Quick Guide: Coasts

A few territories have separate coasts, which require some special rules:
Territories with Coasts:
The only territories with separate coasts are:
- Saint Petersburg (north and south)
- Spain (north and south)
- Bulgaria (south and east)
The rules discussed here apply only to these territories, even if some other territories (ie Denmark, Kiel, Constantinople) look like they might have separate coasts. (They do not.)
Only one territory:
Even though these territories have two coasts, they are still just one territory. They can be occupied by only one unit at a time, and that unit occupies the entire territory.
Moving to a territory with a coast:
When you order a fleet to move to a territory with a coast, a submenu is displayed asking which coast you want to move to. You are always given both options, but the order will be legal only if you move to a coast to which you are adjacent. In particular:
- Saint Petersburg (nc) is adjacent to Barents Sea and Norway
- Saint Petersburg (sc) is adjacent to Finland, Gulf of Bothnia, and Livonia
- Spain (nc) is adjacent to Gascony, Mid-Atlantic, and Portugal
- Spain (sc) is adjacent to Mid-Atlantic, Portugal, Western Mediterranean, Gulf of Lyon, and Marseilles
- Bulgaria (sc) is adjacent to Greece, Aegean Sea, and Constantinople
- Bulgaria (ec) is adjacent to Rumania, Black Sea, and Constantinople
If you order a move to a non-adjacent coast, the move will fail.
Having coasts doesn't change the rule that two units cannot swap territories except by convoy. So for instance, ordering two fleets as
- Spain (sc) MOVE Portugal
- Portugal MOVE Spain (nc)
will fail because the two units would be swapping territories, even though the coasts make it look like they are not moving through each other.
Supporting to a territory with a coast:
If a fleet can move into one coast of a territory, then it can support any action in that territory regardless of coast. For instance, a fleet in Marseilles can support a fleet in Gascony to move to Spain (nc), even though the fleet in Marseilles cannot itself move to Spain (nc). It can nonetheless move to Spain, and that is sufficient. Similarly, a fleet in Livonia can support a fleet in Saint Petersburg (nc) to hold.
When you enter an order to support a fleet in or to a coastal territory, you are given a submenu with the different possible coasts. Your support order must exactly match the order of the unit being supported. For instance, if F Marseilles is ordered to support Mid-Atlantic to Spain (sc), but Mid-Atlantic is ordered to Spain (nc), the support will be invalid. So make sure to choose the correct option when entering the support order.
This is true for hold orders as well: if you order Moscow SUPPORT Saint Petersburg to Saint Petersburg (nc), the support will be invalid if the unit in Saint Petersburg is on the south coast.
Territories with Coasts:
The only territories with separate coasts are:
- Saint Petersburg (north and south)
- Spain (north and south)
- Bulgaria (south and east)
The rules discussed here apply only to these territories, even if some other territories (ie Denmark, Kiel, Constantinople) look like they might have separate coasts. (They do not.)
Only one territory:
Even though these territories have two coasts, they are still just one territory. They can be occupied by only one unit at a time, and that unit occupies the entire territory.
Moving to a territory with a coast:
When you order a fleet to move to a territory with a coast, a submenu is displayed asking which coast you want to move to. You are always given both options, but the order will be legal only if you move to a coast to which you are adjacent. In particular:
- Saint Petersburg (nc) is adjacent to Barents Sea and Norway
- Saint Petersburg (sc) is adjacent to Finland, Gulf of Bothnia, and Livonia
- Spain (nc) is adjacent to Gascony, Mid-Atlantic, and Portugal
- Spain (sc) is adjacent to Mid-Atlantic, Portugal, Western Mediterranean, Gulf of Lyon, and Marseilles
- Bulgaria (sc) is adjacent to Greece, Aegean Sea, and Constantinople
- Bulgaria (ec) is adjacent to Rumania, Black Sea, and Constantinople
If you order a move to a non-adjacent coast, the move will fail.
Having coasts doesn't change the rule that two units cannot swap territories except by convoy. So for instance, ordering two fleets as
- Spain (sc) MOVE Portugal
- Portugal MOVE Spain (nc)
will fail because the two units would be swapping territories, even though the coasts make it look like they are not moving through each other.
Supporting to a territory with a coast:
If a fleet can move into one coast of a territory, then it can support any action in that territory regardless of coast. For instance, a fleet in Marseilles can support a fleet in Gascony to move to Spain (nc), even though the fleet in Marseilles cannot itself move to Spain (nc). It can nonetheless move to Spain, and that is sufficient. Similarly, a fleet in Livonia can support a fleet in Saint Petersburg (nc) to hold.
When you enter an order to support a fleet in or to a coastal territory, you are given a submenu with the different possible coasts. Your support order must exactly match the order of the unit being supported. For instance, if F Marseilles is ordered to support Mid-Atlantic to Spain (sc), but Mid-Atlantic is ordered to Spain (nc), the support will be invalid. So make sure to choose the correct option when entering the support order.
This is true for hold orders as well: if you order Moscow SUPPORT Saint Petersburg to Saint Petersburg (nc), the support will be invalid if the unit in Saint Petersburg is on the south coast.