Risk Strategies

Smurf

So my friends managed to talk me into having a "Risk Party" at my house on Friday. Well, it might've been my idea, but that's not the point. Should this go in the "Are you a nerd?" thread?
I'm determined to kick all their asses, so I'm doing some research on risk strategies, anyone here have any experience/risk lessons they'd like to share with me?

Keep in mind I'm playing with Amateurs to Intermediate players (but all very intelligent).

mattmns

Hmm at first I thought this was going to be something cool, then I later realized that you were talking about the boardgame. I think you should give me the address to your house so I can go there and beat you and your friends up

Smurf

Thanks for the confidence boost Mattmns, I love you too babe.

JasonRox

Go for Australia is a pretty popular one. I say put all your guys in Australia, and a few in Mexico.

Keep Mexico alive and conquer Australia.

Protect Australia strongly with the extra guys your getting. Also, keep Mexico alive.

Start putting guys in Mexico.

Start knocking guys out of South America because you don't want anyone else to own it.

Slowly conquer South America.

Guard South America, while not forgetting about Australia. Forget about all the other territories with one guy on it, which are probably all gone now.

Work your way to conquering North America.

Once conquered, protect well by moving inner soldiers to the borders. (This is common sense)

Now attack and grab hold of the land connecting Africa and South America. You don't anyone conquering Africa.

Do the same for the land connecting Europe and North America.

When that is done, try and connect your soldiers from North America to Australia (go through Siberia, Japan, etc...).

Slowly work your way to conquering Asia.

Note: By keeping hold of a piece of Africa and Europe, no one can get pieces for them. Same goes for Australia. Also, I choose Mexico because anything inside South America will get killed. Let them fight and lose men, while you add them and destroy them. Also, no one will get North America.

Now, if you slowly get Asia and actually conquer it, everything is a breeze from there obviously.

This is my method if I start with Australia. I have others, but only can list one.

mattmns

No problem, just my way of saying I have only played the game a few times.

Hurkyl

With standard rules, it's most important to time a big army boost from the cards with a position when you can eliminate someone to get enough cards for another army boost that turn.

tribdog

ARRRGH I say control the seas matey!

Smurf

So.. avoid the inland countries. God it, I'm gonna use tribdog's strategy of having the longest undefended border possible. Wish me Luck!

BobG

Go for South America.

Australia is easy to defend because you can't get anywhere worthwhile from there. You just wind up pinned in a corner of the board.

South America sets you up to invade either North America or Africa, both of which are valuable. North America is hard to conquer since everyone wants it, but once you get it, it's easy to defend. You can defend both North and South America from only 3 countries. Africa isn't terribly hard to conquer, but it's hard to defend - it's easy to reach from anywhere except North America.

Also slowly build up armies in Irkutsk as you can spare them. You can easily move from Irkutsk to Europe or Africa to disrupt your opponents attempts to capture an entire continent.

tribdog

Arrgh the only good defense is a strong offensive odor.~Long Jean Lepew

Smurf

I think i'm gonna go memorize the art of war now

franznietzsche

If you have to go online to find strategies you have no hope. You can only learn from direct experience and experimentation.

Now if it was me, i'd just wipe their sorry arses off the board. But i live and breathe strategy.

Hurkyl

Also, don't overextend yourself. Often times, it's best to make just one attack (so you get a card), then reinforce your defenses.

JasonRox

True.

Note: That is why I said slooowwlly.

BobG

I would put the emphasis on often times. The name of the game is 'Risk'. Is your goal to avoid being the first eliminated or to win the game. The key is the habit of all the players to drop into 'safe' tactics, so much so that all the players expect everyone else to use 'safe' tactics as well. Most of the time (in fact, nearly all the time), you have to plod along 'safely' just like everyone else, but you should constantly be looking for the opportunity to make the big move that changes the game.