RISK 2210 A.D.

Power Moves: The Blitz

2011-07-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Blitz is what I call a strategy move that I first saw employed by a friend of mine and since then my group and I have all used it whenever it seemed beneficial to do so. In my opinion, this is on of the most fun and riskiest moves you can make in 2210. Try it out on your friends and see how it works for you.

Execution

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are going last in any given year (except for 5). This may mean outbidding your opponents to choose or just getting the last spot by chance. Now, on your turn you need to know how much energy everyone else has. My friends and I have a rule that if someone asks you, you must tell them how much you have. If you don't play that way, then make sure you keep track of how much everyone has the entire game. This may be difficult but I suggest keeping track with a pen and paper if you have to. Just this information alone is the difference between winning and losing games many times. Ok, make sure you have enough energy at the end of your turn to outbid everyone else. During your turn, take as much property as possible. If the moon or any waters are free, grab them. Take whole continents if you can, just get your men around the board wherever you can and wherever you want (within reason of course... don't break treaties with allies just to get one more territory). That year will end with you vulnerable, but spread far and wide. Bid to go first in the next year. Now that you are going again and nobody has had a chance to retaliate, use your massive amount of reinforcements and energy as you please.

Some Tips for this Maneuver

1. It is best used at the end of years one, two, or three. Of course year five wont work for obvious reasons. Year four is a bad idea as well because it means you are going to be going first in year five. If you've read my other posts you know that that is nearly always a terrible idea. My favorite time to do it is the end of year two. At this point everyone has settle into their main continent but the moon and waters are still likely to be open. Also, if you go for it the first year, you don't yet have enough men to really make it worth it.

2. Don't worry about using your mods in your second turn of the blitz to sure up everything you've taken. Focus on what you strategically think you can keep. It's fine to take half the board for the sake of reaping the benefits once, but you'd be a food to think you can keep it all the rest of the game. So, lets say you've already taken North Am. in year one and it's the end of year two. Making sure you keep enough energy to outbid the others, and assuming the moon and the two adjacent water colonies are still free, grab them up. With that alone you will be getting 26 mods and energy on your next turn. My suggestion now is either use your reinforcements to sure up the moon or North Am. and the waters. The one you leave open will be taken over by your enemies but at least they have to plow through you to get them, and who knows if they will be equipped to do that right away.

3. Making this move is going to make you look like a huge threat. It's likely that the other players will gang up against you, so make plans to defend against that. It's a good idea to get them stuck in some treaty with you prior to your blitz moves. That way you can have extra protection. At all times be talking and convincing the other players that you aren't actually going to use your huge forces against them. Just talk yourself down to look like less of a target. When you can, point out someone else who's in a better strategic position than you... even if they aren't. Remember, the way you manipulate the other players is the key to doing well in this game. Alternately, you can use your huge forces to bully other's into submitting to a treaty or deal that you will be able to arrange. If you have the larger force and the most energy, people think twice before messing with you.

4. Finally, don't go on a spending spree! Use your energy wisely and just because you suddenly have 8 times more than everyone else doesn't mean you shouldn't keep your endgame strategy in mind. You need to conserve to go last in year 5. Going last in year 5 will almost always guarantee a win in this game if you are in any sort of half decent position when you get there. That's much more valuable than getting an extra moon base or something.

Hope this helps. Try it out next time you play and be sure to comment and let us know how it worked for you!

Follow-Up

2010-05-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hey!!
I'm very sorry about the amount of time that has gone by since my last post. I've really been all over the place as far as my life and my leisure activities go. I'm once again not playing Risk hardly at all so it's just hard to keep the game and this blog on my mind, but I haven't forgotten! I'm going to spend some time soon and finish up the commander series of posts, but for now I figured I would follow up on the online games I had mentioned in a long-ago post. If you haven't read it, search for it in the archives sometime about April 2009.

Facebook ATTACK!: I actually played this game quite a bit and I recommend it for anyone who both likes Risk and has a Facebook account (who doesn't?). As I mentioned before, it's traditional Risk, not 2210 A.D., so if you're unfamiliar to the original, it may take some getting used to. The best thing about it is the speed. Gone are the days of spending 3-4 hours on a game. These take a convenient 10-25 minutes on average. The rolls are automated and the computer takes care of the technical work for you. All you've gotta do is strategize. I know some people prefer the long drawn out games, but at least this way you wont be super ticked off if you lose.

Conquer Club: Alright, I had high hopes for this website but was utterly disappointed. Admittedly, I can see why some people are into this site, but it really wasn't for me. Basically there are several board styles to choose to play on, most following the same basic format as original risk. The site hooks you up with some other players, and you start a game. The difference between this and ATTACK! is that not everyone has to be present all the time. Each person has like a day and a half to make his move. That's right... a game could take days or even weeks! I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't stay interested for that long. The only thing I will give the site kudos on is for being very competitive. It tracks your wins and loses and ranks you accordingly. It's kinda neat, but not worth the trouble to me.

