How Does Fortifying Work in Risk?

Fortifying in Risk is a crucial strategic phase that allows players to reposition their armies at the end of their turn, consolidating strength and preparing for future attacks or defenses. It is the final action a player takes before their turn concludes, occurring specifically after the attack phase.

Understanding the Fortify Phase

The fortify phase is designed to give players an opportunity to reinforce their positions. After a player has finished their attacks and claimed any territories, they move into this strategic phase. In RISK: Global Domination, this phase allows for the tactical redeployment of armies.

Key Aspects of Fortifying:

• Timing: The Fortify phase is the last phase of your turn, always occurring after you have completed all your desired attacks and claimed any new territories by drawing Risk cards.
• Purpose: Its primary goal is to move troops from one territory you control to an adjacent, connected territory that you also control. This allows you to bolster defenses, prepare for future offensives, or consolidate armies from newly conquered lands.

Rules of Troop Movement During Fortify

Fortifying follows specific rules to ensure strategic balance and prevent unlimited troop movement across the board.

1. One Fortification Move Per Turn

A player is allowed one single fortification move per turn. This means you can:

• Move armies from one of your territories (the "source" territory) to an adjacent territory you control (the "destination" territory).
• You cannot move armies from multiple territories, nor can you make multiple separate movements.

2. Connected Territories Only

Armies can only travel between territories that are connected. This means:

• The source territory and the destination territory must share a border (land or sea lane, depending on the map).
• The path between the source and destination territory must be a contiguous chain of territories, all controlled by the current player. For example, you can move armies from Territory A to Territory C if Territory A is connected to Territory B, and Territory B is connected to Territory C, and you control both A, B, and C. You only declare the start and end points of the movement.

3. Leaving Behind Armies

When moving armies from a source territory, you must leave at least one army behind in that territory. You cannot completely abandon a territory during the fortify phase.

Example Scenario:

Imagine you control "Eastern United States" (EUS) with 10 armies and "Western United States" (WUS) with 2 armies. EUS and WUS are connected. You also control "Canada" with 5 armies, which is connected to WUS but not EUS.

• Valid Fortify Move: You could move 7 armies from EUS (leaving 3 behind) to WUS, bringing WUS's total to 9 armies.
• Invalid Fortify Move: You could not move armies directly from EUS to Canada, as they are not directly connected, unless you were moving through a chain of connected territories you control (e.g., EUS -> WUS -> Canada, all controlled by you).

Strategic Importance of Fortifying

Effective fortification is crucial for winning in Risk. It allows players to:

• Consolidate Armies: Gather scattered forces into a strong border territory for a future attack.
• Reinforce Borders: Bolster defenses on critical choke points or borders facing strong opponents.
• Adjust to Threats: React to changes on the board by moving armies to new areas of vulnerability.
• Protect Newly Conquered Territories: Move extra armies into a territory just taken to defend it from immediate counter-attacks.

Summary of Fortify Rules

Fortifying provides the essential tactical flexibility needed to adapt to the dynamic nature of a Risk game, ensuring your armies are always positioned for maximum impact.