Risk (Classic)

1 Objective

In standard Risk, the goal is world domination, conquer and hold every territory on the board. Some variants (and Secret Mission Risk) use alternative win conditions, but classic Risk ends only when one player controls all 42 territories.

2 Setup

Place 1 army on each of your starting territories as they're claimed. There are two setup methods:

Standard Setup

Shuffle territory cards and deal them out equally. Each player places 1 army on each territory they receive. Then take turns placing remaining starting armies (determined by player count) one at a time on your own territories.

Starting Armies by Player Count

• 2 players, 40 infantry each
• 3 players, 35 infantry each
• 4 players, 30 infantry each
• 5 players, 25 infantry each
• 6 players, 20 infantry each

The player with the highest die roll goes first.

3 Your Turn (3 Phases)

1. Reinforce, receive new armies and place them on your territories
2. Attack, attack adjacent enemy territories (optional)
3. Fortify, move armies from one territory to an adjacent connected territory (optional)

4 Reinforcements

At the start of your turn, calculate armies to place:

1. Territory armies: Divide the number of territories you control by 3 (round down, minimum 3). Example: 11 territories = 3 armies.
2. Continent bonuses: Add bonus armies for any complete continent you control (see table below).
3. Card trade-in: If you trade in a set of territory cards, receive the bonus armies shown (value increases each time a set is traded globally).

Place all received armies on your territories in any combination before attacking.

5 Attacking

You may attack any enemy territory that is adjacent (connected by a line on the map) to one of your territories with 2+ armies. Attack as many times as you like, there is no limit per turn.

Combat Dice

• Attacker rolls: 1, 2, or 3 dice. Must have at least 1 more army than dice rolled (so 3 dice needs 4+ armies in the territory).
• Defender rolls: 1 or 2 dice (defender chooses; must have at least as many armies as dice).
• Compare highest to highest: If attacker's is strictly higher, defender loses 1 army. If tied or defender's is higher, attacker loses 1 army.
• If both rolled 2+ dice, compare second-highest: Same rule applies.

Example: Attacker rolls 5-3-2; Defender rolls 4-2. Compare 5 vs. 4 → defender loses 1. Compare 3 vs. 2 → defender loses 1. Two armies lost by defender in one round.

Keep rolling until the defender has 0 armies (you conquer the territory) or you choose to stop. If you conquer a territory, move at least as many armies as dice you last rolled into the new territory.

6 Fortifying

At the end of your turn, you may move any number of armies from one territory to one adjacent territory you control. This is optional and limited to one move. You cannot fortify through enemy territories or multiple hops (in classic Risk, some variants allow multi-hop fortification).

7 Territory Cards

If you conquered at least one territory during your turn, draw one territory card at the end of your turn (after fortifying). Each card shows a territory and one of three symbols: Infantry (1), Cavalry (5), Artillery (10), or Wild (counts as any).

Trading Card Sets

Trade in matching sets of 3 on your Reinforce phase for bonus armies:

• 3 Infantry = first set value
• 3 Cavalry = second set value
• 3 Artillery = third set value
• 1 of each (Infantry + Cavalry + Artillery) = any set value

Trade-in values increase each time any player trades a set. Standard progression: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, then +5 each subsequent trade.

You must trade if you hold 5 or more cards. You may trade voluntarily on your turn with 3–4 cards.

Bonus armies for owned territories: If a territory on a card you're trading is one you currently control, place 2 extra armies on that territory.

8 Continent Bonuses

You must control every territory in a continent at the start of your turn to receive the bonus. If an opponent takes one territory from your continent before your turn, you lose the bonus that round.

9 Eliminating Players

When you conquer a player's last territory, they are eliminated. You immediately take all of their territory cards. If this gives you 6 or more cards, you must trade in sets immediately until you have 5 or fewer, receiving armies for each set traded.

Eliminated players are out of the game. Their pieces are removed from the board.

10 Strategy Guide

Secure Australia or South America First

Both have only one entry point (Eastern Australia/Siam for Australia; Venezuela for South America), making them easy to defend. The +2 bonus is small, but the security of a one-choke-point continent is enormous in the early game.

Don't Overextend

Taking too many territories depletes your armies across a wide front. Spread-thin armies are easy pickings. Consolidate before expanding, a compact empire with strong borders is stronger than a sprawling one.

Watch Card Values

As card trade-in values rise, the player who eliminates someone with a large card stockpile gets an enormous army boost. If someone is sitting on 7–8 cards, they're a target worth attacking even at a cost, and so are you if you're holding that many.

Choke Points Over Territory Count

Holding a choke point (Kamchatka to Alaska, Iceland to Greenland) matters more than raw territory count. One strong border beats three weak ones.

Diplomatic Play

Risk is as much about negotiation as dice. Non-aggression pacts, temporary alliances, and misdirection ("attack him, not me, he has 8 cards") are legitimate strategy. Honor is optional but reputation matters over a long game.

11 Common Questions

"Can I attack through my own territories?"

No, you can only attack territories directly adjacent to your territory on the map (connected by a printed line). You cannot "pass through" friendly territories to attack a distant enemy.

"What if I roll and the attacker and defender roll the same number?"

Ties go to the defender, the defender wins on a tie. This is an intentional rules asymmetry that slightly favors defenders.

"Can I choose to roll fewer dice than I'm allowed?"

Yes, as the attacker, you choose how many dice to roll (1–3, subject to army limits). Rolling fewer dice risks less but also reduces your upside. As the defender, you may always choose 1 or 2 dice (if you have 2+ armies).

"Do I have to attack on my turn?"

No, attacking is optional. You can take a turn by just placing reinforcements and optionally fortifying without attacking at all. You will not draw a territory card if you didn't conquer at least one territory.