Twice as much fun with Risk 2210
Written: Dec 29 '02
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Pros: Two ways to play a classic strategy game
Cons: Can take a long time to play
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy Risk, try Risk 2210 for a fun variation.
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| msmarques's Full Review: Hasbro Risk 2210 A.D. |
Risk 2210 A.D. is a new variation on the classic war strategy game of Risk. Both the original and the new version can be played on this board game.
What is Risk?
Risk is the classic strategy game of world domination. 2 - 5 players place troops all over a map of the world, then battle it out with the goal of global conquest. Dice and cards add a somewhat random element, but will be accounted for by a good strategist.
The game can go on for a while, as the classic game is not over until one player has taken over then entire world, and players who are eliminated early on must either watch or find something else to do.
How does this game differ from the classic?
Risk 2210 A.D. allows you to play both standard Risk and a new variation on the board. Because there are changes that affect both versions, my review starts with those changes first, and then details the gameplay differences.
The Game Board
The first thing you will notice is that the map is different. While the continents are the same, countries are divided differently. For example, where Alaska would be located are the "Northwestern Oil Emirate."
The artwork on the board itself makes the board look somewhat as if it has faced the ravages of time... or at least been in the middle of a war.
Also present on the board are the addition of water colonies, but these are not used in Classic Risk. When playing with the new rules, they are not initially occupied (during the setup phase), but may be occupied by invading armies. Owning the two or three water colonies of a set gives a player the small "continent" bonus for that set at the start of a turn.
In addition, there is a separate smaller board for the moon, with moon colonies (again, not used for Classic Risk). The moon has three "continents" of several countries each and three access points. Access between the moon and earth depends on where players have established space stations.
One further change in the board for the new version is that four land countries (randomly selected at the start) are marked with "nuclear devastation" markers and cannot be entered or traversed.
The Pieces
I was never really that fond of the pieces in Classic Risk. The armies for Risk 2210 A.D. are plastic futuristic soldiers. They come in 1-, 3- and 5-unit armies of three different sizes and shapes.
Note that some players may have difficulty differentiating the blue and green pieces.
In addition, for use with the new version, there are also five Commander pieces, each of which resemble a large soldier. It makes some of the battles look a little like something out of a comic book. The commanders are well differentiated and have a silvery sheen. During certain attacks and all defense, the commanders can roll an 8-sided die instead of the usual 6-sided, giving the player a possible advantage against the usual armies. Luckily, the commander can have the regular army pieces take hits in his place.
In addition, the new version has plastic pieces shaped like small buildings for "space stations". These are placed during setup and gameplay and allow travel between the earth and the moon. They also give a defensive advantage of rolling two 8-sided dice, instead of the usual 6-sided.
Cards
The Land cards (the only cards used in Classic Risk) are updated for the new continents and countries. In addition, the soldiers depicted are the new 1-, 3-, and 5-unit army pieces. There are also two wild-cards (not used in the variation) that don't depict any country and can be used to match any army piece.
The variation does not have you collect cards to form matched sets for bonus mods. Instead, the Land cards, water cards (for water colonies), and moon cards (for moon colonies) are used at times when a random colony must be selected.
There is a new element of Command Cards. These cards have special effects and may be used at particular times during game play. For example, there is a card to be used before your first invasion in a turn to allow you to place three armies on three different territories you occupy. There is another card to be used when an opponent declares he will invade you that makes him discard half the army on the invading territory.
Other GamePlay Differences
The main other difference is that the new version of Risk only plays for 5 turns. This means that you are not going for total world domination, but rather to be the most powerful in the end (a combination of number of territories and value of continents).
Also, the "fortification" phase is not just between adjacent territories; you can move your armies from any one territory to any other one territory that it can reach by crossing your own territories.
This new version has added money (called "Energy units") to the game. You get new money (and armies) every turn, based on your current score. Energy units can be used to buy commanders, space stations, and command cards. About half the command cards require a number of energy units in order to use the card.
Also, turn order is not fixed. At the start of each round, all players bid energy units. The person who bid highest picks first (i.e. can choose to go first, second, etc.) and ties are resolved by dice rolled.
Time Required
The time required for classic risk is typically 3 - 5 hours, but can run more or less time, depending on the players.
Our first time playing the new version took 7 hours for a 4-person game, but I expect subsequent games to not require as much time during the set-up and early turns. Later turns can easily take 30 minutes or more per player, with the extra time required for deciding on extra purchases (commanders, command cards) and for playing command cards.
Age Range
Avalon Hill sets this game as appropriate to children over 10. I would recommend this game only for children over 12, unless they are bright, detail-oriented, and with the patience to play a long game. This is a fun game for teenagers and adults into war strategy games.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $35
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: 9 Years or Older
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Epinions.com ID:
msmarques
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Member: Michele Marques
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I love books, movies, and languages.
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