2. Diplomatic Phase
0. component changes
1. introduction
2. diplomatic phase
3. operations phase
4. movement
5. combat
6. political phase
7. economic phase
8. leaders
9. peloponnesian war scenario
2. Diplomatic Phase
During the diplomatic phase, city-states shift their diplomatic status, allying with other city-states or going to war with them.
The diplomatic phase is conducted as a succession of rounds of diplomatic actions by the major city-states. A round proceeds in alphabetical order (e.g. usually Athens first), with each major city-state in turn taking an action or passing. A second round of actions follows in the same order, then a third, and so on. The phase ends when all major city-states pass in immediate succession.
Many scenario rules cover special actions which can also occur during the diplomatic phase (Syracuse can convene the Congress of Gela, Athens can ally with Argos, and so on). These actions generally take place at the start of the phase.
There are 29 city-states in the game, from major powers such as Sparta and Athens which controlled the surrounding cities to minor city-states only marginally more influential than the neighboring towns. A city-state's forces begin and end the turn in the city (unless specifically assigned to year-round station elsewhere). If city is not on the coast, the city-state's naval forces begin and end the turn in the city's port space. If there is no port, or the port is not in friendly hands, the city-state may not construct naval forces.
There are three bordering Kingdoms: Persia, Macedon and the Odrysians. Macedon's home space is Pella. The other two are special powers with no home space. Special scenario rules govern all three.
Major city-states represent the leading cities of the day, who possessed the manpower and wealth to pursue an active foreign policy. Each player takes the part of a major city-state. In games with more major city-states than players, the remainder are controlled by one of the players, as indicated in the scenario rules.
At various times, different city-states asserted, or tried to assert, a position of leadership in the Greek world. Sparta claimed such supremacy from time to time, but a strong conservative and isolationist streak kept the Spartans from establishing an enduring hegemony after the Persian Wars. It was left to Athens to assume the position of leadership. After the Peloponnesian War destroyed the Athenian empire, Sparta, then Thebes, and finally Macedon played the dominant role.
In the game, a major city-state may assert itself as the leader of the Greeks. A city-state which does this is known as a dominant city-state, and leads a coalition of city-states. Other major city-states may become junior coalition partners by allying with the dominant city-state. Coalition partners do not conduct their own operations. Instead, their forces may participate in the dominant city-state's operations, and they may help pay for the operations.
More than one city-state can claim dominant status. At the start of the Peloponnesian War, both Athens and Sparta are dominant city-states, and Thebes and Corinth are junior partners in Sparta's coalition.
Major city-states can choose to be independent, neither claiming dominant status nor joining a coalition. Ordinarily, such city-states are neutral toward other major city-states. However, a dominant city-state may go to war with an independent major city-state.
The minor city-states are minor only in the context of the game. Historically, some were quite powerful, including the vast Persian Empire and the Kingdom of Macedon, eventual unifier of Greece.
Some minor city-states are permanently allied with a major city-state, while others can shift sides or stay neutral. Some minor city-states are tributaries, minor allies who pay a monetary tribute to the major city-state in the revenue phase. The initial diplomatic status of each minor is determined by the scenario.
Some minor city-states are sympathetic to a major city-state, according to the scenario rules. In the Peloponnesian War, Syracuse is sympathetic to Corinth, while Argos is sympathetic to Athens. A sympathetic minor is not necessarily allied with or even friendly to the major city-state. However, the major city-state controls the behavior of the minor, and can conduct operations with the minor's forces during its turn (3.1.3).
Each city-state in the game has a diplomatic status marker indicating the city-state's current political stance. Major city-state status markers are placed in one of four boxes:
Minor city-state status markers are also placed in one of four boxes:
Two city-states are either friendly, neutral or unfriendly to each other according to their diplomatic status.
In the rules, spaces and units are referred to as being friendly, neutral or unfriendly to each other. This is determined by the status of the city-states controlling the spaces and units. Spaces and units in rebellion are considered to be unfriendly to their original controller and all other city-states friendly to the controller, and friendly to all city-states unfriendly to the original controller.
In each round of the diplomatic phase, a major city-state has the option of taking a diplomatic action or passing. The various possible actions are described below. A city-state may make any number of actions during the diplomatic phase. In theory, a city-state can claim dominant city-state status, relinquish it, claim it again, and so on.
A major city-state becomes dominant simply by asserting its claim. Move the city-state's status marker to the Dominant box on the map.
A dominant city-state may relinquish its status by moving its status marker to the Neutral box on the map. Any minor tributaries of the dominant city-state, any junior partners of the dominant city-state's coalition, and any major city-states with which it was at war are also moved to the Neutral box. Any minor allies who are not tributaries are retained. Relinquishing dominant status reduces a city-state's bellicosity by two.
An independent major city-state may, with a dominant city-state's permission, become a junior coalition partner by moving its status marker to the dominant city-state's Allies box. A city-state may even join the coalition of a dominant city-state with which it has been at war.
A junior coalition partner may leave the coalition and move its status marker to the Neutral box. The dominant city-state's permission is not required.
A major city-state may declare war on a neutral minor city-state, moving its status marker from the Neutral box to the major city-state's Enemies box. A city-state may also declare war on its own minor allies. A dominant city-state might do this to reduce its ally to tributary status.
A dominant city-state may declare war on a neutral independent city-state, moving its status marker from the Neutral box to the dominant city-state's Enemies box. Only the dominant city-state can initiate the war, not the independent city-state.
A major city-state unfriendly to a second major city-state may take as allies one or more minor city-states currently in the second city-state's Enemies box. Exception: Junior coalition partners may not intervene.
A city-state may attempt to break a peace treaty it has signed with another city-state. Roll a die. If the number is less than the number of turns the peace has lasted, a suitable pretext is found, and the treaty is annulled. Otherwise, the peace continues. If the number is greater than the number of turns the peace has lasted, all Greece is outraged at the sacrilege, and the chastened city-state loses one bellicosity.
ppw@mountford.net (discussion group)
brian@mountford.net (me)