Q&A for How to Win at the Game Risk

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  • Question
    Who has better odds in Risk, the attacker or the defender?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    In general, whoever rolls more dice has a higher chance of winning a battle. In the long run, attackers usually have the advantage as long as they have multiple armies. The larger the battle, the greater the advantage for the attacker.
  • Question
    What are some games similar to Risk?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Axis and Allies, Diplomacy, Kemet, and Small World are all strategy board games similar to Risk.
  • Question
    Is there a way to win at Risk every time?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Risk is a game that combines chance and skill, so while there’s no guarantee you can win every time, you can increase your odds significantly by using strategy to your advantage. For example, you’re more likely to win if you secure armies early on and make frequent preemptive attacks.
  • Question
    What is the best number of troops to defend Indonesia?
    Community Answer
    Don't try and defend Indonesia. Take Siam instead, and focus your troops there as that is the only way in and out of Australia. If the enemy can somehow beat that natural "choke poi," they will be greatly weakened and won't have even started on the actual continent of Australia
  • Question
    What if you only have Australia and one or two territories bordering Australia, and your only opponent has the rest of the world, and is a very strong
    Community Answer
    If you have enough armies, try to fight your way at least into NA and Europe, maybe SA and Africa if you can, to deny him those bonuses. Fighting ASAP is your only option. If you plop down your 5 armies per turn in Siam while he collects whatever he gets for controlling everything else, it'll only be a few turns before he can attack your stronghold with overwhelming numerical advantage.
  • Question
    What would I do if my mission was to conquer North America and Australia but a strong player is holding Australia and I'm one territory away from winning North America?
    Community Answer
    That's an interesting question, and it's not the easiest to answer. Let's say if you have a sort of line of weak territories going through Asia near Australia, capture North America, get troops next turn go through Alaska, into Kamchatka and fight your way down Asia, or if you have a long line of troops on weak but useless territories try and get a few easy territories around Kamchatka or wherever you are, then redeploy down to near Australia.
  • Question
    If my opponent has two cannons, how do I kill him?
    Community Answer
    If there are no other threats, direct extra resources to the adjacent territory and dwindle him down without taking the spot. Also try to get extra troops (cards, or continent bonuses).
  • Question
    What is a good tip for winning when playing with 4 players?
    Community Answer
    Try to start in a country with as few entrances as possible (Australia or South America) as this will let you build up large forces without being attacked as much. Remember to take at least one country per turn so that you get your resource card to cash in later for more troops. Move only 3 or 4 troops onto it for best defense without over-committing unless you are trying to take the whole region. Having 3 troops on every country you own is a very effective way to defend, as you will get the max defense dice even after losing 1 troop. If you are playing missions, focus on completing these as fast as you can, as the longer the game goes, the more likely the other players will complete theirs.
  • Question
    How many armies can we place in one turn?
    Community Answer
    It depends on which continents you own and which benefits your cards give you.
  • Question
    What if I am trying to double troops but he attacks first?
    Community Answer
    If you are trying to double troops to hit him, chances are that you may have more than he does. This will make it risky and give him a lower chance for capturing your territory. Since you typically want two times the force that the enemy has, he is attacking you with less so you have the clear advantage. Just weather the storm and hit the weakened border (if this was your plan). If you feel like doing so, you can turn this into a serious advantage by asking things of him (before your turn ends) our else you will make him lose his continent bonus, eradicate his 1 troops territories, etc.
  • Question
    How to win when everyone is against you?
    Community Answer
    Start by securing Australia, and reinforce the entry point every turn, because Australia has only 1 entry point.
  • Question
    Should I always attack when I get extra troops with cards?
    Community Answer
    As a general rule, yes. Unless your opponent outnumbers you significantly, you should attack with bonus troops. When placing them, choose strategically and use them to deny more troops to your opponents. For example, if you have a weak border near a weak/weakened enemy border, you could place the troops there and attack. This would potentially give you more land (3=1 more troop per turn), and reduce your enemy's land.
  • Question
    What is the best way to counter an opponent who is simply stacking 50 armies in one territory and sweeping across the world?
    Community Answer
    Apply pressure to the rest of their territories. If they are consolidating heavily in one or two spots, push against their weaker flanks and force them to engage you.
