Diplomacy: The Golden Blade - Game Haus

0:00 I don't want to shuffle this. I'm not going to lie. I don't want to shuffle this. I just

0:02 Well, cuz I don't know if you're paying attention. I'm doing it, too.

0:05 Any other habitual shufflers.

0:07 The worst kind of game for me is a game where you can't deck cuz while I'm talking, I just start absent mindedly doing this. It keeps me from smoking cigarettes.

0:15 Yeah,

0:16 that's why I do this.

0:17 Yeah, you should see Nick when he doesn't have a deck of cards in his hand.

0:20 Freaking me, dude. What's up everybody? My name is Nick and I'm Mike. We are the Buzz Murf. Today at the game house we are playing Diplomacy the Golden.

0:36 Absolutely. This is kind of like an expedited card uh version of Diplomacy. Uh

0:40 50 minutes per player says in the box

0:41 50 minutes per player. We are uh are going to play a special two-player uh mode which is going to be France versus Austria Hungary specifically. All that's in the box for this is from Renegade Game Studios who are sponsoring this playthrough.

0:53 Thank you Renegade.

0:53 Big shouts out to Renegade. you can pick this one up yourself uh and go ahead and check out their website or your local game store to pick this up. There'll be uh information to their website in the description of this video. Please go tell them that we sent you. We would appreciate that. So yeah, in this game we're going to be playing kind of like mind games, bluffing, playing cards to take different actions

1:12 to uh build up in army politics and our fleet and trying to be the first one to get to level three in one of those arenas. And the first one to do it is going to immediately win. And so what we're do is we're going to show you and overview how this game is going to work. And we're going to hop right into our two-player play. In Diplomacy: The Golden Blade, players take on the role of world powers intent on building up the areas of army, politics, and fleet in a race to be the first to get one area to level three. We'll be playing with a special two-player mode pitting France and Austria Hungary against each other. Each round begins with supply where each player draws a card from the library deck. These cards show the three domains of your empire. Now comes the orders phase, which in a two-player game consists of you playing two orders to your right and two to your left. Your opponent will do the same. Now, each player will choose one of the cards on their left to be their vanguard, and which of their opponent's cards will face them. Once each player has done this, it is time to resolve orders.

1:59 First, players will reveal their vanguard cards and ensure that everything is played legally. This is important because if you wish to play a card in a domain that you're weaker in than your opponent, that card's actions are canceled completely. If neither card is illegal, they compare their abilities. Note that some cards like censure can block other cards with the same icon showing. They would cancel espionage, for example. If your card's ability isn't blocked, it carries out. An example is sabotage, which if not blocked, allows you to remove a unit from your opponent's power grid, making them weaker in that domain. For the rest of the round, players will alternate revealing and activating cards to place units, remove opponent units, block actions, and more. In the two-player mode, there are mind games to be played and bluffing with which cards you place and where will be crucial. Lastly, in a round, each player can build by placing down a unit card into their power grid. Players will then begin the next round with the supply phase. As players get closer to level three in a domain, their opponent will act even fiercer in stying their plans. But if any time one player gets a unit to level three, that player wins immediately.

2:53 It's time to not negotiate, even though we're playing diplomacy.

2:56 Well, we are negotiating maybe via force or something.

3:01 Knives

3:02 with knives. Uh yes, we are playing the uh two player mode of this game where uh you have France versus Austri Hungary. As you saw, there's a couple of additional cards uh for two players specifically.

3:13 You can take some out for

3:14 you take a couple out. Uh, one is being able to go off to the side and negotiate and stuff with your friends because there's only two of us here.

3:20 How much negotiating?

3:21 Um, yeah. So, we have some additional ability to block each other's things. So, it's a bit more of like the mind game and bluffing in the two players.

3:27 You saw the overview. It's it's it turns into a bluffing game is really what it is. Yes,

3:31 it's kind of a different vibe here. Um, so that's what we'll be showing you today as there are two of us here.

