Risk: Transformers — Cybertron Battle Edition

Risk is a commercial boardgame produced by Hasbro under its Parker Brothers board games imprint. It involves turn-based strategy on a world map for two to six players. It was invented in 1957 by the clever fleshling Albert Lamorisse to allow his fellow meat creatures to pretend they were conquering the world. Little did these primitive sentients know that they were but grain before the thresher of mighty Megatron! Ahem.

Merchandise

• RISK TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON Battle Edition (2007)

Unicron played the game loads of times to satisfy his desire for crushing Primus...

Transformers RISK is a variation on the traditional RISK game ostensibly set in the movie continuity, though it may constitute a micro-continuity of its own. As a themed version of the old board game with a little Cybertronian flair, it grants a long-standing wish of many Transformer fans: a chance to participate in the Great War! :In the classic, Earth-map game RISK, holding the bottlenecks, and therefore the "continent", is the key to victory. Hasbro's newest version changes the rules slightly with the ability to transform. The Cybertronian version of this game has characters (leaders of armies) who can change from their robot form to their alt mode, as well as entire territories (zones) that turn, open, and even crush whole armies, creating new strategic opportunities instantly. While the characters are obviously from the live-action movie, the areas of Cybertron draw primarily from the comic book continuities, and players can even occupy Unicron and Primus themselves—or, presumably, just zones named in honor of them. The game's duration is restricted by a 6 "day" time limit, but this is easily modified by just ignoring the counter on the side of the board. A more prominent variation from standard RISK is the use of the cards one gets from successfully invading another's territory during one's turn. Instead of the regular card with an army type on it accompanied by a territory, which could be exchanged for reinforcements once three of a kind were collected, the Transformer's RISK cards contain the ability to transform territories, provide offensive/defensive enhancements, or add an extra army or two, depending on the choice of the player who plays them. Gone are the days of massive reinforcements with which to scour the planet in one massive march.

The winner of the game is still primarily decided by the dice, which proffer luck indiscriminately and often thwart even the most capable war planner. Still, the game is fun and encourages creativity in the field of All Things Transformers. Now all fans need is a software version complete with graphics and sound bites...

Leaders

Each force in Transformers RISK has a leader, capable of transforming (or "morphing") between robot and vehicle mode, each of which confers special powers on the character. Although the game is set on Cybertron, all the leaders (except Megatron) are depicted with Earthen alternate modes.

• Optimus Prime
• Megatron
• Bumblebee
• Barricade

Locations

Though the game is set in the movie continuity, the Cybertron of Transformers RISK spans many locations, or "zones", drawn from previous incarnations of the franchise that will be familiar to the casual (and not-so-casual) fan. As with other themed versions of RISK, use of the definite article and spelling are somewhat arbitrary, leading to some slightly odd location names. These zones are grouped by color into "sectors", analogous to continents in traditional RISK.

• Altihex
• The Arena
• Autobase - this is the starting point for Optimus Prime.
• The Border Regions
• Central City
• Chamber of the Ancients
• The Decagon - opens to reveal a Secret War Factory.
• Hexima State - invented for the game.
• High Council Pavilions
• Hydrax Plateau
• Iacon
• Kalis - where the dead walk.
• Kaon
• Kolkular
• Launch Pad - the tie-breaker. If both sides control an even number of zones at the end of the game, whoever controls this zone wins.
• Maccadams - as an unofficial rule, all players must take a drink whenever there's a battle involving this zone.
• Moon Alpha - opens to reveal a Secret War Factory.
• The Neutral Territories
• Nova Cronum
• The Oracle
• Orbital Beta Platform - invented for the game.
• Perihex - invented for the game.
• Pion Tower - this zone can be "transformed", or rotated, to allow access to neighbouring zones.
• Plasma Energy Chamber
• Polyhex
• The Praetorus Wharf
• Praxus - like Pion Tower, Praxus can be rotated to allow or deny access to neighbouring zones.
• Primus
• Protihex
• Secret War Factory - whoever controls these territories receives an additional three robots per day.
• Smelting Pool
• The Sonic Canyons
• The Space Bridge - this is the starting point for Bumblebee.
• Stella Galleries - presumably a misspelling of the Stellar Galleries, possibly by someone rather too fond of the old wife-beater.
• The Tagon Heights
• Tarn
• Tri-Torus Loop
• Tyger Pax
• Tyrest
• Unicron - the starting point for Megatron, Unicron is a location on Cybertron in this micro-continuity. Perhaps he crashed.
• Uraya
• Vos

External links

• TF Risk review with pictures