Domino - Stratego


Stratego is a small is a strategy game in the line of Stratego / l'Attaque.

Number of players
The game is for 2 players.

Time
about 15-30 minutes

Materials
Two domino sets with stones 0-6.  You will also have to make a gameboard.of size 8 (width) x 10 (height). Each square or rectangle should be wide enough to hold one domino standing on its edge.

You might wish to download the Stratego Domino board (left side) and Stratego Domino board (right side) in MS Word 6 format.

Object of the game
The player to capture the opponents 6-6 wins the game.

The deal
Both players take one domino game. The bones are shuffled face down. Every player picks up 24 dominoes and set 4 apart. This introduces a slight element of chance. If a player does not have 0-0 and 6-6, he reshuffles and redraws.

Both players put them on the three rows of the board closest to him in such a way that he can see the pips but the opponent can not. There are no engineers or bombs. The 6-6is both flag and marshall, the0-0is the spy.

The rules

  1. Every domino has 2 numbers. The number to the left is the attack strength, the number to the right is the defense strength;
  2. In your turn you may move 1 piece;
  3. You may move a piece to an adjacent empty square or to an adjacent square occupied by an opposing piece. Adjacent means orthogonally adjacent. Diagonal moves and attacks are not allowed;
  4. If the square you move to is occupied by an opponent, a battle ensues. The moving piece is called the attacker, the non-moving piece is called the defender;
  5. The attack strength of the attacker is compared with the defence strength of the defender. If the attacker's attack strength is greater than the defence strength of the defender, the attacker wins. If the defence strength of the defender is greater than the attacker's attack strength, the defender wins. If they are equal, both lose. The losing piece(s) are removed from the board;
  6. The 0-0 always beats the 6-6.

The end
The game ends when the first 6-6 has been beaten.

Strategy
Strategies should be taken from Stratego rather than from ordinary dominoes. There is many important differences affecting initial setup and play.

First, there are no bombs. So hidding your6-6 behind bombs in a corner is impossible. Second, you have no in-depth defence. Ordinary Stratego has 4 lines, now you have only 3. Also, instead of 2 peaces which can beat your marshall, there are now eight. Last, consider carefully which peaces should defend and which are destined to attack.

Variations
None known. I haven't played this game myself, these rules are just an idea. As far as I know, this is the only  Stratego variant with a difference between attack and defence strengths.

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