Everyone remember the board game Risk? The game that typically takes hours to finish?

There are many different computer versions of it - I bought a really cheap one called Conquest. I play it every once in a while to relax. Lately I've been trying to win the game against three computers on the hardest difficulty in the shortest turns possible.

My first record was 14 turns
Last night I had 13 turns, then 12 turns.
Today I brought it all the way down to 9 turns!


(I'm not going to fix the typo in the pic now - it's 3 computers)

I've been working on a weird strategy that seems to be winning very consistently in very few turns against these computer opponents. I start off with Africa, usually securing it within my first two turns. Then I move up to Europe, usually securing it within my fifth turn. After I secure Europe, I trade in my cards to gain more troops. Right then I immediately attack South America, typically securing it in that turn. By then, I have three continents (many extra armies per turn) and at least one of my opponents has very few armies remaining. The next turn I typically have many troops to deploy and I set them all out on destroying my short-stacked opponent (who predominately occupied South America), thereby gaining his cards and trading them in for more armies. Within the next few turns I take over the rest of the map with my army. I WIN!!

I wonder if I can manage to win in 8 turns? I'll play around with some different strategies and see what I can do.

Two tries later... and I bring it down to 8 turns! I don't even think winning in 7 turns is possible, but I guess I'll find out the hard way. I didn't even need to change strategy.

The only time this strategy doesn't work is when a computer tries to start securing Africa at the start of the game. Thankfully this doesn't happen often. Typically what happens is two computers fight over Australia for a bunch of turns, while another goes for South America. I let the two in Australia battle it out, dwindling down each other, and like I mentioned earlier, I quickly gain a significantly larger army than the opponent in South America and then run him over. This is the quickest way I've found to win the game against these computers so far.


No typo this time!

So basically you're saying that you found a Risk playing computer program that really sucks at playing Risk?

Sounds like more of a bad beat than a brag.

Exploiting AI is tons o'fun.

I found a few maps of Starcraft where I can take Terran and beat 7 Terran opponents at once in a 7v1 battle. Stupid and a waste of time, but somehow it feels like an accomplishment.

I've never played Axis v Allies, Risk 2210, or Risk/Risk 2 (computer versions).

I used to be decent at SC - mostly with Protoss and Terran. I used to be heavily into it, following what happened with the professional championships in Japan (or wherever).

Also, I'm pretty sure 8 turns against three computers is the best you can do in this game. Maybe 7 turns if I get insanely lucky with the battle rolls. Theoretically it's possible for me to never lose a single troop in battle, but just insanely improbable.

Hey Escapeplan, up for a few games of starcraft? I'm sick of my losing streak. You can pwn me at Starcraft, at least I won't lose any money.

k3nt, you ever play warcraft? or to be more specific, dota? 'cuz that's the real game of champions.

i don't know many people who play it though. : (

If I can find my SC CD, I'd love to play. I'm VERY rusty now. I haven't played in nearly two years.

I'm getting pwned in poker pretty damn bad myself. I lost 70/30s and 80/20s more than 70% of the time!

I've beat a really intelligent friend in less then thirty minutes in world domination. Im willing to try any of yall out at risk or starcraft!

Well, before I lost it to Hurricane Charley, I had a Risk game that had wooden pieces. I think the game was circa 1968, but I played it before that.

Uh, I'm old.