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Imported Post
King
Posts:232
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| 16 Mar 2007 2:45 AM |
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Long time Risk players soon learn that the first player to attack in a two-player game has an enormous advantage. Adding a third buffer 'player' does help somewhat, but the first player still tends to win more than his fair share of games.
My son and I (both long time players) invented a variant that makes a two-player game just as enjoyable as three or more player game. Here is how it is played.
Each player chooses three colors. Their respective bins/containers are placed in a line in front of him. The game is played exactly like six player Risk. Each color starts out with the standard six-player start count. The players place them on the board alternating between players and between colors. Player A would start by placing a piece from his left color. Player B follows with a piece from his left most color. Then the players place a piece from their middle colors, and then their right colors. The process is repeated until all pieces have been placed.
Now comes the most important twist. At the start of a player's turn, he rolls one die. The die determines which color the player plays that turn. If it is 1-2, he plays his left color. If it is 3-4, he plays his middle color. If it is 5-6, he plays his right color. He plays that color like he would any normal game, finishes his turn, and (hopefully) collects a card. The card goes into a pile in front of the color which won it. It is not shared with any of the other colors.
This continues until a players loses a color. The irstwhile color is removed from the playing area leaving the player with two colors, one on the left and one on the right. Now the start-of-turn die roll is divided by 1-2-3 designating the left remaining color, and 4-5-6 designating the right remaining color.
A player can attack one of his own colors. When this happens, his opponent assumes the role of the defender making all the defensive decisions and making all the defensive dice rolls.
I have played this variant many times with a number of excellent Risk players. They all love it. It makes for an exciting, challenging two-player game.
Have fun!
OldTimer |
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Imported Post
King
Posts:232
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| 16 Mar 2007 2:45 AM |
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I'm trying to understand your second round turn order. Suppose in the first round it goes like this:
P1 - Green
P2 - Red
P1 - Yellow
P2 - Pink
P1 - Black
P2 - Blue
On the second round, P1 rolls his die and Yellow gets the first go. On P2's turn, does that player now use Pink as established in the round one sequence and so on, until all six have gone again?
Or, do you play it as P2 rolls on his turn? In which case, you might have a strange result like:
P1 - Yellow
P2 - Blue
P1 - Yellow (!) ... etc.
where colours are getting almost consecutive turns, some are skipped, etc.? |
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Imported Post
King
Posts:232
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| 16 Mar 2007 2:46 AM |
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[QUOTE]
Or, do you play it as P2 rolls on his turn? In which case, you might have a strange result like:
P1 - Yellow
P2 - Blue
P1 - Yellow (!) ... etc.
where colours are getting almost consecutive turns, some are skipped, etc.?[/QUOTE]
Once the pieces have been placed and real play has begun, the players alternate turns. Each plays one and only one color during his turn. Which color he plays depends entirely upon which color he rolls at the start of that turn. Previous die rolls have no bearing on it
To put it another way, unless they are down to their last color, the players do not know for sure which color they will be playing their next turn.
This leads to some interesting outcomes. For instance, it is entirely possible for one player to always play one color, and the other player will be forced to split his efforts among all three of his colors. Fortunately this happens very rarely. What is more common is the die favors one color for while, then shifts to another, then another, then another.
Herein lies the appeal of this variant. Strategies must be played with that in mind. Good solid play will always have a good chance of winning, but the inherent advantage of being the first player is practically non-existent.
OldTimer |
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cyray7
Diplomat
Posts:121
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| 03 Jun 2007 9:50 PM |
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| I find it easier to just find a 3rd player? Isn't this the same thing as just playing 3 characters at once? I like playing risk where you put all of your attention on one group, and to get to your enemy you would have to destroy your own troops in your version. |
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