by Don Miller

The Board — Twin-Earths Diplomacy is played on two regular Diplomacy boards, ideally with one directly above the other, with about a foot to a foot-and-a-half separating them.  The upper board is designed as level “I”, and the lower board as level “II”.  If you can’t place two boards in the ideal position, then place them side-by-side on a flat, level surface; the board on the left is then level I, the once on the right level II.  All orders should include the level designation as part of any locations given in the orders (e.g. move from Munich to Kiel on upper or left board would be written as “A Munich I-Kiel I”; move from Munich on upper or left board to Munich in lower or right board would be written as “A Munich I-Munich II”.  Orders without the proper level designations will not be allowed by the Gamesmaster, even if there were only one level which could possibly be involved.

The Rules — Regular Diplomacy rules, without DIPLOMANIA “House-rule” #9.  Only exceptions are:

1.  All supply centres are empty at beginning of game.  There will be a WINTER, 1900 season, in which all players are to submit build orders for the supply bases in their nation.  Players may build any combination of Fleets and Armies, or may build all of one or the other, except that they may not build Fleets in inland provinces.  There will be a diplomacy session allowed before the WINTER, 1900 deadline in order to allow pre-build diplomacy.

2.  Moves may be made and supports may be given from level I to level II and vice versa.  Such moves or supports may, however, only be made from province to corresponding province — i.e. from Munich I to Munich II, or Munich II to Munich I, but not from Munich I to Kiel II, or Kiel II to Munich I.

3.  Single convoys may be made through levels, subject to same limitations as in rule 2, above.  Multiple convoys may also be made through levels, as long as Fleets involved are in unbroken succession and are not dislodged (and orders are properly written), and the point at which Army being convoyed passes between levels is made from province to corresponding province, as explained in rule #2, above.  The case of a multiple convoy is the only time a move may start and end at points on the two levels in other than corresponding provinces.

4.  A player wins when he has 35 units on the board at the completion of a Winter season.