Overview

Classical Diplomacy is a variant of the classic Diplomacy game, set in the ancient Mediterranean world rather than pre-World War I Europe. Players control ancient civilizations (Rome, Carthage, Greece, Persia, Egypt, etc.) and compete for control of the Mediterranean basin. Like standard Diplomacy, the game is built on simultaneous movement, negotiation, and the absence of dice — all conflict is resolved through deterministic rules. Alliances and betrayal are the core of the experience.

Components

• Map of the ancient Mediterranean world (divided into provinces with land, sea, and coastal areas)
• Army and fleet pieces for each power
• Order sheets
• Control markers

Setup

1. Place the map centrally.
2. Each player selects an ancient civilization and places their starting armies and fleets in their home provinces as specified.
3. Distribute order sheets.
4. The game begins in an agreed-upon starting year.

Turn Structure

Each game year consists of two main seasons:

1. Spring Turn:
   • Negotiation: Players discuss, negotiate, and form (or break) alliances. No rules govern what can be said — lies are permitted.
   • Order Writing: Each player secretly writes orders for all their units.
   • Resolution: All orders are revealed simultaneously and resolved according to Diplomacy rules.
   • Retreat: Dislodged units must retreat or disband.
2. Fall Turn:
   • Same sequence as Spring: Negotiate, Write Orders, Resolve, Retreat.
   • Adjustments: After Fall, count supply centers. Build new units if you gained centers, or disband if you lost them.

Actions

Movement Orders

• Hold: Unit stays in its province and defends.
• Move: Unit attempts to move to an adjacent province.
• Support: Unit supports another unit’s hold or move, adding strength.
• Convoy: A fleet transports an army across sea zones.

Conflict Resolution

• When two units attempt to move to the same province, the one with more support succeeds.
• Equal strength = both moves fail (standoff).
• A unit being attacked can be dislodged if the attacker has greater strength (including support).
• No dice or randomness — outcomes are fully determined by the orders written.

Builds and Disbands

• After the Fall turn, players count their supply centers.
• If you control more centers than you have units, build new units in unoccupied home centers.
• If you control fewer centers than units, disband units of your choice.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• A player wins by controlling a majority of the supply centers on the map (typically 18 of 34, though the exact number depends on the variant map).
• Alternatively, players may agree to a draw if no one can achieve solo victory.
• Games are often played with a set time limit, after which the player with the most supply centers is declared the winner.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• No dice: All combat is deterministic. The only uncertainty is what other players will do.
• Negotiation is everything: The game is fundamentally about trust, persuasion, and betrayal. There are no rules about what players can promise or communicate.
• Simultaneous orders: All players reveal orders at the same time, preventing reactive play.
• Ancient setting adjustments: The map geography and starting positions differ from standard Diplomacy, creating different strategic dynamics (e.g., Rome’s central position vs. Persia’s eastern dominance).
• Convoy chains: Armies can be transported across multiple sea zones in a single turn using chains of fleets.
• Civil disorder: If a player drops out, their units hold in place without orders.

Player Reference

Order	Effect
Hold	Defend current province (strength 1)
Move	Attempt to enter adjacent province
Support	Add strength to another unit’s hold or move
Convoy	Fleet transports army across sea

Conflict: Higher strength wins; ties = standoff

Builds: +1 unit per net supply center gain; -1 per net loss

Victory: Control majority of supply centers (typically 18/34)