Jonah Patel
In the board game Diplomacy, players aim to conquer as much of Europe as possible, specifically targeting supply centers. There are three phases in the game: Diplomacy, Retreats, and Builds. The Builds phase is for building or destroying units. To get builds in Diplomacy, players must first have more supply centers than units. During the Builds phase, players can create units in the supply centers they started the game with, as long as they are not occupied by another unit. It's important to note that building is a significant commitment, and players should consider their expansion plans and discuss their builds with allies. Additionally, managing builders is crucial, and players should aim for a well-balanced team to adapt to changing circumstances.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2-7 players |
| Objective of the game | Control 18 supply centers or provinces on the map |
| Types of phases | Diplomacy, Retreats, Builds |
| Number of diplomacy phases | 2 (Spring and Autumn) |
| Build phase | After Autumn or Autumn's Retreats |
| Build strategy | Only build if necessary; discuss with allies |
| Builders | Construct a Builder's House to unlock more |
| Builder's House placement | Near stone deposits or defensive structures |
| Balancing builders and soldiers | Time builder assignments around attack waves |
| Resources | Wood, stone, food, iron |
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What You'll Learn
Build only when necessary
When playing Diplomacy, it's important to remember that building is a significant commitment that can limit your future expansion options. Here are some tips to help you decide when to build and when to hold off:
Firstly, only build when it's absolutely necessary. Building is a significant commitment in Diplomacy, and it's better to keep your options open by having the resources in your pocket. Often, players build structures that end up sitting idle behind their lines, doing nothing. Instead, it's advisable to wait and deploy your resources when you truly need them.
Secondly, maintain a balance between builders and soldiers. While it's tempting to focus solely on construction, a strong defence is also crucial. If you have an excess of builders and a shortage of soldiers, your town may be vulnerable to enemy attacks. On the other hand, neglecting builders can leave you without the infrastructure to support your growing army.
To strike a balance, consider timing your builder assignments around the game's attack waves. After an enemy wave, assign more workers to build or repair, and as the next wave approaches, shift those workers towards becoming soldiers or reinforcing your defences. By cycling workers between these roles, you can maintain a dynamic and responsive workforce while staying prepared for combat.
Additionally, remember that expansion should be gradual. If you expand too rapidly, you may find yourself with numerous structures and insufficient workers to maintain them. Always build a Builder's House when you notice construction projects piling up. This will unlock additional builders, increasing your construction speed. Place these Builder's Houses strategically, considering the busiest areas of your settlement, such as near newly discovered resource deposits or along front lines where defensive structures are needed.
Lastly, during the game's Diplomacy phases, don't forget to discuss your builds with your allies. Their input can help you make informed decisions about when and where to build, ensuring that your construction efforts align with your collective strategic goals.
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Discuss builds with allies
Discussing builds with allies is an important aspect of the game Diplomacy. In the game, players aim to exert their dominance by defeating opponents, either alone or by sharing victory with allies. The game has three phases: Diplomacy, Retreats, and Builds. The Builds phase occurs in winter and involves players creating or destroying units.
When it comes to discussing builds with allies, there are a few key considerations. Firstly, it is advisable to communicate your plans and intentions with your allies to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. For example, if an ally is building fleets in a particular region, it may be beneficial to understand their strategy and how it aligns with your own. Open communication can help prevent suspicions and preemptive actions, as seen in the example where Austria stabbed Russia due to concerns about their fleet-building in the Black Sea.
Secondly, it is important to recognise that builds can significantly impact your future expansion options. Building the wrong type of unit or constructing in the wrong centre can lead to critical decisions that may cause allies to turn against you. Therefore, discussing builds with allies can help you make more informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
Additionally, while building provides expansion opportunities, it is also the most committal move in the game. As such, it is advisable to build only when necessary and to maintain flexibility. By discussing builds with allies, you can coordinate your strategies and ensure that your builds complement each other, enhancing your collective expansion prospects.
Lastly, during the Builds phase, players can only create units in the supply centres they started the game with, provided they own more supply centres than units. Discussing build plans with allies can help ensure that you optimise your unit creation while adhering to these rules.
In conclusion, discussing builds with allies in Diplomacy is crucial for fostering cooperation, avoiding misunderstandings, and making strategic decisions that align with the group's collective goals. Open communication and coordination can lead to more effective gameplay and increase the chances of achieving victory, be it solo or shared.
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Build a Builder's House
Building a Builder's House in Diplomacy is a complex process that requires careful planning and strategy. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
First, it is essential to understand the phases of the game. The build phase in Diplomacy occurs only in the winter, after the Autumn Diplomacy and Retreats. During this phase, you can create units, but only in the supply centres you started the game with, provided you own them and they are not occupied by any enemy units.
