Risk

Rules overview

In the B7404 rulebook, a turn starts with new troops based on territories (at least three), any complete-continent bonus and eligible card sets. Place them on territories you control. You may then attack a neighboring territory or one connected by a sea-line, leaving at least one troop at the origin. Roll up to three attacking dice against up to two defending dice; pair dice from highest to lowest. Each higher attacker die removes a defender, while the defender wins ties. If you capture at least one territory during your turn, collect one territory card at the end of attacking, regardless of how many territories you took. Finally, you may maneuver troops between one pair of your connected territories.

Key decisions and a dice example

If you occupy 11 territories at the start of a turn, division by three gives three new troops; at 14 territories it gives four. A continent you completely control adds its printed bonus. Place reinforcements where they protect an exposed route or support a planned attack, rather than assuming every new conquest is worth the troops it costs.

For a sample battle, suppose the attacker rolls 6, 3 and 2, while the defender rolls 5 and 3. Compare 6 with 5: the defender loses one troop. Compare 3 with 3: the tie goes to the defender, so the attacker loses one. The unpaired 2 does nothing. Capturing one lightly held territory can earn the turn’s single card, but a chain of attacks can leave thin borders. The optional maneuver can shift troops along a continuous path of your own territories, leaving at least one behind at its origin.

Pick a mode before setting up

• Secret Mission Risk (3–5): race to complete the private mission on your card. A mission can end the game before full world conquest.
• Classic Risk (3–5): eliminate the other armies and occupy the whole map. Mission cards are removed.
• Risk for 2 players: use the Classic objective with a third, neutral army as a buffer. That army defends but does not attack or receive reinforcements.
• Capital Risk (3–5): a shorter variant with its own capital objective; read the Classic rules first.

The two-player setup and the Secret Mission setup are not interchangeable. If a guide says the winner always needs every territory, it is describing Classic rather than Secret Mission Risk.

Three rules that change plans

Controlling a continent pays only if you hold all its territories at the start of your turn. Taking several territories in one turn still yields one card. A maneuver moves troops from one owned territory to one other owned territory along a connected chain, and is available even if you did not attack. These details make defending a border and timing a card set as consequential as winning an individual die roll.

Learn Risk in depth

• How to play Risk
• Risk strategy

Focused Risk rules

Attack & dice · Reinforcement, cards & fortify

Related games

• Root — asymmetric area control
• Small World — lighter territorial conquest

Publisher sources & scope

• Hasbro / Avalon Hill: product information
• Hasbro / Avalon Hill: B7404 rules PDF

Facts checked October 2, 2026. Mode names, player counts and examples follow the B7404 rules; licensed editions and older printings may differ.