Risk Archives - Huddle Around Games https://huddlearoundgames.com/category/board-games/risk/ Card Games And Board Games For Friends And Family Sat, 13 Apr 2024 11:39:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://i0.wp.com/huddlearoundgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cropped-cropped-huddle-around-games-logo.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Risk Archives - Huddle Around Games https://huddlearoundgames.com/category/board-games/risk/ 32 32 230771119 21 Risk Global Domination Strategy & Tips For Winning https://huddlearoundgames.com/risk-global-domination-strategy/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/risk-global-domination-strategy/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2022 18:31:46 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=543 For years and years, I would always lose at RISK when I played online and over-the-board.  It was so frustrating, and I didn’t know why. ...

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For years and years, I would always lose at RISK when I played online and over-the-board. 

It was so frustrating, and I didn’t know why. 

After playing a lot more and learning from pro players, I realized there were a number of key errors in the way in which I approached the game. 

Since following these 21 simple tips and Risk Global Domination strategies, my ranking has gone up, and I typically finish at least 2nd, if not 1st quite a bit. 

Keep all of these in mind the next time you play, and you may end up winning more too! 

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Enter the One Deck, Endless Fun eBook.

It contains 15 of my favorite card games you can play with a single deck of cards and a brief description of how to play each one.

I also include a handy table, breaking down each game in terms of difficulty, number of players, and the time it takes to play.

#1 Keep Your Large Armies Together

For a while, I thought it was better to have an even spread of armies across many territories than a couple of larger armies. 

Yeah, this was a terrible mistake and cost me many games. 

The way odds work in Risk favors the 1) larger army and the 2) attacking army. So if I’m defending with a smaller army then I’m doubly doomed. 

If playing Fixed Bonuses, keep one or two large armies. 

If playing Progressive, three disconnected larger armies are ideal. 

#2 Attack When Needed, But Not Before

Don’t attack just because you can. It may be best to simply capture one territory and then stop. This way, you collect your card and build up a larger army. 

In general, if you attack, you want to outnumber the opponent by at least 25%. The higher the ratio, the better your odds. 

If you don’t have a specific reason for attacking (getting the card bonus, getting more territories, wiping an enemy out, breaking a continent, don’t do it!

#3 Make Allies, Avoid Making Others Mad

Psychology is a big part of the game of RISK, even if you’re playing in such a way that you can’t clearly communicate with the other players. 

Sometimes, especially in the early and middle games, you need to keep under the radar and be a good neighbor. 

This is a strong case to avoid breaking an enemy’s continent bonus, even if it leaves them stronger. If they get mad and too weak, they may give up and try to make you lose. 

This can often give the game to the other players. 

#4 Know Your Bonus Structure

Fixed and Progressive bonuses are two sides of the same coin, but there are several critical differences that affect how you play. 

In Fixed Risk, you get the same bonus value every time you turn in cards based on what you turn in. 

  • 3 Infantry = 4
  • 3 Calvary = 6
  • 3 Artillery = 8
  • One of each = 10

Because the growth is slow, one bigger set of troops and continent bonuses are a must. These games go longer. 

In Progressive Risk, the bonuses get bigger every single time someone turns in a card bonus. As such, continent bonuses don’t really matter as the army count gets huge.

You want to survive to get those bigger card bonuses. As such, make sure you have bigger armies spread out around the word.   

Treating them the same almost never works out. Spend your time learning one bonus or the other to start. 

#5 Grow To Get More Troops, Expand Your Reach

One of the most underrated ways to get more troops is to add more territories under your control. 

Continent bonuses are easy to see, but the troop ones are tougher to catch. 

For every 3 territories you own, you get one more troop. Even if you don’t have a continent, you can outpace them with sheer numbers. 

#6 Concentrate Your Forces Where They Can Attack Quickly

Too many people get so caught up in defense. Defense is important but you also need to be able to strike quickly and easily. 

Position your large armies, so they are next to an enemy one. If you block your troops in with your own armies, it’ll take time to get them mobilized. 

Keep them ready to go at all times. 

#7 Manage Your Card Bonuses Well

It’s not always the best choice to turn in your cards as soon as possible. 

In Progressive, it’s always better to wait as long as possible. Unless you think someone will take you out the next turn for your cards. Then, get rid of them for a chance to live longer. 

In Fixed, always wait for the best chance to get better bonuses. Turning in three cards early just makes you wait longer for the next bonus. 

#8 Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin

If you can’t defend your current territories, then capturing as many territories as possible isn’t always a good idea. 

Balance a smaller, defendable space over spreading yourself too thin and ending up with nothing except your one army. 

#9 Watch Where People Want To Be On The Board

Most players show what their plans are by where they place their armies and where they capture. Someone who captures and moves back to the same spot is in it for the long game. 

Someone building up troops on a border is getting ready to make a push. 

If someone wants to break through you, it might be better to get out of their way, so you can keep your armies largely intact. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

#10 Get Continent Bonuses (But Don’t Expend Too Many Forces In The Process)

If a continent is easy to take, take it. The bonuses will add up over time. 

If it’s going to take a lot of troops, wait and build up your armies. Eventually, the other people will start to move out of there. 

Check out our strategies with the best continents in RISK.

#11 Don’t Be Afraid To Change Tactics

If someone hates the fact that you have Australia, don’t be so attached that you lose everything in defending it. 

If someone is gunning for it, consider vacating it and leaving all your troops together in one spot somewhere else. 

Then, gradually move to another continent until you can get that one instead. 

#12 Be Patient

The players who win are the ones who wait to get into a big battle. 

The players who lose expend their troops and get wiped out by the patient ones. 

#13 Maintain Suprising Kill Lines

Some players will start to look like the weakest (they’re often called Fish in the game). 

You want to always have a line or route to get to them without needing to break through another large army. 

When they look ready to take out, use these kill lines to wipe them out, get their bonus, and plan your next move. 

If you’re lucky, you can turn in the cards right there for another bonus and take out another player. 

#14 Don’t Completely Trust Anyone

Alliances are a key part of RISK, but at the end of the day, someone’s got to win. If your opponent sees you as the leader, they may try to take you out. 

Always have a plan for how to counter-attack or change strategy.

#15 Use Bonuses To Wipe Out Players; Not Capture Continents

A general rule of thumb goes as follows: 

Use card bonuses to wipe out players, not capture continents. 

If you’re not wiping out a player, use the bonus to build up your large army. 

If you simply capture a continent, the player you left alive “suicide” into you and uses all their troops to weaken you. 

#16 Don’t Telegraph Your Plans

If you want to make a move, don’t try to let others know about your plan. Keep your troops a little farther away but still with a clear line of attack. Suprise is worth its weight in troops. 

