Omar Bennett
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhammer in 1954 and released commercially in 1959. It is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I, and can be played by two to seven players, each controlling the armed forces of a major European power. The aim of the game is to use your armies and fleets to conquer as much of Europe as possible, with the winner being the first player to capture and be in possession of at least 18 of the 34 nations or provinces on the map that contain supply centres.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2-7 |
| Objective | Capture 18 of the 34 supply centers (a simple majority) |
| Board type | Strategic board game |
| Setting | Europe in the years leading to World War I |
| Types of units | Armies and Fleets |
| Types of spaces | Ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces |
| Number of territories | 56 land territories and 19 water territories |
| Number of supply centers | 34 |
| Number of moves per year | 2 |
| Phases per year | 4 (spring, fall, winter, and retreat) |
| Number of Diplomacy phases | 2 (spring and fall) |
| Number of tournaments | Varies, including WDC, DipCon, and Euro DipCon |
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What You'll Learn
Control 18 supply centres to win
To win the strategic board game Diplomacy, a player must gain control of 18 supply centres. This is also referred to as gaining control of Europe, as the game is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I.
Each player represents one of the Great Powers of Europe: England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Italy and France. Each player aims to move their few starting units and defeat those of others to win possession of a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centres" on the map. These supply centres allow players who control them to produce more units. A power can have as many units as it has supply centres. After each Fall move, newly acquired supply centres become owned by the occupying player, and each power's supply centre total is recalculated. Players with fewer supply centres than units on the board must disband units, while players with more supply centres than units on the board are entitled to build units in their open (unoccupied) Home centres.
The board is divided into a large number of spaces, each identified by a name (often abbreviated to three letters). There are three types of space on the board: ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces. The type of space determines which units can occupy them. There are 56 land territories and 19 water territories. Only seven supply centres are completely landlocked.
There are two types of units: Armies and Fleets. An army can travel in land spaces and coastal land spaces, and a fleet can travel in sea spaces and coastal land spaces. Fleets are important to convoy armies across water, support coastal battles, create a blockade on sea spaces so that other fleets cannot expand, etc. Some countries can live without fleets since they are nearly landlocked geographically.
The game has three phases a year: spring, fall, and winter. Spring and fall are diplomacy phases when players use their armies. After those phases, there are retreat and build phases. Retreat phases are for players who have lost armies to move or disband them. Build phases are in the winter when the powers are able to disband or build units depending on how many supply centres they have.
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Use armies and fleets to conquer Europe
Diplomacy is a strategic board game set in Europe in the years leading up to the First World War. The game board reflects the political boundaries of Europe in 1914, and players each control the armed forces of a major European power. The game proceeds by seasons, beginning in the year 1901, with each year divided into two main seasons: the "Spring" and "Fall" (Autumn) moves. Each season is further divided into negotiation and movement phases, followed by "retreat" or "disband" adjustments.
To conquer Europe in Diplomacy, players must utilise their armies and fleets effectively. Land and sea power are both important, and players must decide whether to raise an army or build a fleet. A player's decision will depend on their chosen strategy and the specific country they are playing as. For example, as Austria, it is important to build fleets to avoid being crushed later in the game, whereas England should focus on making fleets to dominate the coastlines.
Armies and fleets have different movement rules. Armies in a coastal province may move to a non-adjacent coastal province if convoyed, while fleets in a coastal province may only move to adjacent provinces along the coastline. Fleets can also convoy armies, allowing them to move to a different coastal province. Additionally, some provinces have split coasts, which means that fleets must choose which coast to move to and can only move to adjacent provinces along that coast.
To win the game, players must aim to control a majority of the strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map. These supply centers allow players to produce more units, giving them an advantage over their opponents. If a player controls 18 or more of the 34 supply centers at the end of a year, they are the winner.
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Support and cooperation between players
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954, with the main goal of conquering a majority of territories. The game is set in Europe in the years leading up to the First World War, and players each control the armed forces of a major European power. To win, players must employ strategic negotiation, alliance-building, and tactical gameplay to gain possession of 18 or more of the 34 "supply centers" scattered across the map.
