Any of you play the board game RISK?

rammstein · 10-07-2007, 12:20 AM

I hadn't played in about 6 years, and played tonight. Just finished. Game took 4.5 hours, about par for a 3 player round.

I WON!!!! I love that game- SO much strategy, so much deceit and treachery. It has it all.

Anybody else have any board games they love?

By the way, I did it by taking Africa and South America slowly and staying out of the debacle that Asia always turns into. I slowly built my armies without pushing too far. Waiting until one person got weak (my wife) and then got the kill, which means taking her cards and getting an artificial boost in strength midway through the turn and...

wow. Yes, I am a nerd, and this was an awesome Saturday night. The only thing missing was a pipe (Tobacco, you druggies

) and some scotch.

Yay!

tabs · 10-07-2007, 01:49 AM

I can BEAT anybody at Risk heads up.

speedracing944 · speedracing944's Garage

I always get slaughtered in Risk. I have the special edition, super duper really cool one. Whenever I play with my family including my sister and her husband everybody gangs up on me and wipes me out no matter what I do. I must give everybody more crap than I thought.

Risk is the ultimate equalizer in life.

Speedy

legion · 10-07-2007, 08:22 AM

I've tried to play a few times, but it always petered out as people got bored.

I have a friend that made an "over-the-top" version of risk using a three-foot velcro globe.

http://www.flatcon.com/06/globalrisk.shtml

DanielDudley · 10-07-2007, 06:02 PM

I found the game to be somewhat instructive about real world events when I was a lad. I never set out to win, but usually won anyway.

rammstein · 10-07-2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

I can BEAT anybody at Risk heads up.

I need to search for an online version of this where a few of us can play- I would enjoy that very much. More to come...

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

i beat my young children all the time.........

well, you know I have to be KING you know...

stevepaa · 10-07-2007, 09:21 PM

RISK all night long in college, 37 years ago.

tabs · 10-07-2007, 09:36 PM

There really is a simple trick to winning at Risk...and thats CHEATING....

jyl · jyl's Garage

May I suggest a modification to the rules for Risk.

Whenever a player conquers a country, s/he is required to drink a shot.

This mimics the "drunk with power" dynamic.

Makes the game increasingly exciting, treacherous, and explosive.

When someone passes out after conquering half the globe, that's as if the generals succeeded in assassinating Hitler. The players with countries contiguous to the assassinated ruler's empire get to take turns claiming the passed-out player's countries and can move up to 3 armies (from their existing forces) onto each claimed country. Roll dice to determine rotation.

This is how we played Risk in law school. Much entertainment to the wee hours of the morning.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Awesome game. Haven't played it in a long time though. Others around here are either too busy or not into the same sort of amusement as I am. . .

I still love a good game of chess though, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find opponents.

Superman · 10-08-2007, 08:08 AM

Like Steve, we played a lot of RISK in college. All night long. That and "Diplomacy." Mostly RISK. I still get together with my college buddies once each summer, and we play again. We'd be happy to test your theory, Tabs. Like most things, it's about timing. Timing and position.

rammstein · 10-08-2007, 08:08 AM

I've had fun playing chess, but I haven't played enough to have a clue, so I would be a horrible opponent. I like RISK because it has group dynamics, as well as the unpredictability of the dice. You have to run statistics in your head and determine if you think your goals for the turn are achievable.

I almost bit it once because even though my plan was truly well thought out, my wife decided to out-roll me on defense so many times that I didn't have enough armies in my advancing forces to finish her off. Lucky for me, the other guy took the bait I laid for him elsewhere and left her for me to finish off next round. He really blew it with that move.

rammstein · 10-08-2007, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

Like most things, it's about timing. Timing and position.

And making agreements with opponents. Occasionally breaching those agreements (backstabbing). Making fake offensives.

There's SO much to it. I love it.

Superman · 10-08-2007, 09:27 AM

I don't think so. In RISK, it's just a matter of timing and position. You need to keep track of your opponents' cards. They will mislead you into thinking they have fewer cards than you have. At some point, usually after one or two other players have made aborted runs for control of the planet, you decide you think you can do it. And you do. Either that, or you mostly clear the board and the next player wins. The way we play, when you eliminate someone you get their cards, and you can turn them in for more armies on the spot and continue your attack.

I'm probably a decent Chess player. My roomate for three years in college was a very good Chess player, and we played very frequently. In a hundred games, he'd beat me at least 98 times. So, you might think I'm a poor Chess player but I'm not so sure. I have not lost many games, except to that guy. I honestly think the Chess championship at a military academy should be the highest honor at that school.