Off-Board Box

Off-Board Box Diplomacy

by Steve Gregory & Ryk Downes

ARDA: CB42/07

Recently I visited Steve and between us we came up with several ideas for variants. So here starts a series of them. I think there will be about six or seven. I will probably run about three of them. Hopefully there will be enough interest, especially since there will be no game fees for the play test. So to start off the series a slight variation of the standard game which we feel will prove interesting and possibly prevent stalemate lines. The Rules.

1. The Standard Rules of Diplomacy apply except where modified below.
2. The game is played on a standard Diplomacy Board with a small exception. There are n- 1 Off-Board boxes. Where n is the number of players currently in the game.
3. Initially there are 6 boxes. Whenever a player is out of the game the highest numbered box remaining will be destroyed along with the unit it contains (if any).
4. Each Off-Board box is a Coastal Province connected to all the provinces on the board.
5. Convoys are not permitted via the Off-Board boxes.
6. No Off-Board box borders another Off-Board box.
7. Any piece on the board may be ordered to the Off-Board box with or without support.
8. Likewise a piece in an Off-Board box may move to any province on the board and may be supported.
9. Units forced to retreat from an Off-Board box may do so to any province, but not another box.
10. Likewise any unit may retreat normally into an Off-Board box.
11. Off-Board boxes are not supply centers.
12. When writing orders if a unit to be ordered into an Off-Board box then it should be done thus; Assume England has A(Lon), F(Edi) and wish A(Lon) to be put into Off-Board Box number 3. A(Lon)-OFF3, F(Edi)s A(Lon)-OFF3.
13. Units need not be adjacent to give support into an Off-Board box.