Invade Earth: Eh, I stopped playing this game pretty quick. There's no online version, which is kind of upsetting because that would be super fun. But this game is what it is, a computer version of 2210 A.D. It may keep you busy if you really have nothing else to do, but I doubt you will have too much fun playing it.

Ps. I've decided to discontinue the review of the game that my friends and I played some 13 months ago. I certainly don't care too much about it anymore, and can't imagine anyone else does. I think that if anyone wants to read this blog it's for the strategy tips, so I will stick to that sort of thing from now on.

Until next time,
Lane

On Cards and Commanders... Part 2: Diplomat

2010-01-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Alright, lets get right into it. The diplomat strategy is one of the more advanced strategies in the game. I say this not necessarily because it is better than the others, but rather harder to use. It can be very powerful however. The thing I must say about the diplomat strategy is that it is strictly defensive. There are virtually no offensive benefits involved at all.

Diplomat Commander
The diplomat commander is a great guy to have around for defensive purposes. He allows you roll with an 8-die on any spot that he is being attacked. This includes the land, water, and moon. Obviously he should be positioned at one of you entrances or some spot you're wishing to protect. Please note that placing him on a base neutralizes his effect, since you get to roll two 8-sided dice as defense there anyway. Also, you may want to think about keeping him protected with other mods on the same spot. He can be very valuable because of some of the cards that are available through him, and may become a target.

Diplomat Cards
Once again, there are no offensive cards here. If you want some offense, it may be a good idea to combine your strategy with the nuke cards or one of the other 3 decks. I'll discuss some of the more important ones.

Colony Influence: This card is to be saved until very end of the game. It is worth 3 points added to your final score, which can be a game-winning determinant in many instances. Notably, there are 4 of these cards in the diplomat deck, and only 2 in each of the land, water, and moon deck. Therefore, the chances of getting them this way is much greater. Make sure your corresponding commander is ALIVE at the end of the last turn, or you will not be able to play the cards. One more thing, although it is legal to use these cards for another player in order to help them win the game at the end, it is generally considered bad taste, and I'm not sure anyone would prefer to win that way, so we don't do it.

Territorial Station: This is a simple yet useful card. It is relatively cheap at only 1 energy to play. It allows you to place one of your stations on any space you occupy (land only of course). Since this usually costs 5 energy, this can be a big help. I suggest placing you station at a defensive point like an entrance to your continent. You can also use it as a quick way to get to the moon, by placing it on a space with many mods. Make sure you have the moon commander to allow you to travel there, though.

Energy Crisis: Here's a free and very useful card. Playing it forces every other player at the table to give you one of their energies, meaning you can score a potential 4 extra energy to use as you please. It's also quite an inconvenience to the other players who may have been saving an exact amount of energy for something.

Evacuation: This card can only be played after another player declares an attack on you. You are then allowed to take all your mods from that territory and place them in any other connected territory that you control. By doing this, you give up the territory being attacked, but may be able to save you in some instances from losing a sizable force, especially if you can evacuate your mods to a a station. This is also a helpful card to play for someone else... for instance if you need to get somewhere and they are in your way and are willing to move to avoid a fight, you can just play the card to let them move somewhere else. Make sure both players have a diplomat before attempting this, though.

Cease Fire: This is without a doubt the most powerful card in the diplomat's deck. If not for the chance of drawing this card, I would actually suggest never going with a diplomat strategy. There are 2 of them in the deck. The card allows you to stop an attacker in his tracks. After an attack is declared, use the card (it costs 2 energy by the way), and that person cannot attack any of your territories for the rest of his turn. If you do it right, you can sometimes trap someone where they are, and if this is done on the last turn it can completely ruin someone's plans of winning the game. You can also deter someone from attacking you altogether by letting them know you have it, but be careful because if people know you have it, they may frequency jam you (which I will talk about later). With that being said I will also add that it's a good idea to frequency jam someone with alot of diplomat cards before attacking them, unless you are somehow sure they do not have a cease fire.

Check out the next post coming soon where I will discuss the Land Commander and his cards! Leave me a comment!

Apology

2010-01-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I haven't played the game in some time and I sort of lost interest in keeping this going. Not so much, however, that I wont start posting regularly again if people actually want to read it. So, if enough people tell me they are interested I will continue publishing this blog. Post your comments! Thanks!

On Cards and Commanders... Part 1: Nuke

2009-06-20T18:17:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-06-07T02:22:00.000-07:00

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!

