The following article has been chosen by our Diplomacy editor, Walt Buchanan, from the pages of his Hoosier Archives, (see "Passing in Review").

HOW TO PLAY THE YONGSTOWN VARIANT

(Rod discovered an early version of the Y.V. while visiting in Youngstown, Ohio, during the summer of 1968. It had been designed by a member of the Youngstown University Diplomacy Club. The original board was in the hands of John Koning, former editor of Stab. Rod completely redesigned the playing board and produced a game which has seen a great increase of popularity among postal players.)

Essentially, the Youngstown Variant (YV) is the regular name painted on a larger canvas. Except for provisions which allow the passage of units directly from the Atlantic on one hand to the Pacific on the other, its rules are those of regular Diplomacy. The major changes occur in the playing board. The whole of Asia and of northeastern Africa is added to the game. Three new Great Powers are added (China, India, and Japan).

To introduce the subject of grand strategy in this name, let me cover the important changes which have been made. China/India/ Japan each has 3 units to start; Russia has two new units, A Omsk and F Vladivostok, in the Far East; and England/France each has a new unit in the Far East, F Johore (Malaya) for t!le former and F Saigon for the latter. England's A Liverpool is also a fleet in this version. Italy/Turkey have new units in the Middle East: F Mogadiscio and A Baghdad. Austria/Germany have new units at home: A Cluj and A Posen.

These changes tend to "clump" the nations tonether in the way I have just indicated. These "clumps" do not necessarily suggest alliance patterns, but they do suggest ways of looking at the board. I now propose to consider each of these groups.

CHINA/INDIA/JAPAN

Each of these powers begins 1 unit down from the European states. This is not only a reflection of their relative weakness in reality, but also of the fact that they have slightly better defenses and pretty good pickings in nearby neutral supply centers. Each can easily grow to 6 units in the first year. However, from then on their problems become obvious and serious.

First, several European states (England, France. Italy, and Russia) have direct access to the Asian area through home supply centers located there. Turkey can be considered "European" for this purpose, too. The Asians have no comparable advantage save that this intrusion is a very limited one, amounting to one center per intruder (Russia has 2).

Second, once the Asian goodies are all eaten up, where do the Asian powers go? The way into the European sector is very hard- for instance, one defense line (A:st IndianArabian Sea-Iran-Turkest-Omsk) is only five spaces long!

The best possible response to this problem is 3-power cooperation, which sounds easier than it is. In addition to the inevitable personality problems which would certainly arise, this sort of alliance faces several problems.

First, eliminating the "foreing devils" in Southeast Asia and possibly also Siberia. That is not always quickly done. If England and France cooperate, they can be up to 4 units down there in one year, and will be hard to dislodge. Second, how to assume the offensive. China is usually obliged to hit Russia, the hardest nut to crack if he is trying to defend at all. nf the others. either India or Japan will probably be obliged to play a defensive role -- India against Italy or Turkey, Japan against England or France (or both). If India and Japan can both move out, China will be called upon to exercise forebearance and patience, and his allies will be called upon to find some way to compensate him.

Of course. the Asian powers will not be faced with any sort of European unity, and assuming the diplomatic offensive will be relatively easy. In many games, time can best be spent consolidating at hone and preparing for the time when the Europeans themselves will open the gates of their inner fortress. The temptation for two of the powers to overwhelm the third may prove hard to resist. If Europe is cutting itself to ribbons, this will not he a fatal policy.

RUSSIA

Russia's position is unique. Alone of all the powers, he has a direct stretch of continuous territory frorn the Far East to Central Europe. Ile is well placed to expand. Yell played, Russia can grow to 10 units in one year (building 4), and in 1971Dbu, Russia built 6 in Winter 1901. This initial surge hides and belies a more basic weakness. It is fairly easy for the Far Eastern Powers to conquer and detach Russia's Far Eastern oossessions (Russia can still do well without them, however). Despite the fact that the loss is minimal, and the danger to his core area is even smaller, Russia tends to become overly concerned with the Far Eastern positions of his empire.

Suddenly, in 1902, Russia has got to depend, therefore, on shrewd alliances. One good possibility is England/Russia/Japan, a "Northern Tier" alliance (this is a nood alternate for Japan to the China/India/Japan thing). An alliance with these two naval powers secures Russia's vulnerable flanks and makes it possible to aaqe a land war, to which he is admirably suited. lie should seek to turn Germany And Austria against each other and then expand against one in alliance with the other or possibly ally with both, sending Germany against France and Austria against Italy or Turkey (Preferably Turkey, since Russia can also gain from that). For at least the first few years, Russia should keep his gains close to home , where they can easily be Protected. He should also be prepared to give up Vladisvostok if some real advantages can gained from so doing. It is the most expendable Portion of his dominions, and we are not all blessed with expendable centers.

