Shop locally! Call your local toy and game store to check availability. RISK®: Game of Thrones™ Edition Game elevates Risk, the classic strategic conquest games, to an epic level of chaos and war in a battle for the Iron Throne. With eye-catching game packaging, two specially designed game boards, three play styles, seven finely shaped armies and a total of over 650 coins, this strategic conquest game will test the spirit and bravery of Risk® and Game of Thrones fans™. So prepare your swords for battle as you vie for supremacy over the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, because in RISK®: Game of Thrones™ Edition Game, only one winner can sit on the Iron Throne. We`re going to review the deluxe version here because it`s a better game in every way. The Skirmish edition includes only the Westeros board and only 5 different armies. It can only be played as a standard game by Risk without the fancy additions. If this is your first game, you`ll probably want to start with skirmish mode. If you`re very familiar with risk (why shouldn`t you be?), you can probably start with the extra rules, but it`s always fun to get a feel for the board and new places of it all. This time there is no Australia, so most people`s initial strategies are destroyed. This is the really interesting and original part that makes Risk Game of Thrones a really interesting Game of Thrones game.
The Domination mode plays in the same way as the Skirmish mode with a few additional aspects and offers a much more interesting and in-depth experience. Individual boards, character cards, target cards, Maester cards, gold coins, and special units are used in this mode. I can`t point out how great the packaging and illustrations are. The artwork is amazing and everything looks impressive when everything is set up and a table full of players is sitting around. My only real complaint is that maps and charts are fragile. If you take care of your games, they last a while, but the cards are pretty thin. Each faction`s units are all tailored to their faction, which is super cool, and they all have their own cute little spot in the box with an organizer. Everything has its place and fits perfectly. It reassures my TOC board game to see everything thoroughly cleaned. Abandoning cards can also be a game-changer. It`s always intimidating to throw a handful of units at your enemies, in the style of Red Wedding. Just make sure you leave enough for defense, because I guarantee you won`t be the most popular person at the table.
The game is divided into 3 different modes, Battle, Domination and World at War. The skirmish mode is very similar to the original risk. If you are already familiar with the Risk franchise, you will recognize this game mode that uses the rules of classic risk. In this mode, you must be the player who gets the most points before the Valar Morghulis (Endgame) card comes into play. You can only play with 2 to 5 players. There are four actions per game turn: The last and probably the funniest are the hero cards. Each faction has 4 hero cards that grant an ability that can be used once per turn. They can be a game changer by giving players an extra boost at the right time. However, they are not free.
You still have to pay the cost of the card to activate it. This prevents players from spamming them every turn. Each version of Risk is basically the same game, but the thematic versions all have a different twist. In addition to hero abilities, players also play on custom maps of Westeros and Essos and build fortresses to hold back their enemies. There is also a simple economic system built into the game to add a little more strategy. To strengthen yourself at the beginning of your turn, count all the areas you control and any bonus card decks you can give up to get more units. Keep in mind that the total number of territories you own at the beginning of the game divided by 3 (rounded) is common in every version of Risk. If you have 12 zones, you get 4 extra units and if you have 13, you still only get 4 extra units. In addition to the usual “risky” activity, you can now buy several different bonuses with a fancy coin system built into the game.
After all, money moves the known world forward. There`s no doubt about it, Risk uses a handful of dice to solve the battle. This naturally depends on a little luck to succeed. If you are an avid gamer or go to a board game forum, you will be inundated with messages or conversations about how this or that game is completely horrible because it is based solely on luck. I like to put risk in a slightly different category than most “mainstream” board games like Monopoly. This is mainly due to the fact that the different variants are always something more than just cheap and money-hungry re-skins. Each of these cards costs 200 gold coins. Maester cards offer unique abilities at a cost when played, while target cards allow you to customize your strategy. You have two strategy cards at the beginning of the game and can buy a new card to replace one of your target cards in your hand.
Risk has always been an integral part of my family. My brother and cousins stayed up all night and all weekend, playing a game and fighting for the last territory. We also played on our parents` copy of the game, so there was no built-in timer for the endgame. Destination maps are exactly what they look like. They can be purchased and if the conditions on the cards are met, you will receive bonus victory points for the endgame note. Towards the end of your turn, you can verify that you meet the requirements of the target cards you own and exchange them for those sweet points. I had many games where a wall of troops walked straight to my fortress, only to have a single unit that lasts long enough to stop the invasion. They are even stronger, but they have run out of steam and will not be able to move forward. Even in mainstream board games, you can have amazing gaming experiences without too many plush, and the GoT version is no exception. I really enjoy the new powers and on some occasions I can get a group big enough to play with both boards in an epic world showdown, it`s just a hell of a pleasure.
With the new editions of Risk, the game has a definitive ending. In the lower half of the territory deck, you need to shuffle an endgame card. When this card is drawn, the game ends and everyone counts the final score based on the number of territories, ports and castles they control. It was only a matter of time before the acclaimed Iron Throne TV series and the legendary board game Risk merged. Play Risk – Game of Thrones feels like the two worlds were made for each other. The Game of Thrones universe is very well represented with the main families of the 7 kingdoms, Stark, Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell and Ghiscari (the slave trading family of Eso), the characters, the Maester, the gold and the 2 playing cards that serve as game boards are pretty awesome.