Simone Lawson
In the board game Diplomacy, players aim to conquer as much of Europe as possible using their armies and fleets. The board is divided into ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces, with each space type determining which units can occupy them. Fleets are important for convoying armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces. For example, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can be moved into Sweden. A fleet must occupy one of the coasts of a territory with multiple coasts and can only move to territories that the occupied coast is adjacent to.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Game type | Board game |
| Objective | Conquer as much of Europe as possible |
| Number of players | 2-7 |
| Playing time | 4 hours |
| Game components | Armies and fleets |
| Game board | Map of Europe divided into spaces: ocean or sea, land, and coastal land |
| Rules | Four basic orders: Hold, Attack, Support, and Convoy |
| Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces | |
| Armies can move to any connected land space | |
| Fleets occupy coasts of territories with multiple coasts | |
| Fleets can support coastal battles and create blockades |
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What You'll Learn
Fleets can move to any connected sea space
In the board game Diplomacy, fleets play a crucial role in occupying coastal territories and supporting other fleets in water territories. A fleet's movement capabilities are determined by its position on the coast and the specific rules governing the game.
When a fleet is positioned in a coastal province, it is considered "in" that territory. For provinces with multiple coasts, such as Bulgaria, a fleet on the east coast is distinct from one on the south coast. This distinction is crucial for dislodging and supporting fleets. For example, a fleet on Bulgaria's east coast can be dislodged by an attack on Bulgaria's south coast.
Fleets have the advantage of being able to move to any connected sea space. For example, a fleet in Denmark can move to Heligoland, the North Sea, Skagerrak, Sweden, the Baltic Sea, or Kiel. This flexibility allows players to strategize and navigate their fleets across various bodies of water.
However, it's important to note that fleets cannot occupy landlocked territories. To occupy a supply centre, they must move to land, and they are unable to support inland territories directly. This limitation balances their strength, making them harder to dislodge compared to armies.
When moving fleets along coasts that border multiple bodies of water, such as in Scandinavia, players must carefully consider their notation. For example, moving a fleet from the Gulf of Bothnia into Sweden requires specifying the coast, such as the coast bordering the Baltic Sea or Skagerrak. This clarity ensures that the fleet's intended path is accurately communicated to other players.
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Convoying an army across a body of water
Convoys are groups of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, that travel together for mutual support and protection. Convoys have been used for centuries, with the earliest examples of merchant ships travelling under naval protection dating back to the 12th century. Convoys were originally formed to protect against pirates. In the modern era, convoys were used extensively during World War I and World War II to protect merchant ships from German submarines and raiders.
To effectively convoy an army across a body of water, careful planning is required. The fleet must be large enough to accommodate all the troops and equipment, and the journey must be well-coordinated to ensure the army arrives at the intended destination safely and on time. The convoy route may need to be specified, especially if the fleet is travelling through multiple coastal provinces.
It is important to note that, according to some sources, only fleets in open sea spaces and not coastal spaces are typically allowed to convoy. This means that a fleet stationed in a coastal province may not be able to convoy an army across a body of water unless it first moves out into the open sea. Additionally, an army can usually reject a convoy route if it is moving to an adjacent land province via land, but if the army is travelling a long distance, a convoy across the water may be necessary.
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Coastal land provinces
In the board game Diplomacy, a distinction is made between land territories and coastal land provinces. Coastal land provinces are those that border a water territory and can be occupied by fleets. Some coastal land provinces border multiple territories with disconnected borders, in which case they would have a north and south coast. A fleet must occupy one of the coasts of a territory, and it can only move to territories that the occupied coast is adjacent to.
For example, a fleet on Bulgaria's east coast can be dislodged by an attack on Bulgaria's south coast. A fleet in Bulgaria's east coast can still be supported by a fleet in the Aegean, even though that fleet can only move to Bulgaria's south coast. There are also three "waterway" provinces where fleets can move to any connected sea space: Denmark, Kiel, and Constantinople. For instance, a fleet in Denmark can move to Heligoland, the North Sea, or Sweden, while a fleet in Kiel can move to Holland or Berlin.