Godstorm Review

2009-05-29T12:02:00.001-07:00

I just thought I'd share with everyone about another version of Risk I've played recently. There's a version of Risk, which is also made by the company Avalon Hill, known as Godstorm Risk. A couple of friends and I played this version a few weeks ago. Aside from my friend Luke, who owns the game, it was everyone's first time playing.
I found this version of the game to be very interesting, and surprisingly alot of fun. First of all, the game incorporates ancient mythology, which puts a cool spin on it. Each player selects a different "race" of people (Egyptians, Greeks, Norse, Romans, etc.) Each race has its own god's that are specific to the mythology of that particular race. Now, this is mostly just for fun, since each god in the game does the same thing throughout the races.
Eace player has 4 gods, which act sort of like commanders as in Risk 2210. Each god has it's own special ability. Some abilities are offensive, some defensive, and some are a little of each. Now the craziest thing about this game to me, and the most different from 2210, was the cards. The cards work pretty much the same as in 2210... you can't use them without that specific god in play and so on and so forth, but there is a much larger variety of cards and they are much, much more impactful to the game itself. There are several cards (especially the god of death cards) that are completely and utterly destructive, and there is almost no way to predict or memorize all of the cards that another player may have seeing as their are so many of them. I though that this would make the game not as fun for me, seeing as I rely on prediction and strategy to play, but it made it so exciting I hardly noticed.
The game board is set in Europe and North Africa, but the general rules about continents and bonuses still apply, and the territory dynamics are at least comparable to the classic Risk world map. Instead of a moon, though, like in 2210, there is an underworld. The only way to get there is to die. That's right, after your troops die, they are sent to the underworld, and must enter at 1 of 3 specific points. This ads a very interesting dynamic to the game as well. Once a man dies in the underworld, however, it is gone forever.
In the end of our game, I came away with the win by applying my standard Risk 2210 strategies, but I can see how those would probably not be the best for every situation in Godstorm. So, needless to say I had a great experience playing this different version of Risk, and look forward to playing it again. I definitely wont stop playing 2210 though, that's for sure.

Strategy Tips: Starting Positions and Bonuses

2009-05-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't updated in a long time. I thought it was about time to throw out a little more 2210 strategy advice. This particular subject really has no right and wrong, as long as you follow a few basic strategic rules. It really comes down to how well you play the "hand you are dealt" in the game.
Let's talk about starting positions. First of all, there are two basic ways to start the game. Method #1: have each person choose a territory one by one, until all the land territories on the board have been taken. or Method #2: deal out the land territory cards. Each person would then just place a mod on whatever territories he was dealt at random. My friends and I play using the second method. Honestly, I don't think there is much of a difference in the two, aside from the fact that you will be forced to experiment with new continents in the second method, because you will not be able to control where you place your men. What you can control is where you place your additional men. This will determine a large part of your strategy for the rest of the game.

Large Continents; Small Continents; The Moon; and Water

I will tell you one thing that I have learned. It will be nearly impossible to win this game if you do not control your own continent. I would say the average continent bonuses that I see people receive each time is around 6-9. It can be more or less of course depending on other circumstances in the game, but you should shoot to be receiving at least as much if not more than the other players each time it's your turn. This is where you need to take advantage of your starting position. Look at where the other players are going to be placing their men, and choose a place for yourself. If you are going for a "large" continent (North America(5), Europe(5), Asia(7)), it may be wise to simply concentrate all your efforts on controlling only that by the end of year 1.
Note: I do not recommend choosing Asia as a starting continent. It is much too easy to lose and to large to defend.
If you want to take a "small" continent (Australia(2), South America(2), or Africa(3)), it is probably best to also think about securing some water or moon territories either in the first or second year, in order to keep up with those who will have the larger ones. Once you have your bonuses secured, most of your goal for the next 4 years should be to defend them, and use the extra mods they provide as you see fit.

Taking your Bonuses in Year 1

You need to make sure that the other players know which continent you intend to take. Some choose to keep this a secret for as long as they can, but everyone will find out eventually, and making it clear from the beginning will help you avoid conflicts early in the game. If you have to, threaten anyone who tries to challenge the continent you want will an early battle. Any smart Risk player knows to avoid a big fight early in the game, so they will usually back down.
Note: It is almost never a good idea to be involved in a battle over initial territory in the beginning of the game. Do everything you can to avoid this, because it will most likely cripple you in a bad way for the rest of the game. If you are in a situation where it has to happen, try to be the one doing all the attacking. Get a nuke and land guy to give yourself the advantage rolling, and avoid the enemy's stations if possible.
Also, try to place most if not all of your initial "extra" mods into territories within the continent you intend to control. Think about how you will set up your defenses and place your mods according to that. Never randomly scatter your mods across multiple continents, or put a small force in the way of a large force in someone else's continent. Remember, this game is all about diplomacy, and making enemies is something you don't want to do if there is no reason for it.

