Beginner: Play Styles

There are some common play styles/approaches used in Stratego. They are categorised broadly as Offensive, Defensive, Balanced

Marsh + Colonel (or Major) Attack on Side
Note (other setup pieces not shown)

This approach normally involves scouting on a side to see if there are bombs in the front row. This can be done with a scout or higher pieces like lieutenant or captain. Once a higher piece is found (major or higher), then the marshal and colonel will follow at attack it. A colonel might be used to attack with a marshal providing cover in case a general is found. Alternatively, the marshal may be used to attack directly.

Scouts will continue to be used to find pieces and the marshal and general will attack the found movable pieces.

Normally, the other side will have a lot of bombs and weak pieces and it will be common for the general to be behind the lake on either side close to the centre.

This approach can also be done with a general instead of the marshal, but has slightly different dynamics.

Lotto Blitz
This is when the marshal, general or colonel just attacks straight away down middle or a side attacking unknown unmoved pieces. Sometimes a bit of scouting is done beforehand. The better players will do this until they get a good advantage (a few lower pieces or one higher piece) and then stop. Weaker players will just keep going until they get captured or hit a bomb. Often these players will lotto the top row behind the lakes.

Other Aggressive Play Styles
The above are the most common offensive styles, but some players are just generally aggressive, taken risks with high pieces, but not using a common pattern as described above.

Shuffler
The shuffler will bring out a few pieces into the lanes and then start moving pieces around waiting for the other player to attack. They will normally have majors behind the first weaker pieces, which are in turn supported by the marshal, general and colonels. They want the opponent to waste scouts on their front pieces, then attack with a piece one higher, which will be taken by its pieces hidden behind. Games with these players can take a long time. When a higher piece is scouted, it will retreat and rotate around with other pieces in hopes that the opponent will forget where it is.

Other Defensive Play Styles
Some will play similar to the shuffler, but moving around fewer pieces, and occasionally attacking, especially with weaker pieces. Defensive players will normally only come out with high pieces late in the game, and often leave them unmoved for most of the game.

One at a time attack
These players will move as few pieces as possible, and just attack with one or two pieces at a time.

Rythym
These players will be aggressive at times in the game and defensive at times, alternating based on the play style of the opponent and the level of advantage that they have.

Adjusting your style to opponents
Drawn from player Enigma's Stratego.com forum post

You need your own style of play and you have to modify your style based on knowledge of your opponent. For example, if you know that your opponent is going to sit back and shuffle his pieces the whole game, you have to attack him and get information. You can also put all your bombs in the back 2 rows, since you don't have to worry about him infiltrating your setup.

On the other hand, if your opponent is going to attack hard with his marshal or general, you will want to keep your highly ranked pieces toward the front of your setup and have a bomb or two up front to stop him. There is no single setup you can use and win all your games, so you have to take advantage of your opponent's tendencies.

The best players all have the ability to attack and defend when necessary, and they will adapt their setup and game play as needed to defeat their opponent.