Other Diplomacy Variants
Ard-Ri, Classical Diplomacy, Colonial Diplomacy, Conquest of North America, Dippi Totale, La Foi et Le Glaive, Hundred, Kamakura, War of the Ring
| Information | Edition Summary, Variation Summary, Timeline | ||
| Gallery pages | United States: Calhamer, Games Research, Avalon Hill United Kingdom: Intellectual Diversions, Philmar, Gibson’s Games Other Countries: Canada, Other Europe, Other Non-Europe Variants: Machiavelli, Other Variants Etc.: Commercial Software, Gamer’s Guide, Other Books, Amateur Hobby Items | ||
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Ard-Ri
| Manufacturer | Stupendous Games |
| Year of Release | 2000 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Stuart John Bernard |
| Map Style | Physical |
| Pieces | Not included (to be taken from whichever edition of Diplomacy a player already owns) |
| Description: This five- or six-player Diplomacy variant is set in Fourth Century Ireland. Five kingdoms on the island must deal with each other and in the six-player game also with Viking raiders. Fleets from the kingdoms of the Emerald Isle can also conduct raids on off-board areas to earn free builds for their power.This variant is one of three variants commercially released by Stupendous Games in 2000, representing the first release of commercial versions of Diplomacy variants published by somebody other than the company holding the rights to Diplomacy in nearly 20 years (since West End Games’ release of Kamakura in 1982). These games are not affiliated or endorsed by Hasbro/Avalon Hill, and since they hold the copyright, the variant does not include the actual rules to Diplomacy. The variant will includes a map, variant rules, a sheet of die-cut control counters, and conference maps. Players need to own an existing copy of Diplomacy for the unit pieces and basic rules (or at least they have to know the basic rules and be willing to substitute something else for pieces). | |
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Classical Diplomacy
| Manufacturer | Stupendous Games |
| Year of Release | 2000 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Andy Schwarz and Vincent Mous |
| Map Style | Physical |
| Pieces | Not included (to be taken from whichever edition of Diplomacy a player already owns) |
| Description: This is a five-player variant that takes place in the Third Century B.C.E., in the era of ancient Greece and ancient Rome after the death of Alexander the Great. The game uses the standard Diplomacy Rules and a map of the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.This variant is one of three variants commercially released by Stupendous Games in 2000, representing the first release of commercial versions of Diplomacy variants published by somebody other than the company holding the rights to Diplomacy in nearly 20 years (since West End Games’ release of Kamakura in 1982). These games are not affiliated or endorsed by Hasbro/Avalon Hill, and since they hold the copyright, the variant does not include the actual rules to Diplomacy. The variant will includes a map, variant rules, a sheet of die-cut control counters, and conference maps. Players need to own an existing copy of Diplomacy for the unit pieces and basic rules (or at least they have to know the basic rules and be willing to substitute something else for pieces). | |
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Colonial Diplomacy
| Manufacturer | The Avalon Hill Game Company |
| Year of Release | 1994 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Peter Hawes |
| Map Style | Topographic |
| Pieces | Wooden short thick blocks (armies) long narrow blocks (fleets) |
| Description: Colonial Diplomacy is the first official Diplomacy variant that was actually commercially released. This seven-player game takes place mostly in Asia (with just a little bit of Eastern Europe and Northern Africa thrown in) starting in 1870, in the period of European colonization of the East. The rules are similar to the standard Diplomacy rules, but not identical, having some special rules such as a railroad in Russia and the Suez Canal in Egypt.In 1996, Avalon Hill issued an errata sheet for Colonial Diplomacy (which can be found online here). The errata sheet provides a number of clarifications and corrections to the rules and the map. Unfortunately the revisions were not completely successful in fixing the problems on the map. In the original map, a unit in Sak could not be destroyed and would thus guarantee a place in a draw. The revision added a land bridge between Ita and Sak, but this failed to fix the problem because now two units in Ota and Sak could mutually support their way into a guaranteed place in a draw. The portion of the map shown in the image below is the portion that is affected by the revision, shown as it appears originally in the 1994 edition. | |
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| Manufacturer | The Avalon Hill Game Company |
| Year of Release | 1996 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Peter Hawes |
| Map Style | Topographic |
| Pieces | Wooden short thick blocks (armies) long narrow blocks (fleets) |
| Description: After the 1996 release of the Colonial Diplomacy errata, all subsequent Colonial Diplomacy sets produced included the changes made in the errata. In this revised edition, the gameboard, the conference maps and the rulebook were all revised in accordance with the changes outlined in the errata. In the portion of the map shown in the second image below, you can see that the changes that were in the 1996 errata now appear on the printed gameboard (there is now a land bridge between Ita and Sak, and a supply center shown in Kyo).Interestingly, the only copyright date that was changed was the one on the conference map, which is now marked copyright 1996. The gameboard and rulebook are still marked copyright 1994 even though they have been changed. And strangely, although the changes made to the map and the rules were substantive, for some reason Avalon Hill did not call this edition a 2nd edition to distinguish it from the earlier one. From the outside, there is nothing to indicate that the game has been revised, as the box for this edition is identical to the one from the 1994 edition. | |
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Conquest of North America
| Manufacturer | Fantasy Games Unlimited |
| Year of Release | 1978 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Anthony P. LeBoutillier |
| Map Style | Featureless |
| Pieces | Cardboard counters |
