>>> return to the full Tournament Index
- Official Variant Maps & Rules
- Common Ruleset for DP-based Variants
- Transcribed Rules: Ambition & Empire
- Transcribed Rules: 1812 Overture
- Transcribed Rules: 1900
- Transcribed Rules: 1936
- Transcribed Rules: РАСПАД (Dissolution)
- Common Ruleset for DP-based Variants
Transcribed Rules: 1812 Overture (v1.5)
A Variant for Six Players
Variant Homepage: http://tinyurl.com/1812-overture-diplomacy
Overview
This forum post is an abridged transcription of the 1812 Overture rules document (version 1.5). It contains the complete rules, though additional examples and clarifications can be found in the Full Rules PDF.
Full Rules PDF: https://tinyurl.com/1812-overture-rules-1-5-5
If you would like to know more about the background of this variant and its development, I have an article in Issue 135 of Diplomacy World that you might find interesting.
Except as described below, standard rules of Diplomacy apply.
1812 Overture is a variant set in the Napoleonic era, with emphasis on:
- The "War of 1812" between the United States and Britain/Canada
- The "Patriotic War of 1812" between France and Russia
- The "Peninsular War" between France, Britain, Portugal, and Spain
- Other conflicts and political instability circa 1808-1815.
There are twelve powers on the map, with each of six players controlling two of them (similar to Versailles). There are two continents (theatres), North America (NA) and Europe (EU), connected by the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Five of the six players start in each theatre.
The game ends when a player conquers 18 SCs (total), with at least 12 of those SCs located in the same continent. Two players can simultaneously achieve these goals as well for a double-win.
Unlike prior versions of this variant, the 12 SCs you capture in a single continent do not have to be controlled by a single power.
Maps
See below for map images.
Starting Year
The game does not start in 1812, but rather starts in Spring 1811, since an "overture" comes before a performance.
12 Powers, 6 Players
Six powers in EU. Six powers in NA.
Three players get attached (preset) pairs, three get detached (random or auctioned) EU/NA pairs.
Napoleon gets two powers in EU. USA gets two in NA.
Everybody else has one power in each continent.
- Attached Pairs
- French Empire
- FR - France (Dark Blue)
- F Paris (Par)
- A Barcelona (Brc)
- A Amsterdam (Ams)
- F Paris (Par)
- RH - Rhine Confederation (Sky Blue)
- A Frankfurt (Fra)
- A Dresden (Dre)
- A Frankfurt (Fra)
- FR - France (Dark Blue)
- United States of America
- RE - Republican Party (Brown)
- A Philadelphia (Phi)
- A Charleston (Chl)
- A Baltimore (Btm)
- A Philadelphia (Phi)
- FE - Federalist Party (Tan)
- A New York City (NYC)
- F Boston (Bst)
- A New York City (NYC)
- RE - Republican Party (Brown)
- British Empire
- BR - Britain (Bright Red)
- F London (Lon)
- A Edinburgh (Edi)
- A Portugal (Por) (not an SC)
- Controls Dublin (Dub) (vacant)
- F London (Lon)
- CA - Canada (Pink)
- F Halifax (Hfx)
- A Montreal (Mon)
- F Halifax (Hfx)
- BR - Britain (Bright Red)
- French Empire
- Detached EU/NA Pair Powers
- Detached EU Powers
- AU - Austria (Yellow)
- A Vienna (Vie)
- A Buda (Bud)
- A Vienna (Vie)
- DN - Denmark-Norway (Dark Red)
- A Copenhagen (Cop)
- F Christiania (Chr)
- A Copenhagen (Cop)
- RU - Russia (Purple)
- A Smolensk (Smo)
- A St. Petersburg (StP)
- Moscow (Mos) (vacant; Russia starts one unit short)
- A Smolensk (Smo)
- AU - Austria (Yellow)
- Detached NA Powers
- NS - New Spain (Green)
- A Mexico City (Mex)
- F Havana (Hav)
- A Florida (Flo) (not an SC)
- Controls Cádiz (Cad) (vacant)
- A Mexico City (Mex)
- CH - Cherokee (Orange)
- A Chattanooga (Cng)
- A Ustanali (Ust)
- Cherokee can't build fleets.
