Risk Europe

Risk Europe. $39.99 Anyone play this one yet? After my good experience with last year's Risk: Star Wars Edition, I might be willing to give it a try.





www.amazon.com/Hasbro-B7409-Risk-Europe-Game/dp/B01ALHAEMK

Played it once yesterday, just a two player game. Brief thoughts:

- a lot of production value for a $40 retail game. Sculpts are a tad small, but pretty well detailed. And you get a ton of them, as well as nice ones for castles, crown markers. Cards are nicer than Star Wars Risk. Decent mounted map and a full box molded plastic insert. All in all, blows away SW:Risk for production value.

- With two player, there are two NPC factions, mercenaries. Each turn the players bid to see who controls them. We felt they were too active, and slowed the game down a bit. Granted, after we finished, we each had a better idea of what we'd do differently. But my first impression is that they'd be better off being more static and passive, yet hostile to players. We basically used them as proxy armies but they were somewhat hard to control because their order cards are drawn randomly.

- the order card mechanic works well, as it sort of forces a sequence of play for each player, but of their own making. And it produces some interesting decision making.

- simple but effective differentiation of units

- Siege units are hugely important; without them you can't attack enemy castles. But they are pretty expensive so if you lose them, you are hosed.

- combat is to the death, no retreat by either side. So if you attack but run into trouble, you're doomed and possibly compromised fatally if the odds really go against you.

- I do wonder if it shares Risk's biggest flaw - no time limit. I can see stalemate situations developing over time. However, we didn't utilize the Crown Cards which may break the game wide open ( in a good way ) . And our experience was based on a two player game. With a full four, I think it will play better .

Msample wrote: However, we didn't utilize the Crown Cards which may break the game wide open ( in a good way ) . And our experience was based on a two player game. With a full four, I think it will play better .

Are the Crown Cards purchased victory points?

I just picked it up this morning. It looks bad ass. The card activation thing looks a lot like how they did the cards in SW- lock in cards, reveal and choose an option on the revealed card. Love that system. Looks simple and fun...alway love it when one of these kinds of mass market games shows up.

stoic wrote:

Msample wrote: However, we didn't utilize the Crown Cards which may break the game wide open ( in a good way ) . And our experience was based on a two player game. With a full four, I think it will play better .

Are the Crown Cards purchased victory points?

Yes, but just as importantly, they give you an enhanced ability. For instance, your archers now hit on 4+ instead of 5+ . Or your Siege Engines roll an extra die.

It looked like a straight up re-implementation of Risk: Balance for Power, except with 2 NPCs instead of 1.
Despite only available in the UK and CA, I sold my copy of R:BfP two weeks ago.
Subsequently, I do not believe I will be giving Risk Europe a go.

Looks good, but if it can't reign in the play time (no game of Risk is worth three+ hours), I'll have to give it a pass. Plus if I buy a sixth game with "Risk" in the title...it will have to be a damned good one.

This is why I was asking about those Crown Cards. I have the same dreadful length concerns about Risk that you do (nightmares from childhood). It seems that the Crown Cards are used in two ways in this game. First, you purchase them as victory points, and, as such, they act as a game timer for a quick game; second, they're obtained after you fulfill a mission on the cards which results in a longer game.

I just fooled around with this solo, playing all four sides. It seems pretty good, and yes, it is one of those Hasbro games where you can tell that whoever worked on it has an awareness of modern hobby games. But it also feels heavily influenced by A&A/Nexus Ops and those kinds of games as well.

The card-driven gameplay is very much like SW Risk, but you start with eight cards. Each has two action choices and some have a bonus third thing that you get regardless of the choice you make. Each round, you lock down two and each turn you flip one and pick one of the actions on it. There's a weeeeee touch of El Grande in it I noticed, like in the "split expand" action.

Lots of special benefits, mostly coming from taking over certain cities. This makes the cities have different values relative to your position, situation and what you want to do.

They did a neat thing thing with the combat. Siege engines shoot first with two dice each, 3+ hits. Then your archers go, one dice per/5+. Cavalry does their thing, each 3+ kills somebody. Then there is a GENERAL melee where all involved units participate- this is where your footman that DIDN'T absorb hits get to actually do something. And in this phase, it switches to the classic 3 dice vs. 2 dice, compare the highs resolution. Then it starts over, battle to the death with no retreat.
But more than that, you only battle at the end of each ROUND. So that is two cardplays' worth of action to maneuver and set up attacks. Or intercept attacks by sending a force out to halt an advance. Seems like battles tend to build up into larger, more impactful conflicts rather than having a bunch of little scraps over territory.

There's a lot of subtlety that isn't apparent at first. Like how the taxation works. You tax an entire area connected to the city you choose. Which means that another player can actually cut your supply line by interjecting themselves into a weak link territory. Sequencing your cards AND reacting to what goes on between your turns makes the choices pretty tough.

Production is really nice, some fun touches like gold embossed crown cities on the board, each set of minis has different sculpts (cheap and crappy but hey), and the little plastic crowns are cool. Definitely glad I picked it up, but I'm sure it will be on clearance right after Christmas.

On the Crown Cards...I'm undecided. Buying them DOES seem to make the game go quicker, but they have good powers if you complete the missions. So you get more (power/crown) for doing them than just buying them.

I'm thinking it's about 90-120 minutes.

So I got this game on Amazon because it was under $20, will probably be playing it soon. Any consensus on the best way to use the crown cards (ie, either just buy them as VP or fulfill the missions for VP and bonus power)? Having more bonus powers seems cool, but I'd like to keep this around or under 2 hours if possible.