by Pete Calcraft and Andrew Poole

Envoy is a two-player game based on Diplomacy, where each player takes one of the major powers of the regular game, while the remaining countries are controlled by means of special units known as “Diplomats” (denoted by the letter “D” eg. D. Austria-Italy). Diplomats behave largely in the same manner as regular units, except in that they have no effect on the game other than to determine the control of the non-player “neutral” powers. Diplomats may also be used to take control of a non-player country as a full ally, counting towards victory conditions etc.

1. All the normal rules of Diplomacy (1971 rulebook) apply, except as amended below.

2. To begin the game, each player produces a preference list showing all the seven major countries. The players are each allocated to their first choice countries unless they happen to be the same, in which case they are allocated their second choice. If the second choices are the same, they are allocated their third choice, etc. Should the preference lists be identical, lots are drawn and the winner gets his first choice country and the loser his second choice country.

3. Vienna, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow and Constantinople are the capital cities of the major countries. The capital of a player’s home country counts as a double supply center (ie. it may support two units in place of the usual one). Capital cities belonging to neutrals and allies, or those captured from other countries do not count as double supply centers.

Except for Moscow, each of these capital cities may be used to make two builds in the same “adjustments” season, but as two regular units may not occupy a province at the same time, one of those two build must be a “diplomat”.

4. The first turn is Winter 1913 and is used solely for initial placement of units. In this turn each player may change one unit of his countries normal setup for a unit of the other type; ie. he may change one army for a fleet in the same space, or one fleet for an army. Russia may not place a fleet in St. Petersburg north coast.

Each player starts the game with four diplomats on the board, these may be placed anywhere within the normal (diplomat) moves from the home country (see map); Orders for the movement of regular units and diplomats should be submitted together. If both players attempt to send diplomats to the same country, then one belonging to each player concerned is removed and returned to the home country until there are no diplomats left in the disputed space, or all those diplomats that remain belong to the same player. Players may attempt to send more than on diplomat to the same place.

5. The movement and conflict rules for diplomats are the same as for regular units except for the following:

i. Diplomats may move on both water and land without distinction.

ii. Each of the major countries counts as a single space for the purposes of diplomat movement and occupation. (see map)

iii. The North Sea, Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea do not exist for the purposes of diplomat movement and may not be occupied by diplomats. Any space adjacent to NTH, ADR, or AEG is considered to be adjacent to any other space which borders on to these “non-existent” sea spaces. (see map)

iv. Diplomats may hold, give, and receive support as regular units, but only between themselves. Diplomats do not retreat; if dislodged they are eliminated.

v. A player may have more than one Diplomat in a space: two diplomats moving to the same space do so with the strength of two.

Diplomats and regular units may exist in the same space and neither has any direct effect on the presence of the other, the only effect being that the diplomats presence may determine the control of the units country.

6. A non-player country which has never been occupied by a diplomat belonging to any player is termed a Major Neutral: all it’s units stand in civil disorder. Any non-player country currently occupied by two or more diplomats belonging to a particular player is termed a Major Ally: it’s units may be ordered by the diplomat occupying player without limitations, as if it were his own country (but it remains separate from his real home country). Any other non-player country is a Controlled Neutral: it’s units are ordered by the player who last had a diplomat in that country, or who has only one diplomat in occupation. There are substantial limitations on the orders that may be given to the units of a Controlled Neutral.

7. Units belonging to controlled neutrals may not move beyond the spaces which are adjacent either to their home supply centers (still held by that country), or to any other home province which is occupied by a unit of that same country. Units of a controlled neutral may give support to spaces which they cannot move to (because of the above rule), but to which they would be able to move to, as normal units. Where a controlled neutral has units which are illegally positioned, existing outside these limits, they are removed after all the retreats of the next Autumn turn, and must then be rebuilt by the controlling player. New unit builds should be of the same type of unit that started the game in that supply center, and if possible new builds to replace units which have been lost, should be of the same type of unit.

8. If during an Autumn turn, a player has invaded and is occupying a home supply center belonging to any non-player neutral country, then that country immediately ceases to be affected in anyway by diplomat belonging to the offending player. If the invaded neutral country is occupied by even a single diplomat belonging to another player, it becomes a major ally of his country.

The game may be played with more than two players, in which case most rules remain unaffected. However, a player who gives (or receives) support from any of his units or diplomats (either those of his home country, a Major Ally or a Controlled Neutral) to those of the offending player, will also lose any control over the neutral country.

9. Players may build additional diplomats in place of regular units. As with regular units, as unused additional build and an unoccupied home supply center are required. The new diplomat is simply placed in the home country – it does not occupy the particular province in which it was built. (see Rule 5 ii and map). Thus a player may gain an additional diplomat by remaining one regular unit short for the following season. Diplomats do not count towards units totals for determining builds: they do not require the “support” or maintenance of a supply center. Once built they may only be removed by being dislodged.

10. The normal condition for victory is the first player to control a total of 18 supply centers, including the centers of any major allies and his home capital city counting as double. Victory is determined only in the adjustments season. For the three player game it is 15 centers, and for four players a mere 12 centers. A game may be drawn by mutual consent or conceded by any player.

Optional Rules

There are two alternative hidden movement possibilities:

11. Secret Envoy – all the actions of regular units are published as in regular Diplomacy, but the movement and location is not revealed unless they come into contact with the diplomats of another player. (see Rule 4 – latter paragraph)

12. Stab Envoy – only the following information is revealed to a player:

a. His opponents home power (and of course his own!),

b. All retreats, including disbandments.

c. The names and unit locations of the opponents major allies and the names of powers that are his controlled neutrals.

d. After the Spring moves: the orders of opposing regular units which have come into conflict with each other or with neutrals. A unit which is thereby disclosed as standing in a province will be so reported: the fact that it may be supported by or be supporting another unit will not be reported unless otherwise required by this rule (the same applies to convoys). And any contacts between diplomats of opposing players (as in Secret Envoy), otherwise diplomat movements remain unknown, except to their respective controlling players.

e. After the Autumn moves: the information as required in d., together with a list of centers held by each power for which he may order builds and a note of adjustments required, and a list of random order of the number of centers held by each power (the number of neutral centers being listed and mixed in as a power). As a power is eliminated it is identified (and not further reported), and similarly the capture of the last neutral supply center is reported.