Diplomacy board game BEGINNER'S GUIDE / 13 Tips to get you started / Basic Strategy for Diplomacy

If you are new to the game, welcome. This video is for you. There are 13 basics that you need to master and mistakes you need to avoid if you’re going to fully enjoy this game as a beginner. This year, the beautiful game of Diplomacy has come to life as it has migrated from predominantly Face to Face platforms to virtual ones.

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0:00 Diplomacy
0:26 Read the Rules
1:06 Common Mistakes
1:14 Misunderstanding the Support Rule
1:36 Navies/Inland
1:54 Coastal Territories
3:02 Agreements are Non Binding
3:12 Press is Vital
4:06 Keep it in the Game
4:25 Four Phases
5:21 Alliances
6:09 Too Much Trust
6:47 Stabbing
7:55 Growth
8:44 Offense vs Defense
9:43 Intuition
10:20 Plan Ahead
10:59 Never Give Up
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This classic game of pure negotiation has taken many forms over the years.

The first The Avalon Hill Game Co version has perhaps the widest release, but Avalon Hill Games, Inc. re-released the game in 1999, complete with a colorful new map and metal pieces. In 2008, Avalon Hill released a 50th anniversary edition with a new map and cardboard pieces representing the armies and navies.

In the game, players represent one of the seven "Great Powers of Europe" (Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, Russia or Turkey) in the years prior to World War I. Play begins in the Spring of 1901, and players make both Spring and Autumn moves each year. There are only two kinds of military units: armies and fleets. On any given turn, each of your military units has limited options: they can move into an adjoining territory, support an allied unit in an attack on an adjoining territory, support an allied unit in defending an adjoining territory, or hold their position. Players instruct each of their units by writing a set of "orders." The outcome of each turn is determined by the rules of the game. There are no dice rolls or other elements of chance. With its incredibly simplistic movement mechanics fused to a significant negotiation element, this system is highly respected by many gamers.

Avalon Hill Complexity rating - 3

[bcpravel]

A great (and much needed) video. Thanks for making this! As a follow-on, I'd love to see a series of beginner videos for each of the Great Powers that could give a new player a brief (5 minute or so) overview of the power they are playing, common openings, and important things to watch out for.

[Sploack]

Great video. I would add:
14) Adjust your goal. If you can't win anymore, try to get into a strong draw. If you can't draw, try to survive as a janissary. If you can't survive, take revenge.
15) Be gracious in defeat. Take revenge with your moves, not with your words.

[Temulon]

This is without a doubt, the best board game I've ever played. It's not as fun as PC games merely because PC games offer something for everyone. But if you enjoy thinking and negotiating, it can't be beat. There is a paradox within the game that I love but some people have trouble with, namely that you cannot win the game alone so you need one or more of your fellow players to help you win the game. But they're trying to win the game also, so why the hell should they help you?
One thing I should caution people never to do, is to be hard headed. This is the type of player who, after you stab him, and find yourself stabbed later in the game by someone from another side, this guy will never accept this as a chance to work with you again and will continue to defend to the death against you even if you've stopped being hostile. The hard headed person is even worse if he stabs you first, he thinks you'll naturally think like him and he'll ignore you, even if it would be beneficial to him to accept your offer because he now fears your retaliation.
Do not be this guy, he ruins the spirit of the game. And if you come across this guy in a game, try to get him interested in playing something else. He doesn't have the cynical skills this game requires and he'll make it a miserable playing experience.

One more thing I should mention, and I don't want to come across as a misogynist, it's just something I've noticed. I've played many, many games of Diplomacy and in all the games I've played with women they've always tended to be staunch allies. I'm only bringing this up because I noticed in the video @3:26 that a woman was playing England. If I could convince them to ally with me they were there until the end of the game, and I've NEVER been stabbed by a woman. Perhaps they're turned off by the lying, cheating, backstabbing nature of the game and don't have it in their hearts to act that way, I don't know. But if you can convince a woman in your game to ally with you? There is a 90% chance she'll work with you until the end. Now these were face to face games at someones home. Online is a different world, Linda may well be a Greg online. At the end of the day, if you know 7 despicable, lying bastards who want to play a game together? this is the game.

[tracks]

When you’re so new to the game the beginners guide feels too advanced
I just got the game (14) And am now starting to realise how complicated this game is

[reubenm.d.]