- Cherokee can build in any vacant SC they control in NA.
- Cherokee can't be convoyed to EU.
- A Chattanooga (Cng)
- SH - Shawnee (Black)
- A Tippecanoe (Tip)
- A Wapakoneta (Wap)
- Shawnee can't build fleets.
- Shawnee can build in any vacant SC they control in NA.
- Shawnee can't be convoyed to EU.
- A Tippecanoe (Tip)
- NS - New Spain (Green)
- Detached EU Powers
The game ends in a Solo Win, a Double Win, or a draw.
- Solo Win: 18 & 12
- 18: 18+ SCs (total of both powers)
- 12: 12+ in one continent (total of both powers, if applicable).
- Exactly one player meets both of these requirements.
- 18: 18+ SCs (total of both powers)
- Double Win: 18x2 & 12x2
- Two players win at same time. It's not counted as a draw.
- 18x2: Both players each have 18+ SCs.
- 12x2: One player has 12+ SCs in NA. Other player has 12+ SCs in EU.
- Both players meet both requirements.
- Players don't have to have the same SC counts; they both win even if one player has a higher count.
- Two players win at same time. It's not counted as a draw.
- Draw
Max 2 builds per year per power (up to 4 builds per player).
Each of your two powers has its own unit count.
Each can only build in eligible vacant SCs that it controls.
Your two powers can capture each other's SCs.
See the Building Eligibility Charts below for a quick summary of the special cases below.
Major Harbors
Eligible build SC for anybody who captures it.
Only way for Austria & Rhine to build fleets.
- Venice (Ven)
- Naples (Nap)
- Koenigsberg (Kon)
- New Orleans (NOl)
They can't build fleets, even in Major Harbors.
Any SC in North America is an eligible build location (like Build Anywhere variant).
France & Rhine
Warsaw is an eligible build SC for either France or Rhine.
Montreal is an eligible build SC for France.
Republicans & Federalists
The USA powers treat each other’s home SCs as eligible build SCs.
Savannah is also an eligible build SC for either USA power.
Britain & Canada
Toronto is an eligible build SC for either Britain or Canada.
New Spain
New Spain treats Cádiz as a third home center but is still considered an NA power.
Madrid is also an eligible build SC for New Spain.
New Spain treats Cádiz as a third home center even though it is a North American power. Stylized borders around Cádiz that make it appear to be partially neutral at game start are purely aesthetic; New Spain controls the entire province.
Russia or Denmark-Norway
Stockholm is an eligible build SC for either Russia or Denmark-Norway.
Special Rule: Convoying Between Continents
There is a limit on convoying NA > EU and EU > NA.
An army can only convoy to a non-home continent if going to own controlled SC or adjacent province.
The SC has to be controlled by the same power as the convoying Army (Canadian Army can't use British SC).
No restriction on convoys "going home" back to original continent. No restriction on convoys where the origin and destination are in the same continent.
Water and Terrain
Split Coastlines
- St. Petersburg (StP nc/sc)
- Madrid (Mad nc/ec)
- Rupert's Land (Rup nc/sc)
- Yorkshire (Ysh ec/wc)
Just like Denmark or Constantinople in vanilla Diplomacy. There is no canal through Amsterdam or Mecklenburg (i.e. no Kiel canal).
- Stockholm (Stk)
- Copenhagen (Cop)
- Montreal (Mon)
- Toronto (Tor)
- Milwaukie (Mwk)
- Michigan Territory (Mic)
- Adirondacks (Adi)
- Niagara (Nia)
Provinces containing both land and a body or water (like Gibraltar in 1900). Both armies and fleets can pass through. Like canals, but fleets can convoy through.
