Backgroud
I am working on a Master Class for Diplomacy. I think I am a good enough player and a good enough teacher for some of what I know to be helpful to others. But I recognize that my knowledge is finite and other players continue to amaze me with their skill and knowledge won by experience. I would like to include more than my finite wisdom, so I am asking players to contribute some of their ideas for such a master class. PLEASE NOTE that anything shared here may end up being in such a class.
Format
Game and Move: If you can, please submit a real world example. You know your games and finding examples is often half the battle. So think about your most brilliant moves and go and find them in the game. provide the game id number and the move.
Description: Describe the situation, your decision, what made the move risky, brilliant, conservative, or whatever you were thinking when you made the move and the other options you rejected. Generalize what you can. Alternately show how the specifics mattered. Strategies for all boards and all variants are welcome. Fog of war offers its own tactics.
Name this principle: I am interested in developing a tactics vocabulary similar to other games. So if you can think of a visceral name that fits the idea, let me know if you have a nickname of how you think of it in your head. This will help people remember. For example, there is a common technique of two units bouncing in the middle to keep a player out of that territory. There is another common technique of supporting one of their units against the other, often to vacate a supply center you want to take. I think of this technique by the simply name "unwanted support."
In addition to specific moves, I am also interested in posts along the lines of "I would think a Master Class would include this article or the work of ...." Along with a link. As an example, I found that studying the map you are playing on critically important. I lost my first Ancient Med game to a player who said, "I know that board well." I took several weeks studying the board, stalemate lines etc. and have worked my way to the #1 player on that board. For the classic board, I found the work of BrotherBored incredibly helpful for each power's likely supply center in a solo gunboat win, for example England at https://brotherbored.com/diplomacy/gunboat-solo-win-intro/england/
For now, I would like to limit this class to Tactics useful in a gunboat game. PRESS Diplomacy is closer to psychology and how to stroke egos and lie well. I may let someone else do that Master Class.