Overview

Castle Risk is a variant of Risk set in Europe where each player has a castle to defend. Players deploy armies, attack territories, and try to capture opponents’ castles while protecting their own. The game features a more focused map (Europe only) and the castle mechanism adds a concrete elimination target. The last player with an uncaptured castle wins.

Components

• 1 game board (map of Europe divided into territories)
• Armies in 6 colors
• Castle pieces (1 per player)
• Territory cards
• Dice (attack and defense)
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Each player chooses a color and receives armies and a castle.
2. Players take turns placing their castle on a territory, then deploying starting armies across their territories.
3. Distribute territory cards or draft territories depending on variant.
4. Place initial armies according to starting army counts.

Turn Structure

Each turn follows this sequence:

1. Receive Reinforcements: Count your territories and any continent bonuses. Place new armies on your territories.

2. Attack (optional): Attack adjacent enemy territories by rolling dice. Attacker rolls up to 3 dice; defender rolls up to 2 dice. Compare highest dice, then second-highest. Higher die wins; ties go to the defender. Losing side removes one army per lost comparison.

3. Fortify (optional): Move armies from one territory to an adjacent connected territory.

4. Draw a card: If you captured at least one territory this turn, draw a territory card. Sets of cards can be traded for bonus armies.

Actions

• Deploy armies: Place reinforcements at the start of your turn.
• Attack: Roll dice against adjacent enemy territories.
• Capture territories: Move armies into a conquered territory.
• Trade cards: Turn in sets of territory cards for bonus armies.
• Fortify: Move armies between connected territories at end of turn.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

A player is eliminated when their castle is captured. The last player with their castle standing wins the game. Alternatively, the game can be played until one player controls all territories.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Your castle territory is your most important position. If an opponent captures it, you are eliminated.
• When a player is eliminated, the conquering player takes all of that player’s territory cards.
• Standard Risk rules apply for combat resolution (dice comparison).
• The European map is smaller than standard Risk, leading to faster and more intense games.
• Some versions include special action cards or events.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
1. Reinforce	Place new armies (territory count + continent bonus)
2. Attack	Roll dice vs. adjacent enemies (optional)
3. Fortify	Move armies between connected territories
4. Cards	Draw 1 card if you captured a territory

Win condition: Last player with an uncaptured castle Combat: Attacker up to 3 dice vs. defender up to 2 dice; highest wins, ties to defender