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Subject: What should I do... FOR EXPERIENCED EYES ONLY
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King
King
Posts:232

07 Apr 2007 8:48 AM  
I'm about to start my very first game of risk. I have read the basic and advanced strategies. They help some. I have played risk on the computer versus bots, but it isnt the same. I would like to hear from some experienced players what are their favorite opening strategies and why, and if u like to, tell me more on how to develop your opening strategies. Is your strategy good versus few players or alot? I think im gonna play a 5 player game. Thanks a bunch ANOTHERRISK
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King
King
Posts:232

29 Apr 2007 7:14 AM  
A good strategy depending on what countries your dealt with is to counquer Australia and Europe and ally with someone who is conqueroring Africa. I did this by starting in Australia and then massing in Siam to make people think i was on the defensive but I left guys in Greenland and some european countries (mostly greenland) that were just enough to ward off attackers while also not posing as a major threat. The africa player had some guys in southern europe but he was trying to make a SA/Africa empire so we made a deal that he would move his troops out of Southern Europe and then with my now big force in Greenland I took over most of Europen and his 1 army southern europe countries. Now Africa guy started concentrating on SA and then NA while I went and took over western europe and later some countries in asia and NA to get cards and bonus armies for more countries while keeping both continents out of anyone's hands.

This strategy only works if you have 3-4 players since their is no way you could hold 2 continents early on with 5 or 6 players and you can't ally in 2 player game. It sounds like it could take a long time but we managed to take over Europe, Australia, SA, and Africa rather quickly and had a major advantage now over the other 2 players who realized that they were doomed once I took over Europe and Africa was not going to touch me. It might work with 5 players but that could be pretty hard, Australia is easy to get get and hold but it only benefits you for the beginning of the game when 2 armies can make a difference but Europe would be very tough to hold since many people will be fighting for it and Africa with which who you would need to ally with.

The Problem comes in that your ally is now very strong too and you need to beat him in breaking the alliance, even if their is still a player left you may need to break the alliance off.
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King
King
Posts:232

29 Apr 2007 7:15 AM  
My favorite strategy is to take South America, then go north into North America. The +2 bonus puts you at a large advantage when attacking. Note that this strategy is risky because South America is considered highly valuable early on in the game - you might have competition if you don't win soundly. I prefer to wait a turn or two while building up in North America. This lets any possible enemies fight amongst themselves so you can come in and sweep up the leftovers, and some people won't think that you're a threat if you're two spaces away. South America also becomes highly unwanted later in the game. Getting caught between a developed North America and Africa means death. This is one of the simpler strategies, however, and fairly successful.

Kikuichimonji
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King
King
Posts:232

29 Apr 2007 7:15 AM  
[QUOTE]Imported Post wrote
My favorite strategy is to take South America, then go north into North America. The +2 bonus puts you at a large advantage when attacking. Note that this strategy is risky because South America is considered highly valuable early on in the game - you might have competition if you don't win soundly. I prefer to wait a turn or two while building up in North America. This lets any possible enemies fight amongst themselves so you can come in and sweep up the leftovers, and some people won't think that you're a threat if you're two spaces away. South America also becomes highly unwanted later in the game. Getting caught between a developed North America and Africa means death. This is one of the simpler strategies, however, and fairly successful.

Kikuichimonji[/QUOTE]

The SA strategy works as long as you hold Central America and North Africa so that you can control those 2 continents. Then what I normally do when using SA I make a truce with someone in Africa and give them North Africa so that I can focus everything on North America.
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King
King
Posts:232

29 Apr 2007 7:16 AM  
One easy and effective strategy for a beginner in a 5-6 player game is to go after Australia aggressively. Drop your first few units into a territory in Australia and tell the rest of the table you are going to drop every one of your units into Australia. Keep dropping them all on one territory, and tell anyone who might also be going for the continent that if he does you will both be weakened and lose. Once the game starts, you should face little opposition taking over Australia and moving your entire army into Siam. Expand from here very slowly, only taking 1-2 countries a turn and avoiding major combat. Make yourself look too powerful for anyone to go after but not enough of a threat for the other players to join together to defeat. By the time you can turn in your risk cards, the other players should have weakened eachother fighting enough for you to grab Africa or N America and win the game with your built-up army.

Falcron
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King
King
Posts:232

05 May 2007 5:10 PM  
The best way to go is to take Australia. Slowly move across Asia. Asia should be pretty easy to get. Take the Middle East and Ukraine. Now you will have all of Asia and Ukraine. After this, move into N. America, down into S. America, and you win.

HMAN
TuronUser is Offline


Tactician
Tactician
Posts:5

13 May 2007 7:40 PM  

My Strategy:

Pregame: Stretches etc. (Just kidding)  Pregame while we all gather at my house I discuss ideas with the other players and decide who i might make a treaty with.  Eventually choosing a person or two to ally with. 

