RISK: StarCraft Collector's Edition

I just got my copy yesterday and already I've played 3 games. My friends have included some feedback as well, and I will include that in the review. There are definitely a lot of things I really like about the game, and a few things I wish were better but for the most part don't detract from the gaming experience or do so in a minor way. First of all, I should note that I've grown up playing the standard version of RISK, and that I have never played any variations of that. With that said, I really like the added mineral fields, achievements, and card dynamics; these add a lot of replayability and excitement to an already great game. For the most part the game, in Total Domination mode, plays like the traditional RISK, except that there are also mineral nodes you more or less have to fight over, which adds a very interesting dynamic to the game. The achievement bonuses are also definitely worth fighting for as well, but usually come more in the mid to late game and are quite powerful. The layout of the map is really cool, and is top-down mirrored version of RISK; North and South America equivalents (now Auir and something else) are on the right side of the map, and Asia and Australia (now Char and Zerus) are on the left; Europe and Africa are also reversed. With that in mind, the routes, continent bonuses, and number of controllable provinces are exactly the same (different in shape and size, yes, but still the main theme and mechanics are intact). I really like that you can visit moons and asteroids in the game. Even though it's a minor thing, I thought it was cool and that it has a bit of that StarCraft flavor in it. I also really like that there are multiple viable game modes, such as Total Domination or Command Room (which I believe allows you to use the bonuses on the cards in the deck, but I could be mistaken). The pieces are really well designed. When I first held the pieces I was thrilled at how the different races felt, and I definitely like the models and chosen design of those, such as Marine, Tank, Zergling, Hydralisk, Zealot, and Stalker. The Heroes unfortunately are unimpressive. One of the major things this game lacks in is easily identifiable units and pieces, especially against the relatively gritty backdrop of the gameboard. I think it would have been much better if the colors and silhouettes stood out a bit more both on the board but also for the pieces. For example, the Terran Command Center looks almost identical to the Tank. The Yellow is virtually indistinguishable from the (light) Orange. The mineral clusters can easily be confused with the Blue units. Also, the achievements and tokens can easily be lost if dropped on the gameboard. My last critique is that the plastic pieces, playing cards, and board seem to made of pretty cheap material. The worst offenders are the cards and plastic pieces. I can appreciate how expensive it would be to create more durable and tangibly-satisfying pieces, especially with so many pieces, but at the same time I suppose it's worth noting. I would have gladly paid $20 more for higher build quality, especially for a game I intend to keep for many years. I've recently learned that the game mechanics are essentially that of other RISK Variants. I'm a bit disappointed to hear this, but at the same time I am glad that the mechanics actually do fit so well and make sense in the StarCraft universe, such as fighting for mineral nodes and gaining achievements. Overall, I find the game exciting and I am looking forward to playing it more. So far my friends have enjoyed the game and they are also looking forward to playing it this New Years! :)

Several years back I received Risk: Starwars Clone Wars Edition for Christmas. Now i am a huge starwars fan and Risk is my favorite board game. i was excited to play it at first but as i began playing it realized that i just didn't like it that much, it didn't compare to the original for me. for one, the in my experience whoever played as the republic seemed to win, even with the order 66 element for the separatists, and another thing: the board was ugly and uninspiring, and totally different from regular risk. capturing what amounted to green squares didn't have the same impact as world territories. USAopoly could have gone this same route with the Starcraft Edition, but they didn't. instead they played it safe, but wonderful. they got a perfect balance of unique Starcraft elements, and that time tested risk formula that makes this a totally viable alternative to standard risk, something that my other special edition risk just couldn't be. first and in my opinion best: the board is gorgeous. 6 planets are divided into territories and wow, these planets look amazing. the other important thing to note is that this board is EXACTLY the same as the standard risk board, only flipped, all the territories touch the same territories and stuff, each planet has the same amount of territories as the continents in standard risk, etc. it may look way different at first glance, but it is exactly the same. this is great, it makes it that much easier to jump into this new edition. now the new edition has a bit of a learning curve for classic risk fans. i have never played the 2008 risk re-imagining, but it sounds like this version is pretty similar to that. but for somebody who only knows the old style well, this was confusing at first. but after a one manual guided play-though we were ready to go! so yes, it has a learning curve, but not too bad. now that i understand it, i will be able to teach others fairly easily. well i don't have much to say apart from that that hasn't been said in other reviews already, my order arrived in perfect condition, with all of the correct pieces. the race specific cards are great, the pieces are quite awesome (although i'm not a huge fan of the siege tank, its a bit too fat for my taste, a minor gripe all in all though.) I am a HUGE Starcraft fan so this is awesome. i wont say this is the end all be all edition of risk, nothing will replace the classic for me, but i feel like this is the version my friends and i will play when we don't have 4-5 hours to spend on a game haha, this one goes by much faster if you aren't playing classic style. so great, its neither better nor worse than classic risk in this fans opinion, i could not have asked for any more!