#17 Keep Defending Territories Strong, But Not Blocked In

There are a number of bottle-necks on any RISK map, and this is a great place to plop your big army and defend the territories behind it. 

But if you can’t move that army out quickly, your opponents can make big moves to get stronger while you try to organize your troops. 

#18 Encourage Others To Overreach

My brother is a decent tactician but an excellent manipulator. He wins most of our RISK games, not because of a specific map strategy, but because he manages to get the other players to overreach or attack me. 

This is often enough to leave you strong enough to make the game all about mopping everyone up. 

#19 Know The Map

Most people play on the Classic World Map you get with the RISK board game. But there are many people who play online. 

With Hasbro’s RISK game, they have a ton of maps, and each one has its own unique setup. 

Learn each map well to have the best chance of winning and picking a good continent. 

#20 Watch The Balance Of The Game

The balance of the game refers to the number of armies each player has. When the top player is stronger than the next two combined, the balance has shifted beyond repair. 

It’s at this point the top player can win the game by taking out as many players and capturing as many as possible. 

If this isn’t you, watch when someone gets too strong. Do what you can to limit their growth. 

Don’t do it alone, or they’ll get mad and destroy you. 

If the other players know what they’re doing, they’ll help.

#21 Stay Flexible, Don’t Get Into Big Battles

Until the balance shifts, you never want to take your big army against someone else’s. At most, you’ll beat them and get wiped out next for being too weak. 

At worst, you won’t finish them off, and they’ll destroy you. 

Read more about why RISK is hard to play and how to make it easier.

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RISK Australia Strategy: Turtle Up And Win More Often! https://huddlearoundgames.com/risk-australia-strategy/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/risk-australia-strategy/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2022 15:03:39 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=518 Since the dawn of the game of RISK: Global Domination, people have found the Australia strategy to be one of the best positions in the...

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Since the dawn of the game of RISK: Global Domination, people have found the Australia strategy to be one of the best positions in the game. 

But in the modern day, people don’t like to let someone hold the small and well-defended continent. 

So how do we make the RISK Australia strategy work? We’ll cover this along with tips and actionable strategies in the rest of the article. 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

What Is The Australia Turtle Strategy In A Nutshell?

Australia is the smallest continent (tied with South America) with four territories. Capturing them all gives you a bonus of 2 troops every turn. 

It only has one access point, making it easy to defend in the early game and much of the middle game. Compared to South America, which has two access points or borders, this is better. 

The strategy involves capturing the continent and putting your troops on Siam (ideally) or Indonesia (much worse). 

Then, you wait out the other players and watch for your chance to take an opponent or opponents out. 

Note: Only attempt the Australia strategy when playing with Fixed card bonuses. Using Progressive card bonuses, the continent offers no benefit and attracts unwanted attention. 

Australia Strategy Pros And Cons

This strategy is well-loved by many players at many levels, but it’s also regarded as one of the most annoying ones too. 

It’s not all good stuff! Let’s look at the pros and cons here. 

Pros

It’s easy to take. 

With only 4 territories, many players can capture the entire continent in one turn. A one-turn capture is a dream, and it’s often possible with a good starting Australia position. 

It’s simple to defend from. 

There is only one border from Siam to Indonesia. Putting all your troops on this territory makes it costly for the enemies to break you. 

It leaves the other players to battle it out and weakens each other in fighting over the rest of the world.

RISK, especially with Fixed card bonuses, is a long-term game. Patience and gradually settling into an area to gain strength are key. 

A well-established Australian “turtle” will keep the opponents away while they battle and weaken each other. You just need to be ready to take some people out when you have the opportunity. 

With less skilled players especially, sometimes the best thing you can do is to wait them out. Australia 

It’s a tough nut for new players to crack. 

The act of breaking Australia is tough but not impossible. However, new players will either: 

  • Crash everything into you and make you both lose
  • Leave you alone because they don’t want to lose

Most of the time, they opt for the latter, and this gives you a chance to grow strong enough to win. 

Cons

People hate it when someone takes Australia. 

Taking Australia too early in the game draws a lot of attention to you as the leader of the game at that point. To keep the game balanced, many players will go out of their way to either trap you in Australia or take you out. 

It may be tough to get the opponents out.

People know how valuable Australia is. It’s RISK’s worst-kept secret. 

As such, they’ll often leave a handful of 3s, 4s, or even 5s armies in there to slow you down. 

If you act too fast, you’ll be too weak to hold Australia and may even end up being the first one knocked out of the game. 

In a long game, other players will outpace your growth quickly. 

Two extra armies every turn is great…in the beginning. In the middle and end games, it’s not great, especially if you don’t have a presence anywhere else. 

If you don’t establish yourself early or your opponents don’t waste themselves fighting each other, you’re looking at a second-place finish, tops. 

How To Make The RISK Australia Strategy Work For You

#1 Get The Continent Without Attracting Too Much Attention

Don’t get Australia in one fell swoop. Set yourself up to take it on the second or third, or even fourth turn. 

Also, get it without wasting a ton of troops. If you need, let someone else with a medium army there capture some territories to thin themselves out. 

Trade it your cards for a bonus and capture the continent to avoid being too weak.

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

#2 Use Siam As A Launching Point

Capture Siam and put your big army there. Every turn, capture a territory with your reinforcements and then fortify back into Siam. 

Warning! Don’t capture both India and China, and then fortify back into Siam. This will trap your army and make it so you’ll be ineffective in the game. 

#3 Build Up Your Army Slowly

Capture one territory. Fortify into Siam. Turn in card bonuses and repeat. Your army will get larger and larger. 

#4 Make Alliances

Make alliances with players near you in Asia. You want to be left alone as long as possible. 

If needed, send a small army to attack those who are enemies of your ally, just enough to prove our value to your ally. 

#5 Wait, Wait, Wait

When you are in Australia, the name of the game is waiting for the other players to weaken themselves while you get stronger and stronger. 

Pay attention to the balance of the game. If one player gets stronger than all other players combined, then they can win the game. 

If this is shaping up that way, take small actions to weaken them. Don’t break a continent bonus if you can help it or they’ll get mad at you and destroy you first.  

When you have more troops than the others combined (or close to it), and you can wipe out a player in one turn to get their cards, go for it. Take as many territories as possible and continent bonuses. 

Read more about how to win at head-to-head RISK.

Is The Aussie Continent Worth It?

All in all, the Australia strategy is one that players love to hate. 

The truth is, it works well. But it also attracts too much attention and may get you eliminated early. 

If it drops in your lap, go for it. But be flexible and don’t be afraid to give it up if you don’t see a benefit to staying there. 