Holding your Bonuses for the Rest of the Game

Holding your bonuses will be a little trickier. Sometimes you will get lucky and have an entrance to your continent blocked for you by a devastated land. Other than this, try to defend you borders by placing many men in them. You can get rolling bonuses with a diplomat, or a station, so use those to your benefit as well. Also, making deals with other players can help you protect your borders. If you and another player agree not to attack each other, the border you share with him will be blocked automatically, and your mods will be free to be used somewhere else. Be careful though, because your ally can always be invaded by another player, which may make you vulnerable.
If you can make it through years 2-5 with a bonus of about 6-9 intact the entire time, you will be doing pretty well for yourself. Don't be discouraged though, if you lose your bonuses and have to retake them. It's all part of the game and it will happen alot. Part of your strategy should be to make sure you have a larger bonus than the other players, and this may mean it is up to you to destroy some of theirs.
Till next time.

Strategy Tips: Turn Order

2009-04-24T16:09:00.001-07:00

So, myself, Darrin, Steven, Marcus, and Thomas played a game of Risk 2210 the other day. I decided to be a little experimental during this particular game and test out some strategies. My focus was on the turn order during the game, particularly in year 5. I thought I would share some of my thoughts regarding the importance of turn order, plus a few tactics to help.

How is turn order different in Risk 2210 than in classic Risk?
If you're a fan of classic Risk, you know that the turn order never changes. At the beginning of the game, the first person to take a turn is chosen and then the turns proceed depending on who's sitting where at the table until the end of the game. In Risk 2210, the order of turns changes each round (year). Turn order is decided by each person getting to choose which turn they want. The order in which turns are chosen is determined by a bid of energy at the beginning of the year. The highest bidder chooses first and so on. If anyone bids the same amount or if more than one person bids 0, then it comes down to a roll of a die.

How can this be part of a solid Risk strategy?
Let's say you are in conflict with another player. You attack him and weaken him, but in the process make yourself vulnerable. His turn is already over for this year, but if he goes before you in the next year, he could retaliate and potentially hurt you very badly. In these kinds of situations, bidding energy is very important. Before you attack or get into a conflict with someone, check to see how much energy they have. Will they be able to outbid you? Part of your plan may need to be to keep more energy than your opponents, so you can choose when to take your turn.

Year Five
Without a doubt it is most beneficial to take the last turn in year 5. The vast majority of games I have seen or been a part of have ended with the player with the final turn winning the game. This is because the last player can take as much land as possible, leaving only one man behind each time and not have to worry about anyone coming behind him and taking it. He also is able to count each person's score and knows what he needs to do to win the game. The only times that I have ever seen the last player lose the game is when he either: doesn't have the forces to take much land at all... meaning he must have been extremely weak already, or he is Cease Fired by another player and cannot move.
In the game I played the other day, I decided to make sure that no matter what, I had enough energy to outbid everyone else in year 5. I barely kept enough and was able to go last, and I won the game. There were other factors that came into play of course, but this was the biggest one.

So keep energy conservation in mind (lol) at all times and make sure you can outbid another player if you need to. Also, if you want to win games, do everything you can to go last in year 5. Leave me a comment. Let me know what you think, or if you have tips or suggestions for readers.

Online Games

2009-04-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

It was brought to my attention that I should share a little bit about the computer versions of Risk that are out there. Now, I'm sure there are software games that you can go out and buy to either play with your friends or just against the computer, but I'm kind of poor so I'm not going to do that. The alternative to that are free downloadable versions that are floating around out there on the net. If you find yourself with a decent amount of free time and want to sharpen some of your skills in between big games with your friends, you might want to check this stuff out.

One of the best ones that I have found is a downloadable Risk game called "Invade Earth". This is a Java-based program that allows you to play several different versions of the game, including our favorite, 2210. The website for it is http://www.smileygames.net/invadeearth
I'm not sure if it's playable live online, but you can definitely play it with your friends on your computer, or just alone against the AI. The downfall here of course is that it takes the human interaction part out of the game, which is a huge part of Risk. So, if you're using it to sharpen some of your skills, keep in mind that this is not a full representation of what it's like in a real game. Nevertheless, it's still a fun little game, and it's quick to play, especially if you play the AI because they take their turns in like 4 seconds. You can also tweak the rules in some aspects to make it more like the way you are used to playing.

