Different strategies to help you in your game.
(Verschillende strategieën die jou in het spel zullen helpen.)

Without strategy, Risk would be a mere gambling game based on good luck with the dice. Using strategies allows even the not-so-lucky player to win over other players who just rely on good luck. In this page are listed some known/used strategies to help you improve your game play. If you are aware of other strategies, mail them to me and I'll publish'em on this page!

Go for cards:
In planning a strategy, one of the most important things to include is a plan to acumulate other players cards. As you know, if you are the person to knock another player out of the game you get to keep that players cards. When I play, I position myself so that I am always within striking distance of players who are inexperienced or spread thin early. I also observe the number of cards that they have. When they have at least three cards I move in and wipe them out before they have a chance to trade the cards in. An extra three cards, especially later on in the game, can often times determine the outcome.

Laying low:
Another helpful strategy is to lay low. Usualy in a game of Risk, any player who comes across as a tyrant or a super power is imediately teamed up on. The best way to avoid an alliance against you is to keep a low profile. Quickly conquer you base continent and then spread outward stepping on as few toes as possible. The fewer large battles waged early on the better. Not being dubed "The bad guy" will help you to aviod large battles.

The thorn:
One thing that used to frustrate me was when somebody would invade my continent early on and refuse to move out. This made it impossible for me to have any hope of winning. Then I came up with the thorn in the side strategy. When I see that some one is about to invade I let them know that if they proceed, the whole purpose of my game will be to make sure that they lose. It is crutial that after you make this threat you carry through and focus all of your energy on destroying that player. After a couple of times no one will prematurely attack you again.

The last stand:
Often times at the end of a game you may find your self in a corner. The other remaining oponent has just made a massive trade in. They try to end the game only to find that they do not have enough armies to cut through your fairly large stock pile. The enemy now not only poseses several continents, they also have more cards from players that they have just knocked out of the game. What should you do? Should you declare you oponent the victor and call it quits? No, Never! Although the enemy may occupy most of the board, all of their armies will most likley be in one lump with the rest of the board fairly ungaurded. Instead of taking on the lump, find the easiest way through or around the bulk. Trade in every thing that you have and abandon your position. Now that you are through the main army, look at the board and select the easiest and shortest path through all of the continents. Note that the point is not to occupy these continents, but only to take out at least one territory in each to prevent the enemy from collecting the extra armies that they will need to finish you off on thier next turn. Of course this strategy is not always effective. But I have seen games that were turned around by doing this. When all else seems to have failed, why not?

The Padding Territory: 
(also known by many other names, country or region specific)
The padding territory consists on leaving one territory defended by only one army; the territory is adjacent to territories of the players who participate in this technique. Every player, during his/her turn, conquers that state and leaves only one army in its defense. This way whoever is taking advantage of this strategy easily gets his reinforcement card every turn. This playing technique is often used (but not solely) at the beginning of a game, whenever is preferable not to eliminate any player right at the beginning (which sometimes happens when an unlucky player tries to conquer at all costs a normal territory). The padding territory is however a much more complex strategy than it would seem. In fact, by voluntarily excluding some players from it, a definite shift in power balance may be introduced in the game (since the excluded ones have to attack well defended territories to gain their reinforcement cards). By the same token, one of the participating players may decide to end the padding territory (by occupying it with more than one army) to put another player in a difficult position.

Attacking Rampage:
An intimidation strategy used every once on a while by some players. You have to pretend you're shocked by another player's intention to attack one of your territories, when he could clearly and more easily attack other regions of the board. Then you have to swear to any or all of the Gods you believe in that your mission in life we'll be to wipe that player off the board (since he's playing dirty). Doesn't work too often, and may cause time-consuming arguments. It is particularly useful, however, when you really have to eliminate that player to win the game (if your using Secret Mission cards).