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How Do You Win RISK With 2 Players? (1v1 Strategies) https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-win-risk-with-2-players/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-win-risk-with-2-players/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2022 12:52:39 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=511 RISK with two players is a wildly different game than with 3 or more.  It’s amazing how the strategies are so different, even when the...

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RISK with two players is a wildly different game than with 3 or more. 

It’s amazing how the strategies are so different, even when the core mechanics of the game are the same. 

Whether playing OTB with a neutral army or head-to-head on RISK: Global Domination, we’ve got you covered with some strategies to answer the question: 

How do you win RISK with 2 Players?

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

#1 Do A Manual Placement

Luck is a huge factor in this version of the game, and where you start makes a huge difference. 

If you’re playing with someone and you do an auto-placement, you may doom yourself before the match even begins. 

Opt for a manual placement and make sure you are equally placed in an area where your opponent is. It’s in your best interest not to leave them alone in any one area. 

#2 Accept That It’s A Lot Of Luck

More than any other mode of RISK (which has small elements of luck), 1v1 RISK is largely based on luck. 

If you go first, you have a massive advantage. You’ll break any bonuses and set yourself in a good position for the rest of the game. 

Even beyond this, the dice rolls may lean in your favor or the other person’s at key moments. One bad roll is enough to lose it in 2-player RISK. 

#3 Capture As Many Territories As Possible

The name of the game is to gain as many troops for each reinforcement as possible. You do this in two main ways for a 1v1 game:

  • Get many territories
  • Get continent bonuses

Each round, one of your top priorities is to get both of these as much as possible. 

Learn how to win with the Australia strategy in RISK (just not in 2-player).

#4 Break The Enemy Bonus Every Time

The flip of the previous tip is to limit your opponent’s reinforcements each turn. Do this by breaking their bonus first and then taking away territories. 

Don’t be afraid of overextending yourself. In a drawn-out battle, the player with more bonuses and more territory will win quickly. 

#5 Keep Larger Armies Ready To Attack

Never, I repeat, never block in your largest army. 

It may feel safe to hide your large army in a defensive position rather than right next to enemy territory, but in this case, it’s a mistake.

If you’re blocked in, all your opponent has to do is capture everything and leave you alone. You’ll spend a whole turn fortifying and getting the army back in the game. 

During this turn, they’ll collect a big reinforcement and tip the scales in their favor. 

#6 Spread To At Least Two Far Apart Places

Keeping a large army is a good idea, otherwise, they’ll just mop you up. 

But one large army may be a bad idea. They can turn in a card bonus and break it with their attacker advantage. 

Split into two faraway places, so the enemy has to spend valuable time and resources getting you in both places. 

#7 Create Bottlenecks

Bottlenecks are the name of the game in defensive 2-player RISK. If you can set up a place where a medium army is hard to break through, you’ll have a chance at holding more territories and maybe even a continent bonus. 

Australia may seem like an obvious choice, but the bonus is too weak to make a big difference in 2-player. 

North America and Africa are the common continents here. 

Africa can be held with a three-territory bottleneck. North America is a three as well, with a higher bonus. 

If you strategize right, you can hold both North and South America with three borders. 

Just don’t get too settled into your one or two continents. Balance it with being aggressive and stopping the enemy from getting their troops. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

#8 Turn In Cards Right Away

When playing head-to-head RISK, cards are a huge luck factor. Can you turn it in right away? 

Do you get the best bonus? 

Whether on a Fixed bonus or Progressive bonus, you need to be ready to act every time you can turn one in. 

Use this to beef up your larger army and take out 1) continent bonuses and then 2) their large army. 

#9 Use Specific Maps

If you’re planning on the app or desktop game, you’ll have access to other maps besides the classic world map. 

Some of these have narrow paths and a ton of bottlenecks. Rivertown comes to mind. 

In these cases, they may be better for a 2-player matchup, especially if you know the map well. 

#10 Ignore The Neutral Army

If playing OTB, the official rules state there needs to be a random neutral army in the mix. 

Don’t waste your time going after this neutral army unless you can take a continent for an easy win. 

Focus instead on stopping your human opponent’s growth. 

If playing online RISK with a bot in the third position, do the same, but keep an eye on the bot, or they may end up too strong to defeat. 

Check out our guide for how to beat Australia in RISK.

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How Do You Beat Australia In RISK? 3 Easy Strategies https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-beat-australia-in-risk/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-beat-australia-in-risk/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:38:32 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=491 Australia is a beast of a continent in RISK, and it’s one most inexperienced players don’t know how to defeat very well.  Even with advanced...

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Australia is a beast of a continent in RISK, and it’s one most inexperienced players don’t know how to defeat very well. 

Even with advanced players, getting Australia early is almost a guaranteed second-place finish. 

But there are some ways to still come out ahead even if you don’t have it. I asked around and used my own experience to answer the question: How do you beat Australia in RISK? 

Beating Australia in RISK comes down to three main strategies. Use a card bonus to break them when you can guarantee a strong army remains for yourself, ignore them and aim to win the greater part of the world, or wear them down gradually (or at least stop them from growing).
Read on, and I’ll go into more detail on these strats below. 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

How To Beat The Australia Turtle Strategy In RISK?

For many people, when someone gets themselves settled into a defended Australia, they know they’re going to lose. 

But the reality is, Australia is a limiting platform. 

With the right strategies, players can easily defeat them; it just takes time. 

Note: All of these apply to fixed card bonuses. On Progressive (the bonus gets bigger every time cards are turned in), it doesn’t matter.  

Just keep on playing with normal survival and “eating” strategies, and you’ll beat them in no time (unless they beat you first!).

Related Reading: Is RISK hard to play? How to Make It Easier

#1 Card Bonus To Break

The first and riskiest strategy is to break their defending army with a card bonus. 

Australian players will plop a massive army on Indonesia or Siam and leave the other territories occupied with only one troop. 

This makes them tough to break but easy to wipe out. 

Keep them “contained” while still letting them capture a territory and retreat back to Siam or Indonesia. 

They’ll get their cards, and you’ll be waiting.

Don’t ignore the other players in the game, but start building a decent army within striking distance of Australia. 

Wait for the perfect storm: 

  1. You can turn in a 10 or 8-troop bonus. 
  2. The Australian player has 3, 4, or 5 cards in hand. 
  3. If you wipe them out, their cards will add to your and make over 5 total. 

In this instance, if you can wipe out their big army and then finish them off entirely, DO IT! 

You’ll lose a lot of troops, but you’ll gain some back. Then, place everything you’ve got left (and your bonus card turn-in) on either Siam or Indonesia. 

This one is risky because you’ll be gathering some strength in Asia while being weaker elsewhere. 

