On Cards and Commanders... Part 1: Nuke

Hello! Sorry It's been so long since I've posted. I would like to dedicate this entire post to two of the most influential parts of Risk 2210: the cards and the commanders. I'm going to divide the topic into five parts. One for each commander along with its set of cards. I will talk about the strategy involved in choosing each commander and using the more important cards.

Offensive or Defensive?
The first thing you need to decide, is whether or not you want to play your game in an offensive or defensive manner. You may also want a mixture of the two. How you play is completely up to you. Keep in mind that if you are playing the game with the same people multiple times you will develop a reputation (see earlier post), so your strategy is important for more reasons than just helping you win.

Nuke Commander
The nuke commander is strictly offensive. He allows you to attack with an 8-sided die anywhere on the board including the moon, which is very important and effective. If you choose an offensive strategy in the game overall, or if for some reason you need a strong attacking force, you should seriously consider buying a nuke commander. Like all commanders of course he costs 3 energy to buy and may be placed on any territory you own. Placing your nuke commander is also strategic. You typically want to keep all of your commanders safe, so place him in a spot where you have several other mods to protect him. Also, since he is strictly used for attacking, you will most likely want to place him in an area that you are planning to expand from. You can also simply place him in a safe spot, allowing you to use your cards without running the risk of having him killed.

Nuke Cards
There is not a single defensive card in the nuke deck, nor are there any colony influences, which I will talk about in another post. Allow me to go over some of the more important nuke cards and disclose a few hints on how to use them:

Assassin Bomb: this card allows you to take out any of your opponents' commanders assuming roll a 3 or higher on an 8-sided die. I've actually seen it fail plenty of times believe it or not. A good strategy for this card is to target a commander which is standing alone. This takes out the commander and takes the territory away from the player, which can be huge if it's completing a bonus. Also, keep in mind that any commander you take out will prevent that player from using that type of card until he buys him back. Also, if it's the water or lunar commander, all troops in the respective territories belonging to the player will be immobilized until he can buy him back.

Rocket Strike Land, Water, Moon: these three cards work the same, just for their respective territory. Choose a territory belonging to an opponent and BAM... roll a die and destroy the number you see. This can be useful if you need to wear down a large force that you are planning to attack. The very best way to use this card, however, is to target a territory that only has one man on it... especially if it's a commander. This guarantees that the territory is lost by the player. Remember, go for the bonuses!

The Mother, Aqua Brother, Nicky Boy: these cards are very dangerous because they are random. They rely on a die roll to decide where they will strike and they can hurt you. The card takes one man from any continent the die chooses on either the earth, water, or moon, respectively. Sometimes, these cards will wipe clean entire continents, or take someone's bonus... which is great for you. They have also been known to be ineffective however, if they strike in a continent that nobody cares about. Some players choose to leave at least 2 mods in every territory out of fear of these cards. Use with caution.

Armageddon: the person who holds this card typically holds alot of power. The card (for a hefty fee of 4 energy) allows you to use all of your other nuke cards competely free of charge. Seems totally worth it right? Well, the catch is, after you've used your cards, every other player on the board who has nuke cards and a nuke commander is then allowed to use his cards for free. Obviously armageddon has the potential to cause some major destruction. If you get the card, use the power wisely. Other players will probably want you to play it so they can use their cards. Sometimes you can make deals with them... telling them that you will only use it if they don't use their cards against you when it's their turn. Also, since you get to go first if you're the one who used it, you may be able to use cards to take out another dangerous player's nuke commander, meaning he wont be able to use his cards on his turn.

Some Strategy
If you do go with the offensive strategy, all of these things will make it much easier for you to carry out your plans. Remember, the game probably cannot be won without cards. They are too powerful for you to decide not to use them. Use your cards to your advantage. With nuke cards you have the power to threaten other players. If they know the potential destruction you can cause, they should be at least a little scared. Don't be afraid to throw your weight around a little bit. Alright, that's it. Check it out next time I'll be going over another commander and the strategy that goes along with it. Leave me a comment!

Get Involved!

It's time for YOU the reader to get involved in the blog!
I want to know what you think about strategies in Risk 2210. Write me a comment and let me know what your own personal favorite strategy is. Even if you play another version of Risk, include the strategy you like best and tell why it works for you. Throw out some tips or tricks of the trade if you have any.
Thanks and happy Risk playing!