This is the first in what will hopefully be many reviews of various board games, card games and D&D modules that I will put up on my quite sparse blog here. First we have a review of one of the most recent Risk variants, Risk Transformers, Cybertron War Edition.
Name: Risk Transformers Cybertron War Edition
Manufacture: Hasbro (still in print)
Price: Around £10
Age: 10+
Players: 2-4
Although I have played Risk a few times before, I have never owned my own copy. This all changed last xmas when my girlfriend bought me my first copy of Risk that I can call my own. And it wasn’t just any old Risk, it was Transformers Risk!
Now with added giant robots.
I am quite a big fan of both the game Risk and Transformers (or giant robots in general for that matter) so this was an amazing gift for me. But before I dive into what makes this version unique, let me talk a little about Risk in general.
For those that haven’t played before, Risk is a tactical board game focused around world domination. Players use ‘units’ to conquer and take territories from opposing players. Victory is determined by comparing dice rolls, the number of which is decided based on the number of units attacking and defending a territory.
At the start of each players turn, they are given more units which they can place in any territory that they control, which bonus units awarded for controlling entire continents. This creates a strategic element in not only where you attack, but where you deploy and where you defend. Attack to enthusiastically and you may leave yourself spread too thin on subsequent turns.
Classic Risk has been around for decades and there are many variations, including Halo, mythic gods, Lord of the Rings, and obviously, Transformers. A classic game, where the goal is complete world domination, can last well in excess of 3 hours, with a personal best for a four player game I once participated in lasting 7 hours. There are rules variations that limit the number of turns, reigning in the length of the game.
There are 3 elements that make Risk Transformers unique from classic risk, the most obvious of which being the design of the board.
The layout of the various ‘Sectors’ is vaguely similar to that of a typical risk board, but not identical. For example, it is possible to travel south of what would be South America, and emerge at the top of the board, north of North America. This is the only Risk board I have seen that has vertical as well as lateral wrap around navigation, and this is often overlooked during gameplay, leading to unpleasant surprises for unaware players.
The next noticeable feature is the pieces, with Risk Transformers possessing three types of game piece; firstly the 1 and 3 unit pieces (the game is slightly smaller scale than Classic Risk, so there are no 5 unit pieces)
The pieces are designed to resemble a ‘cybertronian’ and a ‘cybertronian vehicle’ respectively, referred to as ‘robot’ and ‘vehicle’ in the rules. The distinct difference between the pieces makes it very easy to determine, at a glance, the number of units in a given zone (territory in classic rules). Although not clear in the picture, the pieces have a distinctly Transformers feel to them, and the moulding is quite good.
The third type of piece is actually less a piece and more a standee (the term I use for a 2 dimensional stand up image of a player, monster or other game element). These represent the commanders of the 4 armies used in the game.
From left to right; Barricade and Bumblebee (vehicle mode), Megatron and Optimus Prime (robot mode)
There is a reason to using these stand up pieces rather than moulded pieces; one of the game mechanics allows for changing the ‘mode’ of your commander piece, altering their bonus’ in the game. Ergo using a plastic standee that can be flipped back and forth makes more sense than having two different pieces that have to be switched back and forth, reducing any possible confusion that could arise. Transformation does have its limitations, as you must play a specific type of card, as I will explain.
This leads nicely onto the third, and most significant new feature for Risk Transformers, the suitably apt ‘Transform’ mechanic.
As you win zones, you are rewarded with zone cards. Printed on the back of these cards are various special effects that can be played, including the Transform ability. This allows you to either transform your commander between his vehicle and robot mode, altering is special ability, or transform actual zones on the board. These transformable zones come in two varieties, with two of each. Firstly you have the secret war factory:
Before and after a transform card being played
Before a transform card is played, a ‘secret war factory’ is just like any other zone on the map. But once transformed, the plastic piece can be slid back revealing an underneath element. At the start of a players turn, for every unit, up to a maximum of 4, that they have in the zone, they may place an additional unit in the secret war factory.
In order to transform a secret war factory, you must have a transform card and control an adjacent zone or the zone itself. This means it is perfectly possible for an opponent to transform a war factory and close it while your new units are still inside. Should this happen, any units still present in the secret element are ‘crushed’ and lost.
The secret war factory adds a nice means by which you can increase your unit production and adds a pair of nice strategic locations on the map. It can be quite satisfying to crush your opponents 4 new robots with a well timed play of a transform card, but you may find a more pressing need for that card, in the form of rotary zones:
There are two zones on the map that a represented by plastic discs with walled sides. These discs can be rotated on the board, when a transform card is played. This adds what is, in my opinion, the most powerful mechanic to the game. By playing a transform card at the right time, you can either redirect the flow of movement between zones, or in the case of the other zone (not pictured) completely block the movement between two distinct areas of the board. You can even, with good timing, trap an opponents pieces in a zone until they have transform card they are willing to play.
These plastic additions to the board come at a price though, as with any board game where you clip things on:
Although minor at the moment, repeated use could wear the underside considerably.
Finally, here are a selection of some of the zone cards that can be earned by conquering territories:
The first two can either be played for their ability or as a transform card
The ability cards aren’t the most powerful I’ve seen in Risk sets, but they can be used for strategic affect quite efficiently. The transform card doesn’t come up as often as would be useful, perhaps making every card a transform card, such as the first two above, would possibly make the mechanic more dynamic.
Overall, I really enjoy this version of Risk. While not the most complex or challenging, it is very good for a ‘quick’ game and is quite accessible. The rules are written in such a way that it would make an ideal introductory game for someone who hasn’t played Risk before. And it would obviously make a great gift for a Transformers fan such as myself!
Overall, I give Risk Transformers Cybertron War Edition 7/10, with good accessibility and duration, but perhaps feels a little more simplified than it actually is and the Transform mechanic can often get overlooked.
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