The other players may see your divided attention and try to take you out instead. 

Of course, RISK is the name of the game, isn’t it? 

Check out our guide for how to win 2-player RISK.

#2 Ignore And Beat Later

One of the best strategies to handle Australia is to ignore it. 

Australian players get an early lead, but as the game goes on, they have a hard time converting that lead into a bigger foothold. 

If other players settle into Africa, North America, or even South America with more territories for a larger bonus, they’ll outpace the Aussies after a while. 

Eventually, one player will gain strength. Hopefully, it’s you! 

At this point, don’t attack Australia. Leave them for last. 

Wipe out the other opponents first, but don’t leave yourself weaker than the Aussie armies in doing so. 

Capture the whole world except for Australia, and wait a turn or two to get those massive bonuses. You’ll have a bigger army in no time. 

#3 Stop Their Growth (Or Shrink It)

Stopping growth is another active strategy that kind of walks the middle line between the other two. 

Consider using this one while you wait to either beat the rest of the players OR get a bonus and wipe out the Australian player completely. 

This one only works if you’ve got the continent fully contained. 

Keeping them only as far as Indonesia is a must. Siam is riskier. 

Each turn, don’t let them capture a territory. Keep your army close in size to theirs so they don’t break you easily. 

Attack and destroy only 3 armies in Australia. 2 at the least. 

This stops them from building their army up. 

In time, one of the two other conditions will come true. Then, be ready to break them. 

The two bigs issues with this strat are: 

  • You leave both of you weaker for the taking. 
  • The Australian player may get frustrated and “suicide” on you. Then, you both lose. 

Note: If you can do this right in the beginning, go for it. If not, be patient and don’t overextend yourself. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

Is The Australia Turtle Strategy Worth It?

If you can get Australia early and without fighting too much for it, then take it! 

I’m a decent RISK player myself, but I’ve watched expert players a lot. One of the things they love to see is when newer players fight over Australia in the early game. 

This gives them a chance to either: 

  • Wait nearby for a chance to take them both out. 
  • Pay attention to the rest of the world and get too strong for Australia to be a threat. 

Still, if there’s an opportunity to take it early without much fighting, they’ll take it every time. 

But the key here is, they’ll also try and establish a smaller army somewhere else. 

This gives them an out if there’s too much pressure on their main army. 

It’ll also give them a chance to keep capturing territories for cards if Australia gets contained. 

Another thing I notice is that these players are also ready to abandon Australia if they can wipe out other weak players and establish themselves in more powerful positions. 

Read more about the best continents in RISK and other strategies. 

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Is Risk Hard To Play? Difficulty Explained https://huddlearoundgames.com/is-risk-hard-to-play/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/is-risk-hard-to-play/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2022 11:54:23 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=486 RISK, the game of Global Domination, is quite the fun game of strategy, psychology, and luck.  But for those looking at getting into this fun...

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RISK, the game of Global Domination, is quite the fun game of strategy, psychology, and luck. 

But for those looking at getting into this fun board game, you may be wondering: 

Is RISK hard to play? 

RISK isn’t hard to play at all. While all the parts look complex, the game is broken into three simple phases. The overall strategy and psychology of the game make this a tough game to master, though. 

We’ll look into what makes this game and how to learn it so you can play it right away. 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

Why Is RISK Hard To Play? (& How To Help)

Setting Up The Game

Setting up the game of RISK is complex for some people who haven’t played before. 

There are different phases, methods, and counting you have to do. 

And it takes quite a while too! 

Basically, setting an over-the-board (OTB) game of RISK involves these essential steps: 

  1. Counting out your troops. 
  2. Determining turn order. 
  3. Placing your troops. 

Sounds simple when you boil it down, right? 

Let’s take each step one at a time. 

Counting Your Troops

Your initial set of troops changes depending on how many players you have. Follow this chart to figure out what you need. 

# of Players# of Troops at the Beginning
2*40
335
430
525
620

*You’ll also need to set up a third, neutral army with the same amount of troops for two players. 

For more information, check out our article on whether or not 2-player RISK is any good. 

Determining Turn Order

This one’s an easy one. Each player rolls a die. The highest one goes first. 

Reroll if there are ties for first place. 

After figuring out who goes first, the play continues to the left. 

Placing Your Troops

There are two ways to do this accepted in the official OTB game of RISK. 

Place your troops one at a time. 

Starting with the player who rolled the highest die, each player puts one army down on an unoccupied territory. This continues until all territories are full. 

Then, each player places one army at a time to reinforce. They don’t need to be spread evenly at this point. 

This continues until you’ve run out of the troops you counted out in your first step. 

Use the territory cards to randomize your position. 

Take the deck of territory cards and remove the wild cards. Deal the cards out to each player (in some variations, some players will end up with one less territory.

Place one army on each of the territories in your hand. 

Once the world has been filled, begin taking turns to reinforce countries of your choice one at a time. 

This makes the beginning process faster and randomizes placement a little more. 

Suggestion

I suggest getting the RISK: Global Domination app or digital game from Hasbro to fix this completely. 

Start a game with the same number of players and turn AUTO PLACEMENT on. 

The game will place all your troops for you. Now, make your board match the game. 

This is the fastest way to speed up your setup. 

Related Reading: How do you beat Australia in Risk?

Figuring Out How Many Troops You Get Each Turn

The first phase of every turn is reinforcing your armies with a specific number of troops. 

For new players, determining the number of troops may be complex. 

As with most things in life, let’s break it down into simple terms: 

  • Troops from your number of territories 
  • Troops from continent bonuses
  • Troops from card bonuses

Troops From Territories

Count how many territories you currently occupy. 

Divide the number by three and drop the decimal. 

Don’t round up or down. Just drop it. 

This is the number of troops you get with a minimum of 3. 

So if you only have 5 territories, you still get 3 troops. 

Continent Bonuses

If you have all the territories in a specific continent (shown by color), then you get a bonus! 

Here’s a quick list of the continents and their bonuses: 

  • Australia = 2
  • South America = 2
  • Africa = 3
  • North America = 5
  • Europe = 5
  • Asia = 7

Card Bonuses

Card bonuses are another great way to get more troops and win the game! 

There are two modes for bonuses, and you have to decide which you’re playing before the game starts. 

You can turn in your cards for a bonus when you hit the following combination of pictures: 

  • 3 infantry
  • 3 calvary 
  • 3 artillery
  • 1 of each

A wild card may be substituted for any one or two cards in these. 

Progressive means the number of bonus troops gets higher every time someone turns in a card bonus. 

Use a marker or extra card to track the number of territories gained. This is what the numbers around the outside of the RISK board are for. 

