OBJECT OF THE GAME:

The objective of the game is to eliminate or capture the Flag of your opponent. You may also win by successfully maneuvering your own
Flag to the opposite end of the board. THE PIECES

The player's set of pieces or soldiers with the corresponding ranks and functions consists of the following 21 pieces:

PIECES NO. OF FUNCTIONS

Five (5)-Star Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
General PIECES
One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
Four (4)-Star
General One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Three (3)-Star One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
General
One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
Two (2)- Star
General One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
 One (1) — Star
General One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Colonel One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Lt. Colonel One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Major One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag,

Captain One (1) Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private &-the flag.

1sI Lieutenant One (1) Eliminates the private & the flag.

2nd Lieutenant One (1) Eliminates all officers (from the rank of Sergeant up to the five (5) Star
General & the flag.)
Sergeant Two (2)
Eliminates the spy & the flag.
SPY
Six (6) The flag can be eliminated by any piece including the opposing flag; a
flag eliminates the opposing flag when it takes aggressive action by
PRIVATE One (1) moving into the same square occupied by the other flag,

FLAG
NOTE: If both soldiers are of equal ranks, BOTH are eliminated.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE: 

Spread out the board as illustrated in Figure A. Arrange your respective sets of pieces on the first three (3) rows on your end of the board
with the printed sides facing you. (See Figure A). There is no predetermined place for any piece. You are therefore free to arrange the
pieces according to your strategy of style of play. Note that as you arrange your pieces on the first three (3) rows, you will find six (6)
vacant squares. This is to allow for maneuvering and freedom of movement when play begins. 
MOVEMENT: 
1. Any player makes the first move. Players move alternately. 
2. A player is allowed to move only one piece at a time.
3. A move consists of pushing a piece to an adjacent square, either forward, backward or sideward. A diagonal move or a move of more
than one square is illegal. (See Figure B)
CHALLENGING:
 1 As the game progresses, challenges are made resulting in the elimination of soldiers. A "challenge" is made when a soldier moves into
the same square occupied by an opposing soldier. When a challenge is made the following rules of elimination apply:

a. A higher ranked soldier eliminates from the board a lower ranked soldiers.
b. If both soldiers are of equal, both are eliminated.
c. A spy eliminates any officer starting with the rank of 5-star General down to the Sergeant.
d. The Flag can be eliminated or captured by any piece including the opponent's Flag.
e. Only a Private can eliminate the Spy.
f. The Flag that moves into the same square occupied by the other Flag wins the game. 

2. For maximum interest and suspense, a natural party (arbiter) is present to preside over a challenge for both players. As arbiter, he is not
allowed to reveal to either player the ranks of any piece whether engaged in challenges or not. In case of a challenge, the arbiter quietly
removes the outranked piece and gives it back to the player who has lost it. Care must be made that the eliminated piece is not shown to
the opponent. (Note: Official tournament games are conducted with an arbiter.) 

3. When playing without an arbiter, every time there is a challenge both players must declare the ranks of the two opposing pieces
concerned, after which, the outranked player removes his piece from the Board. 

HOW THE GAME ENDS: 

1. The game ends:
a. When the Flag is eliminated or captured.
b. When a Flag reaches the opposite end of the board.
c. When a player resigns.
d. When both players agree on a drawn position.

2. A Flag reaching the opposite end of the board may still be eliminated by an opposing piece occupying a square adjacent to the one
reached by the Flag. In order to win, the Flag should at least be two square or two ahead of any opposing piece. 
Game of the Generals
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Game of the Generals

Box cover of the 1981 version

Players 1 versus 1, plus an optional arbiter or referee

Setup time 2 to 3 minutes

Playing time 30 to 120 minutes (player-dependent)

Random chance Yes

 Skill(s) required Strategy, tactics, memory, bluffing, inter-player
communication

