The normal rules of the game of Diplomacy apply, with the following additions,
exceptions, and clarifications.
There are 43 Supply Centers. The Victory Criterion is 22 Centers.
The Home Centers for the Great Powers are (capitals listed first):
Britain
London
Edinburgh
Canada
Egypt
Middle East
China
Chungking
Canton
Peking
France
Paris
Marseilles
Algiers
Germany
Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Japan
Tokyo
Sapporo
Sendai
USA
Washington
Hawaii
New York
California (see below)
USSR
Moscow
Leningrad
Stalingrad
Okhotsk
The first move of the game is Winter 1939. On this turn, the players
specify their builds, which may be negotiated. If a Fleet is built in Canada,
Leningrad, or Middle East, the coast must be specified. USA can only build three
units in the first year, but it may choose to build its third unit either in
New York or California and does not have to disclose where it has built it
until the Spring 1940 moves are disclosed.
U.S.A. may always build units in California instead of in a Home SC if it
wishes, provided it owns California.
If Germany owns Rome, she may build units there.
Map Notes
Canal Provinces.
Egypt, Hamburg and Panama are considered to have only one coast. Fleets
passing from one sea space to another via a canal must first move to a canal
province (e.g. F EMS-Egypt; then F Egypt-Indian Ocean).
Land Crossings (Direct Passage).
Both Armies and Fleets may move directly between Denmark and Sweden, Korea
and Kyushu, Tokyo and Kyushu, and Gibraltar and North Africa. Fleets may move
between North Sea and Baltic Sea or between Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea or
Okinawa only by first moving to one of the intervening land spaces. Denmark,
Sweden, Korea, Kyushu and Tokyo are considered one-coast provinces. Units may
not move directly between Greece and Turkey.
Straits.
Fleets may move directly between West Med. Sea and either MAO or SAO; and
between East Med. Sea and Black Sea.
Pacific Island Areas.
Armies may enter the Hawaiian, Midway, Okinawa and Solomon Is., spaces
without convoy, as if they were land provinces. Fleets may move and convoy
through these spaces as if they were ordinary sea spaces.
Western Britain.
Western Britain is a coastal province consisting of Wales, SW England, Irish
Sea and Ireland. All units treat this area as a single space.
India.
India contains a Standing Army, which must be dislodged before it can be
occupied and claimed as a Supply Center.
Polish Corridor.
This map is inaccurate in showing Prussia as attached to the rest of
Germany in 1939. From 1919 to September 1939, East Prussia was cut off from
the area shown here as "Berlin" by the "Polish Corridor," which has been
omitted from the ZEUS map. However, for game purposes this is not too
serious, especially since the map has been badly distorted in so many areas
to fit everything in.
Design Notes
The Zeus variant was created by Chris Northcott and Fred Davis.