3:36 Um, two players. How's that work? Works like this. At least this version works like this.

3:40 Yeah, absolutely. Um, so we're going to start with a uh after setup, we do an initial build, uh, which is playing one of our, uh, cards from hand down into our area to give us a bit of a a bit of a start.

3:53 Yeah.

3:54 So, um, let's see. I think we'll each make our selection. Yeah,

3:58 sure.

3:59 All right, let's go and reveal.

4:01 I'm going political. You're going for that. Political. Okay, so that means Mike has a stronger political area than I do have stronger fleet which means I will not be able to play political cards which are the kind of these white cards because um Mikey is stronger there.

4:15 Yeah, just until you get one and then you'll be at the same level but now I'm at level one. Similarly, I won't be able to play fleet cards uh currently uh as you are stronger indeed.

4:27 All right. And then I have the ambassador card here. So I will be first. We're each going to choose again two cards for each of our kind of um arenas here as as we'll call them. Um okay. Boom.

4:52 Boom. Okay. So this is gonna be me.

5:02 What's my right do?

5:08 What's my do? I'm so ready. My body is so ready for this. All right. I think I'm going there. All righty. So, since I have the Vassor token, I will choose a Vanguard for my left. Then Michael will choose a Vanguard for his left. Which one of these do I want to do? Um, I'll do this one real quick before we do anything. Um, oh yeah, sorry. We supply resupply around. You draw a card. So, we did the the initial build and I forgot that we begin by drawing cards and then you do your orders and diplomacy in this game.

5:42 So, before we do that, so okay, you're putting this one forward.

5:45 Which one do I think I want to do? Because again, I get to choose what Mikey's card is here. I have no idea what they are. So, I'm going to do this one because I don't really have much information right now. So, Mike will do the same over on his left there. So, and you're allowed to peek cheeky peek it at your own cars.

6:06 I will go here.

6:12 Okay. And which one am I?

6:14 My Vanguard. I'm going to bring your card there. Okay. Now, we've chosen our kind of basically first round, second round of the the kind of thing here. All right. So, let's go ahead and reveal these and we'll check to see if there's any illegal plays.

6:31 Um, so there's no illegal plays. Legal play would basically be if I played like one of these political cards, I can't because Mike's political things I would have to switch it out with a hold, but did not play anything illegal. Sometimes you're not going to have a choice. Like if you're just, you know, you just don't have a choice sometimes because you're losing basically is what what we're getting at. Okay, Mikey. So, um Oh, God. That show was the one that blocked me. Dang it. Okay, so basically I'll try to do my Vanguard card and then we'll try to do this one. So, this one says, "If not blocked, take one random unicard from this neighbor's hand." Mike played center. So, it says block a attack card, which is a little crosshairs one. Dang it. Ah, that's annoying. Um, I thought you were going to come out come out, you know, swinging.

7:11 Yeah. You know, and then if you do, you get to draw one unit card from the library. Hey, that. So then if this wasn't I would get to snag a card. So that is unfortunately that this then will flip over and then we'll do this one. These can kind of go out.

7:25 Okay. So um, proliferation for me. Uh, if not blocked. Are you blocking anything?

7:31 No, I am not. If not blocked, discard one unit card. Then deploy one unit card from your hand to my power read.

7:38 Oh, I like that. I am going to discard a fleet card and I'm going to play a politic card.

7:45 Okay. So, am I still in level one?

7:46 Still level one.

7:47 But if you get to level two, then I got a lot of political stuff to make up. So, my thing is if not blocked, which it was not, remove one unit from your choice from the power grid of this neighbor. Get out of there. I don't like that. Don't love that. Good. Okay, back to you. Uh, so now this go here. We'll flip these over, see if there's anything illegal. Uh, there is not. Now, keep in mind with the power and all that kind of stuff, you have to remember what the power was at the start cuz basically like if we were on level one, for example,

8:17 yes. And if Mike moved to level two, technically he has more power, but these cards are the validity of the power is set at the beginning of the resolution phase. So, uh, just know that that lots of things change mid round.

