
The board game Diplomacy involves using armies and fleets to conquer provinces on a map of Europe. The map is divided into ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces. Each type of space determines which units can occupy them. Fleets are important for convoying armies across water, supporting coastal battles, and blockading sea spaces. In the game, fleets can move from coast to sea, but only to adjacent coastal provinces. For example, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move to Sweden and then to Norway, Denmark, the Baltic Sea, or Finland in one move. However, a fleet in Marseilles can move to Spain's south coast but not the north coast in a single move.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can fleets move from coast to sea? | Yes, fleets can move from coast to sea. |
| Fleet movement rules | Fleets can move to all adjacent coastal territories and seas if they occupy one of them. |
| Coastal territories with multiple coasts | A fleet must occupy one of the coasts of a territory and can only move to territories that the occupied coast is adjacent to. |
| Provinces with specific coasts | Fleets on the specific coasts are considered "in" the territory. |
| Provinces with straits | A territory with a strait counts as a strait by default, allowing fleets to move along either coast to the adjacent territories. |
| Convoying armies | Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces. |
| Supply centers | Fleets are important to convoy armies, support coastal battles, and create blockades. |
| Movement rules | All units in Diplomacy can only move one space at a time, except for convoyed armies, which can travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the convoying fleet chain. |
Explore related products
$11.99 $17.99
What You'll Learn
- Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces
- Fleets can support coastal battles
- Fleets can create a blockade on sea spaces
- Fleets can move to all adjacent coastal territories and seas if they occupy one of them
- Fleets in coastal supply centres must specify which coast they are on

Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets play an important role in helping players achieve their objective of conquering as many European nations or provinces as possible. Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces. This is a crucial function as it enables players to transport their armies to new territories, potentially giving them an advantage over their opponents.
The rules of Diplomacy specify that fleets can only move to coastal provinces that are adjacent along the coastline. For example, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move to Sweden, and from there, it can move to Norway, Skagerrak, Denmark, the Baltic Sea, or Finland in a single move. This flexibility allows players to navigate their fleets strategically and access new areas.
It's worth noting that some provinces have specific coasts, such as St. Petersburg, Bulgaria, and Spain. In these cases, fleets must specify the coast they are occupying, and they can only move to territories adjacent to that particular coast. For instance, a fleet on the east coast of Bulgaria can be dislodged by an attack on Bulgaria's south coast.
While fleets are essential for convoying armies, it's important to remember that not all countries require fleets to the same extent. Nations like Russia, Germany, and Austria are nearly landlocked geographically, so they may not depend on fleets as much as other countries. On the other hand, countries like England rely heavily on their fleets to convoy armies to the mainland.
In addition to convoying armies, fleets in Diplomacy have other functions as well. They can support coastal battles, create blockades to restrict enemy fleet movements, and occupy coastal supply centers. The strategic use of fleets, along with armies, forms the core of the gameplay in Diplomacy, requiring players to carefully consider their moves and navigate the complexities of fleet movements in coastal territories.
Using Government Property for Political Campaigns: Legal?
You may want to see also

Fleets can support coastal battles
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets play an important role in supporting coastal battles and achieving strategic advantages. The game involves using armies and fleets to conquer territories and provinces in Europe. Here's how fleets can support coastal battles:
Strategic Movement:
Fleets can move along coasts and seas to gain strategic advantages. For example, in the case of Sweden, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move into Sweden and from there, it can move to adjacent coastal provinces along the coastline. This allows players to bypass conflicts with enemy fleets in bordering water territories. Similarly, a fleet in Bulgaria can be dislodged by an attack on either the east or south coast.
Convoying Armies:
Fleets are crucial for convoying armies across water bodies to coastal provinces. They facilitate the movement of armies from one coastal province to another. For instance, a fleet in a body of water may convoy an army from any province on the coast to another province on the same coast. This is particularly important for countries like England, as without fleets, they cannot convoy armies to the mainland.
Blockades and Support:
Fleets can create blockades in sea spaces, preventing enemy fleets from expanding. They can also provide support during battles. For example, in the provided rules, Fleet Gascony and Fleet Irish Sea cut off support for England's Army Picardy, impacting their attack on Brest. On the other hand, Army Paris supported Fleet Brest, demonstrating how fleets can receive support from armies as well.
Strategic Locations:
Certain locations on the board provide strategic advantages for fleets. For example, controlling the Con strait, the only way in and out of the Black Sea, gives players a significant advantage. Similarly, the coasts of Spa require fleets to pass through MAO and Por, making MAO a key bottleneck. Understanding these strategic locations helps players effectively utilize their fleets to support coastal battles.
In summary, fleets in Diplomacy can support coastal battles by facilitating army movements, creating blockades, providing support during engagements, and exploiting strategic locations to gain advantages over opponents.
Political Campaign Activity Limitations: The Act Explained
You may want to see also