Progressive games usually end up with a massive amount of troops and are typically over in under 10 rounds. 

Fixed card bonus is when you always get the same bonus based on what cards you turn in. 

Remember that list from before? This determines how many you get: 

  • 3 infantry = 4
  • 3 calvary = 6
  • 3 artillery = 8
  • 1 of each = 10

*If you occupy a territory on the card you turn in, you get 2 bonus armies on that territory. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

Fortification Rules

Fortification rules come across as quite tricky, and the rules aren’t too clear. 

Here’s my answer borrowed from article on the topic: 

“During the Fortify phase, you can move as many territories as you want from one territory to any other territory as long as adjacent territories connect them. This means they can move over the entire map as long as they’re connected. You also must leave at least one army in the original territory.” 

Read the whole article on fortifying in RISK here. 

It’s A Long Game

RISK played as it’s meant to be played OTB can take 2+ hours. It’s a longer game! 

How do we speed it up for ourselves? 

Here are some tips: 

  • Use A Dice Roller
  • Play for Capitals Or A Faster Game Mode
  • Use The Correct Settings When Playing Online
  • Play Progressive Bonus, Not Fixed
  • Speed Up Setup With Auto Placements

For more details, check out our article on tips on how to speed up the game of RISK.

Commonly Asked Questions

What Is The Easiest Way To Play RISK?

The “easiest” way to play RISK is online. Hasbro has an excellent RISK digital game available for free on all devices. 

Can A 7-Year-Old Play RISK?

7-year-olds can play RISK easily. There isn’t any complexity they can’t understand, though they may not win very often as they play impatiently (in my experience). However, don’t expect them to hang around for the whole game in one sitting. 

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Is Risk Good With 2 Players? Answers From Real Players https://huddlearoundgames.com/is-risk-good-with-2-players/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/is-risk-good-with-2-players/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2022 23:38:15 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=447 Risk is a game meant to be played with several players, and most people say it works best for 4-6 players.  But it can be...

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Risk is a game meant to be played with several players, and most people say it works best for 4-6 players. 

But it can be played with as few as 2 players! 

It begs the question, though: Is RISK good or fun with 2 players? 

Objectively, RISK is fine with 2 players, but it’s a different game than when you have more. The strategy is wildly different too! I conducted a survey and found that 47% of regular RISK players thought 2-player was no fun. 40% thought it was OK.

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

Why Do Some People Dislike RISK For 2 Players?

RISK is a game that provides the ideal mix of strategy, luck, and social psychology. 

If you watch and listen to the top players in the game of RISK, they’ll often talk about how they need to be aware of what the other players are thinking, where they want to go, and how to encourage them to get impatient and overstretch. 

With 2-player RISK, this is quite different. 

There aren’t multiple people to play off one another. It’s all a game of head-to-head. 

So from here, it becomes much more about luck and strategy. 

The games are shorter, and once someone pulls into the lead, the shortages become insurmountable pretty quickly. 

For many, the missing social aspect makes it a lot less fun and a poorer game for it. 

Then again, my brother wouldn’t be able to convince my sister to crash all her forces into me and let him win the game (again), so maybe I’ll challenge him one-on-one over the holidays…

Why Do Some People Love Risk For 2 Players?

There are those in the RISK: Global Domination community who love 2 players. The reason varies from legitimate to game-breaking. 

The online version of RISK by Hasbro has a ranking system and competitive community. 

It’s great, but there was a real way to cheese or exploit the system. This allows intermediate players to achieve high rankings in an almost-artificial way. 

Basically, they would challenge someone to a 2-player game, choose a mode or map that they knew how to use best, and just crush people over and over again. 

Yes, they were great at this 2-player mode, but it didn’t translate into “real” play. 

As such, people were getting the respect of being masters who didn’t deserve it in the competitive modes of play (fixed or progressive with 3-6 players). 

Very recently, Hasbro released an update trying to fix this issue. They separated the two modes into: 

  • Free for all
  • 1v1

Now, you only gain rating points and ranking for competing and demonstrating skill in a specific mode. Those who love all of RISK and the true nature of the game enjoyed this switch. 

Those who lost all their ranking and can’t get it back in Free For All are upset. 

Was it the right call? 

Obviously, I can’t hide my opinion of 1v1 RISK as being untrue to the heart and purpose of the game. It’s meant to be the mix of strategy and social psychology it has become in Free For All (3-6 players). 

Still, 2-player RISK is great for quick games and grappling with a foe in a fun, dynamic way. 

What Do Regular Players Say About RISK With 2 Players?

RISK has an active community, namely on Discord and Reddit. I went to Reddit because there seem to be more…on-topic…posts about RISK and not just memes, videos, and spammers. 

At Reddit, I posted the question to the audience as a poll and got these results: 

risk with 2 players opinion

I think the response speaks for itself! 

By the way, if you love RISK and haven’t joined the Reddit community, please do so! 

Another place with a lot of RISK content is on Twitch. There is usually a stream going on with some big (and interesting personalities). 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

Commonly Asked Questions

Can RISK Be Played With 2 Players Over The Board?

OTB RISK is fine with two players, though there are some changes to the game. 

  1. Set up as if with three players. One will be a neutral army. 
  2. Each player starts with 40 infantry. 
  3. Draw territory cards to get your initial placement. 
  4. After each territory gets one army (use the cards to place your armies), take turns placing one unit where you’d like. Alternate placing the army for the neutral player. 
  5. The neutral player doesn’t take turns or get cards. 
  6. The non-attacker rolls for the defending neutral player. 
  7. Otherwise, play continues like normal! 

How Long Is 2 Player RISK?

This all depends on a number of factors. The biggest factor is the platform you’re playing on. 

When using the app or game on a desktop or laptop, a 1v1 game may end up 5-20 minutes. 

When playing over the board, expect it to last between 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

If you want to speed up your RISK game, check out my article at the link for some advice. 

How Many Players Can Play RISK?

Unlike many board games and card games made in the modern day, there is no solitaire or single-player form of this game. You must have at least 2 players. On the high end, you can only go up 6 players. 

Further Reading: Can you abandon a country or retreat in Risk? Rule Clarification

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Can You Abandon A Country In Risk? A Complete Answer https://huddlearoundgames.com/can-you-abandon-a-country-in-risk/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/can-you-abandon-a-country-in-risk/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2022 14:57:34 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=418 RISK: Global Domination is one of the most popular strategy board games and online games to this day.  But at first, the rules seem more...

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RISK: Global Domination is one of the most popular strategy board games and online games to this day. 

But at first, the rules seem more complex than people can handle. 

One of the most common questions I’m asked by new players is: can you abandon a country in RISK? 