8:30 You can't change the power level like mid round like that. Um, it doesn't really work that way. So, I'll do this one. So, I have a convoy. So, I get to draw one unit from the library and then draw units equal to my fleet power level, which is one. So, I'm basically to draw two cards here.

8:44 Nice. What are you doing?

8:46 Um, I've got subtrafuge if not blocked. Neither of us blocked each other. Uh, view this neighbor's hand, then discard one unit card of your choice from their hand. Let me let me show me what you got.

8:56 I don't know. Show me what you're working with. A lot of army. Low army.

9:00 I'll get rid of one of those. That's That's a little too many armies, I think.

9:05 Give that.

9:06 Okay. And then this will switch back over to you.

9:09 Okay. And we both have sanctions. We're sanctioning each other. Um, so we could block either a power or an attack order from the other. But in this case, they're both doing

9:19 that to each other, but they are neither of those types of things. So this is a in effect a moot.

9:24 So if you do your opponent If you if you do, your opponent draws one un card. So, this card is strong because it blocks both things, but it gives them a little bit of a

9:32 concession. A little concession. Okay. So, that is the um order resolution phase. We'll go to the build phase. We will build something.

9:39 What do I want to do here?

9:44 I honestly didn't see what it was.

9:45 Yeah.

9:46 All right. Fleet. Okay. Yeah, we're doing the All right. Balance.

9:50 Balance.

9:51 I kind of wish I played an army card. I was thinking about it and I figured you were going to. So, okay. All right. So, now we're back to the supply phase. So, we're just going to get a card.

9:59 Yep.

10:00 And I will be the ambassador to start this time. So, it does kind of

10:03 the first order

10:05 does flop around.

10:06 I don't want to shuffle this. I'm not going to lie. I don't want to shuffle this. I just

10:08 Well, because I don't know if you're paying attention. I'm doing it, too.

10:11 Any other habitual shuffler? The worst kind of game for me is a game where you can't deck cuz while I'm talking, I just start

10:17 absent mindedly doing this. Keeps me from smoking cigarettes.

10:21 Yeah.

10:22 That's why I do this. Yeah, you should see Nick when he doesn't have a deck of cards in his hand.

10:26 Freaking all me, dude.

10:29 Every starts rolling up a card in the shape of a cigarette, then we know we got to get him to a to a facility quick. We are kidding. Don't smoke kids.

10:35 Don't smoke kids. It's terrible. Stupid, too. Okay, so now we're back to the um so we got our supply phase. Back to the diplomacy and orders, which in this case is bluffing in orders. Um, okay. you. I want to.

11:06 Okay. Here. Okay. We'll do that. We'll do that. So scared. Okay. All righty, Mikey. What you going to do Vanguard wise? What do I want? Okay, I'm looking this. Yeah, duh. Um, now who do I want that to go against? I will vanguard this against this. Let's do this one this time.

11:52 Okay, man. I'm so scared. Are

11:54 we all built?

11:55 Yep. All right. Flipping them. Flipping them.

11:58 Anything illegal? Nope. Because we're all same power level. Okay. So, we're starting over here this time. Okay. So, if not blocked, you are blocking a power uh action. So,

12:12 whatever.

12:12 Yep. I even wanted to proliferate right now.

12:14 Yeah, we did. So, block a power order, which I did. Uh if I do draw one unit card from the library. Thank you. lame. Okay, then this will flop over here. Okay, so block a uh attack or a do. But if I do, you get to draw a card from the library. But what would you have done otherwise?

12:35 I would have taken a random card from your hand.

12:36 Yeah.

12:37 Okay.

12:37 Take a random card from the library.

12:40 Get out of here.