Another thing I found, which is pretty much awesome, is a Facebook application. It's called facebook ATTACK! and it's found here http://apps.facebook.com/attackgame/
It's essentially the original version of Risk for Facebook. You can play a live game right then and there with random strangers, or you can challenge friends and play a game over time... each person taking their turn whenever they want. Now, strategy for this game as I have found is COMPLETELY different from the strategy for 2210, which is what I discuss on this blog. I wont go into detail about it... mostly because I don't know it. But, if you're a fan of the old Risk game, I just thought I'd let you know that this is out there.

I also just signed up on a new website a friend found for me called "conquerclub". It looks like a bunch of varied Risk style games for players online. I haven't really gotten into it yet, so I'll post later and let you know how it goes. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave me a comment!

Strategy Tips: Reputation

2009-04-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

What is a Risk Reputation?
This tip is one of those essential parts of playing and winning risk. Also, it works in every version of the game. If you're like me, you play Risk alot. And, most of the time you are playing with the same general group of people. Over time, each player builds a reputation by what style they use in the game.
One of the definitions for the word reputation is "A specific characteristic or trait ascribed to a person or thing". It shares the same root word as the word "repeat". So, basically, a Risk reputation is what a player is known for doing. It could be a style of play, or it could be a specific action, or even things you say and ways you manipulate others (manipulation is another part of strategy that I will discuss later). You're going to want to get to know your opponents well. Pay attention to the things they do, so the next time you play, you will already have an advantage on them by knowing their rep.

How do I Build A Risk Rep?
To build your own rep the way you want it, stay steady in the way you play and the things you do. For instance, if you want people to be afraid of you, attack them unprovoked, or retaliate at every opportunity. If you do this enough, eventually they will think twice about getting in your way, even before you do anything. If you want to fly under the radar and make people think you aren't a threat, attack less. Be kind and fair to people. They will think of you as a generous player and will trust you... and most likely not attack you out of spite or anything.

What's the Best Kind of Rep? Are There Good Ones and Bad Ones?
First of all, you don't HAVE to have a rep, but you will probably develop one anyway whether you want it or not. If you want to try not to... just be random. Change your style all the time and act randomly so that other players can't pinpoint your personality in the game. It can be beneficial to be the "wild-card" player.
There really is no "best" kind of rep to have, it all depends on your style. I've seen different reputations work out well on occasion for all types of people. But, yes, there are BAD reps. For instance, the last thing you want in Risk is to become labeled as the guy(or girl) who gets bullied and pushed around. Sometimes it is inevitable, yes. Everyone comes to a point in the game sometimes where they must allow another player to push them around. But, don't let it happen every time, or people will go out of their way to do it to you.
I think every type of rep has its good points and bad points. For instance, a friend of mine has a rep for being vengeful. Everyone knows that if you mess with him and make him angry, he will go out of his way to hurt you... even if it means losing himself the game. This is a great rep to have in that now... we think twice before attacking him. But, it's also a bad rep to have in that people are sometimes scared to trust him and work with him in the game.

Think carefully about how you are representing yourself to the other players, especially if you know you will be playing them again and again. Once you build a rep, it's hard to change it.

Strategy Tips: More Dice Probability

2009-04-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

			one die	two dice	three dice
Probabilities of winning a dice roll in Risk (various die combinations)			Attacker
Defender	one die	Attacker wins	41.67%	57.87%	65.97%
	one die	Defender wins	58.33%	42.13%	34.03%
	two dice	Attacker wins	25.46%	22.76%	37.17%
		Defender wins	74.54%	44.83%	29.26%
		Both win one	n/a	32.41%	33.58%

Here's a chart I got from Wikipedia. According to this, the attacker always has the advantage statistically. This chart excludes the use of 8-sided dice as well.

Game 1, Part 2: Lane

2009-04-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, here goes the second part of the game that was played.
Year 1
I (Lane) started off the game placing men in North America (NA). I placed my entire force in the southern part, while James placed half of his force in the northern part. During my first turn, I purchase a Land Commander and a Nuke Commander, and take down James' force, which allows me to take the entire continent of NA.
Year 2
During my second turn, I propose a deal to Steven, who to the south of me, in South America(SA). He has been in a battle with Chris for the waters in the west that allow access to Asia. I know he is planning on taking them back from Chris, and I want to take the waters in the Atlantic. We agree not to attack each other both in our respective continents and water territories. James is in Europe(EU) to my East.
My grand strategy:

Take and hold North America and the North Atlantic waters(NAW)
Ally with Steven in the south and weaken James in the East
Prepare to invade Asia from NA in year 5

