S.P.Q.Risiko is an Italian version of Risk that depicts conquest, treachery, and diplomacy in the Roman Empire. Many BGG users skim the first paragraph of a lengthy review and move on to the next contribution. To those busy Geeks I offer this brief summary: S.P.Q.Risiko is worth the investment of time and money. Please mark this article and come back to read the review later!

About The Game...

S.P.Q.Risiko was designed by the talented Spartaco Albertarelli, creator of Dust. Published by Editrice Giochi in 2005, S.P.Q.Risiko is considered by many strategy game connoisseurs to be a grail item. This game has been on my BGG Wish List for months so I recently converted some of my ill-gotten gains into Euros and ordered a copy from Italy. I was excited about the game and watched all 13 episodes of I, Claudius to get into the proper mood. I haven't written an actual game review since my contributions to Fire & Movement magazine over 25 years ago but this unique title made me reconsider my decision to avoid evaluating the work of other game designers.

S.P.Q.Risiko is designed for 3, 4, or 5 players and is slightly more complex than traditional Risk. This version adds several interesting concepts to the basic Risk system and offers a much more satisfying play experience. Anybody who has enjoyed Risk can probably read the rules to S.P.Q.Risiko and start playing after about 10 minutes. New players can usually get into the game quickly with a bit of training from an experienced Praetorian. The rules suggest that the players set a victory point goal or a time limit to control the length of the game so there may not be many marathon weekend sessions of S.P.Q.Risiko.



This unique game features quality components and superb graphics. Several excellent images appear in the game's BGG gallery so I won’t waste time describing the board, cards, and figures in great detail.

The published rules are printed in Italian but a good translation has been posted on BGG. The original Italian rules seem to assume that the players are already familiar with Risk because several important elements are covered in a cursory manner. The translator has added some useful comments to help clarify the original intent but a player working with only the S.P.Q.Risiko rule booklet might be wise to consult a copy of the classic Risk instructions to refresh his or her memory. I plan to add a link to some rules clarifications at the end of this review.

Please note that the cards and board are entirely language independent so once the rules have been digested play can begin immediately.

Components...

S.P.Q.Risiko uses colorful plastic figures that represent Roman legions. Other miniatures include banners (called vexillum in the translation and vessilli in Italian) which can be used to represent 10 legions. There are also ships (triremes in the translation) for naval operations and Roman coliseums (arenas in the translation) that are called Power Centers... inevitably referred to as "city" playing pieces during the game.



The miniatures are excellent. The legion figures are solid and will remain standing even if the board is bumped. They have superb bases that allow the soldiers to be placed close together in crowded provinces. These infantry units should become standard in the industry for games about Ancient Rome.

The mounted board is well crafted. It measures 19.5 inches by 27.5 inches and fits comfortably inside the plastic storage tray when folded.



The map has some details that are impressive. The names of the provinces are designed to be read from almost any angle. This is a nice touch because game maps with all of the text aligned in one direction can give a subtle psychological advantage to one player. Another thing that impressed me was the large victory point track; the scoring system employs Roman numerals but does not contain a zero since the Romans did not use that designation!

There were two issues with the map.

The first one is a minor inconvenience: the gold units can blend into the provinces with a yellow tinted background and practically disappear.



The second problem has multiple facets. The area around Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia offers several challenges. The Red Sea (Sinus Arabicus to the Romans) is depicted as an unnamed water area on the map but is obviously not intended to be a playable sea zone. Arabia is separated from Egypt by this nameless blue blob. This could cause trouble with persnickety players.



Modifying historical boundary lines can be an acceptable design technique if the change improves playability. It might have been better to combine the region of Arabia Petraea with Arabia and depict the areas like this:



There is another issue in the same region because Mesopotamia and Armenia appear as a couple of nebulous shapes randomly attached to the edge of the map. The alignment of the game board omits the northern coastline of the Black Sea. This area included an important region known as Regnum Bospori (around the Crimea) and the presence of this kingdom could have added some interesting diplomatic and strategic options to this corner of the board. Modifying historical boundary lines to enhance playability is one thing, but the map could easily have shifted to depict the Pontus Exinus region correctly.

In addition, shifting the map might have permitted Caledonia (Scotland) and Germania Magna to be included.



The cards are of outstanding quality with great graphics. There are 5 coliseums, 15 banners, 10 ships, and 25 soldiers that players mix or match to create valuable sets in a method similar to classic Risk. I instantly put these cards in plastic holders because they were almost too pretty to use.

