Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey of conquering the world, mastering strategy, and outsmarting your opponents? Risk, the timeless board game of global domination, offers you the opportunity to do just that. While the game may seem intimidating at first glance, fear not! Learning how to play Risk is simpler than you think and incredibly rewarding. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to become a skilled Risk commander in no time. Get ready to roll the dice, make strategic decisions, and conquer the world!
What You’ll Learn in This Guide
In this article, we will cover all the essential aspects of playing Risk, including:
- Setting up the game: Learn how to set up the board and prepare for your first conquest.
- Understanding the game pieces: Discover the roles of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.
- Mastering the turn sequence: Follow step-by-step instructions for each phase of your turn.
- Attacking and defending: Learn the dice rolling mechanics for battles and how to strategically engage your opponents.
- Trading territory cards: Boost your armies through strategic card exchanges.
- Different ways to play Risk: Explore variations such as two-player games and mission-based Risk.
- Frequently Asked Questions: Get quick answers to common queries about playing Risk.
Let’s dive into the thrilling world of Risk and equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills needed to emerge victorious!
Setting Up Your World for Conquest
Before you can begin your quest for global dominance, it’s essential to set up the game properly. This initial setup is crucial for initiating your strategic conquest.
Choosing Armies and Gathering Forces
To start, each player selects an army color. Risk typically accommodates 2 to 6 players, with each player choosing a distinct color such as blue, red, black, yellow, green, or purple. Once chosen, gather all the corresponding army pieces. These pieces come in three types:
- Infantry: Represented by single soldier figures. These are your basic troops.
- Cavalry: Depicted as horse-mounted soldiers, each representing five infantry units.
- Artillery: Shown as cannons, with each artillery piece representing ten infantry units.
Understanding the values of these pieces is crucial for efficient army management. Swapping infantry for cavalry and artillery as you reinforce your troops is a strategic move to keep your territories organized.
Initial Territory Placement: Claiming Your First Lands
Next, it’s time to populate the world map. To determine who starts placing their armies first, each player rolls a single die. The player with the highest roll earns the privilege of placing the first infantry piece.
Starting with the player who rolled the highest number, players take turns placing one infantry piece at a time on any unclaimed territory on the board. You can select any unclaimed territory, ensuring there is only one infantry piece per territory. This process continues clockwise around the table until all 42 territories on the board have been claimed.
Strategically consider:
- Territory location: Choose territories that are easier to defend or offer access to multiple other territories.
- Continent bonuses: Identify continents that are simpler to control initially to gain reinforcement bonuses later.
- Proximity to other players: Decide whether to begin near opponents or establish yourself in a more isolated area.
Reinforcements: Strengthening Your Forces
After the initial territory placement stage, the real competition commences with reinforcements. At the start of each turn, you will receive new armies to deploy, allowing you to fortify your defenses and launch strategic offensives.
Calculating Your Reinforcements
The number of reinforcements you receive each turn depends primarily on two factors:
- Territories Controlled: You earn reinforcements based on the number of territories you control. For every three territories under your command, you receive one reinforcement army (with a minimum of 3 reinforcements, even if you control fewer than 9 territories).
- Continent Bonuses: Holding entire continents grants you bonus armies each turn. These bonuses can significantly strengthen your military might. Continent bonuses are specified on the Risk board itself. For example, taking control of Australia grants you a bonus of 2 armies, while dominating Asia rewards you with an impressive bonus of 7 armies.
To calculate your total reinforcements, divide the number of territories you control by three (rounding down), and then add any entitled continent bonuses. This total determines the number of armies you can place on the board at the start of your turn.
Deploying Your New Armies
After computing your reinforcements, deploy them on territories you already command. You have the flexibility to distribute these new armies across multiple territories or concentrate them in key locations.
Strategic placement is critical. Consider:
- Border territories: Strengthen territories bordering enemy players to prepare for defense or potential attacks.
- Key strategic locations: Fortify territories crucial for controlling continents or accessing vital areas of the map.