After making the deal with Steven, I prepared to attack James. My plan was to make sure he could never be powerful enough to attack me from EU and possibly even gain a foothold and take EU myself. This turned out to be a mistake on my part. I didn't see a cease fire card coming when I declared my attack, and it stopped me in my tracks. I was forced to fortify and hope that James could not retaliate.
Year 3
He did retaliate. He bid to go before me in year 3 and was able to take my NA bonus during his turn. In my next turn I took it back, and offered a deal to James between NA+NAW and EU, which he accepts because of the fact that Steven has made his way into EU and is threatening James from the other side. Also during my 3rd turn, I play 2 scout forces, which happen to be close together in EU and Africa.
During the same year, Darrin plays an invade earth card, with which he is given the chance to invade a territory of mine in NA with a very large force on the moon. I am forced to promise him that I will never attack him on the moon in return for him not attacking me at that moment.
With neither James nor Steven a threat any longer because of the deals, I am able to begin to focus attention on Asia.
Year 4
Before I am able to, however, Chris plays the armageddon card, allowing him and all others to play nuke cards free of charge. For me, this utter and mostly random devastation results in the loss of both my NA bonus and NAW bonus.
In the 4th year, I have only enough resources to take back my bonuses, buy a diplomat and some diplomat cards, and wait.
Year 5
By my turn in year 5, which is the first turn, Steven has completely replaced James in EU, making my previous deal void. I decide to attempt to take EU with a large force I have set up in the NAW. My scout forces in northern Africa and EU will help me. The closest threat to me once I have EU will be Darrin, who has a few forces in Africa, and many on the moon. I promise him that I will take a bonus away from Chris on the moon during my turn, which greatly benefits him, in return for him never attacking me in EU. I'm able to take EU from Steven, taking him out of that area of the board, and take James completely out of the game in the process.
Chris plays next. I assume that he will attack me, but have a cease fire that I'm ready to play in the event that he does. To prevent this from happening, though, Chris is able to assassin bomb my diplomat and my land commander, making it impossible for me to use any cards. He attacks with a large force that takes out most of my forces in EU and several in NA.
I finish the game with 8 territories, a bonus of 2 for having NAW, and a colony influence card (for water) worth 3. A score of 13 and 4th place.
Crucial Moments:

Attempting to attack James and failing, then being attacked by James
Making deals with Steven, James, and later Darrin
Armageddon
Being assassin bombed and attacked by Chris

Once again, please comment. Let me know what could have been done better. What did I do right or wrong? What would you have done differently? Thanks and look out for Game 1, Part 3: Chris coming soon.

Strategy Tips: Dice Rolling

2009-04-17T01:56:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on Game 1, Part 2, please be patient.
Let me take a minute to discuss an interesting part of Risk strategy: chance.
Now, how can something like chance be part of your strategy? In the game of Risk there are many things that rely on chance. You cannot control them, but there are several things that you can at least attempt to predict. The focus here is to manipulate the chance into working for you, not against you. Be an informed player... know everything there is to know about the game. One of the most useful things to know is the chances you have of winning a battle.
I found a fun little website that calculates the probability of winning a battle based on how many armies (mods in our case) each player has. This calculator is based on classic Risk, though, which means it does not take into consideration 8-sided dice, but it is still very useful to know the basic probabilities. Also, the calculator assumes that each player always rolls with the maximum amount of dice allowed for each roll.
Here's the link for the calculator itself: http://bartell.org/risk/riskodds.shtml
Here's a chart. The numbers in the center represent the chance (by percent) that the attacker will win:

                           Defender Mods
           1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9 10 11 12 13
       -------------------------------------------------
     1 |   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  0  0  0  0
     2 |  42  11   3   1   0   0   0   0   0  0  0  0  0
     3 |  75  36  21   9   5   2   1   0   0  0  0  0  0
     4 |  92  66  47  31  21  13   8   5   3  2  1  1  0
     5 |  97  79  64  48  36  25  18  12   9  6  4  3  2
     6 |  99  89  77  64  51  40  30  22  16 12  8  6  4
     7 | 100  93  86  74  64  52  42  33  26 19 15 11  8
     8 | 100  97  91  83  74  64  54  45  36 29 22 17 13
     9 | 100  98  95  89  82  73  64  55  46 38 31 25 20
    10 | 100  99  97  93  87  81  73  65  56 48 40 33 27
    11 | 100  99  98  95  92  86  80  72  65 57 49 42 35
Attak12 | 100 100  99  97  94  91  85  79  72 65 58 51 43
Mods 13 | 100 100  99  98  96  93  90  84  79 72 66 58 52
    14 | 100 100 100  99  98  96  93  89  84 79 72 66 59
    15 | 100 100 100  99  98  97  95  92  88 83 78 72 67
    16 | 100 100 100 100  99  98  96  94  91 88 83 78 73
    17 | 100 100 100 100  99  99  98  96  94 91 87 83 78
    18 | 100 100 100 100 100  99  98  97  95 93 90 87 83
    19 | 100 100 100 100 100  99  99  98  97 95 93 90 87
    20 | 100 100 100 100 100 100  99  99  98 97 95 92 89