The Game of the Generals, also called GG or GOG as it is most fondly called, or simply The Generals, is an educational war
game invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola Jr. in 1970. Its Filipino name is "Salpakan." It can be played within twenty to thirty
minutes. It is designed for two players, each controlling an army, and a neutral arbiter (sometimes called a referee or an adjutant) to decide
the results of "challenges" between opposing playing pieces, that like playing cards, have their identities hidden from the opponent.
The game simulates armies at war trying to overpower, misinform, outflank, outmaneuver, and destroy each other. It optimizes the use
of logic, memory, and spatial skills. It simulates the "fog of war" because the identities of the opposing pieces are hidden from each player
and can only be guessed at by their location, movements, or from the results of challenges. The game allows only one side's plan to
succeed, although a player may change plans during the course of the game. In addition, there are two different ways of winning the game
(see below). Certain strategies and tactics, however, allow both sides the chance of securing a better idea of the other's plan as the game
progresses. Players can also speak or gesture to their opponents during matches, hoping to create a false impression about the identity of
their pieces or their overall strategy.

Contents

 1History
 2Objective and victory conditions
 3The gameboard and the playing pieces
o 3.1Board layout, moves and gameplay
o 3.2Challenges and arbitration
o 3.3Determining the results of a challenge
 4Application of warfare concepts to the game
o 4.1Combatant roles of the pieces
o 4.2Common strategies and tactics
o 4.3Switching strategies and changing tactics
 5Variations
 6"The Generals Electronic Strategy Game"
 7Comparison of "Game of the Generals" with "Stratego"
 8References
 9External links
History[edit]
This game was invented by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr. with the inspiration of his son Ronnie Pasola.
The Pasolas first tried the Game of the Generals on a chessboard. Even then, the pieces had no particular arrangement. There were no
spies in the experimental game; but after Ronnie Pasola remembered the James Bond movies and Mata Hari, he added the Spies.
[1]
 Making the pieces hidden was the idea of the Pasolas after remembering card games.
The Game of the Generals' public introduction was on February 28, 1973. [2] After the game was made, it angered many Filipino chess
players thinking that Pasola was trying to denigrate or supplant chess. [3]

Objective and victory conditions[edit]

The objective of the game is to eliminate or capture the Flag of the opponent, or to maneuver one's Flag to the far edge of the board (the
opposing back rank), subject to the following conditions.
The Flag, if challenged, is eliminated by any opposing piece, including the opposing and challenging Flag. If a player's Flag is eliminated by
a challenge, that player loses the game. The Flag that challenges the opponent's Flag wins the challenge and thus also wins the game.
When the Flag successfully reaches the opponent's back rank, it has to survive one more turn without being challenged before it can
declare a victory. If a Flag reaches the opposing back rank and there is no adjacent opposing piece that can challenge it, the Flag wins the
game immediately. If a Flag reaches the opposing back rank directly adjacent to an opposing piece, and that piece does not challenge the
Flag immediately on the opponent's subsequent turn, then that Flag wins the game. Any player may reveal his Flag at any time and for any
reason; play can then continue; most often, a player reveals his Flag after it has already secured victory at the opposing back rank.
Most games end in a victory for one of the players. One player may have lost so many pieces or his pieces are impractically positioned on
the board that he feels he can no longer win the game so he decides to resign. However, any player may propose a draw at any time; the
opponent can either decline, so play continues, or agree, and thus the game ends in a tie.
At the end of a match, whether as a draw or as a victory for one player, it is courteous but not required to allow the opposing player a view
of the surviving pieces before they are taken off the board, as well as of the eliminated pieces.

The gameboard and the playing pieces

The player's set of pieces represent 21 soldiers (combatants) with a hierarchy of ranks and functions. A higher-ranking piece (usually the
officers) will eliminate any lower-ranking piece, with the exception of the 2 Spies, which eliminate all pieces except the 6 Privates.
Apart from the Flag (the Philippine Flag) and the Spy (a pair of prying eyes), the rank insignia of the pieces used in the game are those
used in the Philippine Army.
The playing pieces are identical-sized plastic or metal flat rectangles that are bent or molded at a 90-degree or 80-degree angle. The rank
insignia are printed on the rear side to keep them hidden from the opposing player; the game requires that the front side of the pieces
should have no distinguishing marks that will help identify the pieces.
In plastic sets, the colors commonly used in the pieces are black and white. There are also sets composed of wooden boards and
aluminum pieces. Those pieces have rank insignia that are printed either red or blue. In metal sets, the color of the board is commonly
brown and the pieces are aluminum colored. Some of the cheaper game sets consist of just a rolled up sheet printed with the squares
instead of a rigid board, as well as plastic pieces with ranks printed on cardboard.

