Malcolm Rivera
In the game of Diplomacy, there are three types of phases: Diplomacy, Retreats, and Builds. The Builds phase comes after the Autumn Diplomacy and retreats. During this phase, 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). If a player has more units than supply centers, they must destroy (disband) units to balance the number of units and supply centers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2-7 |
| Countries | England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, India, China, Japan |
| Objective | Control 18 supply centers |
| Types of spaces | Ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, coastal land spaces |
| Types of orders | Hold, Attack, Support, Convoy |
| Types of phases | Diplomacy, Retreats, Builds |
| Types of units | Army, Fleet |
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What You'll Learn
Building units in supply centres
In the game Diplomacy, players aim to conquer as much of Europe as possible by capturing a simple majority (18 or more) of the 34 nations or provinces on the map that contain supply centres. 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 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. After the Autumn diplomacy and retreats, if a player has more supply centres than units, they may create units in the supply centres they started the game with. It is important to note that if a player does not own one of their starting supply centres or if it is occupied by any unit, it cannot be built on. On the other hand, if a player has more units than supply centres, they must disband as many units as needed to equalise the number of units and supply centres.
Players with more supply centres than units on the board are entitled to build units in their open (unoccupied) home centres (supply centres controlled at the start of the game). A player who has more armies than necessary and wants a fleet to capture a far-away supply centre cannot simply disband an army and build a new fleet on a home supply centre. 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. Fleets are also important for supporting coastal battles and creating blockades on sea spaces to restrict other fleets' movements.
After the Fall adjustments, there is a phase for new builds or removals. If a power loses all of its home supply centres, it may continue to play but cannot build new units until it recaptures at least one of its home supply centres.
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Home centres
Each supply centre can support one military unit, so players that have gained supply centres can build new units. New units can only be created at a player's unoccupied home supply centres, and only one unit per centre. This means that no more than three new units per player can be created at a time (except for Russia, which has four home supply centres).
Players who lose all their home centres may continue to play but cannot build new units until they have recaptured at least one of their home supply centres. Supply centres only change ownership if they are occupied at the end of the Fall; if a unit moves through during the Spring but leaves again in the Fall, ownership does not change.
At each movement phase, players can order each unit to hold its position, attack another province, or support another unit. Fleets can also be ordered to convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces.
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Land, sea and coastal spaces
The board game Diplomacy is set in Europe just before World War I. The board is divided into a large number of spaces, each identified by a name. There are three types of space: ocean or sea spaces, land spaces, and coastal land spaces. The type of space determines which units can occupy them.
Land spaces are where the supply centers are located. These are crucial to the game as they are the objective of the game. To win, a player must capture and possess at least 18 of the 34 supply centers on the board. However, only seven supply centers are completely landlocked.
Coastal land spaces are where fleets can be stationed. These fleets are important for several reasons. Firstly, they can convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces. Secondly, they can support coastal battles. Thirdly, they can be used to create blockades on sea spaces to prevent other fleets from expanding. It is important to note that fleets cannot travel "through" a land space to get to the sea space off its opposite coast. For example, a fleet occupying the southern coast of Bulgaria cannot move into Romania or the Black Sea.
Sea spaces are where fleets can move and create blockades. As mentioned earlier, fleets are important for convoying armies, supporting coastal battles, and creating blockades. However, some countries can do without fleets as they are nearly landlocked geographically. These countries include Russia, Germany, and especially Austria. On the other hand, English fleets are essential for convoying armies to the mainland.
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Convoying an army
In the board game Diplomacy, which is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War 1, players can use fleets to convoy armies across bodies of water to coastal provinces. Convoying is an action that fleets can do to help armies move. A fleet can convoy an adjacent army into another land space that is adjacent to the fleet. The player must also make the army move to the space. Multiple fleets can create a chain of convoys to move an army further.
A convoyed army must embark from a coastal land province and land at another coastal land province. Fleets are important to convoy armies across water, support coastal battles, and create blockades on sea spaces to prevent other fleets from expanding. Convoying is especially important for England, as without fleets, England cannot convoy armies to the mainland.
In the game, 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. All units in Diplomacy usually move only one space at a time, and only one unit may occupy any space at a time. However, a convoyed army may travel multiple spaces depending on the length of the chain created by the convoying fleets.
To convoy an army, the army must be ordered to the intended province, and the fleet must be ordered to convoy it. The order to the fleet must give both the location and the destination of the army being convoyed. The orders must specify the same destination for the army to move. For example, "A Lon-Bel, F Nth C A Lon-Bel" means that the army in London is being convoyed by the fleet in the North Sea to Belgium.
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Creating a blockade
To effectively create a blockade, players must understand the movement rules for fleets. Fleets can only move one space at a time and can only occupy coastal land provinces or sea spaces. Certain coastal areas, such as Spain, Bulgaria, and St. Petersburg, have multiple coastlines, and fleets stationed there can only move along one specific coast. Therefore, players must carefully plan their fleet movements to block potential expansion routes for their opponents.
Another key aspect of creating a blockade is the ability to convoy. Fleets can convoy armies across bodies of water to reinforce coastal provinces. This is particularly useful for powers with large coastlines, as it allows for the rapid deployment of armies to threatened areas. By using convoys effectively, players can not only block their opponents' expansion but also strengthen their own positions.
Communication and negotiation are vital components of creating a blockade in Diplomacy. Players must forge alliances and coordinate their fleet movements to establish a strong blockade line. During the diplomacy phase, players can discuss tactics, share intelligence, and plan joint military operations. However, it is important to remember that agreements made during negotiations are not binding, and players must constantly evaluate the trustworthiness of their allies.
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Frequently asked questions
You can build in your open (unoccupied) Home centres, also known as supply centres.
Supply centres are visible on the Diplomacy game board. There are 34 supply centres in total, 27 of which are coastal. Only seven supply centres are completely landlocked.
After each Fall move, newly acquired supply centres become owned by the occupying player.
If a power loses all of its home supply centres, it may continue to play but may not build new units until it has recaptured at least one of its home supply centres.