As you can see by the chart... in a battle between an even number of mods (4 on 4, 8 on 8, etc.) the attacker has a chance of winning above 50% once the battle reaches 12 on 12 or higher.
Also, the attacker usually only needs to have 1 more mod than the defender to top a 50% chance in battles where the defender has less than 12.
What all of this means for me is that the defender does not necessarily have the superior advantage that I had once thought. The fact that the defender wins in the event of a tie helps alot, but the fact that the attacker gets 3 dice also helps. According to this calculator, the odds are very even. So, when playing our version of Risk, you will need to rely on only 2 things (asside from cards) to give you an advantage when in battle: superior numbers and 8-sided dice.
Remember... 8-sided dice come from commanders and bases. So, if you want to defend a territory well, get a base or a diplomat there... and if you want to successfully take over others' land, get the appropriate offensive commander (remember the Nuke Commander works everywhere). If the statistics are correct, the 8-sided dice should be an integral part of your strategy.

Coming Soon

2009-04-16T15:32:00.001-07:00

I will be posting "Game 1, Part 2: Lane" very soon. I apologize for the delay; I've been sick for the last 2 days, and I couldn't really concentrate on breaking down the strategy and stuff. So, check back soon for the next post. Peace out.

Game 1, Part 1: James

2009-04-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

As I said before, we played a game of Risk 2210 last Thursday night. I have spent some time dissecting the strategies of each player, and I will now take a critical look at them, player by player. I'll start with my good friend James Jordan:

Year 1
First of all, the way we play the game is a little different from the standard way at the beginning. Instead of choosing where we want our armies(mods) to start on the board, we pass out the cards, randomly assigning starting positions to each person. Each person then, one at a time, is able to place their remaining mods on any territory they own to reinforce it, just like the classic way. James originally decided to attempt to take over North America(NA), but was thwarted by me(Lane), when I began also placing mods in NA before the game began. James then shifted to placing mods into Europe(EU). So James began the game with a considerable force in NA facing my army, which was twice its size. He also had another army of equal strength in EU. This created a distinct disadvantage for him, seeing as it would have been impossible to take both continents and keep them defended. Here is a view of all the starting positions (represented by initials) and devastations (unusable land represented by DV) in the game.
As you can see, James and I are now both in a bit of a bind. Neither person bids any energy at the start of the first year, and it just so ends up that James goes before me. On his turn he decides to use the force that is in EU to take the cont. and leave the entire remaining force in NA. His hopes for doing this were that I would not be able to get the entirety of NA during my first turn, thus having no bonus. This plan turned out to be a crucial mistake. I was able to amass enough power through a superior force and two 8-sided dice via commanders to wipe out James' entire force in NA with very little casualties. James now has a much smaller force to work with than everyone else. His strategy must shift.
James' Grand Strategy:

Take and hold EU throughout the game
Gain a strong foothold in Asia while protect his other borders
Amass enough strength to move south into Australia

He takes EU on his first turn, and fortifies it further on his second.
Year 2
He also makes a strategic deal with Darrin, who has his forces in Africa. They are not allowed to attack one another's respective continent for the remainder of the game. With no threat from the south, and no real forces in Asia to worry about, all James has to do is protect himself from me in the west. On my turn during the second year, I attempt to attack James in EU, but he plays one of the two "cease fire" cards in the game.
This move is very important strategically for both me and James. For James, it means that he must decide to either take revenge on me for making him use his powerful card, or simply fortify further to make sure I can't do it again in the future. He chooses to retaliate.
Year 3
In year 3, he outbids me and takes the first turn. He attacks NA and takes out 3 of my territories plus my bonus. He then fortifies back to EU to protect himself from a counter-attack. During the attacks, he refused a deal offered by me, but later makes a pact between my NA+North Atlantic Water(NAW) and his continent of EU.
The reason he changed his mind about the pact is very important. Later in the 3rd year, Steven placed a large force of reinforcements into a nearby country in Asia. This country was not thought of as a threat before, but now presented itself as the beginning of the end for James. With a huge threat looming in Asia, James decided it best to form an alliance with me, and no longer worry about the battle happening on his western front. Steven attacks and takes Ukrayina, a key country in EU, and fortifies it thoroughly.
Year 4
In the next year, James is able to outbid Steven to take a turn before him, but is not able to retake Ukrayina, seeing as Steven had a stealth station and a few stealth mods. The station allowed Steven to roll two 8-sided dice, which put him over the edge. During Steven's next turn, he completely removes James from EU, leaving him only 1 territory in Asia, which is taken by me before James' turn in year 5.
James ends the game with a score of 0.
Crucial moments:

Placing forces in two continents ealy in the game
Using Cease Fire
Making deals with Darrin, and later Lane
Being suprise attacked by Steven
Failing to retake EU

Please leave me a comment... give your opinion about the things that James did right or wrong, and what he could have done differently to make a more positive outcome for himself in the game. Also, let me know what you thought of my synopsis. Thanks and look out for Part 2 coming soon.