Yellow's Gamble:
If, during the initial army placement, you have spread out territories (except for a few which are all in one continent, you might want to try Yellow's gamble. Put ALL your armies in that continent and try to conquer it at your very first turn. If other players aren't interested in that continent (because it's not in their Mission Card, or simply they don't want to risk a major fight at the beginning), you might be able to take it and fortify it (nobody has a card set to play against you). All other territories, left with only one army, will soon have a new owner. If something goes wrong, however, it'll be one of the shortest games you've ever played.

The "Micro-Continent":
It often happens to have internal states which are defended by an exposed border line. This technique is very basic: fortify your border line and leave you internal territories with only one army. This way you concentrate your forces where they're most needed. On the other hand, a country-hungry player may try to break thru and easily take your one-army states. The best Micro-Continent lies in Asia: Kamchatka, China and Urals form a border line which contains 5 territories you may leave with a single army.

You're gonna regret ignoring me!:
At the start of the game when everyone is placing armies, make sure to pick an area in the world that no one appears to be going for.  It's usually gonna be someplace like Asia.  Everyone generally ignores that area at the start of the game since it's so difficult to take over and hold.  The reason for this is so you'll start off in a pretty weak area in which you'll easily be able to take over neighboring countries.  Once everyone is done picking countries and it's time to reinforce them, place ALL of your armies on one country.  Every time your turn comes around, place all of your reinforcements on your superpowerful country and take over ONE of the weak surrounding territories so you can get a card.  Keep all of your armies on the one superpowerful country.  Whenever you get 5 cards, turn 'em in and place everything on the superpowerful country.  Don't worry about taking over continents, but do try to stay in an area no one wants.  By continuing this pattern, you will generally be ignored, and people will tend to make an effort to leave your superpowered country alone.  When the timing looks right, switch to the "Go for cards" strategy and kill off a weak opponent to take his or her cards.  Hopefully, you have enough cards that you're required to turn them in.  Continue killing people and taking their cards.  The goal is to take the world in a single turn or at least do enough damage that you've basically won the game.  The key is to keep up the pattern.  In keeping this pattern, people tend to view you as less of a threat than others in the game since you've pretty much left everyone alone.  People are usually pretty surprised when you finally switch tactics.

Psychological Terrorism:
If you're using Secret Mission cards, it is of the uttermost importance not to let other payers guess your mission. If they find it out, in fact, they might team up against you, fortify your targets, or simply try to make your mission impossible. Usually other players guess your mission by looking at how you distribute/move your forces on the board. The Psychological Terrorism strategy consists on launching a massive attack against a region of the board you couldn't care less about. This way you get a double benefit: other players will be misleaded in guessing your mission and they will concentrate they're reinforcements in the attacked region, thus leaving less fortified the territories you really need to conquer. The downside of this strategy is that you have to sacrifice a set of reinforcement cards to carry it out.

The Vulture:
Another basic strategy based on waiting and fortifying your states. Whenever two other players are fighting for possess of a continent, try to get as close as possible to the border states of that continent. Wait for the two players to hammer each other. When their forces are depleted by a massive battle, attack and wipe them off that continent. Try to have a reinforcement card set ready for your attack. Downside: it's not too difficult to guess your real intention. To avoid this, don't place your armies right at the border, but close to a weak territory which is adjacent to that continent borders. When it's time to attack, take that weak state and walk into your future continent.

Blind Rage:
submitted by: Andrea Bellini
Never look at your Secret Mission card. Assume your objective is to conquer the whole world. Try to conquer a Continent right from the beginning, may be taking territories which have been weakened by previous fights. Take only one more territory per turn, unless: It remains only an extra, weak territory to conquer a whole continent (and you're able to defend that continent). There's only an extra state of a specific color; if you take it, you sweep away (from that area) that color player. Try to team up with another player (and eventually fight against him for the world). Be sure to have at least 3 times as many armies as your opponent does before going into battle.* Be sure to have at least half of the armies your opponent has, to defend a territory.*

*Note: in Italian Risk , defense rolls three dice. Therefore those numbers should be different if defense can roll only two dice.