You cannot abandon a country or territory in RISK: Global Domination. You must always leave at least one army or troop in your controlled territory. The closest option is to move every other army out except one. This is common when playing with allies to allow them a path through you without losing too much. 

Let’s look ahead for some rule clarification and why you may want to essentially abandon a territory in RISK. 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

Can You Forfeit A Country In RISK?

Giving up a country is easy to do in RISK. You just move every army out except for one. 

The RISK rules state all territories must be occupied, so this is the closest you can get. 

When you do this next to an enemy-controlled territory, you’re basically forfeiting it. 

With 4 armies, the opponent is essentially guaranteed to capture you without much trouble. 

Why Would You Want To Abandon A Territory In RISK?

Solidify Elsewhere

Part of a good RISK strategy is to keep your armies in one or a few large stacks and control specific areas. 

As such, you can’t fight or defend every single territory. 

If you want to defend a large area, you need to set up borders. 

It might seem like it would be a good idea to move every single troop at your disposal to these locations, but you do have to keep at least one on a territory. 

However, if you have a couple, it’s a good idea to “abandon” the territory down to one army and fortify the rest to your main stack. 

Further Reading: Fortify rules in RISK: How far can you fortify?

You Trust Your Ally (For Now)

Another reason to abandon your country down to one troop is that you trust your ally (for now). 

Alliances are a huge part of the game but keep in mind anyone can and should take you out if they see an opportunity (or vice versa). 

Your armies may be better used elsewhere, and if you trust your ally enough to leave the border less defended, that’s an OK risk. It may bite you in the end, or it may help you gain enough strength in other places to win. 

But that’s the name of the game, isn’t it?

Prevent A Fight That Weakens You

Another good reason to move your armies out is to prevent yourself from getting a bunch of your armies attacked. 

Imagine you are the only thing blocking someone from getting a continent or from connecting two of their larger armies. 

It may be a good idea to stack up there and prevent it, but the more likely result is them attacking you, weakening you both, and then a third person wiping you both out.

Sometimes, abandoning and getting out of the way is the best option to save your strength for when you can win the game. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

It’s Not Part Of Your Strategy

Even without all these reasons, there are times when you just don’t care about the territory. 

It helps early on to go for a specific area or continent (if playing fixed card bonus) or they have a few select strong stacks (if playing progressive). 

So let’s say you get the elusive and ideal Australia*. 

You may not care about your territories in Europe or South America. 

If there’s a way to consolidate the armies over that way, do it and abandon the other territories as you will. 

It won’t hurt your game because it’s not the strategy you’re going for. 

*Further Reading: Which continent is the best in RISK?

Are You Allowed To Retreat In RISK?

This depends on what you mean by “retreat” in RISK.

I’ve found people use this term for several meanings, so answer all the questions in this handy chart! 

Retreat QuestionAnswer
Can I stop attacking when I’m losing?Yes! You can stop attacking any time you wish once you start attacking. 
Can I fortify my troops away from someone?Yes, as long as the territories are connected, you leave one army behind, and you can only do this once. 
Can I quit the game?Yes, but it’s generally considered bad form or sportsmanship. 
Can I pull my armies off a territory?No, you must leave at least one army on each territory. 
Can I pull my defenders back during an attack?No. During a defense all you can do is roll the dice.

Is There An Army Limit For A Single Territory In RISK?

You have to have at least one army on a territory; you can’t take it down to zero. But on the high end, no, there is no limit. In some online games, you’ll see stacks get into the multiple hundreds as stalemate positions are reached. 

Further Reading: How do you play RISK faster?

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How Do You Play RISK Faster? 5 Tips For Quicker Play https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-play-risk-faster/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-do-you-play-risk-faster/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2022 16:05:57 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=411 RISK: Global Domination is a popular board game and now an online game too!  Its strategy and alliance aspects make the game fun and challenging. ...

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RISK: Global Domination is a popular board game and now an online game too! 

Its strategy and alliance aspects make the game fun and challenging. 

But it takes a long time to play. 

If you don’t have the 1-2 hours or more to set aside to play the game, you’re probably wondering if there are ways to play RISK faster. 

Playing RISK faster is possible with different game modes, settings, and helper programs. My 5 tips for playing faster are: 

  • Use A Dice Roller
  • Play for Capitals Or A Faster Game Mode
  • Use The Correct Settings When Playing Online
  • Play Progressive Bonus, Not Fixed
  • Speed Up Setup With Auto Placements

Let’s go over each of these tips to help you enjoy this game even more! 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

#1 Use A Dice Roller

If playing over the board (OTB), the slowest part of the game is rolling the dice. 

In the endgame of RISK, some people may have dozens or hundreds of armies to work with. 

Rolling 3 dice and chipping away 2 armies at a time take quite a while like this. 

Fortunately, if you use a dice roller app or program, you can speed this along. 

If you have a phone, I use the Dice Roller app here.

For a browser roller, I enjoy this one at Berkley

Both let you put in the number of armies facing each other and simulate the rolls faster. 

Pro-tip: Make sure everyone at the table knows that clicking or rolling the dice can’t be taken back. 

For some reason, people seem to think they can take back a roll when it’s done via a program. 

If you’re playing online through Hasbro’s RISK game, they feature a BLITZ option where you simulate dice rolling until one army is defeated. 

This definitely speeds it along, but be careful. It can’t be undone once it’s clicked.  

#2 Play for Capitals Or A Faster Game Mode

One of the other slow aspects of the game is the end-game winning conditions. 

Most of the time, Global Domination is standard. 

This means the game continues until one person has every single territory. 

This mode can take quite a while. 

But there are other faster game modes. 

One is capitols. Each player picks a capital. 

Once someone owns all the capitals, they win! 

Other modes include 70% of the world. This is where once 70% of territories are controlled, a person wins the game. 

This helps prevent stalemates where people build up massive armies and wait each other out. 

There are many variations out there to check out, but these ones will cut the time of the game down quite a bit. 

Related Reading: Can you abandon territories in RISK?

#3 Use The Correct Settings When Playing Online

If you’re playing online through the Hasbro game (featured on ALL platforms) and you watch the pros, you’ll notice how quickly they capture territories and make their moves. 

A huge part of this is the settings they choose. 

For one, they limit turns to 60 seconds. This stops others from taking too much time.

For another, they change their own settings too. 

Turning off the camera animations and turning off the phase-end confirmation will speed the game up too. 

If you play on a PC or another computer, you can even use the ENTER key instead of clicking to confirm attacking options. This really speeds your actions along. 

This doesn’t apply to OTB play, but you can still set a timer for each turn if you wish. 