This review is biased. I've played Starcraft and more recently Starcraft 2 for the past 8 years, so when I heard this game would be released in the summer (turns out they delayed it to the fall) I had constantly monitored its progress. Therefore, even if the game was flawed, I would still whole heartily enjoy it. There are numerous changes to this Risk version when compared to other ones, but there are comparisons with Risk: Halo Wars. Compared with the standard Risk, here are the changes: 1. Hero unit per faction, 6 in total, that add +1, -1 to dice rolls. 2. Mineral fields that boost the value of territories. 3. One Command center per faction that needs to be held in order to win (for Command room mode). 4. Achievements and Rewards (similar to Mission cards), where a player earns certain achievements along with random rewards accompanying them when objectives are completed, including conquering a planet, holding mineral fields, etc. Rewards add special bonuses that last indefinitely, such as being able to use an extra attack die, 4 max instead of 3. 5. Faction cards, one deck per race, have stars and abilities on them that allow for the choice of gaining reinforcements based on the total amount of stars, or using special abilities. Overall, each race has abilities that are identical in effect, but other stand out, for example Zerg can tunnel under a territory, Terran can transfer their base to another territory on the map, and Protoss are able to destroy units on a planet. 6. The map is similar in layout to standard Risk, except Asia and North America have switched places, now represented by Char and Aiur. 7. On the faction cards and the map itself, many references are made towards the PC, and once nintendo 64 game. 8. Four modes, basic training: introduces the new rules; command room: earn 3 achievements and control command center to win; total domination: classic risk, with mineral fields; team play: command room with 2v2 or 3v3. 9. Units are now worth 1 and 3, for instance a marine is worth 1 unit and a tank is worth 3. The units of each race are detailed remarkably well, along with the Heroes. The game becomes several levels more complex than standard Total domination due to all of the additional factors involved, which is quite overwhelming during the first game when the effects of the new conditions are learned. The main advantage is that the ratio of luck and strategic skill shifts over to skill, since players who use their abilities right and aim for certain territories will have an edge over those who blindly attack and roll lucky 6's. If you have a special connection with Starcraft and enjoy Risk, along with desiring an even more strategic game, this one is worth the money.