No. of
Pieces Function
Pieces

General of the Army (Five Stars) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

General (Four Stars) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Lieutenant General (Three Stars) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Major General (Two Stars) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Brigadier General (One Star) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Colonel (Three Magdalo 7-Ray Suns) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Lieutenant Colonel (Two Magdalo 7-Ray

1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.
Suns)
 Major (One Magdalo 7-Ray Sun) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

Captain (Three Magdalo Triangles) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

1st Lieutenant (Two Magdalo Triangles) 1 Eliminates any lower-ranking officer, the Private, and the Flag.

2nd Lieutenant (One Magdalo Triangle) 1 Eliminates the Sergeant, the Private, and the Flag.

Sergeant (Three Chevrons) 1 Eliminates the Private, and the Flag.

Private (One Chevron) 6 Eliminates the Spy, and the Flag.

Spy (Two Prying Eyes) 2 Eliminates all officers from the rank of Sergeant up to 5-Star General and the Flag.

Eliminates the opposing Flag as long as it takes the aggressive action against the enemy
Flag (Philippine Flag) 1
Flag.

Note: If both soldiers are of equal rank, both are eliminated (colloquially termed as a "split").
Board layout, moves and gameplay[edit]
The game is played on a rectangular board with 72 plain squares arranged in 8 ranks and 9 files. The 21 pieces are placed in various
locations within the nearest three rows to each player's home side (a total of 27 squares).
A player can consider the half of the board nearest him to be "friendly territory" while the other side's half is the "enemy territory," though
this is not an actual requirement of the game. The two middle rows (fourth rank from each player's edge of the board) are initially empty at
the start of the game and represent "no man's land" or "unconquered territory" that the contending pieces can occupy or leave vacant,
depending on each player's strategy.
Although not specifically marked, each player's side of the board can be grouped into three amorphous battle zones: these zones are the
left flank, the center, and the right flank, but the boundaries are variable or may be considered psychological in nature.
Unlike chess or its variants, there is no predetermined layout for the pieces, allowing each player to place the pieces in different squares to
his advantage or according to his strategy. The allocation of spaces (6 vacant squares) is important for the tactical movement of the
individual pieces in the first three ranks, because a piece that has friendly pieces in front, behind, and on each side is effectively
immobilized until a space opens up on these adjacent squares.
There is also no predetermined order of play. The players can decide who goes first; afterward, the players take their turns alternately.
Each player can move only one piece per turn.
All pieces have the same move: one square forward, backward, or sideways, as long as it is not blocked by the board's edge or by another
friendly piece. A piece cannot move into a square already occupied by a friendly piece.
Challenges and arbitration[edit]
Each piece can challenge an opposing piece that is directly adjacent in front, behind, or to either side of it (identical in effect to the way it
moves). Thus, a piece does not directly threaten an opposing piece that is situated diagonally to it. However, a piece that is known or
thought to be stronger can restrict the movement of a weaker opposing piece that is situated diagonally to it by threatening elimination.
A player initiates a challenge by placing his/her piece on the adjacent square where an opposing piece is located.
The arbiter then examines the ranks of the opposing pieces, removes the lower-ranked piece off the board, and returns it to the owner
regardless of who initiated the challenge. The eliminated pieces are not revealed to the opposing player until the game ends. The arbiter
must take care not to reveal the ranks of the pieces to the opposition; nor can he give any verbal or non-verbal clues about the rest of the
board layout.
The game can also be played without an arbiter. In this case, when a challenge is made, both players must state the rank of their piece
after which the lower-ranked piece is eliminated. Therefore, the presence of the arbiter, though not compulsory, is especially important to
ensure secrecy until the game is over. It should be noted, however, that official games are conducted with an arbiter.
Determining the results of a challenge[edit]
Regardless of which piece initiated the challenge, their ranks determine which piece is to be removed from the board.

