the "australlias" of other maps

[dominationnation]

We have all come to know australlia. Some love it. Some fear it. Some believe that if they dont get that in the first 3 rounds of the game then they have lost. Pesonally I quite like the continent and the 1 border defence. With all the maps in order to have a good playabilty most maps will have at least 1 continent like this. Siege! has the thone/great hall. USA has New england. There are many other maps with ones like this an some that have 2 or 3 borders to defend the "south americas" of other maps if you will. My question to you is do you like these territorys. Not just as in love having it but like the iea of them as well. What are the best ways to make sure you get ahold of those continents. What are the best ways to defeat those once they get them. What is the best strategy once you have it. Do you build up on the one defening territory or do you build fo one turn than attack the next and so on and so forth. How do you know when it is time to give up builing and start attacking.

[radiojake]

there is only 1 'L' in Australia

[chessplaya]

there is only 1 'L' in Australia

[Skittles!]

I was going to say about your spelling with Australia, but then, people beat me too it.

[cjoe]

The reason why there appears to be more focus on your spelling then your actual thought provoking question is because quite simply, there are just way to many variables involved to give you an answer. So in answer to your rather general question, I feel obliged to give you a rather general answer... YES.

But seriously, you need to be more specific, circumstances always change, 3, 4, 5 or 6 player - cards??, fortifications??, how many territories in said continent did you get.

[FM Harper]

Well despite what has been said before about your question I appreciate the openness of the question because it lets me take it where I like.

I like "Australia". If I can't have it I can work around it but in general if I have a good chance of taking control of it I will, the big danger of that strategy though is that you may wipe yourself out in trying to take it. I would at least have half of the continent to try and take it and if you have "Siam" then even better.

Further than love having it, do I enjoy it as part of the game. Certainly. I mean, it wouldn't be the same if you couldn't hole yourself up and breakout and destroy all that oppose! It's also good to root out an enemy from it when they think they're safe.

What are the best ways to defeat those once they get them? Attack. Build up forces, maybe wait until they make a break and then hit their weaker force after their main attack is over. Just get in there and take the fight to them.

Strategy when you own it? Build up on Siam and have control of India and China, China especially as it can attack most other countries in Asia. If you hold China and Middle East with significant forces then you hold most the board.

When is it time to leave and go for greater riches? Depends on the game and the players and every other variable in CC. It comes with experience I'm sure.

Hope I haven't waffled on too much.

Enjoy conquering.

[Bouncer]

I was going to say about your spelling with Australia, but then, people beat me too it.

shouldn't that be - "...people beat me to it" ?

not important - but kind of ironic.....

[Bouncer]

sorry .......didn't want to snag an enjoyable thread!

i agree wholeheartedly with FM on the point of holding china - a great
place for control freaks (no pun intended). but my limited success on
this map has never originated in holding australia, but thats what
makes the game interesting i guess.

my alternative australia would have to be lindon on the middle earth map -
if you can grab it early enough!

cheers

[MeDeFe]

Australia is overrated, I can win from Europe.

[RobinJ]

Australia is overrated, I can win from Europe.

You're good enough to do that though - I've only ever managed it when I was virtually handed it by the drop or in a team game. I find that someone having Europe usually means that the player in Oceania wins - people are scared by the Europe bonus and would prefer to break it than go all the way to the player in Oceania who is building up a killer force. This also disables the S. America player because it is mostly up to them to break Europe

[MeDeFe]

well, it's all about going about it in the right way. For example, if someone else is holding North America people will often leave you alone, because they know that 2 big guys sitting next to each other can't go well for very long.

[debra79]

If it's not an early control of Australia that wins it for me, it's South America. If I have a good drop in Africa, I make it seem like I'm going to take that, and then when South America has been abandoned to stop my control of Africa, I move right in.

[unriggable]

Problem with Australias is the fact that you have nowhere to expand to once you get it. Where will you conquer next, Asia? Not a chance. I'd rather go for the Americas.