- Offensive build-up: Concentrate forces in territories adjacent to your intended targets for upcoming offensives.
Attacking and Defending: Deciding Victory with Dice
The heart of Risk lies in the art of combat. Conquering territories and defending your own are essential strategies for expanding your empire and eliminating adversaries. Battles are resolved through dice rolls, where strategy and army strength play significant roles in determining outcomes.
Initiating an Attack
To launch an attack, you must control a territory adjacent to an enemy territory and have a minimum of two armies in the attacking territory. You can make multiple attacks during your turn, provided you meet these conditions.
When initiating an attack, announce the territory you are attacking from and the target territory.
Rolling the Dice for Battle
Combat in Risk involves dice rolls to determine battle results. Both the attacker and defender roll dice to ascertain the outcome.
- Attacker’s Dice: The attacker can roll up to three red dice, depending on the number of armies attacking:
- 3 or more armies: Roll 3 dice.
- 2 armies: Roll 2 dice.
- 1 army: Roll 1 die (not recommended for attacking!).
- Defender’s Dice: The defender can roll up to two blue dice, based on the number of defending armies:
- 2 or more armies: Roll 2 dice.
- 1 army: Roll 1 die.
Simultaneously roll the dice for both attacker and defender.
Comparing Dice and Casualties
After rolling the dice, compare the highest die roll of both the attacker and the defender. Subsequently, compare the second highest die rolls (if both rolled more than one die).
- Highest Dice Comparison: Match the highest red die roll against the highest blue die roll.
- If the attacker’s die is higher, the defender loses one army.
- If the defender’s die is equal to or higher, the attacker loses one army.
- Second Highest Dice Comparison (if applicable): If both players rolled at least two dice, compare the second highest die rolls using the same rule of the attacker winning on a higher roll and the defender winning on an equal or higher roll.
For each comparison, the loser eliminates one army from the territory involved in the battle. The attacker removes armies from the attacking territory, while the defender eliminates armies from the defending territory.
Example Battle:
- The attacker launches an attack with 3 armies and rolls: 5, 3, 1.
- The defender defends with 2 armies and rolls: 6, 2.
- Highest dice comparison: Attacker’s highest roll is 5, Defender’s highest roll is 6. Defender wins, and the attacker loses one army.
- Second highest dice comparison: Attacker’s second highest roll is 3, Defender’s second highest roll is 2. Attacker wins, and the defender loses one army.
In this battle, both sides lose one army each.
Continuing or Retreating an Attack
After each round of dice rolls, the attacker has the option to continue the attack or retreat.
- Continue Attacking: If the attacker retains armies in the attacking territory and wishes to continue, they can roll dice again against the same defending territory.
- Retreat: The attacker can choose to halt the attack at any point, even if armies remain in the attacking territory.
The defender must continue defending as long as the attacker persists in attacking. The defender cannot initiate an attack during the attacker’s turn.
Occupying a Conquered Territory
If the attacker successfully eliminates all defending armies in a territory, the territory is conquered! The attacker must move a minimum number of armies into the conquered territory equal to the number of dice rolled in their final attack that claimed the territory. Additional armies can be moved, but the minimum must be deployed. The remaining armies in the attacking territory can remain in place.
Upon conquering a territory, the attacker receives a Territory Card (discussed in the next section).
Territory Cards: Enhancing Your Forces
Territory Cards introduce an additional layer of strategy to Risk. These cards are earned by conquering territories and can be traded for reinforcements.
Earning Territory Cards
Whenever you conquer at least one territory during your turn, you draw one Territory Card at the end of your turn. You receive only one card per turn, even if you conquer multiple territories.
Territory Cards feature:
- A Territory: Each card showcases a specific territory on the Risk board.
- Army Symbols: Each card also displays one of three army symbols: Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery.
Trading in Sets of Cards
You can exchange sets of Territory Cards at the beginning of your turn, before calculating your regular reinforcements, to receive bonus armies.
There are three types of sets you can trade:
- Matching Set: Three cards with the same army symbol (three infantry, three cavalry, or three artillery