I’d recommend 5 minutes because it just takes time to move all the pieces. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

#4 Play Progressive Bonus, Not Fixed

I’m a huge fan of Fixed card bonuses. This is where the amount of bonus you get for turning in cards is locked the entire game: 

  • 4 for three Infantry cards
  • 6 for three Calvary cards
  • 8 for three Artillery
  • 10 for one of each

Plus, you get 2 bonus armies if you control the territory mentioned on the card turned in. 

It keeps the game from becoming one-sided and really puts an emphasis on the strategy and alliance aspect of the game. 

But it takes significantly longer this way. 

Progressive bonuses don’t care about which cards you turn. Once turned in, you get a bonus, and then the next one gets progressively higher and higher. 

The bonuses increase like this: 

  • 4
  • 6
  • 8
  • 10
  • 12
  • 15
  • 20
  • 25
  • X+5 each time

By the end, you’ll be up in huge army values. 

This means at some point quickly, one person will have the strength to win the game. 

In my experience, this mode ends in 20-40 minutes if playing online and 40-60 minutes if playing OTB with a dice roller. 

It also eliminates the need for continent bonuses for the most part.

Further Reading: The Best Continents In RISK: Breakdown

#5 Speed Up Setup With Auto Placements

Another long part of a RISK game is the setup. 

Traditionally and over the board, each player takes turns placing one army on a territory until all are claimed. 

Then, they place one army at a time, reinforcing owned territories until the required amount has been set. 

This starting amount is different for the number of players in each game: 

# of RISK Players# of Starting Armies
2*40
335
430
525
620

*RISK for two players also has an additional setup as you’ll need a neutral army too. 

This can take quite a while both online and OTB. 

There are two main ways I speed this up: 

Use Territory Cards For Quick Placement

When OTB, take all the territory cards, removing the wild cards. 

Shuffle the cards and deal them out to each player one at a time. 

Each player looks at their cards and places one army on each territory. 

When done, they turn in their cards. 

Now, they take turns reinforcing one army at a time until the required amount (see chart above) has been placed. 

This speeds up the first part of the game, though the reinforcing is still slow. 

Use Auto-place Through The RISK App/Game

If playing online, the game has an auto-placement option. Most people prefer to play this way as it adds strategy and randomness to the game in the beginning. 

But the OTB doesn’t have this. So here’s what I do: 

  1. Open the RISK game on my computer or phone. 
  2. Select Pass & Play and turn the manual placement off. 
  3. Now, select the correct number of players that you’re playing with OTB. 
  4. Start the game on your phone or computer. 
  5. Look at how the game is set up and match it to your OTB game. 

This is a very fast way to set up OTB, just like you would in competitive online play through the game. 

Further Reading: How far can you fortify in RISK?

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How Far Can You Fortify In Risk? The Final Answer https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-far-can-you-fortify-in-risk/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/how-far-can-you-fortify-in-risk/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2022 11:37:37 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=395 I love Risk Global Domination. It’s one of my favorite board games to play.  But I find one of the most confusing rules for inexperienced...

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I love Risk Global Domination. It’s one of my favorite board games to play. 

But I find one of the most confusing rules for inexperienced players to be the fortifying rule. 

My family used to play this rule wrong for years! 

I wanted to settle the debate once and for all and answer the question: 

How far can you fortify in Risk? 

During the Fortify phase, you can move as many territories as you want from one territory to any other territory as long as adjacent territories connect them. This means they can move over the entire map as long as they’re connected. You also must leave at least one army in the original territory. 

If this makes perfect sense to you now, great! 

If not, I don’t blame you. I need visuals and more detailed explanations too. 

Look ahead for those answers in the rest of the article. 

risk global domination strategy

Tired of losing at RISK?

Not sure how to get better?

Check out our list of simple yet powerful RISK Global Domination Strategies to improve your game and winning potential.

How Far Can You Move Troops In Risk?

As far as you want, ONE TIME. 

As soon as you fortify once, your turn is over! 

A risk turn goes like this: 

  1. Reinforce your armies. 
  2. Attack enemy territories. 
  3. Fortify (one time!).
  4. Collect a territory card if you captured at least one territory.

So when it comes time to fortify, pick one territory with more than one army. 

Remember, you always need to leave at least one army behind. 

You can’t abandon a territory. 

Decide how many armies you want to move. 

You only get one chance to move, and then your turn is over. Don’t blow it! 

Move those armies to any connected territory. 

What’s a connected territory? Any armies owned by your color. 

Consider the following example (I’m in orange). 

risk fortifying territories

Can we fortify from South Africa to Brazil?

Yes! There is a string of my territories connected, so it’s fine. 

But you can only do it once before your turn is over. 

Related Reading: 5 Tips For Playing RISK Faster

Clarifying Questions About Fortify

  • Can I move from one territory to multiple other territories? No. It must be 1-to-1. 
  • Do I have to fortify? No, you can just end your turn. 
  • Can I cut a deal with an ally to move my troops through their territory? An interesting twist, and you can play with your friends however you want. But according to the rules, no. 
  • Do your territories count as connected if they are connected over an ocean? Yes, it’s connected if there is an arrow or dotted line (depending on your board or program).
  • Do I have to move all my armies when I fortify? No, you can move any amount whether partial or full. As long as every territory has at least one army, you’re good to go! 

Where Should I Fortify My Armies In Risk? 5 Tips

#1 One Big Army Is Better Than A Bunch Of Small Ones

Despite what many think (and myself for the longest time), one large army is better than a bunch of small or medium ones. 

This plays to the odds in the dice rolls. 

In order for someone to capture a territory, they need to have 25-40% more armies than you. 

So, basically, this means two 5-armies territories do NOT equal one 10-armies territory. 

The 10-armies is much stronger. 

After venturing out to capture some territories, consider fortifying your troops into one bigger army over time. 

Further Reading: Abandoning Territories in RISK Questions and Answers

#2 Reinforce Your Borders

Sometimes you’ll end up with some 2-3 army territories strewn around a continent you control. 

Those are more useful on the border, so take the time each turn to reinforce your border and maintain control of what you have. 

This happens a lot of time when you trade in your cards for a bonus. You always get two extra armies if you control the matching territory. 

But those two extra must go on the territory in question. 

Improve your logic skills!

Hours of fun with family and friends!

Rule the world and crush your enemies! (In a fun way…)

Buy the game now!

#3 Don’t Block In Your Big Army

Fortifying is a great way of releasing your big army. 

Sometimes, you’ll end up trapped behind your own forces. 

If your bigger armies are blocked by your own territories, they won’t be able to affect the game. 

Fortify at least some of your troops so they can capture other territories as needed. 

Remember, one of the primary goals each turn is capture one territory so you get that bonus card. 

