Why? Well, if you are successful in increasing your territorial possessions, then you are acquiring more and more energy tokens each turn. Soon, you will have an abundance of them, so you can pretty much purchase just about everything you want on a turn. If you are not doing so well territorial-wise, then energy can, indeed, be scarce, making the management of these tokens more important.
I see this as a potential rich-get-richer problem which did surface in our game, but since we misplayed the critical rule on Command cards (we mistakenly allowed players to purchase as many as they desired on a turn), I will reserve judgment until I've played further.
Devastation Markers: Four territories begin the game "devastated" from previous wars. These territories are determined randomly and are completely impassable. This can really shake-up the board layout and force players to alter attack strategies. There are command cards which allow for the placement of even more markers.
Time Limit: Unlike classic Risk, which can go on for hours and hours, days and days, Risk 2210 has a 5-turn limit. That's it. You have 5 turns to acquire as much territory and continents/colonies as you can. At the end of five turns, points are tallied to determine the victor. Points are earned in the following manners:
Territories you control: 1 point apiece
Continents and Colonies you control: Bonus points per the chart (2 - 7)
Command Cards: Certain cards give victory point bonuses if their criteria are met
Thus, the game discourages a conservative approach. With this severe time limit, you must be aggressive and attack. Sure, defend your borders and properly manage your Command cards, but ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!
I really enjoy the turn limit as it reduces the game to a much more acceptable 3-4 hour time duration. Many of our college Risk games would drag on all night. I'm just not eager to put that much time into a game of classic Risk as it is primarily a dice fest.
This new version, however, adds enough twists and strategy options in a much shorter time frame. That means it will likely be a regular visitor to our gaming table for the foreseeable future.
If marketed properly, Risk 2210 AD could be a cross-over game for teenagers and those in their early 20s to German-style board gaming and wargames. I sure hope Avalon Hill / Hasbro puts some advertising dollars behind this one and we see some print ads -- or even television commercials. It could be big!
