules For Attack
The only pieces that cannot attack are your Flag and your Strongholds. Attack rules are as follows:
- Attack Position: When a beige piece and a gray piece occupy adjacent squares (back-to-back, side-to-side or face-to-face), they are in Attack Position.
- How to Attack: Take your attacking piece and lightly tap your opponent's piece. Reveal your attacking piece; your opponent then reveals his or her defending piece. The piece with the lower rank is captured and removed from the gameboard. If the pieces are of equal rank, both are captured and removed from the gameboard. See Captured Pieces. Note: Pieces not ranked by number have special rules; see Spies and Strongholds, below.
- If the attacking piece wins, it moves onto the square formerly occupied by the defending piece.
- If the defending piece wins, it stays on its square.
Captured Pieces
Any piece that is captured is immediately removed from the gameboard. Players can either place captured pieces near the gameboard, or they can fit them into the notches provided in the cardboard platform. Before the game begins, both players should agree on how captured pieces will be treated. The options are as follows:
Open Play: New players may want to place all captured pieces where both players can see them. This will help the players keep track of which pieces are still in play.
Prisoner Play: The player who captures a piece takes it and keeps it secret from the other player.
Secret Play: The player whose piece was captured takes it and keeps it secret from the capturing player.
Stealth Play: All captured pieces are kept facedown, hidden from both players. This forces both players to try to keep track of all captured pieces.
Strategy Hints
- Flag/Stronghold placement: When setting up your pieces, place your Flag in the back row, and place Strongholds around it for protection. Another strategy is to place Strongholds in the back corners as decoys, and hide your Flag in the middle of the back row with a high-ranking piece near it, for protection. Important: It's not usually a good idea to place Strongholds in the front row, or in any other place where they can block your pieces.
- Protect your Soldiers/Orcs: If your opponent's Flag is surrounded by Strongholds, you'll need a Soldier of Gondor or an Orc to open a pathway to the Flag.
- Rider placement: Place some of your Warg Riders or Riders of Rohan in the first two rows, and use them to reveal enemy pieces that are moving toward you. Keep some Riders safe, then use them later in the game to capture your opponent's Flag!
- High-ranking pieces: Place some high-ranking pieces in the front row, to capture Riders and other low-ranking pieces.
Do not move your highest-ranking pieces into unknown enemy territory. You don't want to lose them to Strongholds.
If you know that you own the highest-ranking piece on the board, you also know that you can capture any piece that moves! Try to remember which pieces move during the game, and be wary of those that don't: those pieces are probably the Strongholds and the Flag.
- Spy strategy: Try to keep your Spy (Éowyn or Wormtongue) near your 9-ranked piece (Aragorn or Saruman). If the enemy 10-ranked piece is nearby, you may be able to lure it over to your 9-ranked piece, then attack with your Spy to capture it!
Special Attack/Defense Rules
Some pieces have special attack or defense rules. Using these pieces strategically can mean the difference between victory and defeat!
Spies
The pieces ranked S are the Spies (Éowyn in the beige army and Wormtongue in the gray army). A Spy has no defense power, so it is captured by any piece that attacks it. Likewise, it is captured by any piece that it attacks, with two important exceptions: 1) A Spy can capture a Flag; and 2) Because it is crafty and clever, a Spy can capture a 10-ranked piece! For example, if Éowyn attacks the Witch-king, she captures it (a huge loss for the gray army!).
Strongholds
If a Stronghold is attacked, the attacking piece is captured. Exception: see Special Soldier/Orc Attack Privilege, below.
Special Soldier/Orc Attack Privilege
Soldiers of Gondor and Orcs (pieces ranked 3) are the only pieces that can capture Strongholds. When a Soldier of Gondor or an Orc attacks a Stronghold, the Stronghold is captured. The attacking piece then moves onto the square that was occupied by the Stronghold.
Special Rider Attack Privilege
This privilege applies only to the Warg Riders and Riders of Rohan (pieces ranked 2). They can move any number of open squares forward, backward or sideways. A Rider using this special movement may end its move on a square occupied by an opponent's piece, then immediately attack it.
How To Win
The first player to capture the opponent's Flag wins the game. If all of your movable pieces have been captured and you cannot move or attack on your turn, you must surrender and declare your opponent the winner.
Game 2. Special Powers
This game plays like the Classic Stratego Game and has the same goal: to capture the opponent's Flag. However, some pieces have special powers, which add a whole new level of strategy. The characters and their special powers are shown on each end of the gameboard, near the logo. When setting up the game, make sure the characters on your side of the gameboard match those in your army. Note: In this game, ignore Frodo's Ringbearer powers; they are used only in Game 3.
Follow these guidelines for using special powers:
- Pieces with special powers may either make a standard move, or use one of their special powers.
- Always reveal a piece to your opponent before using its special power.
The Special Powers
Flight: Gandalf's friends the giant Eagles, and the Witch-king's Fell Beast, have given them the ability to fly. Using the Flight power, Gandalf and the Witch-king may jump forward, backward or sideways (but not diagonally) in a straight line over any number of adjacent pieces and/or the Forbidden Zones, and end their move on the first open square. Pieces with Flight can fly over friendly or enemy pieces. Flight cannot be used to attack.
Detect Enemy: Using advanced Ranger skills, keen Elven senses or mystical powers, Aragorn, Legolas and Saruman can sense the presence of enemies nearby. To use this power, reveal the piece and say, "Detect Enemy." Then choose any enemy piece up to 2 squares away in any direction: forward, backward, sideways, diagonally, or any combination of these. Your opponent must then reveal the targeted piece. Detect Enemy cannot be used to attack.
