How Risk Works

Risk includes the following simple game pieces:

The board is a world map. Six continents are divided into 42 territories (between four and 12 per continent). The board has numbers along its bottom edge, which indicate the number of armies that a player receives when he takes it over and trades in his cards.

The number of armies a player controls is denoted by different pieces. An infantry piece is worth a single army, while cavalry is worth five armies, and artillery symbolizes 10 armies.

Of the 56 Risk cards, 43 are marked with a territory and a picture of infantry, cavalry or artillery. Another two are wild cards, with all three Army pieces on them but no territory. The remaining 12 are secret mission cards, which are used only in a variation of the game called Secret Mission Risk. (We'll discuss Secret Mission later.)

The basic objective is to conquer as many territories and continents as possible, amass as many armies, and gradually eliminate all your opponents. The players start by rolling a die, after which the person with the highest number places an army on a territory of his or her choosing. The other player or players then claims a territory in similar fashion, and they go back and forth until all the territories are occupied and the armies are in place.

At the beginning of each player's turn, he or she is allotted additional armies, based upon the number of territories and continents under the player's control, as well as the sets of Risk cards that he or she cashes in. To get a card, you have to attack and successfully capture a territory.

On each turn, you have the option of either attacking a territory or passing and allowing the other person to take his or her turn. You can only attack territories that are adjacent to one of your own, or connected to it by a dotted line. (For example, North Africa may attack Egypt, and Greenland may attack Quebec or Iceland.) Also, you must have at least two armies on a territory to launch an attack from it. In attack, an army confronts a defending army, and the outcome of the confrontation is determined by which of the players gets the highest number from rolling the dice. The more armies you attack with, the more dice you get to roll, which increases your chances of victory [source: Hasbro].

The success of the original Risk game led to specialized versions. In 1986, for example, a variation called Castle Risk was introduced in Europe. It scaled down the playing field, and required players to invade or occupy only European countries. Another variation of Risk that emerged in the 1980s was the "secret mission" version, which allowed players to receive a secret mission that, if accomplished, would win the game. Yet another version, Risk: Napoleon Edition, was introduced in 1999. It was similar to Castle Risk, but with modifications that were based upon Napoleon I's military campaigns. The version also added additional pieces, such as generals, fortresses and naval units. But perhaps the most unusual new edition was Risk: 2210 A.D., released in 2001, which included a time limit and used a point system, rather than total territory domination, to determine the victor [source: Hinebaugh].

Risk also is sometimes played with "house" rule variations created by gatherings of veteran players, which can make the game more difficult or interesting. Some like to play timed matches, or limit the number of turns players get, which deprives them of the leeway of waiting for opponents to self-destruct. Another variation of Risk, one possibly dreamed up by a geography teacher, requires players to demonstrate knowledge before they place armies in a territory or attack it. In order to proceed, a player has to identify a specific state, province or country that's within the territory. Another twist is to play Risk on an actual map, instead of the standard board, and to create your own territories that are in play. For example, Risk can be played on a map of the United States, with players holding various states and attacking others. Enthusiasts also have converted Risk into a historical knowledge game, with players required to answer questions about historical conflicts, such as World War I, before they can place armies on territory or launch an attack [source: Hinebaugh].

Here are a few tips for developing a winning Risk strategy.