- Newfoundland (Nfl)
- Bahamas (Bah)
- Hispaniola (His)
- Dublin (Dub)
- Cádiz (Cad)
The Great Lakes
The Great lakes are not adjacent to each other. Traveling between them requires passing first through an adjacent canal province.
In prior versions of this variant, the Great Lakes were Hybrid provinces. They are now just water.
List of Locations & Abbreviations
Supply centers are marked with an asterisk. Non-water provinces also indicate their continent (theatre).
- Code: Select all
Adirondacks Adi NA
Adriatic Sea Adr
Allegheny All NA
Amsterdam* Ams EU
Antilles Current AnC
Aquitaine Aqu EU
Arctic Ocean Arc
Arkhangelsk Ark EU
Azores Current AzC
Bahamas Bah NA
Baltimore* Btm NA
Barcelona* Brc EU
Barents Sea Bar
Bavaria Bav EU
Blue Ridge Mountains Blu NA
Bohemia Boh EU
Boston* Bst NA
Buda* Bud EU
Cádiz* Cad EU
Canary Current CaC
Caribbean Sea Crb
Charleston* Chl NA
Chattanooga* Cng NA
Christiania* Chr EU
Copenhagen* Cop EU
Dakotas Dak NA
Dresden* Dre EU
Dublin* Dub EU
Edinburgh* Edi EU
English Channel Eng
Equatorial Current EqC
Finland Fin EU
Finnmark Fmk EU
Florida Flo NA
Frankfurt* Fra EU
Galicia Gal EU
Granada Gra EU
Great Plains GrP NA
Guatemala Gua NA
Gulf of Bothnia GBo
Gulf of Danzig GDz
Gulf of Lyon GLy
Gulf of Mexico GMx
Gulf Stream GuS
Halifax* Hfx NA
Hanover Han EU
Havana* Hav NA
Hispaniola His NA
Hudson Bay Hud
Iceland Ice EU
Illinois Territory Iln NA
Illyria Ily EU
Ionian Sea Ion
Kentucky* Ken NA
Koenigsberg* Kon EU
Labrador Lab NA
Lake Erie Eri
Lake Huron Hur
Lake Michigan LMi
Lake Ontario Ont
Lake Superior Sup
Lazio Laz EU
Livonia Lvn EU
Lodomeria Lod EU
London* Lon EU
Lorraine Lor EU
Madrid* Mad EU
Maine* Mai NA
Mecklenburg Mek EU
Mexico City* Mex NA
Michigan Territory Mic NA
Milwaukie* Mwk NA
Mississippi Territory Msp NA
Montreal* Mon NA
Morocco Mor EU
Moscow* Mos EU
North Africa NAf EU
Naples* Nap EU
New Orleans* NOl NA
New York City* NYC NA
Newfoundland Nfl NA
Niagara Nia NA
North Atlantic Drift NAD
North Sea Nth
Norwegian Sea Nwg
Ozarks* Oza NA
Paris* Par EU
Philadelphia* Phi NA
Portugal Por EU
Portugal Current PoC
Provence Pro EU
Rupert's Land* Rup NA
Sargasso Sea SgS
Savannah* Sav NA
Shenandoah She NA
Silesia Sil EU
Skaggerak Ska
Smolensk* Smo EU
St. Petersburg* StP EU
Stockholm* Stk EU
Switzerland Swi EU
Texas* Tex NA
Tippecanoe* Tip NA
Toronto* Tor NA
Tyrrhenian Sea TyS
Ungava Ung NA
Upper Mississippi UMi NA
Ustanali* Ust NA
Venice* Ven EU
Vermont & Coös VtC NA
Vienna* Vie EU
Wales Wal EU
Wallachia* Wlc EU
Wapakoneta* Wap NA
Warsaw* War EU
West Florida WFl NA
Western Mediterranean Sea Wes
Yorkshire Ysh EU
Yucatan Yuc NA
