by Pete Calcraft and Andrew Poole

1. All the regular rules of Diplomacy (1971 rulebook) apply, except where amended. These rules may be used with the map of any Diplomacy variant which has a reasonable mix of land and sea areas. The starting date of the game is decided by the GM.

2. At the start of the game all supply centers on the board are “neutral” and occupied by neutral “garrison” armies (abbreviation “G”). All other land provinces are occupied by Barbarians (abbreviation “B”).

3. There may be any number of players. Players may join the game at any time, though it is preferable to join at the start or early on. To join the game, a player should select any one of the neutral supply centers on a sea coast; this becomes their Imperial City. The GM will provide a name for the empire, but may accept suitable suggestions.

4. Imperial Cities: The garrison of an Imperial City may not move, but may give support as if it were an ordinary army; it is destroyed if the province is captured by another power, and does not require a supply center for it to be maintained. Normal units may occupy the same province as a friendly garrison, but a garrison does resist attack from other empires. New units may only be built in the players Imperial City. Captured supply centers have no garrisons. Each player also starts the game with one regular army in their Imperial City.

5. Fleets: Fleets in this variant work by a version of “petrol rationing”. That is, each player may make as many individual fleet “orders” as the number of fleets they control. However, some fleets may be left unordered, allowing other fleets to be given multiply orders. Unordered fleets stand and may be supported. Fleets may only be given a multiple order to move, they may only give support or convoy as normal “single” orders. If one step of a multiple move fails, all subsequent steps also fail, but those already completed are successful.

6. Federation: Any number of individual empires may “federate” to form one single “Empire”. Control of units may be signed over by one player to either a new player or another within the same empire, but not to an opponent. Units which belong to the same Empire may not attack or support against each other or cut each others’ support. Supply centers cannot be captured by armies belonging to the same Empire. Supply centers, units and builds may be freely traded between the players within an Empire. All such trades are permanent, “loans” are backed only by trust. All such trades occur after retreats but before any adjustments.

7. Defederation: Any individual empire which is a member of a federation may leave the “Empire” at the end of any turn; there is no need to consult or have the agreement of any of the other players involved.

8. Barbarians: At the end of each season, a vacant land province become overrun by barbarians if it is either adjacent to a province already occupied by barbarians or the edge of the may. Any supple center overrun by barbarians then becomes occupied by a neutral “garrison” army. Barbarians are cleared from a province when it is entered by a non‑barbarian unit. Barbarian occupation of a province has not effect on the movement of regular units.

9. Barbarian Armies: In any adjustment season, players may raise a barbarian army in any province already occupied by barbarians. To raise one barbarian army costs the equivalent of one normal unit build. Where two or more players try to raise a barbarian army in the same province, all fail. In each subsequent adjustment season, the barbarian armies need maintaining as with the regular units belonging to a player. However, barbarian armies may be disbanded at any time; they stand in civil disorder in the province they last occupied, which becomes “occupied by barbarians” (see rule 8). Supply centers captured by barbarian armies revert to neutrality, with neutral garrisons. Note that the presence of a barbarian army does not imply “barbarian occupation” under rule 8, unless that army is now in civil disorder.

10. Civil Disorder: Either two successive NMRs or three NMRs in all cause a player’s empire to go into civil disorder. Their units occupying supply centers are disbanded, all other units stand in civil disorder until dislodged. Those centers not occupied by foreign units revert to neutrality with neutral garrisons.

11. Victory: The requirement for a victory by a single empire or “joint victory” by a federation of empires is half the number of supply centers on the board, less two (15 centers on the regular board). Where two or more empires or federations simultaneously reach this point there is a “draw” or “joint draw”. There are no minor placings. The game may be ended with any result by unanimous agreement of all the current players.