Play: Set Up...

The rules provide for 3, 4 or 5 player versions with variable set up rules for each game. Neutral legions control some areas in the 3 and 4 player contests; this interesting element is missing from the 5 player version. Use spare banner pieces to record the proper turn order by placing them in a nice straight line on some unused area of the map.

Set up time should be about 10 or 15 minutes unless one member of the group suffers from analysis paralysis. Since the initial placement of units is quite important (the size of an empire can affect the number of victory points awarded to that empire) a player with a tendency to ponder every placement could slow progress to a crawl.

Things can also get ugly right away if the players start bickering over who gets what border province between two large empires. This just adds to the fun, in my opinion. Be careful when deploying those legions, though. There are a number of crucial decisions that, if handled poorly, might spoil the game for an unwary player. In one game a player decided to grab all of the island areas in order to be safe from attack. That was true. However, establishing an island kingdom also meant that he had almost no hope of creating the largest empire. In addition, he could make very few attacks early in the game. This limited his chances to acquire cards.

Play: Victory Points...

The victory point rules are the driving force behind S.P.Q.Risiko and the system for scoring these points is wickedly clever. Players can only score victory points at the beginning of their turn. This requires each player to plan ahead and attempt to maneuver units into the proper scoring positions while knowing that the other contestants are going to be conducting their turns before his or her performance can be evaluated.

Points can be scored for the largest number of provinces controlled. At the beginning of each individual turn every player should be responsible for knowing exactly how many provinces he or she controls to avoid unnecessary delay. Players who fail their emperor should be thrown to the lions.

Points can be scored for owning the largest empire. An empire is defined as a contiguous series of provinces under one player’s control. This is brilliant. Unlike classic Risk where the boundary lines between continents were rigidly defined the borders of these empires are constantly shifting with the ebb and flow of each campaign.

A player may establish a large empire during his or her turn only to see a slashing attack strike the vital “hinge” connecting a chain of provinces and split the empire into two non-scoring parts. Another player may have a relatively low number of contiguous provinces but find his or her empire vaulted into scoring position following the defeat of a more powerful regime. This adds tremendous tension to the game and I approve with great enthusiasm.

Points can be scored for sea domination. The player controlling the largest number of sea areas scores at the beginning of his or her turn. Once again the players are looking at a situation that requires advance planning. The naval rules are almost a game within the game because the empires are constantly jockeying for naval domination with a great deal of bluffing and the occasional decisive sea battle. Beautiful!

Two empires can get locked into a nasty naval arms race while another player builds legions and carves out a huge kingdom. This is all great fun. At the beginning of each individual turn every player should be responsible for knowing exactly how many sea areas he or she controls to avoid unnecessary delay. Players who do not respond correctly should be sent to the galleys.

Points can be scored for controlling a coliseum (a Power Center) and I have an issue with this rule. Power Centers can be only built by players with proper card combinations and each Power Center churns out one victory point at the start of each turn. If a player gets one or two Power Centers early in the game and is able to defend them properly (not too difficult with competent play) that empire is going to pull ahead of the other regimes and might never be caught.

The official Editrice Giochi website has some suggested rule changes. One idea is to give each player a Power Center card at the start of the game. Another idea is to allow players to convert 10 legions into a Power Center. Neither of these concepts really seems to address the basic issue: a player can grab an easy victory point every turn by merely controlling a Power Center while the other empires are using strategy and guile in an attempt to maneuver army and navy units into scoring position.

Why should a normally bold player, for example, bother risking a fleet and seven legions to capture an important province that might help the empire gain a single victory point? Under the suggested rule change the same 10 legion equivalents could be used to create a Power Center that can generate a steady stream of points for the remainder of the game. In the hands of a skilled rules ferret this change might have a negative impact on an otherwise vigorous play experience.



Placing these Power Centers on the map is an art in itself. The natural tendency is to deposit these valuable coliseum pieces in a remote, easily defended corner of the map or on some island that can be guarded by fleets. This often results in the formidable structure of a new empire springing up in a wilderness like Arabia or on an island like Crete!

I'll discuss victory points again later when I cover the various end game situations.

Play: When in Rome, do as the Romans do...

