How To Win At Risk! Here is the first in a series of articles about winning strategies for Risk game online which can be very different than the standard board games, so here are some beginners tips will help you get off to a good start and learn how to win the game.
How to Win using simple Risk Maps
Anyone who’s played the boardgame is familiar with the classic Risk map and some gamers may have played the variant editions that presented different war maps. But those maps are a mote in a storm compared to the vast number of game maps available across various online wargaming sites. Every gaming site has a variant of the classic map, but most sites have a library of additional maps, either admin or user-created, that range from the simple to the fiendishly complex. There are also players on those sites that prey upon newcomers unfamiliar with the more complex maps. So to begin with, you might want to stick to the classic Risk map or similar basic gameplay maps, until you get your feet wet and learn how to win the game.
Simple Game Settings
The most variance in game settings you’re likely to see in a tabletop game of Risk are glorified house rules, like different card values or random allocation of starting territories. Online Risk allows for settings that would be impossible in a board game, such as fog of war or simultaneous play. Some sites allow so much customization of the game experience that there are literally thousands of different permutations. While these advanced game settings can be a great deal of fun, they also present a trap for the newcomer, in much the same way that complex maps do, so we’d advise playing with the most basic (i.e. most boardgame-like settings) available, which for most people would be 3-6 players, sequential play, escalating cards, and chained fortification until you find out how to win the game.
Know the Site and study the Game Rules
Every site puts its own spin on Risk, certainly, but every site has its own iconography and jargon. It’s worth spending a little time between turns looking around the site and familiarizing yourself with its various aspects. In particular, learn how ranks work, so you’ll know if your opponents are newcomers like yourself or highly-ranked veterans looking for an easy meal. Also, every site has a slightly different interface for dealing with the game board, so make sure you know how it works so that you can eliminate easy mistakes, like attacking the wrong territory or accidentally advancing armies.
Attack Intelligently
Even as an online Risk newcomer, you don’t want to make it easy for opponents to defeat you. Always have a plan, even if it’s something as sketchy as “in a few turns, I’ll be able to kill that opponent and steal his cards” or “I’m going to lay low and let those two guys fight over South America, and then sweep in when they’re weak”. Every move you make should serve as a means to an end. Don’t attack foolishly, especially if you have 3 armies or fewer to attack with since you won’t be able to attack with full force.
Never Give Up and learn How to win the Game
Even when things look darkest, there may be a play you can make to turn the tide. Don’t let opponents intimidate you, regardless of how highly they might be ranked or how many games they’ve played. And always try and learn something from every game, win or lose. Even the best online Risk players started right where you are, as a newcomer, and who’s to say that with smart play, you won’t become one of them? Happy gaming and hopefully soon you will know how to with at Risk.
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