I really like the OG Risk. Every game is potentially different based on the players actions and you never know how the dice are gunna roll. Games like Risk is one of the reasons I love board games so much. Anyone interested in buying this game should be familiar with the original, I would imagine. That being said, this one is very different, but in a very good way. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the original and always will. But after so many years, it is nice to see a refresher version that adds more depth. The board is huge. Love it. Very large board that covers Europe from Ireland to England to Spain to northern Africa to Rome, Constantinople, and Novgorod to the northeast. Excellent amount of cities and non-city territories to add to your Kingdom. Which brings me to my favorite parts of this version: How territories work. The more crowned cities you are able to bring into your kingdom and keep connected via supply lines (connected territories without breaks), the more you are able to tax; gathering coins and spending them in other turns to purchase as many units, castles or crown cards you can. This helps balance the terrible battle you just had where 1/2 of your forces were annihilated. In traditional risk, you could trade in cards on your next go, but if you didn't have any you were pretty much screwed. In this version, you could be sitting on a hoard of coins, and the very next turn completely build much of your forces back again in another city and prepare for a counter attack. Taxing territories is easy to learn and straightforward to learn how to use it effectively. The addition of "gold crown" cities grant additional bonuses via tiles claimed when you take control of that city! The unit battles are also awesome! The tier system allows powerful units, i.e. siege engines, cavalry, and archers to actually start a battle round where you are able to fire volleys into the enemy before they can even begin to hurt you. That is, of course, if they are equipped with only foot soldiers, for instance. Very realistic and a huge improvement over the OG Risk. Plus, a siege weapon can now bombard an adjacent territory once a round to help soften up your next target. Really cool. Battles are deep, strategic, and a bit easier to recover from. The turns are, to me, much better in this format. Essentially each player uses a deck of cards to play orders or actions (some containing bonuses, 2 cards are selected before the rounds begin, you cannot change once started) and the turns go around the table twice, until each player has used their 2 cards. Battles are fought once 2 rounds have completed. This gives you time and a means to react to an event or battle, or counter your opponents. Not possible in OG Risk. At least not this effectively. The result is a highly strategic playstyle that makes you feel like you are actually in control of an empire, caring about logistics, coin, strategic cities, fortifications, and battle plans. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. And the best part is, you can have a solid force compared to your opponents and still lose miserably. Mismanaging your strategy means another player can win the game simply by acquiring a certain number of crowns, either by seizing crowned cities or buying crown cards. Military force is important but doesn't guarantee the win! I would highly, highly recommend this game if you have a group of friends that love games like this, you will love it the first time you play and it is just a blast. 10/10
