Disclosed is gypsum board with good strength, as well as gypsum slurries, methods, and cover sheets. Board is formed using one or more of starch, electrolyte, and/or hydrophilic material. These strength ingredients can be applied onto a cover sheet before contacting a gypsum slurry used in forming a gypsum layer in the board, and/or can be incorporated into the gypsum slurry used for forming one or more gypsum layers in the board, e.g., the board core and/or a concentrated gypsum layer between the core and one or both cover sheets.