7:14 there are two facets of online Diplomacy which, I feel, render it inferior to Face2Face (or, if you prefer, render it a different version of the same game). This is the first: the ability of a player to show you something that was said, an for it to be accepted as irrevocably true (impossible in F2F). Secondly, the ability to ignore someone's press. In real life, if you confront someone, they are obliged to answer (even if the best they can muster is an obvious lie or 'no comment'), and this can play a vital part in games.

[trsmodel]

Putting a toe back into the world of Diplomacy! I played ftf once with the TRS80 version, the other players were much more experienced and I was blown away

[xgr]

Hey, I'm planning on playing a face to face game of this using tts, thanks for this video!

[toastnjam]

Several years ago, I listened to a podcast from This American Life where a guy brought an actual Diplomat as an advisor. Can't recall how he did. Also, IIRC the podcast was postgame.

[deeznoots]

Thanks for the video, just did my first online game of diplomacy as Russia and I managed a solo at the end of 1907.

Admittedly I had a bit of luck as some other players either abandoned the game(England and Italy) or had crucial NMR’s(Germany).

Managed to ally with Germany and Turkey early while not really committing to attacking Austria(just bouncing in Galicia), Austria let Turkey take Greece because they believed Turkey was their ally but then Turkey attacked him right after, Austria thus maddened allied with me against Turkey(I originally wanted to Juggernaut with Turkey but they were building way too many armies for my liking and Austria was mad enough at him that I could trust him), so me and Austria murdered Turkey together with me getting the majority of the spoils(Bulgaria and the Turkish home centers while Austria just regained Serbia and got Greece)

In the north the alliance with Germany paid off massively as he didn’t go Denmark turn 1 letting me into Sweden with ease and with an extra fleet in north coast st.pete combined with England getting teamed up on by Germany and France I was also able to secure Norway.

By this point(around 1904-1905) I had reached 10 centers and was pretty strong, and Germany had a crucial NMR missing out on 3 builds while all but one of his remaining units were in the west fighting France and I took the massive oppurtunity to stab Germany securing Denmark and Berlin, from this point Germany got skewered by France and me with France regaining Belgium while I secured Kiel and Holland with Austria grabbing Munich with my help.

At this point I’m on 14 centers and in an excellent position, Austria had stayed loyal all game after I saved him from Turkey and I stabbed him securing Munich and Serbia putting me at 16 centers and making the solo impossible to stop due to other players still fighting each other(even to the end France was fighting a single English army in England and Austria was finishing off Italy)

In retrospect choosing to ally with Austria and betray Turkey won me the game, Austria loved me for it and even offered to help me solo a turn before I stabbed him(didn’t take him up on it in case it was some trick)

While the German NMR sped things up I don’t think it would have changed the result since Germany was committed westward and Austria was more than willing to help me stab Germany.

[Seth-bwtk]

I wish I had seen this when I first played. I gave up after a stab. Never forgave myself.

[simunator]

in a fair fight, gg
if you screw me, I'm your alloha snackbar
my win/loss is avg at best, but my doctrine boils down to "I'm your best friend or your worst nightmare"

[DaRealKakarroto]

"If your fleet is in Rumania, it can't attack or support a unit in Budapest for instance."

Well, theoretically, with the Danube connecting the Black Sea, it might be possible in real life, but in game terms, that would be as silly as putting a fleet into Moscow because of the Caspian Sea.

[swrls]

Thanks for the awesome video. Just heard about diplomacy and your video gave me a good hint on what to consider in my games.

On a sidenote: You sound like Dwight Schrute from the office in how you pronounce and express certain statements and that just makes it so much better.

[infinitedonuts]

Have you ever played Civilization 5? I bet you would love the game.

[idontknow_whattowritesooo]

is the first edition game any different as i just found this in my cupboard from 1976

[Q-Bits]

This game is a great way to ruin friendships lol

[weirdyyy]

Now FINALLY my friends will have no excuse to not play this! Muahahahha!

[zlence]

What's the 3D Diplomacy game featured in the video?

[leadingauctions]

I want in.

Where do we go to download this?

[ryancruz]

Any clue how I can play with other people? Perhaps a discord? I got on diplomacy. Com but no one really lets me join