[sharrakor]

I have to admit my views on "Australias" are pretty biased. After the first fifty or so games of Risk I ever played often ended up with me quitting cuz I didn't wanna bother taking over Australia at the end, and after the same thing happening when I played Lord of the Rings Risk (with Mordor), I pretty much extremely dislike the "Australias" in Risk.

Regardless of my dislike for them, I still recognise them as a very important asset to any game. And they definitely do make for some interesting outcomes. So in the strategical sense, I like them. But in the gameplay sense, I find them very annoying. Hope that made sense.

[Coleman]

The best thing to do imo is appearing to go for big continents and then not caring about actually getting it. You'd be amazed and how many people just let you have all but 1 territory of a big continent. It's like a free 2 or 3 extra armies for nothing.

Australia like continents are overrated. There are other ways to win.

[civver]

The best kind of continent to launch from is Ireland (in British Isles). Isolated from the fighting, but large enough to create an offensive force to launch an attack.

[Easy n Dirty]

Problem with Australias is the fact that you have nowhere to expand to once you get it. Where will you conquer next, Asia? Not a chance. I'd rather go for the Americas.

Seems to be true of alot of the Australia-like territories on other maps as well, which is intentional I'm sure. That little territory at the bottom of the British isles as well as Lindon in Middle Earth seem to share this trait. Phillipines also on the Far East map.

[DiM]

i hate australia because let's say i have a good initial drop and get it then there's bound to be an australia freak that crashes all his armies into mine just to get australia. some people can't imagine other ways to win unless they hold australia.

[borox0]

Australia is only good if u have siam.

[flashleg8]

The best kind of continent to launch from is Ireland (in British Isles). Isolated from the fighting, but large enough to create an offensive force to launch an attack.

Yes, but Lands End is the true Australia of that map, 1 border and its next to the Asia of the map - southern england.

[Itrade]

The Age of Merchants map has somewhat of an Australia, too, despite the fact that AoM lacks actual continents. It's the the Pirate Cove island, Isla Modesto or something. It's small, if you hold it you'll have a small bonus (Because of the +1 from the port), and it's easy to defend because there's only one way in.

[The1exile]

The Age of Merchants map has somewhat of an Australia, too, despite the fact that AoM lacks actual continents. It's the the Pirate Cove island, Isla Modesto or something. It's small, if you hold it you'll have a small bonus (Because of the +1 from the port), and it's easy to defend because there's only one way in.

Puerto modesto. Yeah, but unlike australia, that starts neutral as well.

It is true that the pirate cove is one of the most important regions on the map though.

[jofus]

Asia can be expanded to, under the right conditions. One of the main conditions would be to own australia. Once you have that, you can own Australia and Asia with only three defence points, the same as africa. The only real problem is singling your self out as the monster in the game, and having everyone come after you. Its usually more fisable I find in no card games.

[zarvinny]

At first, I believed that Australia was by far all - in -all superior. I played to get it, and when I did, I usually won. Lately, however, as I've played more and more games, I've discovered that in many of my games, folks tend to be more or less passive when it comes continents. In fact, in several classic games in a row now. People have repeatedly been able to achieve getting and holding Europe for a few turns, and occasionally have gone on to win, while those from Australia lost (including me).

In a 3 way Classic, Escalating game, Australia often finds itself decently worthless, and often has to build. In fact, there is quite often a stalemate in those games with each player holding a third of the vertical board. In my opinion, the one in the middle usually loses, but you'll be surprised.

Also, my dice have been crap lately, so crap, that even a few good rolls doesn't do much to cheer me up. (oh yay, i won 3 in a row after losing 8 straight)...

So in conclusion, in a noob game, aust. is important if you can get it and hold it witout killing yourself, but in a game with great players, it simply is only a small advantage, and can often be a disadvantage if you bottle yourself in there and the weak link is somewhere in S.A. and you can't get to him to take him out for his cards.

the end

[johhny-turbo]

Oceania in the Far East map