Review by Adrian Essigmann This game is amazing! It takes the basic game of Risk and improves it in several key ways! (Before I tell you how, let me just say that I do not like every version of Risk I have played. When I was a kid we owned Castle Risk, which looked like it was going to be fun until you played it...and then you realized it wasn't. Although I like classic Risk, I didn't care for more modern updates to it and have often ignored the extra stuff, playing the game classic style). 1. They only have a one unit, a three unit, and a hero unit! This is brilliant! Sometimes classic Risk became a rolling fest at three in the morning as someone got an absurd amount of armies and they attacked your absurd amount of armies in Australia. 2. Risk cards rock! Not only do they have the potential of gaining you more armies like classic Risk, but they have an optional power up on each card. Some of these power ups can be quite brutal and can save a person from total destruction. As a powerful player is about to attack, they eye weak players nervously if they have a Risk card or two. For example. A guy cashes in his Risk cards for armies and dumps them on the Risk version of South America with the intention of blowing through the Risk version of Africa. But his opponent plays a Risk card that makes one territory immune from attack that turn. So the guy can't attack, because he's too weak everywhere else! No Risk Card for that person this turn! Another time I was coming across the board from the StarCraft Risk version of Asia, went through Africa and moved on South America to wipe a players last stronghold out. He played a Risk Card called teleport which allowed him to switch the armies of two of his squares. Suddenly instead of a three I was facing twelve with a hero unit! Then he played a card that allowed him to add as many armies as he rolled to the area under attack. He rolled a five. Now I was facing seventeen armies...a large number for Star Craft Risk. It saved him and broke my bid for total domination. 3. Hero units are great! They add one to your highest attack or defense roll meaning that the all powerful defensive Six roll can now be beaten! If they die they merely respawn on your next turn, but they are out of action until then. These things are a small addition, but they add a lot of depth to the game. 4. Movement phase. Star Craft Risk let's you move troops from only one territory to another per turn. Now it does allow you to shuttle those troops from the tip of Asia all the way to the bottom of Africa, if you have troops connecting between the two, but only one move makes a huge difference! Hero units get stuck far away from the action. An opponent can blast through weak areas much more easily. This really makes a difference! I highly recommend this game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shocked I was still able to get a brand-new copy in 2026! And for less that seventy! By far my favorite version of RISK, with Lord of the Rings a close second! The minis are great, with lots of details and plenty of them. The board is vibrant with bright planet colors that remind me of the old StarCraft wallpapers. I've wanted this version since I saw it at Blizzcon years ago, but then forgot about it. :( Just glad I was able to eventually get it! If you are a fan of StarCraft or RISK I would definitely recommend! (If you can find it!)

I never owned a version of the game Risk, although I have played the game on a couple of occasions. As an active Starcraft2 player, I can say this version adds a very fun and familiar flavor to it. I only played one 3 player game so far in basic training which took about 3 hours to finish (we all never played Risk in years), but I definitely look forward to playing more. A quick cliffnotes version on the setup, you determine how many players are in the game and refer to the manual on how every territory should be setup (minerals go on these territories, 3 terran on this node, nexus goes here, 2 protoss here, etc). Once that is all done everyone places their hero unit. The hero adds +1 to the highest roll for the territory's army, so if you have a marine and Raynor on a territory, you still only roll 1 die, but that die has +1 to its roll. A hero does not count as an actual unit itself. The objective of basic training is grab 3 achievements, these include capturing entire planets, multiple territories in one turn, mineral fields, and more. The first player to receive 3 achievements and still have active control of their main base wins the game. Once an achievement has been taken it is gone, so if player 2 captured Char I can't do that one anymore unless I eliminate that player entirely and steal his achievement. The game also includes ability cards which I believe the original Risk had something equivalent, you earn these ability cards and can play them at different times for things such as adding to rolls, subtracting, moving command centers, adding reinforcements, directly killing units, etc. There are more complicated modes of play but the basic training is certainly engaging enough on its own. If your a fan of Risk and Starcraft, and you have the time in your life for board games, I would definitely recommend this product.

I'm an adept Starcraft and Starcraft 2 player, so naturally this purchase was a must buy. You'll find all the classic things about other Risk games here, including a few added objective based game modes. Things like owning a certain territory wins you the game, or owning three territories with bases, etc. Or you can just play old school domination style, which is my favorite and most like the actual Starcraft game. I have a couple of issues with this edition however. In most Risk editions there are 3 pieces for each faction. One representing 1 unit, 3 units, and 5 units. In this edition there is only pieces for 1 and 3 units which confuses me because Starcraft battles in the game get pretty large with a variety of units. Even stranger is that the units the chose, while correctly represent the feel of each race, are all ground units. Aerial combat units are a big part of the real game and there isn't a single aerial type piece in this game. I'm nitpicking this but it's kind of disappointing they didn't add in a medivac, mutalisk, or void ray to represent higher units. Other than the hero unit mechanics are kind of silly. Your hero unit for your race adds combat stats when you roll dice when doing battle. If they die, however, they are removed from the game...unit next turn, when they are miraculously brought back. I think this mechanic is kind of dumb so friends and I don't really use it. If a hero unit dies, it should stay dead. Aside from those issues it is a very nice, fun game to play with friends and good for most Starcraft fans.

