Rediscovering the RISK EXPRESS dice

Back in 2011 I experimented with the use of the dice from the RISK EXPRESS game as a way to randomise the number of units a side could activate during a PORTABLE WARGAME turn. I later moved on to other methods and had – to all intents and purposes – forgotten about the RISK EXPRESS dice until I rediscovered them again during the decluttering of my toy/wargame room.

The dice had to following symbols on the sides of the dice:

• A general
• A cannon
• A cavalryman
• One infantryman
• Two infantrymen
• The infantrymen

I used the RISK EXPRESS dice in a number of Colonial battles that were fought on my original 8 x 8 chessboard. The dice were allocated as follows:

• European troops: one RISK EXPRESS dice for every three non-Command Units (with any remainders being rounded up) plus one RISK EXPRESS dice for the Command Unit.
• Native troops: one RISK EXPRESS dice for every three non-Command Units (with any remainders being rounded down) plus one RISK EXPRESS dice for the Command Unit.

For example, if a European force of eight Units (including a Command Unit) were facing a Native force of eight Units (including a Command Unit), the Europeans would be allocated four RISK EXPRESS dice (7/3 = 2.66 [which when rounded up = 3] plus 1 = 4) and the Natives would be allocated three RISK EXPRESS dice (7/3 = 2.66 [which when rounded down = 2] plus 1 = 3).

This would supposedly reflect the superior discipline of the European troops as well as preventing the Native force from having far more RISK EXPRESS dice than the European force. In addition, the number of RISK EXPRESS dice allocated to each side should diminish as Units are destroyed, and the loss of a Command Unit would therefore have serious consequences.

Looking back at this, it is a game mechanism that I should probably have persevered with a bit more than I did. One reason why I did not was the fact that Parker/Hasbro – who manufactured the game – ceased production and I saw no point in describing and developing a game mechanism that other wargamers could not try for themselves.

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I did investigate how much copies of RISK EXPRESS are now selling for on eBay ... and the prices ranged from £25.00 (with free postages) to £65.50 (plus £3.99 postage). That seems quite a lot to me, and I won't be buying another copy of the game just for the dice!