Introduction: How to Add a Nuclear Option to Risk ( Board Game Mod )

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Risk is a classic board game that often has house rules. Some of these mods are even official mods, like Starcraft, Lord of the Rings, Halo, Doctor Who, Walking Dead, and 2210. Because Risk is originally about the post World War II cold war, I have always thought it needed a Nuclear component.

Step 1: To Play:

The Game plays the same as normal with the addition of Nuclear Missile pieces and Fall Out pieces which have several unique aspects to them. They create a need for assessing when it is appropriate to use them, and what the risks to a players own army are.

Step 2: Purchasing and Placing Missiles:

Anytime a player could trade in cards to purchase an army, they can no instead purchase a nuclear missile.

The nuclear missile is placed just as an army would be, but it is NOT movable. Once placed it cannot be moved.

If a region with a missile is captured the piece is removed from the board. If a player collects 3 missiles through capture they can convert that to deployable missile placed on to a region they control. This is to simulate recycling the materials, but not having the launch codes.

When a missile is placed the player must also write on a piece of paper where it was placed and what the target is. In the event the other player fires a missile this would be the target for an immediate counter strike.

Step 3: Firing Missiles:

In any turn a player may fire a missile just as they would move troops. Missiles can be fired at any spot on the board. Only one missile can be fired per turn UNLESS they are all fired and fired at their counter strike target as noted on the paper when they were deployed.

When a missile is fired a player will announce “Nuclear Strike in Progress” and other players will be given the option to “Launch Counter Strike” or not. If they launch counter strike all of their missiles will be launched at their pre-set targets.

Step 4: Assessing the Damage:

Where ever a missile hits a “fall out” marker is placed. Those hit regions will take 100% losses and all markers on that region are removed. Any adjacent region will take 50% casualties rounding down, regardless of allegiance. 5 troops becomes 2, 3 becomes 1, etc.

The region with the fall out marker will permanently cause 50% damage per turn to any occupying army.

If a region neighbors two regions where a missiles hit in the same turn, 50% damage is applied twice, not 100% damage. So 5 troops becomes 2, which then becomes 1.

Step 5: Counter Strikes

Counter strikes allow a target to fire all missiles before a missile from the enemy lands, but because of the necessity of haste, the missiles can’t be retargeted. If a player now occupies a target for a counterstrike those troops will be lost. If a player has troops in a neighboring region 50% of those troops will be lost.

Step 6: Ending Play

The game ends the same way it would in traditional risk. But in this version of the game a player who is about to lose can drastically change the game before being eliminated.