Omar Bennett
Diplomacy is a board game set in Europe prior to World War 1, with the aim of the game being to gain control of Europe by occupying supply centres. There are 34 supply centres on the standard map, 22 of which are controlled by one of the 7 powers at the start of the game, and the other 12 are neutral. To win the game, a player must control 18 supply centres (more than half of all centres) during the Autumn turn. To occupy a supply centre, a player must move one of their units into the centre during a Fall turn. Once a player has occupied a supply centre, they may choose to leave it vacant, and they will continue to maintain control of the centre so long as another player does not move into it during a subsequent Fall turn.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of supply centers | 34 |
| Number of supply centers controlled by one of the 7 powers at the start of the game | 22 |
| Number of supply centers that are neutral at the start of the game | 12 |
| Number of supply centers required to win the game | 18 |
| Number of players | 7 (best), 2 minimum |
| Number of units | Equal to the number of supply centers |
| Number of units required to claim a supply center | 1 |
| Time of year when a supply center can be claimed | Fall |
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What You'll Learn
- Control supply centres by having a unit in the centre at the end of a Fall turn
- Win the game by controlling 18 supply centres during Autumn
- Supply centres are the goal of the game
- You can only have as many units as supply centres
- Occupation of a supply centre occurs when a unit is located there after a Fall move
Control supply centres by having a unit in the centre at the end of a Fall turn
Diplomacy is a strategic board game where players represent one of the seven "Great Powers of Europe" in the years before World War I. The goal is to control 18 supply centres (a simple majority) by the end of a year, which can be achieved through occupying provinces with your units.
To control a supply centre, you must have a unit (either an army or a fleet) in that centre at the end of a Fall turn. This is a crucial distinction to make, as occupying a supply centre during the Spring turn and then moving out during the Fall turn does not establish control. Once you have established control, you can move your unit out of the supply centre and still retain control, as long as another player does not move into that centre by the end of the Fall turn.
It is important to note that each province can only hold one unit, and units can only move into adjacent provinces. Additionally, units in coastal provinces can only move along coastal spaces and cannot travel through land spaces. This makes fleets an essential component of the game, as they can be used to convoy armies across water and support coastal battles.
After each Fall turn, players gain a new unit for each new supply centre they control and lose a unit if one of their supply centres is occupied by another player. This adjustment phase ensures that players have a number of units that matches the supply centres they control.
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Win the game by controlling 18 supply centres during Autumn
To win the game of Diplomacy, a player must control 18 supply centers (more than half of the total 34) during the Autumn turn. The game is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War I, and players aim to defeat others to win possession of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map. These supply centers allow players to produce more units.
To claim a supply center, a player must have a unit in the supply center during the Winter phase, which is at the end of Autumn. If a player already owns a supply center, they don't need to keep a unit there, but if another player moves their unit into that supply center, they will take it over. It's important to note that occupying a supply center in the Spring and then moving out in the Autumn does not establish control.
To achieve the goal of controlling 18 supply centers, players need to employ strategic negotiation and alliance-building with other players. Diplomacy is unique among board wargames in that it involves negotiation phases and lacks dice or other randomizing elements. Players must carefully plan their moves and form beneficial alliances to gain control of supply centers and block their opponents from doing the same.
Additionally, players with more supply centers than units on the board can build new units in their open (unoccupied) home centers. By contrast, players with fewer supply centers than units must disband units. Players who have lost all their home centers cannot build new units, and those controlling no supply centers are eliminated from the game.
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Supply centres are the goal of the game
Supply centers are the goal of the board game Diplomacy. There are 34 supply centers on the standard map, 22 of which are controlled by one of the seven powers at the start of the game, and the remaining 12 are neutral. Each player represents one of the Great Powers of Europe in the years before World War 1: England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and France. The objective of the game is for one of the Great Powers to gain control of 18 supply centers (more than half of all centers), which is considered "gaining control of Europe," and the player representing that Great Power is the winner.
To occupy a supply center, a player must have one of their units located in that center after a Fall move, which includes retreats. Once a player has established occupation of a supply center, they can choose to leave it vacant or maintain one unit there. The player will continue to occupy the center as long as another power does not occupy it at the end of a Fall move. It is important to note that occupation only occurs during the Fall move; moving into a supply center during a Spring move and then moving out during the Fall of the same year does not establish control.
The number of units a player can have is limited by the number of supply centers they control. This means that controlling more supply centers allows players to build more units. However, it is not necessary to maintain a unit in each controlled supply center, and players can choose to move units out of occupied centers without losing control as long as another power does not occupy it during the Fall turn.
It is worth noting that players are not eliminated from the game until they have zero supply centers during a Winter phase. Additionally, players may agree to terminate the game before a winner is determined, resulting in a draw for all players who still have pieces on the board.
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You can only have as many units as supply centres
In the board game Diplomacy, there are 34 supply centres on the Standard map, 22 of which are controlled by one of the seven powers, and the remaining 12 are neutral. The goal of the game is to control 18 supply centres (one more than half of all supply centres) during the Autumn season to win.
To clarify a common misconception, you can only have as many units as supply centres. In other words, you must have a unit in the supply centre during the Winter phase (at the end of Fall). If you already have claimed a supply centre, you don't need to keep a unit there, but if another power moves their unit there, they will take over. This means that an attacker could occupy your supply centre in the Spring and be evicted in the Fall without claiming the supply centre.
For example, if France moves into Spain in Spring 1901 but then moves out of Spain into Portugal in Fall 1901, Spain will remain neutral since it was unoccupied in the Fall. However, France will now own Portugal and remain the owner until another power occupies it after another Fall season.
It is important to note that supply centres can only change hands during the Fall turn, just before winter adjustments.
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Occupation of a supply centre occurs when a unit is located there after a Fall move
To build a supply center in Diplomacy, you must understand the rules of the game and the strategies that can help you gain control of these centers. There are 34 supply centers on the standard map, with 22 controlled by one of the seven powers and the remaining 12 starting as neutral. The objective of the game is for a player to gain control of 18 supply centers (more than half) during the Autumn turn, which will give them dominance over Europe and make them the winner.
Occupation of a supply center occurs when a unit is located there after a Fall move. This is a crucial rule to understand. If a player moves into a supply center in the Spring and then moves out in the Fall, they do not establish control. To own or change ownership, a unit must be present in the supply center after the Fall turn. For example, if France moves into Spain in the Spring of 1901 but then moves out of Spain and into Portugal in the Fall of 1901, Spain remains neutral, but France now owns Portugal.
It is important to note that once a player has established control of a supply center, they can move their unit out, and they will retain control as long as no other player moves into that center by the end of the Fall turn. This means that an attacker could occupy a player's supply center in the Spring but be evicted in the Fall without claiming the center.
Additionally, players do not have to leave a garrison in a supply center to maintain control. However, if another player moves a unit into an uncontrolled center, they will take over ownership.
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Frequently asked questions
The goal of Diplomacy is to gain control of Europe by controlling 18 supply centers during Autumn.
You must have a unit in the supply center during the Winter phase, at the end of Autumn. Once you have control of it, you can move out and retain control as long as another power does not have someone in it at the end of an Autumn turn.
No, you don't have to leave a garrison to retain control. However, you can maintain one unit on account of this supply center so long as this center is not occupied by another Great Power at the close of an Autumn move.
There are 34 supply centers on the Standard map, 22 of which start controlled by one of the 7 powers. The other 12 start as neutral.
Yes, the only element of chance in the game is that players draw lots to determine which Great Power they will represent at the start of the game.
