How Do I Win Risk?

MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
My friends and I are going to set up Risk in our dressing room (at school). We plan to play it over the course of a few weeks, taking a few turns each day.

So, does anyone have any advice on how to win? I don't think we're doing random territory assignment, so take that into consideration.

We also <i>might</i> make one team "Zombies", which would try to expand and attack any adjacent territories until they are all killed. Think about that possibility.

Comments

  • GadzukoGadzuko Join Date: 2002-12-26 Member: 11556Members, Constellation
    Take North America if you can. Easy to defend and gives you 5 armies per turn, it's a winner. Fill your choke points with armies, take Iceland so nobody can get Europe, expand into South America , then Africa, then take the rest of Europe and you can attack Asia from two fronts. Once Asia falls Australia doesn't stand a chance.

    Alternatively, take South America and do the above except take North America first, then Africa, etc. Trying to take a hard to defend continent (especially Asia or Europe) right off the bat is asking to fail.
  • Cold_NiTeCold_NiTe Join Date: 2003-09-15 Member: 20875Members
  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    edited April 2005
    Depending on how old/new your board is, Australia may have only 1 entrance and exit. It may produce the smallest income in new infantry, but it's also the quickest to obtain, and the one with the most obvious method of defense.
  • theclamtheclam Join Date: 2004-08-01 Member: 30290Members
    Never ever go for Asia. It's too hard to defend.

    Never take Europe. It's almost as bad as Asia.
  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Marik Steele+Apr 3 2005, 07:16 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Marik Steele @ Apr 3 2005, 07:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Depending on how old/new your board is, Australia may have only 1 entrance and exit. It may produce the smallest income in new infantry, but it's also the quickest to obtain, and the one with the most obvious method of defense. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Its a brand new board. I assume that means one entrance/exit for Australia, correct?
  • SkySky Join Date: 2004-04-23 Member: 28131Members
    Buy WMDs. Sell them to the other player. Point the finger at the other player, then watch as GWB comes in and kills him with a machete. A <i>rusty</i> machete.
  • BulletHeadBulletHead Join Date: 2004-07-22 Member: 30049Members
    Pwnt... sky, you are pure pwnt...
  • CplDavisCplDavis I hunt the arctic Snonos Join Date: 2003-01-09 Member: 12097Members
    yep yep, for for north america, turtle up near greenland, alaska, and down near mexico

    if you go south make sure to get brazil as the second country b/c there is a sea invasion route that goes into africa.
  • LofungLofung Join Date: 2004-08-21 Member: 30757Members
    i guess u r playing the classic one but not A.D 2210?

    Stack, stack and stack
    Start at North America(best)/South America/Africa/Aussie(least).
    NEVER START IN EUROPE OR ASIA
    Fight one battle to gain one card per turn is possible
    Then keep on stacking at choke points
    Once you think you are ready, use all your power to rush for whole continient.
    Always set Asia as the last target.
    Then GG
  • UltimaGeckoUltimaGecko hates endnotes Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16320Members
    I like to set up a choke point in Australia, and also have a stronghold in europe for later (anywhere generally works, since you're really going for one land held). Generally works for me <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> .
  • CyndaneCyndane Join Date: 2003-11-15 Member: 22913Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Sky+Apr 3 2005, 09:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Sky @ Apr 3 2005, 09:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Buy WMDs. Sell them to the other player. Point the finger at the other player, then watch as GWB comes in and kills him with a machete. A <i>rusty</i> machete. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Quoted for pure brillance.
  • Seph_KimaraSeph_Kimara Join Date: 2003-08-10 Member: 19359Members
    plague of locusts.
  • Cold_NiTeCold_NiTe Join Date: 2003-09-15 Member: 20875Members
    Age of Mythology style warfare. I like it.

    BTW Lofung, nice Hunter x Hunter sig. I ought to get one.
  • im_lostim_lost TWG Rule Guru Join Date: 2003-04-26 Member: 15861Members
    While North America is a great area to hold, that's the very reason that everyone else will probably go for it (if they have much experience playing Risk anyway). If everyone else appears to be fighting over North America, it probably isn't worth jumping into the fight. Take Australia if it is being ignored, or grab South America.

    Asia is hard to hold, but that doesn't mean you ignore it. Don't try to take it, just make sure that no one else does. Even if you can't do anything about it, get other people to take at least one or two countries. I'm sure that would happen anyway, but forgetting about Asia altogether would be a bad move.
  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    edited April 2005
    <!--QuoteBegin-Mantrid+Apr 3 2005, 10:43 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mantrid @ Apr 3 2005, 10:43 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Marik Steele+Apr 3 2005, 07:16 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Marik Steele @ Apr 3 2005, 07:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Depending on how old/new your board is, Australia may have only 1 entrance and exit.  It may produce the smallest income in new infantry, but it's also the quickest to obtain, and the one with the most obvious method of defense. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Its a brand new board. I assume that means one entrance/exit for Australia, correct? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I have an older board that was made/sold in Argentina. The only way into Australia is by sea from one country in the corner of Asia, and the profit coming from owning it is different from newer boards.
    You'll notice newer boards like <a href='http://www.cdmag.com/articles/022/016/shot2big.jpg' target='_blank'>this one</a> (screenshot from one of the official Risk computer games, I can't tell if 1 or 2) may instead make as many as <i>three</i> paths to Australia.