  • Question
    Because North America is so popular, there is often a lot of competition, how do I gain the odds when placing my troops?
    Community Answer
    Target Central America and take South America. This gives you bonus income at the front lines, a major advantage.
  • Question
    What's the best way to take North America?
    Community Answer
    Start from Alaska or Central America if you want to take over North America slowly over time with smaller attacks. If you want a quick and dirty takeover, go for Greenland, and focus all of your troops on attacking the next three territories.
  • Question
    When should I exchange 10 troops for artillery 5 for cavalry, etc. Also, are they good in defending, attacking?
    Community Answer
    It's good to exchange those troops in a classic risk game where you might be low on infantry, (classic risk when all territories are 42, need to be captured for victory,) and in defending they are good, in attacking a little less so, because you will often have to trade them in for infantry, if you lose any soldier/s.
  • Question
    is it a good idea to make an alliance with a stronger opponent?
    Ginger
    Community Answer
    Making an alliance with a strong opponent may not be the best idea because he/she might turn on you at any point. But it has its pros too. The ally might assist you, giving you a chance to get stronger.
  • Question
    How do I avoid getting backdoored by snakes who act like they are in an alliance and then stab me in the back later on?
    Community Answer
    If they are a regular member of your play group, get a feel for when they go for the backstab, and preempt them by a turn or two. Better yet, use them as cannon fodder and keep them weak, thus never able to effectively rise up against you. Once they have outlived their usefulness, they can be swept aside along with whatever opponent they were facing off against.
  • Question
    How do you determine a winner if you stop playing before the game is over?
    Community Answer
    Count the number of units each person has; whoever has the most is the winner. If there is a tie, have those players count the number of territories they each have; whoever has the most is the winner. If there is another tie, count the number of cards they have; whoever has the most is the winner.
  • Question
    Where do I start in Risk?
    Community Answer
    Each player rolls one die. Whoever rolls the highest number takes one Infantry piece from his or her pile and places it onto any territory on the board, thus claiming that territory.
  • Question
    Which continent should I try to hold first?
    Community Answer
    Australia or South America becasue they are both easly defendable and will allow you to get 2 or 3 bonus troops early on.
  • Question
    What is the difference between infantry, cavalry, and artillery?
    Community Answer
    Risk is a game of numbers, so infantry represents one soldier, cavalry represents three soldiers, and artillery represents five soldiers.
  • Question
    Is it wise to try to conquer North America early in the game?
    Autumn McGee
    Community Answer
    It is not wise to do that. When you capture North America very early in the game you'll probably lose most of your troops, because most of them will be spread very thinly. Even if you have a semi-strong border, very early in the game it won't be much of a defense. With North America having so many entrances, it will be very easy for someone to stockpile their pieces on a single territory and eliminate most of your armies.
  • Question
    How can I tell if someone is cheating when playing Risk online?
    Booklover133534
    Community Answer
    If the player is consistently making perfect moves, they might be using AI or cheating.
  • Question
    How do I attack a country with 5+ armies when I only receive a small number of troops each turn and my opponent is stronger?
    Joanne
    Community Answer
    Try to find a less defended location where you can push through and take as much land as possible.
  • Question
    What should I do if my opponent knows me personally and expects me to lie?
    Drew08
    Community Answer
    You should act rationally and try to convince them that you aren't lying. If that doesn't work, remember it's just a game.
  • Question
    How can I win at Risk if my opponent always takes North America at the beginning of the game and stockpiles armies at the three entrances?
    Joanne
    Community Answer
    Try choosing cards that determine your starting location to prevent your opponent from always taking North America.
  • Question
    What is the best continent to start on in Risk?
    Kris
    Community Answer
    In Risk, starting in Australia is often advantageous because it has a single access point and is easy to control, providing a steady reinforcement bonus.
  • Question
    Can I sneak extra guys on my territories?
    Nicholas Mento
    Community Answer
    No, that would go against the rules of the game and would be considered cheating.
  • Question
    When can I collect a risk card?
    Community Answer
    If you take over a territory, you get a risk card. These are used to gain exta troops on a turn when you use the cards. Depending on the stars a card has, the more troops you can get on the turn. You can also use multiple cards. On the boardin the bottom left corner, there should be a chart showing you the stars for troops, depending on which risk set you have.
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