I've been a Starcraft fan since day one. So when I heard that RISK: STARCRAFT was coming out, needless to say I was already on board! Not only is it a base game that has proven itself an enduring classic for many years, but it's themed around another narrative that I love. The game is well made with the board, cards and tokens being quite durable. The artwork on all the components is beautifully executed and nothing seems rushed or glazed over. The game really shines with the astoundingly sculpted playing pieces. They are made of the usual plastic that has been used on games like this for years. The skill level of the sculpting (especially on figures of this size) is nothing short of amazing! Obviously you can't expect them to be detailed as well as larger table top minis, but for their scale they are truly impressive. If one were to give them a proper paint job, I believe you'd have a set up that would definately impress any critic. As for playability, this game is again formed around a proven classic. While many of the mechanics are the same, there are enough new rules, components, options and additions to make this version unique. Being themed around my beloved STARCRAFT is just "icing on the cake". Sure, some hyper-critical people are going to come out and pick it apart for their own reasons and opinions, which they're completely at liberty to do. I on the other hand, play games to have fun and forget about my daily troubles. If you're someone who wants to enjoy a fun, great looking game and doesn't expect it to be some orgasmic, life-altering experience that consumes every aspect of your adult life, then I think you'd REALLY enjoy this version. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Como dijo un amigo mío: Mis dos juegos preferidos en uno sólo. Imprescindible para los amantes del Risk y Starcraft. Reune lo mejor de los dos juegos, por un lado la mecánica del Risk, con la estrategia de Starcraft. Muy bien realizadas todas las figuras y tarjetas del juego. El envío, servicio y precio todo perfecto.

Excelente juego la verdad risk es un juego de más súper divertido y llevarlo a la edición del video juego de starcraft lo hace mucho mejor tiene parte varias modalidades de juego aparte del clásico lo cual lo hace muy entretenido, las figuras son increíbles

great Game, calibrated so even better than the real game. And you can also play with the old rule on it if you want a long battle :) Fan of starcraft and fan of risk, so I am a real fan of this game!

Ce jeu est une évolution du Risk, dans le bon sens. Il y a des cartes bonus qui permettent de faire évoluer son armée rapidement ou de se protéger ou attaquer efficacement, de détruire rapidement les unités ennemis, de contourner un obstacle... Pour gagner la partie il ne faut pas réaliser un objectif mais trois en plus contrôler sa base, bien plus amusant que de réaliser un seul but secret aux yeux des autres. De plus pour chaque objectif atteint on obtient un bonus permanent ce qui devrait motiver ceux qui d'habitude dans une partie de Risk normal ne font qui regarder et détruire les autres une fois entretuer. Les figurines de Kerrigan, Raynor et Zeratul sont très bien réalisées mais les couleurs des armées Protoss (jaune et orange) me paraissent étrange... (Zerg : marron et violet, Terran : bleu et rouge) Les règles peuvent être impressionnantes mais cela reste assez simple tout de même, des joueurs de Risk expérimentés seront très enthousiastes sur ce nouveau challenge inhabituel. Attention jeu, cartes et règles entièrement en anglais ;)

Ein absolut geniales Spiel für Fans des Computerspieles (StarCraft 2). Risiko ist nicht nur stumpf mit anderen Figuren und einer neuen Karte nachempfunden, sondern auch um neue Bereiche (z.B. Heroes oder dass die "Einheitenkarten" auch im Kampf eingesetzt werden können und dabei zuweilen massiven Einfluss nehmen können) erweitert. Ich finde das sehr gelungen und freue mich auf viele spannende Abende. In diesem Sinne: En taro Tassadar!