Stratego

When Zach and I play a game, it's usually something on the GameCube, or occasionally a card game like Magic.

So it was something of a novelty when we got out the old Stratego board game tonight and played a couple of games.

As the games progressed, I taught him the importance of not signaling your plan of attack too early, using decoys, and waiting for the right moment to strike with the Marshall.

At one point, I even used an old Stratego deception trick: I reached for one of my bomb pieces as if I intended to move it but then changed my mind, all in order to (falsely) signal that the bomb piece was something other than a bomb. Zach took the bait, attacked the square containing my bomb and lost his Colonel. But being a quick study, he added that trick to his arsonal, and fooled me with the same ploy later in the same game.

I think he's hooked.