Risk Campaign Book–Chapter 1: The Wars Begin

!WARNING!
THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BOARD GAME RISK: LEGACY.
IF YOU PLAN ON PLAYING THIS GAME WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND AVOIDING SPOILERS

Welcome to the first chapter in our Risk Campaign book. This series will focus on our group as we play through Risk: Legacy. I’ll start by saying that we did begin this campaign in August of last year so the first few entries will be a little light as I am mostly doing everything from memory. I did take notes and photos though which helps paint a clear picture. This first entry will be a bit long as we go through the starting phases and get everything organised. VERY Picture heavy. I’ll also state that to fully understand this series you’re best knowing a bit about how the game plays, because spoilers, also because I’d rather not explain all the rules and get bogged down in a tutorial. Also incase you missed it. SPOILERS!

Here we go!

The setting is Earth #50093. Here are the Players:

Aaron (ENCLAVE OF THE BEAR)

Vince (IMPERIAL BALKANIA)

Kane (KHAN INDUSTRIES)

Tarla (SAHARAN REPUBLIC)

Mike (DIE MECHANIKER)

One of the first things you do in Risk Legacy is sign the board

I’ll note that the rules elect for a randomization of each player and their faction. We decided we’d choose our factions instead and not shift them around each game. So far this hasn’t bit us in the arse! Each faction gets to choose 1 from 2 starting bonuses on a card. This is then placed on the provided faction cards and is permanently applied. The other power is destroyed! Here are the options we each chose;

Aaron: The Defender Subtracts 1 from his lower defense die in the first territory you attack during your turn

Vince: You still draw a resource card at the end of a turn where you expanded into 4+ territories, even if you didn’t conquer a territory

Kane: At the start of your turn, place one troop in each territory that has a HQ you control

Tarla: When making your maneuver, you may maneuver between any two territories you control, even if they are not connected

Mike: Your starting HQ is always treated as FORTIFIED when you defend it

Before this we also had to randomly draw a few territories and add 1 extra coin value to them (Coins allow you to buy troops or victory points)

Each player was then handed their Scar Cards for the game and as this is the first game everyone starts with a Victory Point. The objective is to reach 4 victory points in total and each HQ including your own is worth 1 VP. Effectively giving us all 2 victory points at the beginning of the first game.

Dice Roll and we all choose our starting positions.

Aaron: CHINA

Vince: EASTERN AUSTRALIA

Kane: NORTH AFRICA

Tarla: GREAT BRITAIN

Mike: ALBERTA

The first few turns were quite slow with this one, being the first game of Risk anyone except Mike had played. Mostly just getting to know how the game works. Here are the first few turns. I also apologise for the photo’s being upside down, this was my seated position for the first few games we played.

Kane mostly kept to Africa and lower Europe, spreading out later in the game across South America and into Asia. Had the largest army and kept mostly to his own territory only fighting when attacked or when he was able to win easily.

Tarla kept entirely within Europe and only fought one engagement against Mike when he attempted to take some of her land. She was mostly ignored by the rest of the players and was too strong to attack easily. I later informed her this was known as ‘turtling’ to which she shrugged and said ‘worked didn’t it?’

The main combat was fought between Aaron and Vince, fighting quite a few bitter skirmishes on the border with quite a bit of to and fro between the two. Meanwhile Mike sat back and just continued to build his army. Being fairly isolated he was able to secure his land easily, much like Kane, giving him the very useful troop bonus America offered. He kept his forces thin unless they were the frontline and mostly kept to himself until later in the game.

The wars between Aaron and Vince would eventually come to a close when he was forced to fight a war on two fronts as Mike approached from the North. Kane was also applying pressure from the South West. It didn’t end well for Aaron

Eventually he was defeated, with Vince claiming victory finally. The game wasn’t over yet however.

Most excitingly this allowed us to open the very first sealed packed in the game

The War Progressed and some additional Scar Cards were added to our arsenal for the next game. It also contained more stickers which gave defeated players an extra bonus on their card.

The game became more interesting at this point. Without Aaron there was more room to move and an easy victory point to be had in the form of his former HQ. Aggression starting to take over, with all players now engaging each other regularly each turn. Except Tarla, she continued to play Switzerland and just amass an army to large to consider attacking.

Eventually however, a victor had to be declared. This was Mike. He fought Vince over China many times to try and control Aaron’s fort and secure a victory point. He won by executing a swift Blitzkrieg the other players and taking as much territory as possible. This exhausted the territory card deck. Once the deck is exhausted the player with the most territory is awarded a VP. Mike managed to capture China from Vince at the perfect time for card deck to run out. This Netted him another Red Star and as he controlled the most territory and Aarons HQ in China gave him another VP. This brought him up to four. Victory was sweet, even if it was a bit gamey.

At the end Mike boosted his starting Continent of North America (Calling it Valiant) and founded a city in Central Africa (Mike City). He also destroyed a Scar left in Afghanistan and tore up the territory card for Ontario. Everyone else who ‘held on’ were allowed to found some minor cities and add a few coins to some territory cards. Vince founded Nooga in New Guinea, Kane Founded Isis in the Middle East (good taste indeed) and Tarla founded Whoville in Great Britain.