After the victory point update portion of each player's turn S.P.Q.Risiko follows a pattern similar to classic Risk: acquire new units, place new units, attack, and strategic movement. The rules add historical flavor to the basic recipe.

Players receive 1 legion for every three provinces controlled, just like in classic Risk. Players also receive new legions in any Power Centers under their control, further enhancing these important locations. A player may convert 3 legions into a fleet or convert a fleet into 2 legions. The system works fine.

The fact that each province on the S.P.Q.Risiko map has an equal value takes something away from the game's historical flavor. A vital area like Italia or Aegyptus is treated exactly the same as a wilderness area like Arabia or a frontier province like Dacia. I'm working on an optional rule to handle this.



Players may turn in completed three card sets to obtain new units. The S.P.Q.Risiko system is much better than the method used in classic Risk. There is more variety in the card types and some cards provide specific reinforcements. The value of these completed groups does not escalate like the inherently flawed pattern used in classic Risk. While some sets are more valuable than others, each completed set always generates the same income as a similar set redeemed earlier in the game.

Players may choose to hold cards in attempt to put together a special combination that provides more fleets or rewards the player with additional army units. This adds another decision process to the game and that is always a positive element.

The naval units move through sea areas while they transport legions, support amphibious assaults, or fight enemy naval units. This system is crisp, clean, and fun. As I mentioned earlier the relatively simple naval domination rules provide a strategic challenge that is practically a game within itself.

The game even reflects some historical patterns. If a naval battle results in a tie when the dice are rolled all combat must cease. Great rule! One of the most difficult elements of naval warfare in the ancient era was finding the enemy fleet and maintaining contact once the enemy ships were sighted.

Remember how Alexander the Great moved along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and seized the coastal regions that supported the enemy fleet? It works that way in this game, too. Capture the adjacent land area and the enemy admiral has nobody to support him or supply reinforcements.

A talented Roman general might have decided to end his campaign in a coastal area in order to be near the fleet. This is a perfect strategy for S.P.Q.Risiko because ships can transport legions during the strategic movement phase.

The rules for an invasion by sea are a bit strange. Once a player has announced the number of legions that are going to participate these troops must fight to the death with no chance to return home. Why???

Imagine this scene:

Emperor Gluteus: We have a message from General Geekus Flabius. He has landed in Britannia with three legions and the enemy has already destroyed one of these units.

Anorexia, his wife: Geekus Flabius asked for three legions so the men should all die like good Romans. The remaining legions must not be allowed to sail back to Gaul.

Emperor Gluteus: Geekus Flabius, where are my legions!

Why??? Julius Caesar landed in Britain, marched about, and sailed back to the continent. He was rewarded with a triumph. I just don’t understand this rule.

A land battle is fought much like a typical campaign in classic Risk with two important exceptions. In S.P.Q.Risiko the defender may roll three dice, matching the attacker's maximum number of dice. In addition, the defender may not choose to roll fewer dice than the maximum allowed in a particular battle. I'm not too thrilled with this rule.

In classic Risk the defender had some choice in determining the number of dice rolled in a battle. This often led to subtle mind games as the defender attempted to discourage the attacking player from pushing his or her luck after a minor setback. Since the defender has almost zero decisions to make in S.P.Q.Risiko using the old rule would have added a little something extra to the game. However, the S.P.Q.Risiko three dice rule does speed play considerably.

The rules contain an awkwardly worded provision that requires a player to garrison a region with two legions under most circumstances. The guidelines are confusing but the rule appears to be designed to prevent sneaky players from placing one army in a frontier province as "card bait" with a massive defensive line behind it. Why??? Roman strategic doctrine varied from emperor to emperor. Some commanders created a hard crust of legions on the borders of the empire but others maintained a strategic reserve that responded to penetrations of the lightly defended frontier.

After all battles are resolved the final strategic movement takes place. In S.P.Q.Risiko a player may move from one area either by land or by sea within the limits of the rules. This game screams for a road movement rule. The Romans were famous for their road network and the commanders should have a limited ability to move a legion rapidly within the limits of the empire. I’m working on an optional road movement rule.

One exciting element of classic Risk is alive and well in Ancient Rome: commanders in S.P.Q.Risiko might find themselves frantically searching for an opportunity to make a successful attack that will guarantee a card selection during this turn. This holdover from classic Risk actually has some basis in history! Crassus was desperate to outshine his rival Pompey. When Pompey received a triumph after a victory and Crassus was forced to settle for the lesser honor of an ovation his ambition burned even hotter. Crassus marched off to the Middle East where he was defeated by the Parthians at Carrhae. No card for him.