 Any one of the player's pieces can capture the opposing Flag. This includes the player's own Flag.
 Any piece eliminates the Private except the Spy and the Flag.
 Officers eliminate other officers that are lower in rank (e.g. a Four-Star General eliminates a Lieutenant Colonel).
 A Spy eliminates all officers (including the Five-Star General). Only the Private can eliminate the Spy.
 If both pieces are of the same rank, both are removed from the board (often called a "split" by most players and arbiters).
 If a Flag challenges the opponent's Flag, the challenging Flag prevails and wins the game.
If a Flag reaches the opposite end or farthest rank of the board, the opponent has one turn left although it is not announced. After the turn,
the player reveals the Flag. If the Flag was not challenged, the player wins the game. If it was challenged, the player loses.

Application of warfare concepts to the game[edit]

Combatant roles of the pieces[edit]
The playing pieces can be classified according to the following tactical functions and roles:

 Killers - The two Spies and the two most powerful Generals (Five-Star and Four-Star Generals) have the critical job of eliminating
the enemy Sweepers and all other pieces, either by aggressive challenging or ambush, to gain a power-level, numerical, or positional
advantage against the opponent.
 Sweepers - The next most-powerful officers (Three-Star General down to the Lieutenant Colonel) will take over the Killer function if
the Five-Star and Four-Star Generals are eliminated. Their main job is to remove all lower-ranking enemy officers as well as acquire
and retain a numerical or positional advantage of friendly pieces over the enemy.
 Probers - These are sacrificial junior officers from the Major down to the Sergeant. Their job is to challenge untested enemy pieces
and determine their power so they can either be avoided, ambushed, or targeted for elimination by the Killers or Privates. By
eliminating Privates, Probers often act as bodyguards to the Spies and the Flag.
 Privates - Their main job is to eliminate the Spies (in the opening and middle game) and the Flag (in the end game). They usually
accompany the highest-ranking officers in order to eliminate the Spy that targets the officers. While they can be considered sacrificial,
once there are only one or two Privates left, it becomes very difficult to eliminate the Spies.
 Flag - This is the only piece that can win victory and must be hidden and protected at all costs, except when it has an unobstructed
way to the far edge of the board, then it can go for broke. Often, a Private or low-ranking officer is made to act like a scared Flag to
deceive the opponent. Sometimes a Flag can try move as if it was a mid-level or low-ranking officer, or a Private, to avoid being
challenged by another piece.
The roles of the Sweepers and Probers can be interchanged in a variety of ways, depending on the preference of the player.
Common strategies and tactics[edit]
An experienced Generals player will have tried out and practiced a number of basic strategies. Each strategy starts out with a particular
distribution of strong or weaker pieces in the front line or rear areas, as well as in the left flank, center, or right flank. The most common
strategies usually depend on clustering or distributing powerful pieces in different areas of the board.

