Colonial Diplomacy is the only variant so far to be sold by Hasbro. It takes place in the late 19th century in Asia, with European Powers struggling with some of the Asian Powers for control over Asia.

The seven Powers are Britain, China, France, Holland, Japan, Russia and Turkey.

The startup positions are:

Britain (Blue): A Mad, A Del, F Bom, F HK, F Sig, F Ade
China (Yellow): A Pek, A Can, A Sik, A Sha, A Mac
France (Light Blue): A Ton, F Ann, A Coc
Holland (Black): F Jav, A Bor, F Sum
Japan (Green): A Kyo, F Kyu, F Ota, F Tok
Russia (Red): A Mos, A Vla, A Oms, F Ode, F Part
Turkey (White): A Ang, F Bag, F Con

The time begins in 1870. The game is played on even years (1870-1872-1874), with builds on the odd years.

Colonial Diplomacy is played by the standard Diplomacy rules, but with a couple of optional rules which the GM may choose to play after or not.

The optional rules

The Trans-Siberian Railroad

Even though the Trans-Siberian Railroad was opened in 1903, it plays an important role in Colonial Diplomacy (1870). Perhaps we can explain it with the good Russian communication system.

The Trans-Siberian railroad (TSR) stretches from Moscow to Vladivostok, and can only be used by the Russian player. It is used to move from any space along the railroad to another one.

Orders are written with the TSR as a "first target" for the move. The move of A Mos to Vla is written: "A Mos - TSR - Vla".

Units using the TSR may travel "through" other Russian units along the TSR. However, if a unit of another nationality blocks the way of a unit using the TSR, the TSR unit will stand off as normal at the place it is blocked.

Example: Russia moves A Mos - TSR - Vla. China moves A Mon - Kra. There will be a stand-off in Kra. The chinese army bounces back to Mon. The russian army stops in Omsk.

Units using the TSR can attack another space (with support, if needed) along the TSR if

1. The province is unoccupied at the start of the turn

2. The province is occupied at the start of the turn, but is made empty by other moves during that turn.

This means that if Russia orders a unit to Vladivostok from Moscow and supports it, the Chinese army in Vladivostok will still not be forced to retreat as long as it holds in Vladivostok. Units using the TSR can not attack occupied spaces. It is still a legal order, since China may leave Vladivostok in the same given turn. If the unit stays, the Russian army will end up in Irkutsk.

Spaces with special Rules:

Egypt and The Suez Canal

The Suez Canal allows fleets to move directly from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, without first passing through Egypt. This is only possible if allowed by a unit standing in Egypt. This unit must start and end the turn in Egypt in order to make the fleet move legal. The move must also be granted permission by the unit standing in Egypt. This is no big deal if for example Turkey has a unit in Egypt and a fleet in the Mediterranean which he moves to the Red Sea. But if another power wants to use the Suez canal, the unit in Egypt must specify that it gives its permission.

This is done by simply writing a support order for the move. F Egy s ENGLISH F REDS - MEDS.

Egypt has the same function as Kiel, Constantinople or Denmark in standard dip. It is concidered having a continous coast towards both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a British home supply centre. It counts as a supply centre for everyone except China. If China is in possession of Hong Kong, it counts as a neutral supply centre This rule is deactivated – still a British home supply centre, though.

Cebu

Cebu (south of Japan) looks like a body of water and some islands. It is considered a land space, and works in the same way as Kiel, Denmark or Constantinople in the standard variant. Fleets can move to Cebu from the Sulu Sea in one turn, and then in the next move on to the Middle Pacific.

Land spaces that border on Cebu are Manila and Davao.

Sakhalin

Sakhalin hasn't actually got a special rule, but the rules about this space are much debated. In the original Colonial Diplomacy, the only space that bordered on Sakhalin was the Okhotsk Sea. However, this means that a unit standing in Sakhalin cannot be forced to retreat. Therefore, in an errata on the rules, Hasbro added a land connection between Sakhalin and Otaru. This makes it harder for anyone to survive by using Sakhalin, but two units in Otaru and Sakhalin giving mutual support cannot be forced to retreat. Therefore, the so called “Moulmein Convention” is used to add another land connection between Otaru and Akita.

Victory Criteria:

To possess 30 of the 58 supply centres at a fall retreat