Risk

Overview

Players fight for control of a world map of 42 territories across six continents.

This entry is checked against Hasbro's current Risk instructions, item B7404 (©2016). That edition comes with five armies and describes four ways to play: Secret Mission Risk (the main game), Classic Risk (world domination, 3–5 players), Risk for 2 Players, and Capital Risk. This page follows Classic Risk unless it says otherwise.

1. Setup

Players	Starting infantry each
3	35
4	30
5	25

Everyone rolls; the highest roller places one infantry on any territory, then players take turns clockwise claiming unoccupied territories one at a time until all 42 are taken. Then take turns placing one more infantry on your own territories until everyone's starting troops are down. There's no limit on how many go on one territory. Whoever placed the first troop takes the first turn.

Two players use a separate setup with a neutral army: each of the three colours gets 40 infantry, and the territory cards (without the wild cards) are dealt 14 each to decide who starts where. You take turns placing your own troops two at a time, and neutral troops to block your opponent. In play, your opponent rolls to defend neutral territories; the neutral army never attacks or reinforces. You win by eliminating your opponent, not the neutral army.

This edition has no six-player setup.

2. A turn

Three phases, always in this order.

Phase 1 — Reinforce

Count your territories and divide by three, ignoring fractions. The minimum is always three troops, however few territories you hold.

Add the bonus for every continent you control, meaning all of its territories at the start of your turn. The instructions don't list the bonuses; they're printed on the board beside each continent. The long-standing values are:

Continent	Territories	Bonus	Entrances
Asia	12	7	5
North America	9	5	3
Europe	7	5	4
Africa	6	3	3
South America	4	2	2
Australia	4	2	1

You may also trade in card sets (section 3) at the start of your turn.

Phase 2 — Attack

You may attack as many times as you like, from any territory holding at least two armies, against any adjacent territory. There is no limit — you can attack the same territory repeatedly, attack a dozen different territories, or not attack at all.

You may attack a territory that shares a border with one of yours, or is linked to it by a sea-line (a dashed line; Alaska and Kamchatka are connected). One territory at a time, from one territory at a time.

• The attacker rolls one, two or three dice, one per attacking troop, and must always leave at least one troop behind. Three dice therefore needs four troops in the attacking territory.
• The defender chooses one or two dice, and may defend with their last troop.

Pair the highest dice, then the next highest. For each pair, the lower roll loses a troop. Ties go to the defender. Unmatched dice are ignored, so the attacker can never lose more than two troops on one roll.

Wipe out a territory and you capture it: the attacking troops that survived that roll must move in, and you may move in more, always leaving one behind.

Phase 3 — Fortify

Move armies once, from one territory to another connected through territories you control. Then your turn ends.

Territories count as connected if every territory in between is yours. You can't pass through enemy territory. You may do this whether or not you attacked. Some older editions allowed only a move to an adjacent territory.

3. Cards

Capture at least one territory on your turn and you take one card at the end of your attack, however many you captured. The deck has 42 territory cards (each showing infantry, cavalry or artillery) and 2 wild cards.

Sets: three of the same design, one of each, or any two of a kind plus a wild.

Trading in, at the start of your turn. Sets are counted across the whole game, whoever trades them:

Set traded in the game	Troops
1st	4
2nd	6
3rd	8
4th	10
5th	12
6th	15
Each after that	+5 (20, 25…)

• Five or six cards at the start of your turn: you must trade at least one set.
• Occupied territory bonus: if a card you trade shows a territory you hold, place two extra troops on that territory.
• Eliminating a player gives you all their cards. If that leaves you with six or more, trade immediately until you have four or fewer; otherwise wait for your next turn.

4. Winning

Eliminate every opponent.

In Secret Mission Risk, the edition's main game, each player gets a secret mission card instead, and the first to complete their mission and reveal it wins, even if someone else unintentionally helped them.

5. Strategy notes

Australia has one entrance, at Siam. It is the cheapest continent to hold and the standard opening for a patient player.

Asia is worth the most and is nearly impossible to keep — five entrances and twelve territories.

North America is the strongest realistic target: five armies for three chokepoints at Alaska, Central America and Greenland.

Attacking with three dice against two is favourable, but only marginally. Attrition across many rolls is where games are decided.

Commonly argued

• There is no limit on attacks. Attack as often as you like, from as many territories as you like.
• Ties go to the defender, which makes defending stronger than it looks.
• You must leave one army behind in the attacking territory.
• The reinforcement minimum is three, even holding one territory.
• You only fortify once, at the end of your turn, into one territory.
• Five cards forces a trade, not six.
• Set values rise for everyone. The third set traded in the game is worth 8, even if it's your first.
• The defender may use their last troop. Only the attacker must leave one behind.
• The current edition is 3–5 players for Classic Risk, with a separate two-player game.
• You draw at most one card per turn, regardless of how many territories you conquer.