Some Pictures

2009-04-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

So, 5 of us played a fascinating game of Risk Thursday night. The players were Chris Colee, myself (Lane Trahan), Darrin Post, Steven Fontenot, and James Jordan. I apologize for taking so long, but I'm currently still in the process of dissecting the strategies and actions of each player, and will post about it soon. Until then, I thought I'd put up some pics that I took with my handy cameraphone. The one on top is a shot of the game board itself, below is a shot of two of Steven's commanders. The next is a shot of Steven, followed by Chris, and another of Steven. I should have the game synopses of the game itself sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Let's Get this Game Started

2009-04-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog. I want to get started by introducing the game for anyone who has never heard of it or who has only played the original version. For a detailed look at the rules of this game, go to
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/prod/risk2210
Click on "download the rulebook".
Allow me to discuss some of the differences in this version as compared to the original.

Turn limits and turn order: The goal of this game is not to take over the entire wold. There is a 5 turn (year) limit, and the player with the most points (territories + bonuses) at the end of the 5 years is the winner. Each year, the turn order for each player changes. This is decided by bidding energy and choosing positions. The winner of the bid chooses his turn order first, and so on. All energy bid is lost by the player bidding it. There are certain advantages for going either first or last depending on your strategy in the game.
Energy: Energy works as money in the game. It is used to buy commanders, command cards, and bases, and is needed to play most command cards. It is also used to bid for turn order. The amount of energy received by a player at the beginning of a turn is equal to the amount of reinforcements the player receives.
Additional Territories: Not only are most of the names and shapes of the territories on Earth different, but this game also includes a 3 moon continents, and 5 water continents. The water territories can be accessed from various points on Earth, which are easily seen by lines drawn on the board. The moon territories however, can only be accessed via a base on earth and can only be entered by 3 points on the moon itself. All of this makes for a more complicated and interesting game.
Commanders: There are five special pieces in the game known as commanders. They are the Land Com., Moon Com., Water Com., Nuclear Com., and the Diplomat. Commanders can be purchased at the beginning of a turn for 3 energy each. The commanders allow the controlling player to have dice bonuses. The Diplomat is the only defensive commander, and thus allows a player to roll an 8-sided die for defense if the Diplomat is attacked. The other 4 commanders use an 8-sided die for attacking. The Nuke can use this bonus anywhere, but the other 3 are limited to their respective types of territory (water, moon, and land). In addition, a Water Com. must be purchased to allow a player to travel into any water territories and a Moon Com. must be purchased to allow access to the moon territories. Finally, the commanders allow usage of their respective command cards.
Command Cards: There are 5 types of command cards which correspond to the 5 types of commanders. Each card costs 1 energy to buy, and various amounts to use. A card cannot be played unless the player owns the corresponding commander. Each deck is strategic in its own way, and in my opinion, the key to winning the game is almost always found in the cards. See the rule book for a detailed list of the cards and what they do.
Bases: Every player receives one free base to place on any territory they control at the beginning of the game. Additional bases can be purchased for 5 energy each and are also given for free or cheap with some of the cards. The bases provide a very powerful defensive bonus. The defender of a base is allowed to roll two 8-sided dice, making it very hard to take a well-defended base. In the event that a base is successfully taken, the attacker replaces the base with one of his own. Also, these bases are the only points in which a player is allowed to leave earth and enter the moon territories.

Alright, now that that's out of the way, we can get into the fun stuff. I want everybody to keep in mind that my friends and I have some "house" rules that we use. Not everything we do is exactly the way it is laid out in the rule book, but we feel like the way we play best suits us. One of the great things about the game is how versatile it is. As long as everyone playing agrees on the rules, just about anything can be changed to suit your preferences. I will try to point out the things we do our own way and explain why we do it as they come up. Tonight (hopefully) will be our first documented game. I'm going to record everything that goes on, and attempt to break down the strategies for you to read. I'll also try to get a video of each player introducing himself, so you can be familiar with us.
Please feel free at any time to comment and let me know what you would like to read about on this blog. I want this to be as helpful and interesting as possible for the Risk fans out there, and I'm also hoping to get some new players into the game. So let me know what you think and have fun playing!