 Blitzkrieg - Amass powerful pieces on one side of the board (left or right), then try to steamroller and blow a hole through the enemy
lines by eliminating all the defenders. Once the way is clear, send the Flag forward with an escort and march on to victory. A Blitz
 through the center is rare because it requires lining both sides of the corridor with powerful pieces to eliminate possible blockers of your
Flag.
 Distributed Defense - Spread out the powerful pieces with supporting units to probe and ambush the enemy Killer pieces. Maneuver
your pieces to rearrange them as blocking forces and to deceive the opponent as to which are powerful or sacrificial. Put lower-ranking
generals in the rear areas to take over the defense or bring them forward to assist in the counterattack.
 Clustered Task Forces - Group a high-ranking general, a Spy, two Privates, and two to three officers into a "combined arms" task
force whose job is to eliminate enemy pieces in one area and to reduce his numbers. Switch the attack or defensive maneuvers from
one side of the board to the other as needed to divert the opponent's attention and make him become confused about the identity of
your powerful pieces. Use expert maneuvering to isolate the enemy Flag and eliminate it.
 Rampaging Bulls - Send unsupported generals into the enemy lines to eliminate as many opposing pieces and try to put them in the
enemy rear areas to create havoc and disrupt the enemy's plans and composure. Use them to force the enemy to move his Spies or to
weaken his front lines so your other high-ranking pieces can make their own rampage. Spaces within the ranks must also be allocated
to provide maneuver room for certain pieces. Beginners often put these vacant spaces on the rearmost rank (because they don't think
these are important) whereas an experienced player sometimes use this arrangement to deceive the opponent into thinking he is a
beginner.
 Divide and Conquer - This is a variation of the Blitzkrieg strategy. Troops are generally divided into three groups. One group
consists of high-ranking units while the other two flank the enemy troops. While flanking the enemy troops, blitzkrieg the strong group to
make a path for the flag. This strategy is very effective if the opposing player's pieces are immediately eliminated. However, it can be
stopped if the attacking Killers and Sweepers are immediately or gradually eliminated and there are not enough reserve units to carry
the Flag through.
 Vaccination Technique - This is a variation of the Blitzkrieg strategy. A disadvantage of the Blitzkrieg is that when you advance your
strongest troops, you leave your side poorly defended. The Vaccination Technique strategy consists of a mini-Blitzkrieg using a three
star general, Lt. colonel, Spy, two star general, and a sergeant or any "give-away" unit. These five units form a vaccine-like shape (a
cross). The remaining troops are divided into two groups and are at the sides of the cross. Diagonally placed privates in each group
can defend and support to kill spies while your four and five star generals are reserved in the middle of the groups. The advantage of
this strategy over Blitzkrieg is that in the Vaccination Technique, you have a small force enough to wipe the front line of the enemy
while also having a strong force in case that the enemy decides an offensive strategy. This works against most of the other strategies
but it can be easily defeated by the Random Forces Placement strategy. This is a hybrid offensive-defensive strategy.
 Box Strategy - This strategy is mostly used by amateurs. It consists of powerful units in the front line forming a shield and weaker
units at the side and rear line. Advancing the whole front line as a "lawnmower" to eliminate most of the enemy. This is not very
effective if you immediately lose your front line. If your front line is down, the only troops left are the weak ones.
 Mothership - Troops are formed like a shape of an alien mothership or a UFO and spies and generals in the middle lane. Two spies
are placed like the missiles on the mothership. Generals are in the middle lane for defense. Flag is placed in the center for maximum
defense. This is a very good strategy against offensive players, but it is not good if the opposing player plays smart. The Mothership
can be defeated by advancing the spies to eliminate the generals, then advancing a blitzkrieg of privates to corner the spies. After
defeating most of the troops in the front line of the Mothership, advance more troops and lock on the center to corner the flag. Since the
flag is in the center, its moves are limited and can be cornered immediately. This is a defensive strategy.
Note: All strategies have their pro's and con's, but you can always win by deceiving the enemy. Learn the Art of Deception, and you can win
almost every game with any strategy.
Switching strategies and changing tactics[edit]
A game can have multiple strategies depending on the outcome of the initial challenges. Loss of high-ranking pieces, especially of the
Killers, usually stops an offensive action and forces a player to change plans or to go on the defensive. A player needs to muster and
redistribute his remaining higher-ranking pieces to avoid the enemy's Killer pieces while continuing to eliminate the mid- and low-ranking
pieces. Once numerical balance or superiority is achieved, or if he can outflank the defenders, a player should be able to shift back to
offensive Flag-rushing operations.
Deception and psychological warfare can be a major component of the game. Players must memorize the position and probable identity of
known enemy pieces because losing track of a possible Killer piece or Private can lead to loss of important pieces. Sometimes a Spy has to
be sacrificed against a known enemy Spy in order to clear the way for your Sweepers to eliminate the remaining enemy pieces. Try to keep
one or more reserve forces available for various contingencies and to provide multiple tactical options or changes in overall strategy. The
art of maneuvering pieces and allocating empty squares in a crowded area is also important to bring your appropriate pieces against
enemy pieces, to avoid losses, or to eliminate the enemy Flag.

Variations[edit]
There are many variations made by various people to make the game more exciting and difficult. Many variations involve simple
modifications like showing the flag or simply playing with only 11 pieces. These modifications are often combined with each other to make
the game more challenging.