Fleets can create a blockade on sea spaces
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets can move from coast to sea. Fleet movements can get complicated when a coastal territory has multiple coasts. For instance, a fleet in Sweden can move to Norway, Skagerrak, Denmark, the Baltic, the Gulf of Bothnia, or Finland in one move. In this way, fleets can create a blockade on sea spaces.
A blockade is a long campaign that requires a long-term commitment by the blockading power. Naval blockades have been used for millennia, with the first successful attempts made by the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War (1754-1763) against France. A blockade can be used to starve an enemy's ports of commerce, weakening their economy. It can also be used to prevent an enemy's naval forces from putting to sea, as in the case of the British blockade of the French fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. This is known as a "fleet in being".
There are different types of blockades, such as close blockades and distant blockades. In a close blockade, the blockading ships remain continuously at sea, exposed to the elements and vulnerable to attack. A distant blockade allows blockaders to stay away from the blockaded coast and try to intercept any ships going in or out. A loose blockade is a variation of a close blockade where the blockading ships are withdrawn out of sight from the coast, with the aim of luring the enemy out while staying close enough to strike.
Blockades can have severe consequences, such as the starvation of the civilian population, as seen in the blockade of Germany during World War I. According to modern international law, blockades are considered an act of war and are governed by specific rules. The blockading nation typically establishes a blockaded area of water and can inspect any ship attempting to break the blockade.
Participant Observation: Political Campaign Insights and Strategies
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$15.26 $17.99

Fleets can move to all adjacent coastal territories and seas if they occupy one of them
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets play a crucial role in achieving victory. The objective of the game is to conquer as much of Europe as possible, and fleets help in supporting coastal battles, blockading sea spaces, and convoying armies across bodies of water. When it comes to fleet movement, the rules can get a little intricate, especially when a coastal territory has multiple coasts.
In general, fleets can move to all adjacent coastal territories and seas if they occupy one of them. For example, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move into Sweden and, from there, it can move to any adjacent coastal province along the coastline. This means that the fleet can bypass conflicts with enemy fleets in bordering water territories like the Baltic Sea, Denmark, or Skagerrak. However, it is important to note that fleets cannot move into landlocked provinces.
The ability to move fleets strategically is essential in the game. For instance, in the case of Sweden and Denmark, a fleet can move from Sweden to Denmark or vice versa. However, if a fleet is moving from the Baltic Sea to the Skagerrak or vice versa, it must first move to Sweden or Denmark. This highlights the significance of certain locations, such as the common border between Sweden and Denmark, which does not separate the coast of Sweden into two distinct coastlines.
Additionally, certain provinces have specific rules regarding fleet movement. For example, in the case of Bulgaria (Bul), fleets must specify the coast they are on, such as the east coast or the south coast. This distinction is crucial because a fleet on the east coast of Bulgaria can be dislodged by an attack on Bulgaria's south coast. Similarly, a fleet in Marseilles can move to Spain's south coast but cannot support an action in or move to Marseilles from Spain's north coast in a single move.
In conclusion, fleets play a vital role in the game of Diplomacy, and their movement from coast to sea is governed by a set of rules. While fleets can generally move to adjacent coastal territories and seas, specific provinces and coastlines may have unique considerations that players must be aware of to strategize effectively.
Donating Without WinRed: Alternative Ways to Give Back
You may want to see also

Fleets in coastal supply centres must specify which coast they are on
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets in coastal supply centres must specify which coast they are on. This is because certain coastal provinces have multiple and separate coastlines, such as Bulgaria, St. Petersburg, and Spain. For example, Spain is marked with NC (North Coast) and SC (South Coast). When occupying these coastal areas, fleets are considered to be stationed at one coast or the other and cannot travel "through" a land space to get to the sea space off its opposite coast. A fleet in a coastal province can assume its warships are at any point along the coast of that province. This means that the fleet may move to an adjacent coastal province only if it is adjacent along the coastline, so the vessels could move down the coast to that province. For instance, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move into Sweden, and from there, it can move to Norway, Skagerrak, Denmark, Baltic, the Gulf of Bothnia, or Finland in one move.
In the standard version of the game, there are no special rules for straits concerning fleets. However, the special rules for Constantinople and Kiel are that the waterways—the straits through Constantinople and the canal for Kiel—don't prevent armies from using them as if they weren't there. So an army in Constantinople can move to Bulgaria, and an army in Kiel can move to any adjacent coastal territory.
In terms of gameplay, each player is given three home supply centres (except for Russia, which has four). These are the starting points for their forces, and players can build new units here as they capture more supply centres. Possession of supply centres allows players to raise and maintain their armies and fleets. If a power loses all its home supply centres, it can still play but cannot build new units until it recaptures at least one home supply centre. At each movement phase, players may order each unit to hold its position, attack another province, or support another unit. Fleets can also be ordered to convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces.
Political Fundraising: Internet as a Powerful Campaign Tool
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, fleets can move from coast to sea in Diplomacy. A fleet in a body of water may convoy an army from any province on the coast of that body to any other province on the coast of that body.
No, a fleet can only move to an adjacent coastal province if it is adjacent along the coastline. For example, a fleet in Bulgaria (east coast) can be dislodged by an attack on Bulgaria (south coast) but not the other way around.
No, fleets cannot move into landlocked provinces.

























