Sink's Colour ContrivanceI ... no really just skip this and go to the next bit.
Here are the last lot of moves from S-Z. Feel free to mail me if you know of any others.
| A-D | E-K | L-R | S-Z |
If you are about to be eliminated from the game, ask another player if he wants to team up with you to eliminate somebody else. If he is stupid enough to say yes, then hang on to the alliance as long as you can. There are no guarantees, and he'll probably turn on you at some point. But it's worth it to stay in the game, and people will give you credit for lasting as long as you did. If you are not about to be crippled, don't under any circumstances ally with someone else.
Always have one territory with five armies on it in each of at least four continents. After one of the continents has suffered a major land war, pick up the charred remains and rejoice.
Threaten anyone who does or doesn't make a move against you. You may have to sacrifice a couple of games to make your point, but after a while people learn not to trust you.
People on the other side of the world have debated on what the 'point' actually is. Answers on a postcard.
Sink's Colour ContrivanceIf you have a strategy to hold a given continent before the game starts, choose your colour of game piece accordingly. For example, if planning to hold South America, choose red; If planning to hold North America, choose yellow. The idea is that the true numbers of your armies will ever so subtly melt into the background upon which they sit. Opponents attempting to make a count of your armies will be ever so slightly more apt to make a fatal miscalculation.
Firstly, concentrate on getting South America. Build up forces in Venezuela and Brazil, and wait till your opponent is
vulnerable in North America. Then take a quick attack and conquer North America, defending your entire territory with Alaska, Greenland and Brazil. Start building up forces again, remember to attack a country each turn to get cards (i.e. attack Iceland and withdraw back to Greenland). Next move is Africa. Move in from Brazil and take Africa in one turn, having enough units to defend it for 1 turn. Next turn you take Europe quickly, and also Middle-East. Now your entire territory can be defended with Alaska, Ukraine and Middle-East, only 3 countries! Now the victory should be in your pocket, waiting for an opportunity to get Asia and corner whoever's left in Australia.
Important things to remember: Move all your units to the borders, only need 1 unit in the rest of the countries. Also attack at least 1 country each turn, both to get cards and to stop enemies from having continents.
And while we're dreaming I'll have a pony
Hold North Africa with as large a contingent as possible. It touches three continents and can keep players from gaining a foothold in any of them. As a further tactic to balance power, hold the Northwest Territory. Pick at Greenland and Alaska so North America can be overrun at any time by Asia or Europe. This keeps players at bay and/or fighting each other. Know when to give them up, but continually remind those players who benefit of "The brave grey army who held the border until the righteous Reds came to claim it as their own." At the other end of the world, get Australia on the first round, whatever the cost, and hold it. You can mass there while the others are vying for the remaining continents and your brave -- and don't forget expendable -- armies stem the tide of invasion.
Since the easiest continents to conquer are in the southern hemisphere, is in that place where you must concentrate your batallions at the beginning of the game, in order to take further advantage and weaken other players, no matters what your secret mission actually is.
Forget about scattered territories in Asia, North America or Europe unless they’re close enough to southern hemisphere borders. That will mean leaving 2 or 3 territories with just one batallion, but they would be lost anyway.
Taking Australia first is a simplification of the southern hemisphere tactical importance, but if you get Australia in the first movements using all your batallions you’ll become a safe but bored player in that corner for a long time (and guess what if Australia is not one of your goals). I’d rather take an active role than passive playing.
The only exception is when you are given such amount of territories in Northern Hemisphere that you’ve got to focus in Norht America because your opponents would sweep you out easily of Australia or South America. So let others fight for southern hemisphere while you build a strong army in Norh America. You will be able to control the path to Europe, South America and Asia.
Always keep 3 armies in Argentina if there is war in Africa and you are playing with South America as your stronghold.
You want Africa, and you have Congo and Minor Asia: fortify the latter, leave one army in the former. They'll think you want to get Asia. Then attack to Egypt and - Blitzkrieg! The same goes for China if you want Australia, or Iceland or Kamchatka if you want North America. Make them think you want what you can't care less, they'll fortify themselves on your wrong side. Anyway, you'll even have the chance for a last-minute rethinking, and you'll be able to change plans.
Whoever you ally yourself to will, in the near future, attempt to wipe you off the board.
Popularized during the great All Night Risk Frenzy of '88. The tactic is of building a 'Wall' of armies by holding a series of connecting countries and then placing all the armies next to each other. The whole effect has been proven to be purely psychological as it takes too many armies to maintain over time. Looks pretty though.
If you are near extinction, but still hold a large territory or two, abandon other small territories that you don't have a chance in and concentrate on a large one. Build this up and don't attack to much. Your opponents, no matter how strong they are, will be intimidated by this giant, and will leave you be. But throw in a meaningless attack every once in a while, to show that you're not chicken.
Attacking without invasion. Instead of pushing your largest army up to a border with another large army, attack to reduce the size of the army to a single (or massively outnumbered) battalion, and leave your enemy with one of his own troops between his biggest army and yours. He is unlikely to commit his reinforcements to the single battalion but will plonk them in the same territory as the majority of his forces. This gives you time to re-group, and should it become necessary, a guaranteed risk card.
After conquering most of your opponents, and preparing to attack Asia, get a country in there. (anyone will do) You will see that in the middle almost all of the Asian countries connect. Move your armies in a circular motion through out the entire continent. You need quite a bit of armies to do this, but since its near the end of the game and this is the only continent you need, you can afford it.
| A-D | E-K | L-R | S-Z |
Many thanks to all who have contributed.
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Last Updated: 17/08/03