"The Generals Electronic Strategy Game"[edit]

In 1980, Ideal released The Generals Electronic Strategy Game. The rules and piece ranks are the same as above, except that the "Spies"
are "Agents", and an electronic arbiter determines which piece wins in a confrontation; neither player sees his opponent's pieces. The
plastic pieces have selected notches on their bases, which depress certain indentations in the electronic arbiter's twin slots. The lights flash
and a short musical phrase plays before a light labeled "battle winner" is illuminated. The losing piece is removed from the board, while the
winning piece is placed back on the board. If the flag is placed in the arbiter, it plays "Taps" after the initial musical phrase.
Unlike the original version of the game, if a player's Flag reaches the back row in The Generals Electronic Strategy Game, that player wins,
even if an opposing piece occupies an adjacent square on the back row.

Comparison of "Game of the Generals" with "Stratego" [edit]

Unlike the somewhat similar game of Stratego, Generals does not have any bombs, nor miners to defuse them, nor scouts to cross several
spaces across the board in one move. Nor does Generals have any immovable pieces (both the flag and the bombs in Stratego are
stationary). In addition, unlike Stratego, which features two "lakes" in the middle of the board, all the squares on the board are accessible.
Also, each player has two Spies in Generals, while each only has one Spy in Stratego. Finally, Generals inherently requires a third-party
arbiter to maintain the game's uncertainty all the way to the endgame.

References[edit]
1. ^ Pasola, Ronnie (April 1976). "Game of the Generals' History". Times Journal: 6.
2. ^ Salpakan Instruction Booklet[permanent dead link]
3. ^ Salpakan Instruction Booklet[permanent dead link]

Number of Players: 2
Length of Game: 10-20 minutes
Contents: 21 white pieces, 21 black pieces, gameboard, instructions
Difficulty: Low
Strategy: Light-Moderate
Luck: Moderate
Pros:
o Being able to move the flag piece adds quite a bit of flexibility to the game.
o The arbiter adds more deduction to the game.
Cons:
o The spies are too powerful.
o The unit distribution is not as good as Stratego.
Game of the Generals (AKA Salpakan) Review and Rules
 June 20, 2017  Eric Mortensen  3 Comments 1972, Arxon, Fredric M. Kuriloff, Ideal, James R. Becker, Julius Cooper, MindMasters Inc, Sofronio H. Pasola Jr.

Created in 1944, Stratego is probably one of the older board games still in production to this day. In Stratego you control
an army of soldiers that you use to try and capture the other player’s flag. As the identities of all of the pieces are hidden
until they get into a fight, you need to deduce the identities of the other player’s pieces to be able capture them and keep
your own pieces safe. The reason I bring up Stratego is that today’s game Game of the Generals, also known as
Salpakan or The Generals, takes a lot of inspiration from Stratego. Game of the Generals shares a lot in common with
Stratego with a couple tweaks that both help and hurt the game.

How to Play | My Thoughts | Should You Buy? | Comments

How to Play Game of the Generals

Setup
Place the gameboard in the middle of the table. Each player takes the set of pieces matching their side of the gameboard.
The players place their pieces in any order in the first three rows on their side of the board (with the text side facing them).
After all of the pieces have been arranged there should be six empty spaces. The players choose who will move first.
5 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

4 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

3 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

2 Star General
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

1 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Colonel

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Lieutenant Colonel
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Major

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Captain

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

1st Lieutenant
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

2nd Lieutenant

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Sergeant

Eliminates the private & the flag.

Spy
Eliminates all officers (from the rank of Sergeant up to the five (5) Star General & the flag.)

Private

Eliminates the spy & the flag.

Flag

The flag can be eliminated by any piece including the opposing flag; a flag eliminates the opposing flag when it takes aggressive action by
moving into the same square occupied by the other flag,

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES:

1. Colonel vs. Captain = Colonel wins, Captain is removed from board.

2. Spy vs. Private = Private wins, Spy is removed from board.
3. 5 Star General vs. Spy  = Spy wins, 5 Star General is removed from board.

If a lower ranking officer (example: Captain) attacks a higher ranking officer (example: Colonel), the lower ranking officer is removed from
the board.

Playing the Game

On a player’s turn they will move one of their pieces forward, backward, left or right. A piece cannot be moved onto a
space where the player already has a piece. When a piece is moved onto a space occupied by an opponent’s piece, a
battle will occur. In a battle you will compare the ranks of the two pieces to see which one wins the battle. In most cases
the lower ranked piece will be removed from the board.
 The five star general outranks the 1st Lieutenant which
means the 1st Lieutenant will be removed from the board.

