SMG Studio's official digital Risk arrived on Steam on 19 February 2020 as a free to play release with cross platform matches against phone and console players. The Classic Map is the familiar 42 territory, six continent board, and more than 120 further maps ship in paid packs ranging from under 20 territories to well past 90. Rule toggles such as Capital Conquest, Blizzards and Fog of War change the maths of a match far more than swapping maps does.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Fixed and progressive card trade-ins
Fixed cards pay by symbol: three infantry gives 4 troops, three cavalry gives 6, three artillery gives 8 and one of each gives 10. Progressive ignores symbols entirely and climbs every time anyone trades, running 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25, so late sets become enormous and hoarding becomes a strategy.
Territory and continent reinforcement
You draw troops equal to your territory count divided by three with a floor of 3, plus a flat bonus for each continent you hold outright. Australia pays 2 for four territories behind the single Siam border, which is the best bonus to border ratio on the Classic Map.
Three attack dice against two defence dice
The attacker rolls up to three dice, the defender up to two, and the highest pair is compared against the highest pair with ties going to the defender. A full three against two roll wipes both defenders about 37 percent of the time, so attacking with a two troop edge is a coin flip you will lose often.
Capital Conquest and Blizzards
Capital Conquest gives every player a capital that defends with three dice instead of two and makes capturing every capital the win condition rather than world conquest. Blizzards freeze chosen territories into impassable walls, which can seal a continent shut or destroy the Australia turtle by removing the Siam choke entirely.
Fog of War and Secret Missions
Fog of War hides all troop counts except on territories bordering yours or an ally's, so the leader is often invisible until the turn they attack. Secret Missions replaces world conquest with a private objective, which means the quiet player nobody has attacked may already be one continent from winning.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our RISK: Global Domination combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia turtle | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Progressive card farmer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| South America pivot | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Border trimmer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Endgame blitzer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our RISK: Global Domination builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Infantry, cavalry and artillery cards | You earn one card per turn in which you capture at least one territory, regardless of how many you take. | Guaranteeing a card every single turn with one cheap capture |
| Wild cards | Wild cards substitute for any symbol, which in fixed games lets you complete the 10 troop one of each set instead of settling for a 4 troop infantry set. | Turning a mismatched hand into the highest paying fixed set |
| Fixed trade-in table | The fixed table runs 4 for three infantry, 6 for three cavalry, 8 for three artillery and 10 for one of each, and never grows. | Longer, more positional matches where holding ground pays |
| Progressive trade-in ladder | Progressive starts at 4 and rises with every trade anyone makes, through 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25. | Explosive comebacks and games decided by one enormous turn |
| Blitz attack roll | Blitz resolves every roll of an attack automatically until one side is finished, which is fast but removes the chance to stop after a bad exchange. | Clearing single troop territories quickly during a long turn |
Infantry, cavalry and artillery cards: You earn one card per turn in which you capture at least one territory, regardless of how many you take. In fixed games the symbols matter, since three artillery pays 8 and three infantry pays only 4.
Wild cards: Wild cards substitute for any symbol, which in fixed games lets you complete the 10 troop one of each set instead of settling for a 4 troop infantry set. They are also the reason a hand of four cards can already be a set.
Fixed trade-in table: The fixed table runs 4 for three infantry, 6 for three cavalry, 8 for three artillery and 10 for one of each, and never grows. Fixed games therefore stay slower and reward continent bonuses rather than card hoarding.
Progressive trade-in ladder: Progressive starts at 4 and rises with every trade anyone makes, through 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25. Every set another player cashes raises the value of the set sitting in your hand, so passive play is actively rewarded.
Blitz attack roll: Blitz resolves every roll of an attack automatically until one side is finished, which is fast but removes the chance to stop after a bad exchange. Roll manually whenever losing the stack would cost you a continent bonus.
Full breakdowns in our RISK: Global Domination weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Map | 42 territories, 6 continents | Australia at 2 troops behind one border, Asia at the largest bonus |
| World Conquest Map | Medium, roughly 36 to 60 territories | New sea lanes, redrawn continent borders, longer games |
| Simple World Map | Under 20 territories | Quick matches, ideal for one against one |
| Advanced Map Pack | Large, 61 territories and up | Longer campaigns, more continents, higher bonus totals |
| Zombie Map Pack | Varies by board | Zombie rule set, altered elimination behaviour |
Classic Map: The original Risk board: 42 territories across six continents, with Asia paying the most and Australia being the easiest to hold. It is free from the start and it is where almost every strategy discussion is anchored.
World Conquest Map: A medium sized world map with additional countries and new sea lanes that do not exist on the Classic board. Those extra connections break several of the standard choke point plans, so Classic muscle memory misleads here.