ENGLAND/FRANCE

These countries are by far the most flexible in terms of possible serious competitors, But they can also cooperate very nicely. The problem is that they cannot afford the units to be effective in Asia unless they have neutralized their area of Europe, and vice-versa. They can, of course, easily afford to lose their Asian possessions entirely, but most players seem loath to accept inevitable and sometimes salutory amputations of this sort.

Neutrality in Europe means that Germany, Russia, and Italy have to be encouraged to go south and east. England and France must be prepared for the implications of this: somebody will be attacking Turkey. This will distract the Ottoman Empire from any Asian designs it might have, so that in turn, India will be left free to move east. East is where France and England, by neutralizing their roles in Europe, have hoped to build up an Asian Empire -- which means that by making it easier in Europe, they may have made it harder in Asia . This is not the only ramification of what England and France may do, but it is an excellent example of how actions taken on one side of the board will have effects on the other.

Ultimately, England and France must recognize that if they fight, their Asian empires are probably forfeit -- unless the Asian powers also have a falling out. It is of course important to encourage disunity in the East. England/France (or either of them) can become a major factor in the Far East via the Atlantic-Pacific movement zones, but not if Japan is free to deploy his navy in such a way as to prevent this.

ITALY/TURKEY

The main threat of Italy and Turkey in Asia is each against India. This makes them potential allies. but also rivals for the same territories. The chances of cooperation are heightened by the possibilities in the Balkans. However, much depends upon what Italy decides with respect to Africa and Arabia. The supply centers in Yemen, Egypt, and Pentapolis are important points of potential rivalry with Turkey. and even if these questions are settled. Italy remains always poised in Turkey's rear.

This is hardly conductive to trust and good will, so that all of the potential of alliance between these two powers often goes south. Italy is more fortunate in the location of his colonial area in that he can have a force of two or three units there before Turkey or India is really able to move against him. On the other hand, he is all alone down there, with nobody to help him. Italy must also fear France more than he does in the regular game. France will certainly put a unit into northern Africa, to secure Morocco; once he is there, he may succumb to the temptation to try for Tunis. Italy must also fear Austria more than usual (see below).

Turkey, although deprived of his corner-defensive position, now has many outlets for expansion. Ile can move east against India, or even to outflank Russia from the south. There is a rich field in northeast Africa. but much of this depends on Italy. However, like Italy, he must fear Austria. He must aIso fear a united Far East. If this happen A flood of Indian units will head his way. and if he does not defend the approaches to Arabia in tine, he will have little chance to stop that juggernaut.

AUSTRIA/GERMANY

The poor Central Powers. they have no colonies. The other European Powers can adopt the tactic of gaining a center in the east, and then building the extra unit-at home for a quick and perhaps telling advantage in the clashes of 1902/3. Austria and Germany are compensated by an extra unit at home each, but that advantage is nothing if it is not exploited. The belt of neutral provinces between them makes attack difficult, but it does not aid cooperation, either. Ultimately, war is suicide so each must help the other or at least let him alone.

Austria can in this game more easily dominate the Balkans. Her job is made more difficult by the addition of neutral Montenegro, but the extra army at Cluj more than makes up for it. He can, for instance, try for Rumania and seize Serbia at the same time. Greece is not such an easy target, but at least the Turks can be kept out. And if Rumania falls in Spring 1901, and if Russia is willing to tolerate this, then Bulgaria can be threatened.

Austria has got to attack Italy, Russia, and Turkey in this game, and do it before they become too strong through colonial expansion. One consideration is that knocking Turkey out gives access to Italy. period.

Germany, by the same taken, is obliged to take on England, France, or Russia, Knocking out England gives access to Asia by one route; Knocking out Russia gives the same by another. But knocking out France leaves Germany trapped in Europe. On the other hand, attacking England is the most difficult task of the three and hitting Russia means that England and France are both leaving him alone, which is not very reasonable, and in addition means that they must be cutting up in Asia, which means in turn that the Far Eastern powers are distracted, which means in turn that they are leaving Russia alone, which means that unless Germany has not a pretty firm thing with Austria or Turkey, and perferably both, he will get nowhere (and Russia is an awfully bony chicken when cut up that many ways).

All of this is of course abstract. Personalities of players do a great deal to channe the course of a game, as do various blunders made in the course of play.

In the Youngstown Variant, it seems that the first elimination will not usually occur until somewhere between 1905 and 1908 (as compared to first eliminations in the regular game usually between 1903 and 1906). As Great Powers begin disappearing, the structure of the thing will alter, of course.

However, for the first few years, it is well to keep these basic Principles in mind. The Far Eastern Powers are to a large extent isolated from Europe and that area of the board tends to form a sub-game. Austria and Germany have no outlet for expansion alternative to attacking one or more of their European neighbors. The other European powers have the possibility of expanding from their colonial bases. Therefore, the choices they make in this regard are most important to how the game will develop.

In this game, even more than in the regular name, short-range gains may bring long-range doom.