12:40 Either way. All right. Then this will flip over there. All right. What's happening? Um, okay. I could block a an attack order, which you don't have going on. And if I did, I would draw a card from the library. So, no dice for me. All right. Uh, if not blocked, which sabotage card was not, I remove one unit from your choice from your power grid of this neighbor.

13:12 Yeah. Their fleet sucks. That's so brutal. So now keep in mind my power thing is more than my but this doesn't count because again that that power level validity is set at the beginning of the thing. So in this situation and this card can still happen.

13:27 Yeah.

13:28 Um

13:28 all right. Oh. So then this is me. So uh if not block discard one unit card and then deploy one unit card from your hand to your power grid. I will get rid of this army card and I'm going to go ahead and slap an army card down.

13:43 Nice. What you doing? I have comboy. Draw a unit card from the library. Then draw unit cards equal to your fleet power level, which is one until it got blown up. But I will get two cards and then now I'm back down to nothing. Back down to nothing. All right.

13:57 Oh man.

13:58 So again, the ambassador will stay here.

14:00 Brutal round.

14:01 That was awful, man. I got you there. Rough.

14:02 All right. So we're just going to build now. O politics. Politics.

14:10 Build army.

14:12 All right.

14:12 Army.

14:13 All right then. supply. Okay. Huh. Huh. Huh. Boom. Boom.

14:35 Boom. Okay. get this going. We'll see what whatever we do

15:02 in the world. All right. Okay, I'm ready. Okay. Vanguarding. Go here. Let's grab you. I'll do that one. Okay. And then this. All right. Flip them. Okay. So, we'll start over here. So, proliferation if not blocked. It was not.

15:35 Uh, I can discard a card again and then put in a new one. Let's get rid of this fleet card and let's get to level two of the political atmosphere. All right, I have espionage if not blocked, which it wasn't. View this neighbor's hand. Swap unit cards with them up to your army power level. Okay.

16:07 All right. There you go. Trade an army for a fleet.

16:11 Okay.

16:13 Okay. Then moving on over here.

16:15 Okay.

16:16 Okay. So, um I could block a uh a power or an attack order on this front. There is none there. Uh so I don't get to draw a card from the library. I get to draw a card from the library and then draw units equal to my feet power level. So I'm just going to draw two here. All right. Beauty.

16:40 Okay. If not blocked to take one random card from this neighbor's hand. I take I take I take. Yahi. Um. Okay. If not blocked, uh, remove one unit of your choice from the power grid of this neighbor. This is interesting. Get rid of that fleet card. Yeah, I was wondering because then um so I want to be able to take actions.

17:06 Yeah, you want to be able to take fleet action. That's why I played two blue cards cuz I was like, well, I know Mike can't play blue cards, so that's good.

17:12 Yep.

17:13 Okay.

17:14 Okay.

17:14 So then back to Mwah.

17:16 Yep.

17:17 Okay. Um if not blocked, I don't believe they're blocked. If not blocked, discard one unit, then deploy a unit card from your hand to your power grid. So, um, I'll discard a political and play a fleet. So, at least I've got something in each level. I'm still not um in the future be able to play political cards, but

17:42 right.

17:43 Uh, and if it's not blocked, I can view your hand and make you discard a card.

17:47 Whatever.

17:49 Um,

17:50 would even ever stop. All right. building. Oh gosh. I don't love that at all. Oh no. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. Supply this. Think about this. Yeah. What's it going to be? What's going to be? What's going to be here?

18:29 Okay. Oh no. Oh no. Make sure.

18:54 Okay. What you reckon? Um, I don't really know. All right. Well, I'm going to choose this here and this here for the start. Okay. Reveal.

19:17 All right. Anything illegal?

19:20 Nope. I wanted to play a blue card, but I couldn't.

19:22 No.

19:24 Bomber. Okay.

19:26 Okay. So, um, unfortunately, you played sanctions on my sabotage, so it has blocked my thing, but I get to draw a card.