Start of Game:  I prefer to take Africa.  It is centrally located, has a decent amount of countries to gain you cards, and if one of your allies betrays you there are plenty of backdoors out of the country.  Capture all of Africa to get the troop bonus

AFTER ALL UNITS ARE PLACED: my group takes a break to talk to everyone.  we use signals with our allies to show where we are going.

During Game: Evaluate where I am at after taking africa and gaining troop bonus.  I then move toward Europe.  Then Asia.  Then N.America & South America. 

Endgame: Decide if I want to break my treaties.  If I do i take australia. 

Ehsan HonaryUser is Offline


Site Admin
King
King
Posts:268


14 May 2007 3:33 PM  
Turon, that's an interesting strategy to becomes allies even before the game starts. Obviously nothing wrong with it except that are two concerns or issues as I see:
  1. What would you do if you got caught? If other players find out that you have made a pact behind them, they are not going to be amused unless they have done the same. How would you deal with it? I assume you play repeatedly. How do you make sure you can win next time.
  2. The other issue is how do you break your treaty and when do you do it? With most long term deals that I know, there is an agreement to have a treaty until only the allies are left in the game. The problem is that you need to be in a positive position before only the allies are left in the game. Doesn't this lead to backstabbing much sooner than you may anticipate?

Ehsan Honary
TuronUser is Offline


Tactician
Tactician
Posts:5

14 May 2007 5:26 PM  

I play with a large group of my friends.  We are all avid gamers of all genres and have been best friends since elementary school. I would NEVER... and i repeat NEVER use our rules to play if you are not playing with people that you are good friends with.  Since we are such great friends we let things roll over our shoulders and just play the game for the fun of it a couple of time we even had treaties written on our napkins.  When I play with other people I usually ally with the person who invited me. 

We are usually very open about our pacts and we rotate every time so its not an onslaught when I team up with another very good player.

Ehsan HonaryUser is Offline


Site Admin
King
King
Posts:268


15 May 2007 1:19 AM  

Excellent. Seems like you are having fun playing all those Risk game. Terms and Conditions on napkins is certainly classic.


Ehsan Honary
cyray7User is Offline


Diplomat
Diplomat
Posts:121

26 May 2007 10:34 PM  
for beginners, theres two choices, in my opinion.
a) go for australia; defend your stronghold, take out one territory per turn then retreat, and gather up units and cards. stay out of the other player's ways, as they are stronger and more experienced. Then, when you are ready, unleash your fury and take Asia in as few turns as possible.

b) sometimes the "pro" players will go for Australia. In that case, let 'em have it. go for south america, another small country. Ally with North Africa, and slowly grow into North America. This is a fairly simple strategy, as long as you dont anger anyone. using this strategy you will not have many borders. just keep up your alliance with North africa, and  DO NOT ANGER ANYONE  AT ALL COSTS. unless you can eliminate them swiftly and silently.
EuropaUser is Offline


Diplomat
Diplomat
Posts:170

01 Jul 2007 6:25 PM  

Personally, South America is the LAST place I would start the game.  It doesn't give enough value for holding the continent (only 2 bonus armies) and it becomes a battle groud too often.  Many players (myself included) love to start in North America because it has a higher value and has only one extra border.  North America's first place to strike usually is South America since you can gain another continent without expanding your borders (If you didn't take South America, your border would be either Central America or Venezuela, if you did take South America, your border is now Brazil or North Africa, still the only one way in or out!).  For this reason, South America usually likes to have alliance of some kind with North America early in the game.  Africa is also a trouble spot for expanding if you start in South America since North Africa borders not only South America but also Europe and this means it is hotly contested in the game. 

Also, taking a continent early in the game means you become the envy of others and also a target.  So taking South America is very risky, a risk I am not willing to take.  I would rather try to take Europe, which in my view is just as hard to keep as South America in many games, but you get more reward for doing so.


Grant Blackburn
SamUser is Offline


Diplomat
Diplomat
Posts:110

27 Sep 2007 12:26 AM  
If playing with 3 or 4 players:
1)If opponents are expansionists, get NA and then SA and then Europe and Africa.
2)If oppenents are conservatives,get Europe and then Africa and then SA and NA.
Either way, get Australia last.
If playing with 5 or 6(or 7 or 8 in computer games):
Depending on which continent is the least desirable get either SA Africa or Australia.

2¢ is my son so we have the same email. Sorry for any confusion.
EuropaUser is Offline


Diplomat
Diplomat
Posts:170

15 Dec 2007 2:59 PM  

There are several games on the market now with pre-game alliances: both versions of Star Wars Risk, Lord of the Rings Risk and Transofrmers Risk.  IT would be interesting to set up a Classic Risk game in much the same way.  I think the new rules have something to that effect.  Anyone ever try playing that way?   


Grant Blackburn
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