The game rewards action. The cautious turtle strategy is not highly effective in S.P.Q.Risiko. The turtle strategy usually requires a commander to make no attacks that will annoy another player. The compulsion to gain cards and victory points will normally force even the most quiescent tortoise to strike another empire. Retribution is almost certain to follow. There are no obvious Fortress Australia regions in S.P.Q.Risiko but Britannia is a good province to retain as a Last Stand position.

Just as in classic Risk a player can be eliminated from the game. The instructions state that a player may not be eliminated before Turn 4 but they seem to say nothing about the actual implementation of this rule. A five player game can end quickly for one regime if a couple of the other empires get in position to administer a killing blow. An even more horrible fate awaits the player who is just clinging to a handful of pitiful provinces with no hope of playing the spoiler, much less winning a victory.

I don't like games with player elimination. S.P.Q.Risiko could really use an optional rule that would allow a defeated player to assume control of a barbarian kingdom along the borders of the Roman world. This has been done successfully in several other games covering this era. I'm working on that idea.

Having a defeated player surrender all of his or her cards to the victor is perfect for a game about conflict in Ancient Rome; losers were stripped of their estates and their property was often sold at discount prices to members of the winning side.



Play: Triumph or tragedy at the end of the game...

As I mentioned earlier the rules suggest that the length of a game can be determined by a time limit or a numerical victory point goal. The actual procedures for ending a game are somewhat vague. The original Italian rules say that play ends immediately (conclude instaneamente in Italian) while the translation indicates that it might be a good idea to finish the entire turn. That is my experience as well.

It takes a while to rack up impressive point totals in S.P.Q.Risiko unless the empire controls some Power Centers. Any player that reaches the XL mark at the upper end of the scale in a short evening has my sincere admiration. Astute players will block another commander from scoring with carefully planned attacks that break up a large empire, and victory points come in ones or twos until an empire builds those coliseums. For a quick game I think XX or XXV points might be a good place to stop.

Players without arenas often seem to be expending a great deal of time and energy without scoring many victory points. This does not contribute to an enjoyable play experience. It may be a fine thing to deny another player the fruits of a triumph by dividing his or her empire with a cunning attack but watching your own victory point total remain nearly stagnant is not fun. Attacking any random province containing a Power Center might become an obsession when a player like the unlucky Geekus Flabius is forced to become the spoiler in a 4 or 5 player game.

S.P.Q.Risiko is already a good game and it has the potential to be much better.

Those pesky arena victory points appear to be the only serious problem. Casual players might not even notice the effects of this rule until they get more familiar with the game but experienced wargamers would probably pick up on this flaw immediately. I normally don’t condone designs that obviously need a little tinkering but I will make an exception for S.P.Q.Risiko.

I intend to playtest the official Power Center rules suggestions. I'm also thinking about another version in which a player scores one point if he or she controls the majority of Power Centers… or perhaps a "First Among Equals" (Primus Inter Pares) rule that scores one point even if two players are tied with the same number of coliseums… or perhaps the five Power Center cards can be used as Wild Cards that match any two other cards like those infantry/cavalry/artillery Wild Cards in classic Risk!

A clean version of the rules that includes all of the official changes would be a big help. S.P.Q.Risiko could also be improved with some event cards -- revolt, barbarian invasion, pirate raids, financial crisis, political intrigue, or natural disasters. I'm working on that.

I wanted to love S.P.Q.Risiko. I’m not in love, but I think we can still be good friends.

If any Geeks living in Florida are intrigued we should get together and play this game!

I'm already working on a two player version of S.P.Q.Risiko based on the historical scenario that features the Gallic Empire, Imperial Rome, and the Kingdom of Palmyra. I also plan to create a custom map for my own four player version that includes several optional rules.



BGG owes a debt of gratitude to af7hqs who generously used his linguistic talents to translate the S.P.Q.Risiko rules into English. I learned just how tough this could be when I attempted to translate the FAQ section of the Editrice Giochi website using my Italian-English dictionary. Any mistakes that were made while explaining the rules in this review are entirely my responsibility.



I’d like to thank BGG member giochiusati for the superb service when I ordered my S.P.Q.Risiko game from Italy. She is a seller I can highly recommend.