I’m looking for your best Risk boardgame strategies! I’ve been googling like crazy and found some good sites, but I’m sure you Dopers out there have your own “sure-fire” winning combinations.
I’ve only played a few times in the past, and will be playing in a few weeks with 3 other people. Based from what I know about my opponents, the game will be long and defense oriented.
I also plan to buy the Risk II PC game, and practice a lot in the next few weeks.
I need advice on all aspects of the game… from placing troops, attack/defense, right up to making alliances and when to break them.
Ladies and Gentlemen, teach me how to rule the world.
I usually start building up in one major continent (N. America, Europe or Asia) and one minor continent (S. A., Africa or Australia), then try to connect the gaps between the two, then on to world domination.
LOL, just kidding, although I did try that strategy for a bit.
Actually, I believe the best strategy is to take Africa and South America. Both are fairly defensable and together offer substantial armies each turn. Although you’ll need to discuss a Non-Agression Pact with whoever owns N. America (What do you mean Non-Agression Pacts aren’t in the rules…?) to avoid a buildup of armies on your single mutual border. You can then begin the process of conquering Europe. Don’t get involved in a land war in Asia till its the last thing left to conquer.
I agree with Hello Again - the S. America-Africa combo is excellent. Someone usually always controls N. America, and whoever is stupid enough to try to control Asia fights with them. Hold onto Middle East as a buffer, and you’ll be set. Go through Europe, not N. America. Or try to sneak in Australia.
Best Risk Strategy: Put it back on the shelf and play Diplomacy instead or at least Risk 2210. (sorry! had to be said.)
But if you must… go with australia as your soldier factory and spread elsewhere. South America’s a good one. Australia’s great, but once you get past Siam, you’ll have trouble in Asia. So don’t bother. Use South America to launch the offensice through africa, and then work from there.
And he was too focused on Europe. Don’t get fixated on Europe - either let two of your opponents fight over it, or hold your ground.
Treaties are made to be created and broken in the Ukraine.
Avoid completely non-aggression pacts. Focus on individual territories. When the time is right, allow a third party to conquer the other person’s one territory you’re not allowed to attack, and then take it.
If you start with a crappy board, go balls out and go for Asia. You can always blame it on the crappy beginning. If you do, the Middle East and Ukraine are your friends. If this busts for you, don’t be afraid to cheat.
There are four key choke points from which you may dominate the map: Alaska to Kamatchka, Brazil to N. Africa, Iceland to Greenland, and Ukrane and Middle East. For the first three control one of the territories and you control one of the key strategic points on the map. For the other control both nations and you have the world divided.
Check out Risk 2112 (I think that’s the year); it changes things up by adding more routes, territories that are out of bounds for play, a few more types of units, various special effects that can sway the game, and a five turn limit that prevents Risk from going on all night. Definitely a better design than the classic Risk.
I’d say take a continent and then go slow. Keep interior countries built up with as many armies as you can, without forfeiting your borders. Since water and armies follow the path of least resistance, your opponents will look to break each others’ borders and then rampage through undefended countryside. Keep your mouth shut. If all goes well, your slow methodical aggression and quiet mouth will let the others beat up on each other until it’s too late. Then they look at the board, realize that half of it is yours, and your final task is to hold on for the wild ride to come.
I’ve more or less never won a game, but I still think I’m smarter than the people I play with. In my experience, if there are five or six players, Australia = win, or at worst second place.
In the end, I don’t like Risk, because I think the best strategy is not fighting. That is, do what js_africanus says: sit back and let the other powers fight it out. A tenuous hold on a continent and one Risk card a turn is not enough incentive to lose soldiers. So, I don’t like that non-agression is the best strategy, because that means I have to choose between having fun and winning.
The “rules” you play with are important as well and greatly affect strategy.
Max of 13 armies on a country
Only move armies through connected territories(at the end of turn)
Only can move armies from ONE country (at the end of turn)
“draft” or “deal” the countries to start the game
and pretty much anything else you can think of
With all that said, playing with 4 people, I’d go with N.America or the combo of S.America/Africa no matter the rules. Austraila does not give you enough armies with 4 people playing to compete. Defense is key. As Bryan Ekers said, ROLL SIXES. Most importantly, don’t “look” strong on the board. The guy/gal that “looks” the strongest gets attacked the most. Don’t be one of the guys/gals that gets in a land war right at the begining of the game. Even if you win, you will be in no position to defend against the guys/gals that have remained pretty calm and built large armies.
I think the best strategy is to take every country in Asia except for Siam, Kamchatka, Ukraine, and Middle East. Everybody else will try for Australia, South America, etc. so you should have a pretty easy time acquiring most of those countries.
Then, sit back and form treaties with the other players. Don’t attack, just pile up your armies equally. You can just keep passing on your turn.
The other players will ignore you until they finish locking up the rest of the world. At this point, your country will look like a easy romp to win the game. But this is actually your strategy!
Make an arrangement with that last player to prolong the game indefinitely to annoy the other players. Exchange sexual favors for non-aggression.
… oh, I neglected to mention, you need to play against Playboy Playmates and supermodels when you try this strategy
I have heard good things about Risk 2210 with the exception that because the game is set for X number of turns, the player going last generally has a huge advantage as he can go all-out trying to score a final few points.
Instead, I would recommend the new Lords of the Ring Risk if you insist on playing Risk (there are much better games out there now of the German variety). From what I have read, the game is shorter than normal risk, though the number of turns is set, though may vary. You can pick up advantages through leaders to help you in certain battles, and the pieces are ‘way cooler’.
If you stick to basic Risk though, the only thing I can add not yet mentioned is wait for as long as you can before turning in your cards. The longer you wait, the more armies the cards will be worth. The only exceptions to this rule are 1) if you may lose the game before your next turn by not playing the cards and 2) if you are fairly certain that the extra armies will allow you to eliminate an opponent and they have cards (you get to take theirs if you are the one to eliminate them).
