Axis & Allies vs Risk: Pros, Cons and Comparison (2024)

Axis & Allies

Pros

• Great step up in depth compared to Risk
• Easy to learn
• Adds some great unit variety
• Components are a step up from Risk and add to the theme
• Some good learning opportunities in relation to history
• High quality miniatures modelled off World War 2 units
• Better than Risk with 2 players.

Cons

• Games can take upwards of 3-4 hours to play
• Takes longer to set up than Risk
• Down time can be high at 4-5 players.

Axis & Allies might be a better option for you if:

• Would like more strategic depth in their games
• Want a wider variety of units at their disposal
• Like the World War 2 theme
• Don’t mind spending upwards of 3-4 hours per game.

Risk

Pros

• Easy to learn so more suitable for younger kids
• Broader appeal for people who may not like a World War 2 theme
• Simple game play means grasping the strategy is easier for younger players
• Can accommodate up to 6 payers.

Cons

• Lacks the depth of strategy offered by Axis & Allies
• Lacks variety of units
• Down time can be high especially at high player count
• Player elimination makes it possible for a player to be knocked out well before the game ends
• Games can be far lengthier than the time stated on the box, sometimes hours longer.

Risk might be a better option for you if:

• You don’t like World War 2 themed games
• Want a simpler stepping stone to strategy games especially if you have younger kids
• Don’t like team-based gameplay.

Axis & Allies

Playtime: 3-4 hours+

Players: 2-5

Complexity: Medium

Ages: 12+

In Axis & Allies players step into the shoes of one or more of the major nations battling it out during World War II. Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union make up the Allied side, Germany and Japan form the Axis.

Axis & Allies has been around since the 1980’s, since then the game and its various reimplementation’s have sold well over a million copies. Almost all versions of Axis & Allies are based on World War 2 although Axis & Allies 1914 is set during World War 1.

There are numerous different versions, but I will focus this comparison on the Axis & Allies 1942 Second Edition which is a commonly available mid-level version of the game.

If you want a perspective on the entry level version you can read our . It’s a much more trimmed down Axis & Allies experience.

Risk

Playtime: 2 hours+ can last 4+ hours

Players: 2-6

Complexity: Medium

Ages: 10+ we think 8+

In Risk players will do battle for global domination. It’s a free for all with every player seeking to either take over the world or complete a series of secret missions to claim victory depending on the version.

Risk is one of the most popular games of conquest on the planet. Released in 1959 it has grown in popularity and spawned dozens of variants covering some very popular themes, including Star Wars, Lord of The Rings and Transformers to name a few.

Although there are dozens of variants for Risk, I will focus this comparison on the commonly available Hasbro Risk version.

Axis & Allies

Objective

Each edition has its own win conditions but generally involve capturing certain territories depending on which side you are playing to secure victory. All five nations are in play each game, depending on the number of players you may be in charge of one or more of them.

Units

Battles will see air, land and naval units clashing across the globe. Units include; infantry, tanks, artillery, fighters, bombers, submarines, destroyers, cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers.

Reinforcements

Players must manage their production effectively to fuel their war effort. Units are purchased with industrial production certificates (IPCs), players gain IPCs based on the territories they control at the end of each turn. Each territory has its own IPC value.

Combat

Each turn players will be able to move units into land or sea zones occupied by enemy forces and do battle. Battle is dice based and each unit has its own attributes which determine if their attacks are successful. For example, in attack infantry will score a hit if a 1 is rolled, in defence they score a hit if a 1 or 2 is rolled. Tanks on the other hand score a hit if a 3 or under is rolled for both attack and defence. Each unit type plays a unique role in battle.

Risk

Objective

There are two main ways to play Risk. You can either play a game of Global Domination where you win if you eliminate all other players and control every territory on the board, or Mission Risk where you receive a number of missions cards and win if you complete all your missions.

Units

In Risk there is only one type of generic unit. The different pieces represent different numbers of units (1,5 or 10).

Reinforcements

In Risk you gain reinforcements in three ways:

• At the beginning of your turn based on the number of territories you control
• At the beginning of your turn based on the continents you control
• By turning in any sets of territory cards you may have.

Combat

Players can invade from any one territory they control into an adjacent enemy territory. Combat is dice based just like Axis & Allies however it is far more simplified as their is only one type of unit in risk.

Axis & Allies

Axis & Allies is designed to allow players to recreate a global World War 2 experience at their table top. You have a wide variety of military units at your disposal to wage war on land, sea and air.

Each territory offers different strategic value, not just because of its location but also because of the amount of IPC’s it offers.

There is also a team-based element to Axis & Allies, to succeed you will need to coordinate efforts across two or three nations (depending on whether you are on the Axis or Allied side).

The down side is that every game will begin with the same set up and balance of forces which can lead to players finding optimal opening moves. This can create a bit of repetition from game to game in the opening rounds.

Overall Axis & Allies is a deeper strategic experience which is more immersive and thematic than Risk given its clear link to World War 2.

Risk

Risk is a more simplified experience compared with Axis & Allies. There is only one unit type to consider and no naval battles.

While both games involve a map of the globe, in Risk each player’s starting territories are likely to change each game and there are no alliances (unless you play a rule variation). This means players don’t have any allies to coordinate their efforts with.

In Risk by in large each player has the same number of starting armies and territories, in contrast to Axis & Allies where each nation has a different military composition, income level and number of territories.

Axis & Allies

Risk

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