Before constructing a Builder's House, you should focus on gathering resources. Scout the map for resource carts containing wood, stone, food, and iron. These resources will be crucial for your construction projects. Use your soldiers to collect these resources and give your economy a boost.
Next, you'll want to upgrade your lumber mills to level two or destroy them and build new ones closer to uncut forests for more efficient wood production. Additionally, build farms to increase food production, and if you have some iron, consider constructing a market to trade resources.
Now, let's focus on the Builder's House. To build one, you'll need to collect wood and stone. Use the wood to build additional houses next to your town's keep, and send your soldiers to find and clear an area of stone deposits that can be mined. With the stone, you can construct a granary next to your food production buildings, allowing for faster food collection and higher food stockpile capacity.
Remember, building units should be a careful decision. Only build if necessary, as it is a significant commitment. Discuss your builds with your allies, and consider how your choices may impact your expansion options in the future.
By following these steps and carefully managing your resources, you'll be well on your way to building a Builder's House in Diplomacy.
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Balance builders and soldiers
In Civilization 6, players must balance building units and soldiers to achieve victory. Builders are crucial for developing a player's cities and improving the surrounding tiles, while soldiers are necessary for defence and expansion. Here are some tips to balance builders and soldiers:
Firstly, builders are essential for the growth and happiness of a civilization. They possess a range of abilities, including constructing tile improvements, gathering resources, and performing tasks within the player's city borders. Players should prioritise using builders to develop their cities, especially in the early game, as they are cheap to recruit. Builders can also repair pillaged improvements, which is valuable as improvements can be destroyed by barbarians, natural disasters, or enemy civilizations.
However, it is also important to build a strong military to prevent attacks from other civilizations and barbarians. Players should aim to have a military strength that is at least equal to or preferably greater than the average of other civilizations. A strong military also allows players to cover more ground and expand their empire. To balance this, players should focus on building competitive military units rather than a large number of weaker units. This can be achieved by investing in infrastructure and production, such as building a waterwheel instead of a granary.
Additionally, players should make use of their workers, who are vital for a civilization's survival. Workers can construct improvements like farms and mines, build roads and railroads, and repair damaged improvements. It is important to protect workers as they cannot defend themselves and can be captured by enemies. Players can also sell or gift workers to other civilizations if they have more than they need.
Overall, players should focus on a balanced strategy, investing in both builders and soldiers to ensure the growth, defence, and expansion of their civilization.
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Manage your builders
Managing your builders is a critical aspect of Diplomacy, and there are several strategies to consider. Firstly, it is important to remember that building is a significant commitment. Unless absolutely necessary, it is often advisable to waive building and retain flexibility. Building commits you to a particular path, and limits your expansion options in the future. This can be a critical decision, and may even cause allies to turn on you if they disagree with your choice. Therefore, in a press game, it is crucial to discuss your plans with your allies to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Secondly, the type of unit you build is important. You should assess whether you need to build an army or a fleet, and ensure you are building the right type of unit for your strategic goals. For example, if playing as England, you may find yourself building in the wrong centre or with the wrong type of unit, so careful consideration is required.
Thirdly, the timing of your builds is key. The build phase occurs only in winter, after the Autumn diplomacy and retreats. If you have more supply centres than units, you can create units in the supply centres you started the game with, as long as they are not occupied by enemy units. If you have more units than supply centres, you must disband units until you have parity.
Finally, when starting a new game, it is important to have a build order in mind. You should aim to collect as many resource carts as possible, containing wood, stone, food, and iron. Use your wood to build additional houses next to your town's keep, and your stone to build a granary next to your food production buildings to speed up food collection. Upgrade your lumber mills to level two, and build farms to increase food production. If you have iron, consider building a market to facilitate trading resources.
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Frequently asked questions
The objective of the game is to use your armies and fleets to conquer as much of Europe 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.
The first step to increasing your number of builders is to construct a Builder's House. You begin the game with two builders, but as you start expanding, you'll need more. Once you've built a Builder's House, you'll unlock additional builders, enabling you to get construction projects done faster.
Place your Builder's Houses strategically. Think about where the busiest areas of your settlement are and position them accordingly. For example, near newly discovered stone deposits or along the front lines where you'll be constructing defensive structures.
There are three types of phases in the game: Diplomacy, Retreats, and Builds. There are two Diplomacy phases each year, Spring and Autumn, followed by a Retreat phase if retreats are necessary. After Autumn, there is a Builds phase for building or destroying units.
During the Diplomacy phase, players can discuss anything they wish, including bargaining, joint military planning, exchanging information, and more. It's important to manage the balance between builders and soldiers. Focus on scouting the map for resource carts and collecting them to give your economy a boost. Additionally, upgrade your buildings, increase food production, and trade resources. During the game, you can also use fleets to convoy armies across bodies of water and support coastal battles.