Simple World Map: The smallest map in the game, built for fast matches where the whole board can change hands inside a few turns. Card trade-ins dominate because there is not enough territory to build a long term income advantage.
Advanced Map Pack: A paid pack of larger and more complex boards aimed at players who already know the Classic choke points. Bigger boards mean more borders, which makes the border trimming approach far more valuable than it is on Classic.
Zombie Map Pack: Themed boards paired with the Zombies rule set, where eliminated troops come back as a neutral hostile force rather than simply leaving the board. It punishes over extension harder than any standard map does.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Before you attack, count how many cards each opponent is holding. A player sitting on four cards in a progressive game will cash a set on their next turn, and in the late ladder that is 20 or 25 extra troops appearing where you cannot see them.
- Take Australia on the Classic Map only if nobody else has committed to it. Two players fighting over four territories both end up with fewer troops than the player quietly taking South America, which is the most common way an Australia opening loses.
- Reinforcement is territories divided by three rounded down, so territories 43, 44 and 45 pay nothing, nothing and one. Taking a territory that adds a border while adding no income is a straight loss, and this is the single most common beginner error.
- Attacking three dice against two wins both kills roughly 37 percent of the time, which means you should expect to lose about one troop per two you kill. Plan on needing a two to one advantage before committing to a continent, not a one to one edge.
- In Capital Conquest, remember that capitals roll three defence dice instead of two. A capital sitting on ten troops is closer to fifteen anywhere else, so never plan a capital assault on the same numbers you would use for an ordinary territory.
- Blizzards can invalidate the entire Australia plan by freezing Siam or Indonesia. Check which territories are frozen before you pick your opening continent, because a blizzard that seals a border makes a two border continent into a one border fortress for someone else.
- Leave the weakest surviving player alone. Eliminating them hands their cards to whoever kills them and removes a buffer that was absorbing attacks, and in Fog of War it also removes your best source of information about the board edge.
- Never end a turn with a single troop on a border territory. One troop defends with one die and loses to the attacker's best of three the large majority of the time, and losing the territory can break a continent bonus you spent three turns building.
- Fortify along a single line rather than spreading evenly. Risk lets you move troops through connected friendly territory, so the correct shape is one heavy border stack, one reserve behind it, and one troop on everything interior.
- In Fog of War, use scouting attacks. Attacking a hidden territory with a small stack reveals the count around it, and losing three troops to learn where the leader has been massing is usually cheaper than walking a full stack into it blind.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Cashing a progressive set at 4 or 6 troops early, then watching a rival cash the same three cards for 20 later in the same game.
- Expanding into a fourth and fifth border for territories that add no reinforcement, turning a defensible position into an indefensible one.
- Fighting a second player for Australia while a third quietly takes South America and then North America unopposed.
- Blitzing every attack, which removes the chance to stop after a run of bad rolls and regularly costs a whole stack for one territory.
- Eliminating the weakest player, which hands their card hand to the killer and removes the buffer that was absorbing everyone else's attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RISK: Global Domination free?
Yes. The base game released free to play on Steam on 19 February 2020 with the Classic Map included. The paid content is map packs and cosmetics, and matchmaking pools players across PC, mobile and console.
Should I play fixed or progressive cards?
Fixed keeps set values flat at 4, 6, 8 and 10, which favours holding continents and playing positionally. Progressive climbs to 25 and beyond as sets are cashed, which favours hoarding cards and winning with one enormous turn. Beginners read the board more easily in fixed games.
Why is Australia considered the best continent?
It has four territories, a 2 troop bonus and exactly one land border at Siam, so a single defended stack protects the whole bonus. No other continent on the Classic Map gives that ratio of income to border count.
What does Capital Conquest change?
Every player chooses a capital, capitals defend with three dice instead of the usual two, and the win condition becomes capturing all capitals rather than conquering the entire board. Games finish considerably faster than standard world conquest.
Can I play against the AI offline?
Yes. Single player matches against AI opponents and local pass and play are both supported alongside online multiplayer, and the same rule toggles including Capitals, Blizzards and Fog of War are available against bots.
More RISK: Global Domination Guides
- RISK: Global Domination Best Builds
- RISK: Global Domination Tier List
- RISK: Global Domination Walkthrough
- RISK: Global Domination Beginner's Guide
- RISK: Global Domination Tips & Tricks
- RISK: Global Domination Weapons Guide
- RISK: Global Domination Combat Guide
- RISK: Global Domination Boss Guide
- RISK: Global Domination Maps & Locations
- RISK: Global Domination Crafting Guide
- RISK: Global Domination Classes & Characters
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