Alliances can provide players with much-needed support, such as additional units or protection for vulnerable territories. For example, Germany's central position on the board can be advantageous if it survives early attacks. Players allying with Germany can benefit from its strength and influence in central Europe. Similarly, England, a relatively safe country, can negotiate with France or Russia and then use their fleets to dominate the coastlines and move inland.
Cooperation between players can also take the form of coordinated attacks on mutual threats. For instance, Austria must watch out for Italy's potential betrayal and carefully choose between crushing Turkey with Russia or vice versa. Forming the right alliances and coordinating attacks effectively can significantly impact a player's chances of victory.
Additionally, players can support each other by sharing strategic advice and tips. For new players, providing advice on basic strategies, such as protecting key borders or knowing when to backstab, can enhance their gameplay experience and improve their chances of success. Open communication and the exchange of ideas can foster a collaborative environment that benefits all players involved.
In conclusion, support and cooperation between players in Diplomacy are essential for success. Through strategic alliances, coordinated attacks, shared intelligence, and mutual support, players can work together to conquer territories and achieve victory. While backstabbing and betrayal are also part of the game, fostering trust and cooperation can often lead to more favourable outcomes for all involved parties.
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Types of territories: land, water, coastal land
In the strategic board game Diplomacy, created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954, there are three types of territories: land, water, and coastal land. The objective of the game is to conquer as much of Europe as possible, specifically, to capture and possess at least a simple majority of 18 out of 34 nations or provinces on the map that contain "supply centres" at the end of a year. These supply centres allow players to produce more units.
Land territories can contain an Army and, if adjacent to a water territory, a Fleet as well. There are 56 land territories, 34 of which are supply centres. A Fleet in a land territory that is next to water in multiple disconnected places must be on one of the coasts and can only move to and support units in territories adjacent to that coast. Certain territories like Kiel and Constantinople are exceptions, as they are adjacent to water in disconnected places yet have no coasts, allowing fleets to move to any adjacent water.
Water territories can only contain Fleets. There are 19 water territories. Water territories are areas where a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potentially the extended continental shelf. The territorial sea is a belt of sovereign water extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state, and foreign ships are allowed innocent passage. The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends from the baseline to almost 200 nautical miles, and a coastal nation has control of all economic resources within this zone.
Coastal land territories can contain both Armies and Fleets. Coastal land spaces are crucial for fleets to support armies across water and for convoys, which allow an army to travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the chain created by the convoying fleets. These convoys must embark and disembark at coastal land territories.
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Rules for disbanding or building units
In Diplomacy, there are two types of units: Armies and Fleets. An Army can travel in land spaces and coastal land spaces, while a Fleet can travel in sea spaces and coastal land spaces. Each player aims to move their few starting units and defeat those of others to win possession of a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map; these supply centers allow players who control them to produce more units.
The rules for disbanding or building units in Diplomacy are as follows:
Disbanding Units
If a unit is defeated or dislodged from its province, it must either retreat to an unoccupied adjacent province or be disbanded and removed from play. A unit with no legal retreats, or one that attempts to retreat to the same province as another retreating unit, is also disbanded. A unit can always voluntarily disband instead of retreating. If a unit is dislodged as a result of a move, the player must submit Retreat Phase orders for it to either retreat or disband.
Building Units
After the Fall move, newly acquired supply centers become owned by the occupying player, and each power's supply center total is recalculated. Players with more supply centers than units on the board are entitled to build units in their open (unoccupied) Home centers (supply centers controlled at the start of the game). However, players with fewer supply centers than units on the board must disband units to match the number of their remaining supply centers. A player can decline to build a unit for any reason. New units may be created at the player's unoccupied home supply centers, with a maximum of one unit per center.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 56 land territories and 19 water territories, for a total of 75 territories.
There are 34 territories that are supply centers.
You need to capture and be in possession of at least 18 of the 34 supply centers at the end of a year.
If you have more supply centers than units on the board, you are allowed to build units in your open (unoccupied) home centers.
If you have more units than supply centers, you must disband units.