| Description: Conquest of North America is a game based on the mechanics of Diplomacy that was set in the time of European colonization of North America. Indian confederations (the Algonquin, Cherokee and Iroquois Indians) and colonist groups (Dutch, English, Spanish and French) compete for control of America. The game includes a map, which is just a bit smaller than 2X3 ft, over 200 counters, and a rulebook.This was Fantasy Games Unlimited’s second attempt at producing a boardgame based on the mechanics of Diplomacy (the first was War of the Ring, discussed farther down on this page). This one was produced quite a bit more economically. It was sold in a bag, rather than a box, and has a map that is printed on heavy stock paper rather than being a rigid cardboard gameboard.The map and rulebook are shown below, as is a closeup of the counters. Although it’s a bit hard to tell, the three counters to the left show a crossed tomahawk and spear, and are the equivalent of armies for the Indian confederations; the Indians did not have fleets. The eight counters in the middle are 4 with a crossed saber and gun (the “armies” of the European colonists) and 4 with anchors (their fleets). The last group of counters have letters are for marking ownership of supply centers. | |
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Dippi Totale
| Manufacturer | Hans im Glück |
| Year of Release | 1985 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Bernd Brunnhofer and Karl-Heinz Schmiel |
| Map Style | Featureless |
| Pieces | Unknown |
| Description: Dippi Totale is a 2- to 6-player world variant of German origin. Despite the homemade appearance of the map, this game is a commercial release. The game was sold by Hans im Glück, a German game company that has put out several much better known games such as El Grande and Euphrat & Tigris. | |
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Foi et Le Glaive, La (Faith and the Sword)
| Manufacturer | Azure Wish Edition |
| Year of Release | 1993 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Vortigern (Association) |
| Map Style | Political |
| Pieces | Cardboard counters |
| Description: This game takes place in the Seventh Century at a time when various faiths are competing for religious and political domination of Europe. Players represent the seven great religions of the time: Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Monophysism, Masdeism, Islam, Paganism or Shamanism, and work to eliminate other faiths by commanding military forces of the era, such as the Avar Khanate, the Arab Qalifate, the Persian Kingdom, the Viking Hordes and the Byzantine Empire. | |
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Hundred
| Manufacturer | Stupendous Games |
| Year of Release | 2000 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Andy Schwarz |
| Map Style | Featureless |
| Pieces | Not included (to be taken from whichever edition of Diplomacy a player already owns) |
| Description: This three-player variant takes place in the period of the Hundred Years’ War in the early 1400s. The game takes place on a map consisting of the British Isles and a portion of Europe that includes France and surrounding regions from the Lowlands down to Iberia.This variant is one of three variants commercially released by Stupendous Games in 2000, representing the first release of commercial versions of Diplomacy variants published by somebody other than the company holding the rights to Diplomacy in nearly 20 years (since West End Games’ release of Kamakura in 1982). These games are not affiliated or endorsed by Hasbro/Avalon Hill, and since they hold the copyright, the variant does not include the actual rules to Diplomacy. The variant will includes a map, variant rules, a sheet of die-cut control counters, and conference maps. Players need to own an existing copy of Diplomacy for the unit pieces and basic rules (or at least they have to know the basic rules and be willing to substitute something else for pieces). | |
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Kamakura
| Manufacturer | West End Games |
| Year of Release | 1982 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Michael Mills |
| Map Style | Political |
| Pieces | Cardboard counters |
| Description: This 2-6 player variant takes place in Japan’s Medieval period. Similarly to Machiavelli, this game begins with the basic core mechanics of Diplomacy but adds to that some new concepts such as double armies, double fleets, earthquakes and — for that distinctly Japanese flavor — typhoons. I have not played the game, but I am told it is more similar to traditional Diplomacy than Machiavelli is. Like the original Machiavelli (which was created by a company that didn’t own the rights to Diplomacy) the game does not advertise itself as being a Diplomacy variant. Nevertheless, West End Games certainly wanted to draw that connection in the minds of potential customers — the game is subtitled “A Game of War, Diplomacy and Machiavellian Intrigue”. They undoubtedly would have thrown the word “Colonial” in there, were it not for the fact that Colonial Diplomacy was more than ten years away from being designed when this game was published. | |
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War of the Ring: The Game of Middle Earth
| Manufacturer | Fantasy Games Unlimited |
| Year of Release | 1976 |
| Release Notes | Variant designed by Tom Drake |
| Map Style | Featureless |
| Pieces | Cardboard counters |
| Description: This game is based on the basic game mechanics of Diplomacy (moves, holds, supports, and I think convoys as well), but is set in Tolkein’s world of Middle Earth. The game is played either by two opponents, or four players with two to each team, one controlling armies and fleets and one controlling the other individuals. Because the game is intended to be played by two opponents (a person or a team), the one part of the traditional game of Diplomacy that is not preserved in this game is the diplomacy itself.Despite the lack of negotiations, the basic game mechanics are taken from Diplomacy but with a number of extensions or modifications. Armies and fleets are supported by supply centers, but can have single, double, or triple strength. In addition to armies and fleets, there are a number of characters/roles, such as Gandalf, Strider, The Ringbearer, and the Nazgul, each of which has certain attributes or abilities (for example some characters increase the strength of the army they accompany). There are a variety of special rules regarding terrain, as well as victory points given in special circumstances such as The Ringbearer getting to Mount Doom, a Nazgul with the Ring getting to Barad-Dur, the Ring being captured by Mordror’s strongest army, and others. | |
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