Risk Game Instructions

Setting Up

• For the traditional game, you will need at least three players. The number of people determines the number of armies each person starts with (3 players = 35 armies; 4 players = 30 armies; 5 players = 25 armies; 6 players = 20 armies). Three pieces represent an army. An infantry counts as one, a horseman counts as five and a cannon counts as 10.
  Shuffle the cards and roll to see who goes first. Game play moves clockwise.

Placing Armies

• To start the game, each player will take turns placing one infantry in the territory of his choice, starting with the person who rolled the highest number. When at least one army sits in every territory, begin placing extra infantry in territories already owned until all the starting infantry men have been used up.
  Try to acquire territories on the same continent or next to each other if possible. Place extra units only in territories that you wish to hold onto. Spreading yourself too thin or equal between territories can be detrimental later in the game. It's often easier to focus on specific areas.

Start of a Turn

• At the start of every turn, a person will receive a minimum of three armies to place. Put units in places where you plan to attack or in places that need defending before your next turn.
  Bonus armies are awarded for owning at least 12 territories, owning a continent or "cashing in" cards. If at least 12 territories are owned, divide the total number by three and round down to determine the number of armies awarded instead of the minimum three. Owning a continent yields the extra armies shown on the board. Cashing in or turning in three matching Risk cards adds extra armies in the numbers listed at the bottom of the board, from four to 55. Having one of each of three pictures--soldier, horseman and cannon--or three of the same picture allows a player to cash. If you own a territory pictured, place two men on that territory. Players are always able and required to cash when they have five cards at the start of a turn.

During a Turn

• Once the armies are placed, a player can declare attacks on other players' territories that border his own. The battle winner is determined by rolling dice. The attacker must have the number of armies in the territory plus one to roll that number of dice (up to three). The defender receives two for two or more units.
  Players will roll until all the armies in the defending territory are gone, all but one army in the attacking country are gone or the attacker calls off the attack. On each roll, each player's highest die roll will be matched. The defender wins in a tie. For each match-up, the losing dice roll equals one unit lost.
  If an attacker defeats all the defender's armies, he will move the number of armies equal to or greater than the number of dice rolled, leaving at least one army in the original territory.
  If another player loses all his remaining armies on the board, the attacking player receives that player's Risk cards.
  Players can attack as many territories as they wish in a turn. Leave enough armies to defend territories from other players' attacks.

Ending a Turn

• When the player decides to stop attacking, he can fortify armies from one bordering country to another if he wishes. This is a good way to defend a broad area or continent by piling armies into a single territory to fend off attackers, such as Brazil from North Africa.
  If the player has conquered one or more territories, he receives only one Risk card from the stack at the end of the turn.