1898 is the most popular variant played in both the Dipsters and Diplomacy Direct Groups. So popular, in fact, that these two groups adopted 1898 as the game for their Variant Tournament this year.

I suppose that the intimidation factor that accompanies so many variants is missing in 1898, because this variant seems to be so much like standard Diplomacy on the surface. That is why I think that it is such a popular variant.

In reality, 1898 is much more dynamic than standard Diplomacy. From very early in the game, the players have considerably more flexibility in deciding which SCs to target, and more flexibility in building the types of units that will make up their forces.

The variant starts after 1898, with each power possessing one home supply center and one unit. Each country must capture its other home centers before it can build in them. The initial setup is:

Country	Starting Unit
Austria	Army Trieste
England	Fleet Edinburgh
France	Army Brest
Germany	Army Kiel
Italy	Army Naples
Russia	Army StPetersburg
Turkey	Army Smyrna

The victory conditions remain 18 centers.

1898 is different at the start of the game, of course. Although all powers have the advantage of building the exact types of units that they need to carry out their strategies from very early in the game, Austria and Russia seem to benefit most from this format over standard Diplomacy, since they are the best positioned for fast growth.

• Austria is still close to the knot of Balkan centers, but does not experience the immediate pressure that he usually receives from his neighbors in the standard game. Although Austria is free to pursue a land-only strategy, a naval strategy is also a viable option for Austria in this variant because Turkey cannot move as quickly into the Mediterranean as he can in the standard game.
  
  
• England still has mastery of the seas, since he is the only power to start with a fleet in the first game year. Although he should definitely plan to take all of his home centers by the end of the second year, it may still be tricky for England to get that first center on the continent without support from his second unit.
  
  
• France may be a little weaker in this variant because it is more difficult for him to get past the usual six French centers. Still, France is a very strong power.
  
  
• Germany may face Russian opposition in Scandinavia earlier than in the standard game but, like France, Germany is still a very strong power.
  
  
• Italy starts with an army rather than a fleet in this variant, but he has a considerable advantage over his usual nemesis, Turkey, because Turkey starts with an army in SMY and cannot move as quickly and as forcefully into the Mediterranean as he can in the standard game.
  
  
• Russia is very well positioned for early growth. It is almost certain that Russia will own all four home centers at the end of the second year and then be able to put massive force exactly where he needs it. He also has the advantage of being able to build immediately the best types of units for his needs. Like Austria, he is free to pursue a land-only strategy by building armies only; or he can pursue a very strong combined strategy by building his fleets exactly where they will benefit him most. It all depends on Russia’s strategic goals.
  
  
• Turkey is probably slightly weaker in this variant, because he starts with an army in SMY and cannot move as quickly and as forcefully into the Mediterranean as he can in the standard game.

The doh! Factor:

In the first few game years, it becomes obvious that knowing how 1898 works gives a player a bit of an advantage.

If there is one cardinal rule in 1898, it is to own two (2) home supply centers at the end of the first year of play, and to own the rest of them by the end of the second year.

Players who are not fully acquainted with the 1898 variant may be tempted by those neutral centers that seldom present themselves in the standard game — but they should not take the bait. In the first year of play, Austria needs VIE or BUD, and must avoid VEN, RUM, and BUL at all costs; England needs LON (or LVP) and should avoid the temptation of NWY, DEN, HOL, or BEL in 1899. A similar argument may be made for the rest of the powers.

It actually hurts a player to be successful abroad if he does not have the home SCs to profit from his success. If a player is waiving a build in 1900 and building only one to get to three units when his closest neighbors are each building two to get to four units, that player already is in very, very serious trouble. And it is trouble that will grow geometrically as the game progresses.

I made this very error in my maiden effort as Austria in 1898. Wanting to harass my Turkish neighbor, in 1899 I tried for a gambit into BUL. In 1900 I waived one build. In 1901 the Sultan started to have his way with me and in 1904 I was waving auf Wiedersehen to the rest of the players.

Quite painfully I later dubbed this phenomenon as the doh! factor (does one home-center!). Without a doubt the doh! factor is the leading cause of early mortality in the 1898 variant.

I invite you to visit the Blood Sport Diplomacy site if you would like to study the 1898 Variant in real time and from the inside:

Blood Sport is the observation and discussion site for four of the games in the Dipsters Group’s current 1898 Variant Tournament. Players publish their strategies to the site’s message board in real time. As long as you are not a player in the tournament, you are welcome to join the discussion.

Alan Mennel (amennel@verizon.net)

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