If both pieces have the same rank, both pieces will be removed.
 These two pieces have the same rank so they will both be
eliminated.

If there is a third neutral player (the arbiter) they will compare the two pieces so neither player sees the other player’s
piece. Otherwise the two players will reveal their pieces to one another so they can be compared. The ranking of the
different pieces in the game are as follows (highest rank first):

 Five Star General

 Four Star General
 Three Star General
 Two Star General
 One Star General
 Colonel
 Lt. Colonel
 Major
 Captain
 1st Lieutenant
 2nd Lieutenant
 Sergeant
 Private
There are a couple exceptions to higher ranked pieces beating lower ranked pieces.

The spy will beat any piece ranked higher than a private.

The spy will defeat the four star general.

The private is the only piece that can beat the spy.
 The private will defeat the spy removing it from the board.

The flag can be captured by any piece. The only piece a flag can capture is the other player’s flag.

End of Game
A player can win Game of the Generals in a couple different ways.

1. One player captures the other player’s flag.

 The white player has captured the black player’s flag
and has won the game.

2. A player moves their flag to the other player’s side of the board. A player must reach the other side of the board in a spot
where the other player can’t capture it on their next turn.
 The black player has moved their flag to the other side
of the board and has won the game.

3. One of the players forfeit.

4. Both players agree to a draw.

My Thoughts on Game of the Generals

As I have already mentioned Game of the Generals shares a lot in common with Stratego. There are so many similarities
between the two games that I think it is easier to compare the differences than look at the similarities. Since most people
have played Stratego before, I am not going to really talk about the mechanics that the two games share since most
people probably already have an opinion on them. Basically I think Stratego is a solid family game that I would play every
so often. The game deserves a lot of credit for creating interesting deduction mechanics but there have been better
games released since Stratego came out.

So instead of dwelling on Stratego lets look at where Game of the Generals differs from it.
Probably the most significant difference between the two games is the fact that Game of the Generals utilizes an arbiter.
The arbiter is a third player or an electronic computer that compares the two pieces in a battle and tells the players which
piece is eliminated. By utilizing an arbiter neither player will know the exact strength of the other player’s piece. I have to
say that this is probably an improvement over Stratego. In Stratego you get to see the other player’s piece during a battle.
You then know what the piece is and the game becomes more of a memory game as you try to remember your
opponent’s pieces that have been revealed. If you never see the other other player’s pieces, you only have an idea of the
strength of the other piece based on the outcome of the battle. This makes the deduction mechanic more important since
you can never be sure of the strength of an opponent’s piece.

At this point I want to point out that there are two versions of Game of the Generals. There is both an electronic and non-
electronic version of the game. In the electronic version the game’s computer compares the strength of the two pieces. In
the non-electronic version you need a third person whose only job is to compare the two pieces in battle and remove the
less powerful piece. Of the two versions I ended up finding the non-electronic version. The main reason I can’t comment
further on the arbiter mechanic is because I wasn’t able to use it. I just didn’t think it was worth it to force another person
to sit there watching the game. This is why I would highly recommend the electronic version of the game if you can find it.

The second biggest difference between Stratego and Game of the Generals is the distribution of the pieces. Game of the
Generals has 21 pieces while Stratego has 30 or 40 pieces (depending on the version). Having less pieces impacts the
game in a couple different ways. First most games of Game of the Generals should be shorter since there are less pieces
that that can be captured which should make it easier to find the other player’s flag. Having fewer pieces on the board
also adds flexibility when initially setting up your pieces. Stratego has you fill every space on your side of the board. With
less pieces there is more maneuverability early in the game since a player has six empty spaces when they set up the
board. The maneuverability is also helped by Game of the Generals eliminating the two lakes in the middle of the board.

With less pieces the distribution of the pieces is also different. The distribution of some of the ranks have been reduced.
The idea of miners and mines have been removed entirely from Game of the Generals. For the most part the abilities of
the mine seem to have been given to the spy. The spy acts similar to the mine while also being able to move and not be
destroyed when attacked. This makes the spy really powerful since it can eliminate every piece except for privates. I don’t
particularly like this change since the spies are way too powerful as they can pretty easily mow through the opponent’s
lines if they can avoid privates. I also have always liked the idea of the mines in Stratego since they do a good job of
making a player cautious of being too aggressive.