In the case of Scandinavia, fleet movement along coasts can be more complex when the coast borders multiple bodies of water. For example, a fleet in the Gulf of Bothnia can move into Sweden, but it is unclear whether specifying a coast is necessary in this case. It seems that specifying a coast is only important if it could be ambiguous. For instance, if you want to build a fleet in St. Petersburg, you must specify a coast, but if you want to move a fleet into St. Petersburg, it doesn't matter as there are never any ambiguities on coasts there.
In the United States, the Coastal Plain Province is a physiographic province that stretches over 3,540 km (2,200 mi) from Cape Cod to the Mexican border. It is the flattest province and forms a passive continental margin, a classic example of which is found in plate tectonic terms. The gentle slope of the Coastal Plain continues far into the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, forming the continental shelf.
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Supporting a fleet into a territory
When it comes to supporting a fleet into a territory in the board game Diplomacy, there are a few key rules and strategies to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to understand the basic mechanics of fleet movement. A fleet must occupy one of the coasts of a territory and can only move or provide support to territories adjacent to the coast it occupies. This means that if a fleet is moving into a territory with multiple coasts, it is essential to specify which coast it is moving to, especially if there is a possibility of ambiguity.
In terms of providing support, a unit can only support a move to a province that it could move to itself. This means that an army cannot support a fleet into a water territory as it cannot move into a sea province. Similarly, a fleet cannot support an army into a landlocked territory. However, a fleet can provide support to another fleet moving into a coastal territory, as long as the supporting fleet could also move into that territory. For example, a fleet in the Aegean can support a fleet in Bulgaria (east coast) even though the supporting fleet can only move to Bulgaria's south coast.
When supporting a fleet into a territory, it is crucial to consider the support of both the attacking and defending units. To successfully support an attack, the supporting unit must border the province being attacked, but it does not need to border the attacker's province of origin. On the other hand, to support a unit in holding a province, the supporting unit must border the supported unit. Additionally, if the attacking unit has more units supporting it than the defending unit, the defence will be ousted from that province and will have to retreat or disband.
It is also important to note that support can be cut if the supporting unit is attacked during its turn by another unit. In this case, the support order becomes a hold order, as the unit must defend its own province. However, a unit occupying the province that the support is directed towards cannot cut support unless its attack successfully dislodges the supporting unit.
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The importance of fleets
Fleets are an essential component of the board game Diplomacy. They are a type of unit that a player can control, and they play a crucial role in occupying territories and supporting army movements. Each power starts with one fleet, except for England and Russia, which begin with two fleets each.
One of the unique abilities of fleets is their capacity to occupy both water territories and land territories adjacent to water. This makes them versatile and strategic pieces on the board. Fleets can also perform a special move called convoying, where they transport an army across a body of water. This ability to move armies is especially important when dealing with territories that have multiple coasts or are surrounded by water.
Additionally, fleets play a crucial role in supporting army movements into coastal territories. While armies cannot support fleets in the sea, fleets can provide support to armies moving into coastal areas. This dynamic highlights the interdependence between fleets and armies, where coordinated strategies are essential for success.
The strategic placement and movement of fleets can significantly impact the game's outcome. For example, in the case of Bulgaria in the Diplomacy board game, a fleet on the east coast can be dislodged by an attack on the south coast. Understanding the dynamics of fleet movement and support is crucial for players to effectively navigate the game's complexities and secure their diplomatic objectives.
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Frequently asked questions
The objective of the game is to use your armies and fleets to conquer as many European territories as possible. To win, you must capture and be in possession of at least 18 of the 34 nations or provinces on the map that contain supply centers.
Fleets are important to convoy armies across water, support coastal battles, and create blockades on sea spaces. 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, you can only move one unit at a time. The exception to this rule is a successful convoy, where a convoyed army may travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the chain created by the convoying fleets.
If you want to build a fleet in a territory with multiple coasts, you must specify the coast on which it is to appear, or the build is invalid. If you want to move a fleet to a territory with multiple coasts, it doesn't matter which coast you select as long as it is not ambiguous.
The retreats are written down immediately by the concerned players without diplomacy and simultaneously exposed, similar to movement orders. A player may choose to disband a unit rather than retreat it. If two or more units may only retreat to the same space, they are all disbanded unless only one of them is ordered to retreat.
![Coast to Coast [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Netherlands ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41vZw9oSkUL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
