Atomic Zombie Risk is a variant of the classic family game of world conquest, Risk.

It is the result of a gathering of a few board gamers who really enjoyed the movie Night of the Living Dead and decided to combine a few other variants of the game, specifically the simplified version of Nuclear Risk and Martian Risk.

Game Components

You will need a standard Risk set and some small items to represent the atomic arsenals of all the players (three per player, pennies are good).

To represent the hordes of zombies you will either need to set one army ensemble aside (the black set is recommended) or, if six people are playing, use one from another set where the pieces have been marked todistinguish them from the standard army. You may alternatively use a Bag O' Zombies made for the game ZOMBIES!!!

Setup

Setup is executed as per the standard rules, with the addition that after the last army has been placed, each player receives three markers to indicate their atomic arsenals.

Atomic Arsenals

At the end of a player's phase, after receiving Risk Cards (if any) and fortifying their position, the player may elect to use one of their Atomic attacks, and only one per turn. The player does this by indicating which territory they wish to decimate, and then placing one Atomic Assault marker on the doomed territory. Any territory on the board may be so attacked.

Effects Of An Atomic Assault

If a territory has just been subjected to an Atomic Assault, all army units in that territory are destroyed and removed from play. Furthermore, the territory is considered irradiated for the remainder of the turn and may not be occupied by any player's armies.

An irradiated territory is considered lost to whoever formerly occupied it, and thus cannot be used to calculate reinforcements or claim possession of a continent. The Atomic Assault marker remains in the territory for the remainder of the game and it cannot be removed, even though the territory returns to normal play at the start of the next turn.

Final Strike

A player who is eliminated from the game has the option of Final Strike. The eliminated player does this by launching all of their remaining Atomic Assaults at whatever territory they choose. The eliminated player may do this after the current player has reinforced their position and concluded their phase. Unused Atomic Assaults are removed from the game.

The Zombies' Phase

The zombies are always the last to go in a turn.

Zombie Reinforcements

Zombies spontaneously generate in all irradiated territories, and in any normal territories which they control at the start of their phase. If an irradiated territory is currently occupied by another player, then it generates one zombie army per Atomic Assault marker in that territory.

If a territory is unoccupied (that is, it was just decimated that turn or is still occupied by zombies from the previous turn) then it generates three zombies per Atomic Assault marker in that territory. If zombies are occupying a normal territory, then it generates one zombie army. Zombie armies must be placed in the territories that generated them. Zombies do not receive reinforcements for controlling territories or continents, nor do they collect and exchange Risk cards.

Zombie Attacks And Tactics

First resolve attacks in contested occupied territories. These zombie armies attack whoever is occupying that territory, and continue to do so until they are destroyed or have taken the territory.

These zombies do not need to keep one army in reserve for purposes of possessing that territory. Next resolve attacks from zombie-controlled territories (including ones which were just taken by the zombies).

Zombies will attempt to link up any irradiated territories or zombie territories, and if a choice is necessary will attack the more weakly defended territories. Zombies will continue to attack until they are no longer able to do so. If they are capable of reinforcing, they will do so according to the above stated tactics.

The Optional 666 Rule

At the players' option, they may invoke the 666 rule. If at any point during the turn a player rolls three attack dice and achieves a result of three sixes, then evil mystic powers have been invoked and the spontaneous generation of zombies will be doubled at the start of their next phase.

Continue Reading