FIRST PLACEMENT 
What is first placement?  It can mean 2 things.

It means in the game when you place your first army it is called first placement. It also means first placement rule that is in effect in most ladder games. This unwritten rule says that the continents of South America, Africa and Australia (and sometimes Europe) are continents for continent holders and are there on a first come first served basis.  Players have been known to kami (kamikaze) a player that refuses to leave their continent to teach them a lesson in how to play risk.  The best way to avoid this is by asking the host in the lobby at the beginning of the game if there is a first placement rule or not.  If your turn comes and you can not place in a continent because of the first placement rule you must place outside SA, Affie and Aussie (and Euro).  If it is not in the rules you can still place there if someone tells you not to but do it at your own risk because they will most likely kami you if you refuse to leave.

ROAMERS

One of the first words you here in a risk game is roamers. The word roamer means people without a continent in the risk sense. There are many unwritten rules about roamers. Roamers stick together. They do this because if they have any hope at all of winning the game they must work together in the common goal of slowing down the continent holders or most likely die to one. They do this by placing close to the continents, placing "land mines" (placing 2 men in the other persons’ continent in the hopes of slowing them down) and placing in the continents and telling the continent holders they will leave so they don't get kamied. Other more dangerous ways of doing this are blocking continent holders from taking cards and forcing them to fight each other. Another great tip in a game when you are a roamer is to isolate the continent holders so they are easier targets but also making it harder to eliminate you as well. A great example of this is taking out SA holder’s men everywhere but SA forcing him to attack another continent thereby helping the roamers. This is why SA is called the trap.

CONTINENT HOLDERS

Continent holders are those in the best position in a game of risk. They gain men a lot faster than roamers and can take out roamers easily if they don't separate their men the right way. Continent holders also stick together. They won't attack each other unless it is strategically worth it to go after them which is not usually until later in the game. They do this because all the continent holders want their continent for extra reinforcements so they only usually put 3 men in places like New Zealand and South Africa so they can concentrate their efforts on keeping the roamers out and fighting among continent holders will only let the roamers win. Good tactics to keeping roamers out are to take the roamers out of your continent first so they don't put land mines. If someone puts a landmine (3 men or less) attack it because if you don't it will grow out of proportion. If someone put over 4 men in your continent ask them nicely with a pls (please) if they will leave, if not kami them and next time they will think twice before crossing you.

THINGS YOU DO IN A RISK GAME

- Don't let your emotions rule you. This is the most common mistake made in risk games. Someone attacks you or hurts you in some way and now they are your new mission. You will kami them until all their men are gone. That only does one thing, you both lose and all those you reported are laughing their butts off. The only way to get revenge in a risk game is to outlast the person(s) you’re having a problem with and you will have the last laugh when they report you. But don't stop there, win the game and have fun to spite them and you will be on top of the world and Honored and Respected by all who know you.

- Fight with honor. Play the game the way it was meant to be played, warriors battling with deep respect for one another.

- Have Fun! For most players out there this is the only reason they come on the zone. Play for rank, honor and respect but have fun doing it because the zone is a great way to meet new friends and enjoy yourself.

- Be right back. When someone goes brb it is custom to say welcome back (wb). It's respectful and makes the game more enjoyable.

- Tell people if you are playing with somebody from the same house. It is in cases rules and they usually don't have a problem with it if you are upfront about it and if they do you don't want them in your game anyways.

- Be Yourself. The internet is made up of people, people of all kinds. The diversity is what makes the game of risk fun. The funny ones lighten up the mood, the serious ones make the game honorable and the off the wall goofy ones make you forget all the hardship of everyday life.

- Treat others the way you want to be treated. Just because it's the internet doesn't mean you can't hurt the person on the other side

THINGS YOU DO NOT DO IN A RISK GAME

- Never quit. If you quit the people in the game will tell everybody and nobody will want to play with you. Also if you are a ladder player you may have to report those in the game depending on the rules.

- Don't kami someone unless it is strategically viable to you. If you don't have a good reason the other players are very likely rise up against you and kami you for ruining the game.

- Do not team. Teaming is illegal in the game of risk because it gives an unfair advantage to certain players. Also players hate and won't play teamers Fighting in the common cause of slowing down roamers or keeping continent holders out is ok because you are just doing what is in your best interests until you can turn on them and anyone else that is worth taking

- Don't disrespect other players. It will be reported and nobody plays with a loser. - Don't swear in lobby. Kids are around and zone ops will boot you for that. It might be ok in a game but ask first to see if any kids are playing or watching and if it offends anyone.

- Don't use a hat if you did not earn it. Hats like my RV hat are for online families and clans that only let in specific people. If you play enough games the right way you could be invited to join a family or clan or you could go to some of the families or clan web sites and apply. Some create their own family or clan to suite their needs - Don't lie or be dishonorable because these people are hated, and are not associated with.

- Don't go brb (be right back) without telling other players because it slows down the game and brings hatred towards you.

- Don't host RW (roger wilco) if you are hosting a game. This can disconnect the link between the players and cause the game to freeze.

- Do not rankhunt. Cases will rung you and put your rank down and also you will never be #1 because the high rank players won't play with you

CARD TACTICS EXPLAINED

Cards are what decides who wins and who loses. Cards can be traded if you have at least: 3 the same, 3 different, or 2 cards with a wild card.

- Any card that has a territory you own on it will give you 2 extra men when you trade your cards and they will go to that territory automatically.

- When to trade cards is a touchy subject. Many things come into account like what round it is, how many cards do the other people have, are the trades high enough that it is worth it to take you out for those cards? A good rule of thumb is if the trades are worth less than how many men you have you are safe as long as it won't give them 8 cards in which case they will be able to trade twice and most likely win the game.

- Don't get stuck with 5 cards or more. It might be ok for the 5th round but make sure it doesn't happen after that because you will look too good for others to take out. If you must take 5 cards separate your men into 2 -3 groups and separate them around the world to diminish the chance of you being killed. It is always bad practice to keep your men in one place if you are a roamer.

- Card trades increase in value as the game goes on in ascending and ascending x1. The trades go up in this sequence: 4-6-8-10-12-15 and + 5 men after that for any additional trades.

- In set value games the card values are different and never go up - hi dan3 men cards are worth 4 reinforcements, 3 horsemen cards are worth 6 reinforcements, cannons are worth 8 reinforcements and 3 different cards are worth 10 reinforcements.

- Make sure you don't look tasty to other players or they might test their dice on you and if they’re good they will try to take you out even though they most likely won't make it.

HE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MISSION AND % GAMES

- The most popular type of risk game played online is a % game and most of the time it is 80% report all. In a % game your mission is to get that % and you win the game by pressing the mission button and clicking victory.

- If you’re in a situation that you’re going to win, it is honorable to let the other players concede and let them save face.

- Mission games are a great way to have fun once in a while. Everybody gets a different mission and the first to complete their mission or the last one standing wins. But be careful. If you kill someone that not your mission in the North American version the other person can win the game. In the European version the other person’s mission will change so it is important to know what version you are playing with. In mission games a lot of the things I said before go out the window. Everybody is scared of everybody and people are much more likely to place in a continent without being kamied, although this depends on the players in the games.

- Also in the North American version you can trade on the fly, whereas in the European version you must wait until your next turn to trade, which makes the game a lot harder.