Longbow: Pieces with Longbow (Faramir, Elves, Legolas and Haradrim) may attack an enemy piece up to 2 squares away, forward, backward, sideways or diagonally. To use Longbow, reveal the piece and say, "Longbow." Then choose any one enemy piece within range to attack. Your opponent reveals the targeted piece. If it is of a lower rank than the attacker, it is captured; if it is of equal or higher rank, it survives the attack and both pieces remain where they are. (Because this is a long-range attack, the attacker cannot be captured.)
Longbow attacks can be made over any other piece(s), or over a Forbidden Zone, as long as the enemy is within the two-square range. Note: Strongholds, Flags and Berzerkers are all immune to Longbow attacks.
Dwarven Axe: With this special power, Gimli may attack up to 3 adjacent enemy pieces (forward, backward, sideways or diagonally) at once. To use Dwarven Axe, move Gimli one square to an open square, then reveal him and say, "Dwarven Axe." Choose 1, 2, or 3 adjacent enemy pieces to attack. Your opponent reveals all targeted pieces, then all attacks are resolved at once. Any pieces of a lower rank are captured. If any pieces are of equal rank, they and Gimli are captured. Any pieces of a higher rank (this includes Strongholds) survive the attack, and Gimli is captured. Note: The Flag is not vulnerable to Gimli's Dwarven Axe power.
Swift Steed: Using Swift Steed, King Théoden can move 2 squares forward, backward, sideways, or in any combination of these. If the first square is occupied by an enemy piece, King Théoden must attack it and forfeit his second move. He may not jump over pieces or enter a Forbidden Zone. King Théoden may end his move on a space occupied by an enemy piece, thereby attacking it immediately.
Repeat Attack: After attacking successfully and moving onto the captured piece's space, an Uruk-hai piece may attack again if it is adjacent to another enemy piece. The Uruk-hai may continue to attack until either it is captured, or you decide to stop attacking.
Rampage: A Berzerker using Rampage can attack several enemy pieces at once. To attack with Rampage, move your Berzerker one square to an open square and say, "Rampage." The Berzerker then attacks all adjacent enemy pieces, including diagonally adjacent pieces, at once. Your opponent reveals the ranks of all targeted pieces. Any pieces of equal or lower rank, and any Strongholds, are captured; any pieces of higher rank survive the attack. Note: Flags are not vulnerable to Rampage attacks.
Rampage totally exhausts a Berzerker; therefore, after a Rampage attack, always remove the Berzerker from the gameboard.
Game 3. Destroy The Ring
This game plays like the Special Powers Game, and has the same ultimate goal (to capture the opponent's Flag). However, in this game Frodo is the Ringbearer, and this privilege brings with it a special mission and a special power. Both are explained below.
Frodo's Special Mission: Reach Mount Doom
The player who controls the Forces of Good must try to move Frodo onto the red-bordered Mount Doom square, so that Frodo can destroy The Ring. The player who controls the Forces of Evil must try to capture Frodo before he reaches the Mount Doom square.
Only Frodo may move onto the Mount Doom square, and he may do this only once. Because this square is in a Forbidden Zone, Frodo can move onto it only from the two adjacent squares that are not in the Forbidden Zone.
Figure 4 shows the Mount Doom Square: Frodo may enter the Mount Doom square only from one of the two adjacent squares marked with arrows.
Frodo's Special Power: Invisibility
In this game, Frodo moves and attacks like any other piece ranked 4. However, when Frodo attacks (or is attacked by) a piece ranked 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9, he becomes invisible, and therefore he cannot be captured. Frodo's invisibility also protects him from Strongholds, and from Longbow attacks.
The only pieces that can capture Frodo (as attackers or defenders) are the Witch-king and the Ringwraiths, who are never fooled by Frodo's invisibility.
Whenever Frodo uses his special power of invisibility, he must first reveal himself. Because of this, you should try to avoid attacking with Frodo, since doing so would give away his location.
Completing Frodo's Mission
If the player who controls the Forces of Good moves Frodo onto the Mount Doom square, Frodo completes his mission. The Ring is destroyed, and the Forces of Evil suffer a catastrophic loss. The player who controls the Forces of Evil must immediately remove from the gameboard every gray piece ranked 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, and all Strongholds. The game then continues with the gray army in this weakened state, until one side captures the opposing Flag.
Frodo may leave the Mount Doom square on a future turn, but he cannot return.
Capturing Frodo
If the player who controls the Forces of Evil captures Frodo before he reaches the Mount Doom square, Frodo has failed in his mission. Because the Forces of Evil now possess The Ring, they instantly gain so much power that they become almost invincible: each surviving piece with a number rank increases its number by one. For example, the Witch-king becomes an 11, Saruman becomes a 10, and so on. Note: Éowyn (if she is still in the game) can still capture the Witch-king, but she cannot capture Saruman, even though he is now ranked 10.
Any surviving gray pieces with special rules and/or powers may still use them, with greater effectiveness; for example, a Berzerker can now use its Rampage power to capture pieces ranked 6. The only gray pieces unaffected by Frodo's capture are Strongholds, Wormtongue and the Flag. The game continues until one side captures the opposing Flag.
Storing Your Game
Done playing for now? For easy storage, fold the gameboard and place it (and these rules) under the cardboard platform. Then fit each piece into a notch provided in the platform.