Risk Game Strategy (part 7 of 9)

Risk game strategies. The art of diplomacy in risk. Scenarios for handling certain types of people.
http://www.historygamer.com/2011/01/25/risk-game-strategy-part-2-of-2/

How do you handle different types of people. Here I give strategies for handling the following personality types..
1. The psyco - someone who just wants you out of the game, and doesn't care if he loses either. Thats a hard one to handle! However I've been there before on a number of times.
2. The newbie - a dream yes? Well not nesseserily. They may be inexperienced at handling setbacks, they may take the slightest attack personally and seek revenge. Diplomacy is the answer!
3. The aggressive early attacker - how to wait for opportunities to clean up after other peoples agression.
4. Stalemates early in the game. What if Australia can't be taken (3 interested parties), I look at how diplomacy can be used to weaken your rivals.

After the initial phase of the game, often the bottom 3 continents will be owned by one person (unless its a very tight game), and you need to ensure that no-one is getting the top three continents (that supply more reinforcements than the bottom three).

The video talks about keeping a balance of power, and also the art of conversation (inc. deflecting verbal attacks).



Steve Payne
Risk Game Strategy
http://www.historygamer.com

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• risk
• risk game
• strategy
• risk strategy
• tactics
• diplomacy
• board game
• war

[sgtnerf10]

is expirienced player better than a stonger (numbers) player?

[HistoryGamerDotCom]

@sgtnerf10 depends on the numbers gap. One thing i will say (applies to all games) if you can hold the tension in a position without panicing and going for an unlikely win (which will only lead to your own destruction), the number of times I've seen opponents do something rash which (finally) I can pounce on and win the game is unbelievable. This is the sign of a weak player - no patience.

[sgtnerf10]

@HistoryGamerDotCom ok thanks. i know a lot of people i've played risk with that always try to get as many minor attacks as possible while i'm just sitting there adding units and taking and lossing territories just for the cards. so when they're all weak and trying to avoid me, I play my cards and then it takes a few minutes for me to destroy the others and take there cards. And it just repeats over and over again.

[HistoryGamerDotCom]

@sgtnerf10 thats a perfect strategy. I also play that way, but you have to also "pretend" that you are weaker than you are otherwise the nieghbours will get jelous and come and gang up on you. Two player is more blunt I guess, but even so if an opponents attack goes badly and he hasn't the will power to break it off an oportunity to move the odds in your favour presents it's self.

[sgtnerf10]

@HistoryGamerDotCom yeah well it's kinda hard to hide your strength when you have 16 units in one territory and it's right next to an enemy territory with only 1 unit in it. like this

:::::::: vs . :)

[HistoryGamerDotCom]

@sgtnerf10 ha ha. Time to "keeeel himmmm".

[sgtnerf10]

@HistoryGamerDotCom lol

[sgtnerf10]

@HistoryGamerDotCom yeah that's the hard part with "alliances", you never know what the other team is thinking ( unless you have a double agent, which works great if the double agent isn't compromised )

[HistoryGamerDotCom]

@sgtnerf10 There you go - it highlights the importance of how you play people. I once played in a game of diplomacy where I only knew one person. Sure enough I was the first to get knocked out. I couldn't penetrate their closed little club.

[sgtnerf10]

It's strange because every time i play risk everyone makes alliances before the game even starts!