    [edit] Looking at it I see other changes from my old board, such as adding Hawaii (and thus another NA-Asia connection), adding the Phillipines (forcing you to get 1 more country to get Australia), adding Svalbard (and thus 1 more NA-Europe connection), and adding the Falkland Islands (to make a new SA-Africa connection).

    By luck I managed to find a site with pictures of boards ranging in age. It's probably not a comprehensive list, but it shows how they've changed quite a bit: <a href='http://www.shonner.com/risk/boards.htm' target='_blank'>link</a>.
  • LofungLofung Join Date: 2004-08-21 Member: 30757Members
    edited April 2005
    Wow the new one is a lot balanced!

    Edit: Thanks nite <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • SoulSkorpionSoulSkorpion Join Date: 2002-04-12 Member: 423Members
    Bah...

    How to win? That I don't know, but I know how to lose: attack my sister's forces with ten times more troops than she has and lose <i>every single dice roll</i>.

    I hate Risk.
  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    So... should I just slip poison into our coffee maker? I mean, not keeling over would be a tactical advantage.
  • NecrosisNecrosis The Loquacious Sage Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18828Members, Constellation
    edited April 2005
    I prefer Australia and South America. Both are pretty easy to fortify and will allow for earlygame domination if you can pull it off. Africa runs behind at the number 3 spot.

    Only problem is most players are going to do the exact same thing.

    Europe is far too open. Asia is colossal, your best bet is to chip at it from the outside. North America is similar to Asia.

    Once you get into Asia from Australia, lame up choke points. If you can cut off North America's route to Asia, then the NA player is going to have to wade into Europe, hopefully bleeding himself dry in the process.

    Hold your army cards till you have a grandslam combination, then play them for a huge bonus. Risk works on the principle of overwhelming force, so make sure you have lots and lots of men. Don't overstretch yourself - most times all you need to do is win one territory per round, then consolidate. That stops your opponents from getting whole continents and thus prevents them getting free units.

    Never forget that there are other players, so try to let them squabble as much as possible. If you can keep a strong front, they will pick on weaker players, and when they're bled dry you can easily take a whole continent.

    Be merciless if you can find a weak spot but without foolishly wasting your resources.

    In my games, its generally a case of bagging South America or Australia, pushing into either the America table edge or the Asia table edge, then trying to sweep over. Since expansion is not aggressive, I can lame up my key areas and usually the others will work on the weak targets and leave me in peace. Build up a nice pile of army cards, then trade them in when I get a big combo.

    Your other players are either bouncing off your fortress, or ripping each other to small pieces while trying to take all of the other continents.

    Essentially then, fortify a small continent, encourage the other players to kill each other, make 1 victory every turn, then swamp the enemy with your big card trade in. If you go for a small continent, then you need to seriously COMMIT to it. Otherwise it will be your tomb. Pile as much as you can into it, then crawl out.

    Sometimes people will try to wall you in - thats cool. When playing with Australia, I like to keep Siam well fortified. With South America you'll end up fortifying 2 territories, Africa will require several fortified territories (which can be cut down by expansion). People will try to counter, but the benefit for you is that you're holding a whole continent (constant reinforcement) and you're only worried about defending 2-3 territories. Your opponent has to defend that border territory AND ALSO defend virtually every other territory he owns (due to continent size). You will soon begin to outnumber him, and if you time your attack right then you can easily suck up his territory.

    Example - You're SA, opponent is laming up your connection to Africa. Suddenly he's under attack from 3 territories to the north. The attacks are repelled, but leave him bled dry. In your turn, you sweep into Africa with your store of cards, and then proceed to rumble through his weak core territories. He gets no cards for winning a territory, and he no longer holds all of Africa, so you can expect him to be out of the game shortly after.

    Certainly consider expanding to Africa if you're in Australia or SA, and vice versa. Holding the edge of the board isnt to conquer America/Asia, its just to force opponents to have to go through Europe (ideally causing a huge bloody struggle far from your front). Get a copy of the game map or download a free similar version in order to get to grips with the game.

    Good luck!



    EDIT - wow, that link to the new map is scary, its much more balanced. If you're playing on it then I suggest focusing on the choke points. Regardless, SA and Australia are still awesome because of their size - you've more chance of covering the whole continent.
  • the_x5the_x5 the Xzianthian Join Date: 2004-03-02 Member: 27041Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Sky+Apr 3 2005, 10:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Sky @ Apr 3 2005, 10:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Buy WMDs. Sell them to the other player. Point the finger at the other player, then watch as GWB comes in and kills him with a machete. A <i>rusty</i> machete. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Signature worthy, too bad there has to be a character limit...
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