Eleanor Finch
In the board game Diplomacy, players aim to conquer as much of Europe as possible by capturing a majority of the 34 provinces on the board. Each province or body of water is a space, and only one unit may occupy a space at a time. If two units are ordered to occupy the same space, neither can move, resulting in a stand-off. However, if one unit is supported by another, it can dislodge an opposing unit of lower strength and occupy its territory. This dynamic of movement and conflict resolution in the game models diplomatic strategies and power dynamics between nations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of units that can occupy a space | Only one unit may be in a space at a time |
| Movement | A unit may be ordered to do only one thing on each move: move, hold, or support |
| Standoffs | If two units are ordered to occupy the same space, neither may move |
| Support | A unit may give up its move to support another unit trying to hold or enter a space |
| Supply centers | Needed to raise and maintain armies and fleets |
| Number of units and supply centers | Must be equal; if a power has more units, it must disband units until equal to the number of supply centers |
| Convoy | Used by naval units to transport armies to different areas |
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What You'll Learn
Only one unit per space
In the board game Diplomacy, provinces or bodies of water are represented as "spaces". Each space can only be occupied by one unit at a time. A unit may be an army or a fleet. Armies are represented by square blocks and control a province by military forces, while fleets are denoted by long blocks and control a body of water or a coastal province by warships or their associated land forces.
The movement of units is governed by specific rules. Each Great Power can order all, some, or none of its units to move during their turn. A unit can be ordered to perform only one action per turn: an army may be ordered to move, hold, or support, while a fleet may move, hold, support, or convoy. An army can move to any adjacent province as long as it does not conflict with another unit, adhering to the rule that no two units may occupy the same space simultaneously. Similarly, a fleet can move to any adjacent body of water or coastal province, provided it does not conflict with another unit.
If two or more units are ordered to the same space, none of them are permitted to move, resulting in a "stand-off". This rule applies regardless of whether the units belong to the same or different Great Powers. However, in certain scenarios, a higher-strength unit that receives support can dislodge a lower-strength unit and occupy its territory, even if both units intended to move into each other's provinces.
The game's objective is for players to use their armies and fleets to conquer a majority of the 34 nations or provinces on the map that contain supply centres. Possession of these supply centres is crucial, as they enable players to raise and maintain their armies and fleets.
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Units can be ordered to move, hold, or support
In the board game Diplomacy, units can be ordered to move, hold, or support. The objective of the game is to use your armies and fleets to conquer as much of Europe as possible. The board is divided into a large number of spaces, each identified by a name, usually abbreviated to three letters. There are three types of spaces: ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces. The type of space determines which units can occupy them.
A fleet may move to any body of water or coastal province that is adjacent to its current location, as long as this move does not cause it to conflict with another unit. When a fleet is in a coastal province, the warships are assumed to be at any point along the coast of that province. The fleet may move to an adjacent coastal province only if it is reachable by moving down the coast. For example, a fleet may move from Rome to Tuscany, but not from Rome to Naples.
All units in Diplomacy can only move one space at a time, and only one unit may occupy any space at any 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.
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Units can be disbanded
In the board game Diplomacy, units can be disbanded in the following ways:
Firstly, a unit must be disbanded if it is dislodged as a result of an opponent's move and there are no legal retreat options. A legal retreat is when a unit retreats to an unoccupied adjacent province. If a unit attempts to retreat to the same province as another retreating unit, it must be disbanded.
Secondly, if a Power has more units than supply centres at the end of the year, it must disband units until it has equal numbers of units and supply centres. However, Powers may not choose to disband below the number of supply centres in their possession, as this would allow players to replace units in the field with new units back home instantaneously. For example, a player wanting a fleet to capture a far-away supply centre cannot simply disband an army and build a new fleet on a home supply centre.
Thirdly, a unit may be disbanded if it is attacked by a foreign unit with more units supporting it than the holding unit has. In this case, the holding unit must either retreat or disband.
Finally, although a unit cannot be voluntarily disbanded, a player can deliberately put themselves in a situation where they are forced to retreat, such as by arranging a risky manoeuvre with a secret ally to dislodge or block their retreat. This can be a strategic move, allowing the player to make a surprise reinforcement on an unexpected front.
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Supply centres change ownership
In the board game Diplomacy, supply centres are crucial. Possession of these supply centres, located in 34 of the land provinces, allows players to raise and maintain their armies and fleets. While all supply centres are on land, only seven are completely landlocked, and fleets are important for convoying armies across the water.
The game is played on a board divided into spaces, with each province or body of water representing a space. Only one unit may occupy a space at a time, and units must be ordered to either move, hold, or support. If two or more units are ordered to the same space, neither can move, resulting in a "stand-off". This rule applies regardless of whether the units belong to the same or different powers.
However, under the support rules, a higher-strength supported unit can dislodge a lower-strength unit and move into the territory. If a unit is attacked while supporting another, its support is cut, and it must defend itself. Any nation can support any other nation, and support cannot be refused.
Now, specifically regarding supply centres changing ownership: this can only happen if they are occupied at the end of the Fall turn. If a unit moves through a supply centre during the Spring turn but leaves before the Fall turn, the supply centre's ownership does not change. Additionally, if a power has more units than supply centres at the end of the year, they must disband units until they have equal numbers of units and supply centres. It is important to note that powers cannot choose to disband below the number of supply centres they possess to prevent instant replacement of units in the field with new units back home.
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Provinces with two coasts
In the board game Diplomacy, provinces with two coasts, such as Bulgaria, Spain, and St. Petersburg, have special rules. A fleet entering one of these provinces enters along one coast and can then only move to a space adjacent to that coast. However, it occupies the entire province. If a fleet is ordered to one of these provinces and it can move to either coast, the order must specify the coast, or the fleet does not move. This is an important distinction because fleets are crucial for convoying armies across water, supporting coastal battles, and blockading sea spaces.
In Diplomacy, the objective is to use your armies and fleets to conquer as much of Europe as possible. The board is divided into spaces, including ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces. These spaces are identified by names, often abbreviated to three letters. Each province or body of water is a "space," and only one unit may occupy a space at a time. This rule applies to both armies and fleets, which are essentially equal in power, differing only in the spaces they can move to.
Armies, represented by square blocks, denote control of a province by military forces. They can move to any adjacent province unless it conflicts with another unit. Fleets, on the other hand, are denoted by long blocks and represent control of a body of water or a coastal province by warships or their associated land forces. A fleet may move to any body of water or coastal province adjacent to its current location, as long as it doesn't conflict with another unit.
In the context of the question, when two armies occupy the same space, it results in a "stand-off." This occurs when two or more units are ordered to the same space, preventing any of them from moving. This rule applies whether the units involved belong to the same or different powers. It's important to note that all units in Diplomacy can only move one space at a time, except in the case of a successful convoy, where a convoyed army may travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the convoying fleets.
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Frequently asked questions
If two armies of equal strength are ordered to occupy the same space, neither can move. This is called a "stand-off".
If one army has more support than the other, it can dislodge the lower-strength army and move into the territory.
No, only one unit may occupy any space at any time.
