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War board games are not very easy to understand as they involve lots of strategies and tricks to get the broad concept.
However, with this easy-to-digest, concise and short article, we will go through the necessary steps on how to play risk in no time.
Game Components
- Foldable Gameboard
- 5 armies with 40 Infantry
- 12 Cavalry
- 8 Artillery each
- Deck of 43 cards
- 2 reference cards
- 5 dice – Three red and two white
- Instructions
Games Similar To Risk
- Axis & Allies
- Small Country
- Twilight Struggle
- Diplomacy
- Nexus Ops
The object of the Game
Your goal is World domination. The main idea is to take over continents and destroy the armies of your enemies. You achieve this goal by attacking other opponents and controlling their new territories on the board. Keep in mind you all need to defend your territories.
Number of players
Before you set or start the game, you need to know how many players will start the game. Armies are divided among players depending on their number.
- 6 players = 20 troops each
- 5 players = 25 troops each
- 4 players = 30 troops each
- 3 players = 35 troops each
- 2 players = 40 troops each
Setup
Layout the board showing six continents divided into forty-two countries.
Players can select from the three unique colors.
Troops are represented differently using three distinct units.
- Infantry unit = 1 Troop
- Calvary unit = 5 Troops
- Artillery unit = 10 Troops
Every player begins with forty troops. However, if there are any additional players, take five troops from each player as a starting army for the additional players.
Setting Initial Territories
Players will start rolling the dice after everyone has received their beginning troops.
The player with the highest roll will start placing their troops on the board first specifically, on the unoccupied spaces. Players will then take turns placing their troops clockwise one after the other. Players are only allowed to place one troop per space.
The highest dice roll player opens the game.
Note: You are allowed to trade in your infantry units for their equivalent cavalry or artillery unit. The choice is yours.
Gameplay
Getting and Placing New Armies
After everyone has done theirs, shuffle the risk cards in a pile and place them at the side of the board. Each player then rolls a dice and the player with the highest roll goes first. The player will then count the number of troops they control and divide by three. This is the number of troops they can place on the board and they can place in any space they occupy to increase the size of their army.
Once the troops are added, the active player has three options – whether to pass, move or attack.
To Move
To move, the player moves any number of troops from one territory to an adjacent territory they already occupy. You can also do it before or after your attack.
To Attack
To attack, the player must announce which territory they are attacking and with which troops. You can only attack territories that are within your border. Only troops within that space can be used to attack.
The attacking player can attack with either two, three, four, or more troops and can only receive up to three attacking dice.
The defending player can defend with any number of troops, but can only receive up to two defending dice. The attacking player rolls the dice equal to the number of attacking troops minus one. The defending also rolls the dice equal to the number of defending troops.
You then match the attacker’s highest dice to the defender’s highest number dice. Repeat this process with the next highest dice if the attacker is using two attacking dice. Ignore the lowest die if the attacker is using three attacking dice.
The attackers will only use two troops if the defender also uses two troops. Take defending player’s highest number of rolls and if the attacking player wins both rolls, take two troops from the defending player’s territory.
If the defender runs out of troops in their territory, the other player moves into that territory. However, if the defending player wins a roll or there is a tie, the attacking team removes one of their troops for each roll the defender wins or for a tie.
Getting Risk Cards
If the attacking player successfully moves into the defender’s territory, they will draw a risk card from the pile. If they get three risk cards with the same troop on it, or three cards with one of each troop, or two risk cards with a wild card, they can trade them in for additional armies. You get four troops for your first set, two for your second set, and two additional troops for every subsequent set until you get six sets. This means you get fifteen troops.
Continue playing counter-clockwise until one player wins all forty-two territories.
Fortifying Your Territories
Even though attacking is good, you need to keep your armies fortified against your opponent’s attack.
To do this, you need to follow two simple rules.
- Move your troops to adjacent territories before your turn is done.
- If your final destination can be reached by moving through nearby territories, you are allowed to do so.
Over To You
Playing risk is simple. Follow the guidelines in this article and the strategies outlined in the rulebook.
If you love this hobby, check out our board games page here.
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