#4 Ally Communication 

If you’re playing Risk online through Hasbro’s amazing app/game (also found on Steam for FREE), then you can’t always communicate with someone you want to be an ally. 

Even if you’re playing OTB (over the board), you don’t always want to say what you’re thinking; sometimes you want to be more subtle than this. 

Fortifying can be a communication tool. 

For example, if you move troops away from a border with an ally, it means you trust them. 

They can move their border troops away too and make gains elsewhere. 

If someone is getting too powerful, fortify more armies next to them, but don’t attack. 

The threat may be enough to stop their spread for a few turns, allowing some other players to gain a foothold and restore balance to the game. 

#5 Keep Your Core Strong

One of the biggest beginner mistakes in Risk is spreading yourself too thin and taking too many territories in a single turn. 

The beginning of the game is usually a consolidation of continents, but after this, it’s all a slow spread. 

Capturing territories is fine, but then you need to fortify to keep your large army or continent strong. 

Don’t get overzealous or you’ll end up the first one eliminated. 

Further Reading: What is the best continent in Risk? A Detailed Look

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What Is The Best Continent In Risk? A Detailed Look https://huddlearoundgames.com/what-is-the-best-continent-in-risk-a-detailed-look/ https://huddlearoundgames.com/what-is-the-best-continent-in-risk-a-detailed-look/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:21:21 +0000 https://huddlearoundgames.com/?p=387 Risk Global Domination is one of those games where strategy meets luck meets communication.  But one of the key elements of the strategy of Risk...

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Risk Global Domination is one of those games where strategy meets luck meets communication. 

But one of the key elements of the strategy of Risk choosing the best position on the world map. 

Which often begs the question: what is the best continent in Risk?

After years of playing and asking people much better than I do, I can say with confidence the objectively best continent in Risk in terms of strategy is Australia, followed by South America. Despite their lower bonus count, both have few borders and are easier to defend. 

Of course, every situation is different, so the answer isn’t always clear. 

I’ll go into details on each continent and when it might be good to go and capture it. 

risk global domination strategy

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Risk Continents Side-By-Side

Continent# of Territories# of BordersBonus
North America935
South America422
Africa633
Europe745
Asia1257
Australia412

The Best Continent In Risk: Each One Broken Down

Australia

Australia is legendary, and even most beginner Risk players know that capturing this continent is a surefire way to win. 

And it’s all for good reasons! 

It only has four territories to capture to get the bonus. This means you can get its sweet rewards in a single turn! 

It only has one border. 

Defending this continent is simple. 

Plop every troop you’ve got onto Indonesia and keep gathering forces until you feel confident enough to spread out. 

Pro-strategy: Capture Siam and leave all your troops there as a stop-gap. Send out small groups of troops to keep capturing territories to get a territory card at the end of your turn. 

Don’t block yourself in by capturing both China and India. Always leave yourself room to send your massive army out at a moment’s notice. 

Note: Australia isn’t a guarantee, but it’s a boon to you in almost any circumstance. 

In fact, the general strategy says it’s the best continent in all games except when you’re playing 1-v-1. Then, it’s North America. 

Just don’t spend all your forces fighting for it. Better to have a decent army than lose everything for a short victory. 

South America

South America is another great early continent option, especially if it looks like Australia will be tough to get. 

South America has 4 territories, making it easy to get, and only two borders. It’s pretty easy to hold onto, though you need to be careful not to let someone else hold onto North America for any length of time. 

The bonus is a little weak for the 2 border weakness compared to the single border of Australia. 

Some high-level players will keep a massive army on Peru and recapture Brazil and/or Venezuela until they have enough strength to hold both. 

It seems like South America becomes an early target in the middle game, so make sure you don’t appear too strong compared to those right next to you. 

South America is rarely the first choice, but it’s often the second or third choice when things get hairy or crowded elsewhere. 

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North America

North America is not-so-secretly an awesome continent. 

It’s like the opposite of Africa, which I’ll talk about in a minute. 

Sure, it has 9 territories, which seems like a lot. 

But when you compare it to its 3 borders (same as Africa) and 5 bonus armies it quickly becomes a target for a patient capture and then build. 

The key is to take your time. No one will want to let you hold onto it, so you can’t spread yourself too thin, or you’ll find yourself destroyed the turn after you get it. 

In fact, the common strategy says this continent is the best choice when playing as 1-v-1. Some people rank this second in 3-person games, too, though it depends on the situation at the time. 

Africa

Africa is one of those continents that seem great but hard to hold onto. 

Sure, it looks pretty good at first: 

  • 3 borders
  • 3 bonus armies
  • 6 territories

What’s not to love? 

Well, it doesn’t really do a whole lot for you. 

6 territories are more than you can capture safely in a single round, except during the late game.

3 borders is a lot to defend, especially considering it’s up against two continents people will be trying to get out of

And the third border is against a prime continent that will be stronger than you much more quicker. 

It’s also in the center of the world, which is often where things get congested. 

Europe

Europe is a fun strategy to play. Sometimes it works out in spectacular fashion, but if you act too early, you’ll attract too much attention. 

It has 7 territories and 5 bonus armies, like North America. So it’s even better, right?

But those 4 border territories make it really hard to capture for any length, at least at first. 

It is a solid continent choice, but only if you don’t have many other options. 

The strategy I’ve seen work the most with this continent is setting up a home in Northern Europe, then slowly capture the other territories. 

But, always retreat back into your larger army in the middle. 

Eventually, you might get to hold onto it for a turn or two. 

Once that happens, you’ll gain strength quite quickly. 

Asia

Asia is garbage. Don’t go for it unless you’re trying to cause some chaos. 

It’s a fine place for a nomad army (more on this in the final section), but the 7-army bonus is not worth the effort to capture the 12 territories and then hold onto it with the 5 borders. 

What Should I Do If I Have No Continent Strongholds?

Sometimes it’s impossible to hold onto a continent in Risk. Sometimes you don’t even have any good options to work for. 

So what do you do?

Pray for mercy. 

No, not really. I mean, that may help, but you do actually have a chance. 

First, keep your head down. Don’t make anyone too mad, and don’t try to capture any continents. 

Don’t even look like you’re thinking about it. 

Keep all your armies on one territory. Capture one territory near you. 

Get your territory card bonus and turn it in when you can. 

Keep everything in one territory and move across the whole map, away from the center of the action. One territory at a time. 

This is called Going Nomad, and it’s a stressful but viable way to play. 

So Which Continent Should I Go For?

In a nutshell, Australia first, then one of the Americas. 

This will serve you well, but make sure you don’t spread yourself too thin in the early game and keep your borders safe. 

Further Reading: How far can you fortify in Risk? With Tips!

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