The last major difference between the two games is that the flag piece can actually move in Game of the Generals while it
remains stationary in Stratego. I really like this rule since it is a simple rule to implement and it can significantly change the
game. By being able to move your flag you have more flexibility. If your flag is in danger you can easily move it out of
danger. Being able to move the flag also gives you another way to win the game. If you are able to get your flag to the
other player’s side of the board, you automatically win the game. I always like when games give players more more ways
to win the game. There is a risk/reward element as you could win the game but could also be handing victory to your
opponent. I am intrigued by the potential strategy with this rule as you could try to sneak the flag to the other side or you
could just try to muscle your way to the other side.

With not a big difference Game of the Generals doesn’t utilize the numbering system used in Stratego. While there is
debate between the English and British system of numbering pieces in Stratego, both systems make more sense than
using no numbers at all. The ranks of the pieces in Game of the Generals are based on ranks in the military. If you know
military ranks this will be no problem for you. If you aren’t familiar with military ranks though it becomes an issue. Until you
remember the ranks you will have to keep referencing the instructions to see the order of the ranks. This doesn’t ruin the
game but it would have just been easier to add numbers to the pieces to help people that don’t know military ranks.

As I already mentioned there are two different versions of Game of the Generals/The Generals. Since I have only played
the game with one version I can only comment on that version’s components. Without even seeing the electronic version
though I guarantee that the components are better then those in the non-electronic version. The components for the non-
electronic version are really bad. The gameboard and pieces are cheaply made. The components serve their purpose but
are quite ugly to look at.

While I think Game of the Generals has some nice additions to Stratego, I think Stratego is still the better game. I prefer
the distribution of the pieces in Stratego as some pieces in Game of the Generals are way too powerful. The two things I
prefer about Game of the Generals can be added pretty easily to normal Stratego. The flag rule is just a minor rule
addition. The arbiter rule would either require another person taking on the role or purchasing Electronic Stratego
(Amazon Link ).

Should You Buy Game of the Generals?

For the most part Game of the Generals is Stratego with a couple rule tweaks. I like the idea of never exactly knowing the
strength of the other player’s pieces by using the arbiter. I also really like the idea of being able to move the flag and
winning if you can get your flag to the other side of the board. I don’t really like the distribution of the pieces though. The
spies are too powerful and I don’t like the elimination of the mines since they did a good job of keeping players cautious
as they charge through enemy lines.
Game of the Generals is an interesting game because I would actually give it two different ratings. The electronic version
of the game is probably worthy of three stars. The non-electronic version only deserves two and a half stars though since
you either can’t use the arbiter rules or a player has to sit around acting as the judge which is probably really boring.

As far as recommendations if you don’t care for Stratego, you won’t like Game of the Generals. Of the two games I would
probably slightly recommend Stratego. I think Stratego is a slightly better game and the best rules from Game of the
Generals you could implement in Stratego. If you are looking for a different take on Stratego though it may be worth
looking into Game of the Generals. Of the two versions of the game though I would highly recommend picking up the
electronic version. The electronic version is pretty rare though and can be expensive. I would only recommend the non-
electronic version if you can find it for cheap.

5 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

4 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

3 Star General
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

2 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

1 Star General

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Colonel
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Lieutenant Colonel

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Major

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Captain
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

1st Lieutenant

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

2nd Lieutenant

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Sergeant
Eliminates the private & the flag.

Spy

Eliminates all officers (from the rank of Sergeant up to the five (5) Star General & the flag.)

Private

Eliminates the spy & the flag.

Flag
The flag can be eliminated by any piece including the opposing flag; a flag eliminates the opposing flag when it takes aggressive action by
moving into the same square occupied by the other flag,

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES:

1. Colonel vs. Captain = Colonel wins, Captain is removed from board.

2. Spy vs. Private = Private wins, Spy is removed from board.
3. 5 Star General vs. Spy  = Spy wins, 5 Star General is removed from board.

If a lower ranking officer (example: Captain) attacks a higher ranking officer (example: Colonel), the lower ranking officer is removed from
the board.