Diplomacy Rulebook - Wizards of the Coast

At the beginning of
the 20th century,
Europe was a
complicated cauldron
of political intrigue.
You are about to
travel back to those
times and change the
course of history in
your favor.
PLAYERS AND COUNTRIES
The game of Diplomacy ® is best played by seven players. Rules for fewer players are
included in the Alternate Way to Play section of this rulebook on pg. 19. Each player
represents one of the seven “Great Powers of Europe” in the years prior to World War I.
These Great Powers include England, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Italy, France, and Austria-
Hungary (hereafter referred to as Austria). At the start of the game, the players randomly
decide which Great Power each will represent. This is the only element of chance in
the game.
Note: At various places in the rules, the term “country” is used generically to represent
“Great Power.”
OBJECT OF THE GAME
As soon as one Great Power controls 18 supply centers, it’s considered to have gained
control of Europe. The player representing that Great Power is the winner. However,
players can end the game by agreement before a winner is determined. In this case, all
players who still have pieces on the game board share equally in a draw.
GAME BOARD
Boundaries: Boundaries between major countries are marked with heavy black lines. All
major powers are also divided into provinces and supply-center provinces by thinner black
lines. The oceans and waterways are also divided into separate provinces by thin black
lines. All countries and provinces (land and water) are identified by name.
Types of Provinces: There are three types of provinces: inland, water, and coastal. Only
Armies move on inland provinces and only Fleets move on water provinces. A coastal
province is land that is adjacent to one or more water provinces. For example, Denmark,
Brest, and Spain are coastal provinces. An Army or a Fleet can occupy a coastal province.
Supply Centers: A total of 34 inland and coastal provinces on the game board are
designated as supply centers. Each supply center is marked with a star. A Great Power
has as many Armies or Fleets as the number of supply centers it controlled at the end
of the last Fall turn. Consequently, there will never be more than 34 Armies and Fleets
(also referred to as “units”) on the game board at one time. A country gains or loses units
in accordance with the number of supply centers it controls. See pg. 18 for more on
supply-center control.
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