Risk Strategy: Borders, Continent Bonuses, Cards & Attack Timing

Continent bonuses versus exposed borders

To collect a continent reinforcement bonus in standard Risk, you must control every territory in that continent at the beginning of your turn. The bonus is useful only if its cost of defence does not consume all your reinforcements.

Consider two hypothetical positions. In Position A, you control a smaller region with two exposed entry points and need few armies to hold it. In Position B, you control a higher-bonus region but face five separate vulnerable frontiers. Position A may be stronger despite a smaller listed bonus, because you can concentrate troops and spend more new armies offensively.

Before completing a continent, ask: which borders can an opponent attack next, how many armies would be required to stop them, and will capturing one more territory expose a new front? The best continent is the one whose reinforcement stream you can actually sustain.

Risk reinforcement calculation: worked example

In standard world-domination Risk, start with your territory count divided by three, rounded down, with a minimum of three new armies. Then add any continent bonuses for continents you fully control when your turn begins, plus any armies from a valid card trade.

Example: you control 17 territories. Base reinforcement is floor(17 ÷ 3) = 5 armies. If your complete continent currently gives a further 2 armies, you receive 7 before accounting for card trades. The 2-army bonus here is an illustrative continent value, not a universal bonus for every map.

You place reinforcements on territories you already own. Count before deciding whether to launch an attack; new conquest does not retroactively increase the current turn’s territory-count reinforcement.

Attack dice and defender ties: practical implications

The attacker may roll up to three dice where sufficient armies are available, while the defender rolls up to two. Compare the highest dice; if both rolled at least two, compare the second highest as well. The defender wins tied comparisons. Each lost comparison removes one army from its side.

Example: an attacker rolls 6, 4 and 2; the defender rolls 6 and 3. Compare 6 vs 6: the defender wins the tie, so the attacker loses one army. Then compare 4 vs 3: the attacker wins, so the defender loses one army. The attacker’s extra die is not compared to a third defending die.

Because ties favour defence, an attack with equal or fewer armies can become costly quickly. The ability to roll three dice when attacking from a well-reinforced territory improves options but never guarantees victory.

Cards, one-territory attacks and elimination timing

In standard rules, capturing at least one territory during your turn can earn a Risk card at the end of the turn; capturing five territories does not normally mean receiving five cards. That makes a deliberate single-territory conquest valuable even when you do not plan a sweeping invasion.

Card sets yield additional reinforcements when traded under the rules for your edition. If you eliminate another player, you may take their cards and can face a mandatory trade if your hand becomes too large. This creates opportunities for an aggressive breakthrough, but only when the elimination is realistic and leaves your army able to survive.

Do not assume every old and new Risk printing uses identical card trade values or forced-trade thresholds. Check the box-specific instruction booklet.

A six-question Risk strategy checklist

1. Can I earn the next continent bonus and defend it?
2. Can I capture just one territory safely to earn a card?
3. Will this attack create too many new exposed borders?
4. Where should I concentrate reinforcements so I can roll the strongest attack dice?
5. Is an opposing player’s card-rich but weak position a realistic elimination target?
6. After attacking, can I fortify my army to strengthen a key frontier?

These are strategic heuristics, not promises. The correct line depends on diplomacy, player count, dice results and which version of Risk you are playing. Primary source: Hasbro Risk instructions; see also our full rules guide.