19:33 You do. This will flip over here. You unfortunately got to block this one um with your embargo. So, what's your embargo do again? So, if I block a power order on this front, if I do, I draw a unit card from the libery. Boo. All right. All right. Lot a lot of jockeying there. We

19:51 Yeah, I was just like, uh, we each got a successful block on the other.

19:56 Okay. Um, so you are unfortunately blocking my attack order. So,

20:02 I get to draw a library. Um, and then sabotage. Uh, if not blocked, which it isn't, I get to remove a card. H gosh, what do I want to remove? I think I'll remove this one. Okay. And my blockade was not blocked, so I take a random card from your hand.

20:27 This one. Whoa. Whoa. Okay. All right. Now we're building. Oh man, this is a little rough.

20:41 This is a bit spicy scary. I think I got it right. I got to keep going. All politics all day. I got it.

20:51 Politic.

20:52 All right, I got army.

20:55 I just gota have a shot to stop you. All right.

21:00 Uh supplying. Yeah. and demanding. Close your first player, huh? Ah, yeah. Okay.

21:32 I think you're going to try to trick me here with where you place stuff on you, man. On

21:38 to you. I see it. Okay. This is what it is. This is what it is. Yeah. I won't be going down lightly. I'm so man.

22:08 Okay. All right. Okay. Oh man,

22:26 it's tough because you have like no information, you know? You're just like, well,

22:28 I'm just thinking of vibes. Where do you think you'd put stuff? Yeah,

22:32 if you go, you know, reading order from me or vice versa.

22:35 Okay. Um Okay, so we're going to start here. If not blocked, view the neighbor's hand and swap unit cards with them equal to your army power level. Um, I will take this card and I will give you a fleet. Fine. Uh, all right. So, my thing was to block a uh a power order. You did an attack order. So, no dice there.

23:02 Okay.

23:03 Over to here.

23:04 Um, moving over here. I am uh blocking both types of orders, but you're not playing one. So,

23:08 I am also trying to block an order. though. Neither one of those worked out. I know she's like

23:14 highly defensive start here. All right. All righty. It's my last shot here.

23:22 All right. Uh the proliferation. If not, block a discard a card and place a card. I will be discarding this and placing this here. Yeah, I didn't put this one first because I was like, I think you're going to block it.

23:33 And uh

23:35 second, I chose I switched the other I was going to choose the other card. uh second here and I'm glad I didn't.

23:41 So, unfortunately, it's an immediate win since you got to go first. I can remove a uh a unit, but you've already gotten to your level three uh for political. So, you were smart to play that one second trying to get the jump on you to get a card gone before.

23:59 Um

23:59 yeah, I was able to a couple times sneak this card through

24:03 and then it kind of was just like

24:04 and I had I had it blocked a couple times. So you you your timing and your your guesswork with where I was going to play stuff where I was like no and you got that like head start. I was like no.

24:13 Yeah. And there's just like a lot of like uh you have to just let stuff go. I was like I'm just going to let the fleet go. Which it sucks because it means three of my cards I can't ever play. But I was just like

24:21 you have to make choices like that.

24:22 I think I need to try and keep my army power level the same or higher so I can keep playing this sabotage card because of the fact that it's so useful getting to get rid of a card. So I was like I have to have this one high. And then I kind of just got a good jump start on political. um where originally I was planning on trying to go fleet a bunch of fleet cards. And then it just kind of ended up happening this way. So I was like, you know what? I'm just going to go ahead and go. Y

24:43 um because yeah, it was it was I was like, "Oh, I think I need to try and sneak this one through and then uh we might be all right." But

24:50 GG, man.

24:51 Well done. I won't be negotiating with you anymore, man.

24:56 So that was our play of diplomacy, the golden blade. I was able to get out there with politics real quick. And Mikey, that was my plan. I was like, "Oh, I'm going to start with politics. I'm going get out the gate." And then you did it. I was like, "No, you're doing you're living my life."

25:07 I was scared cuz you did get two cards in politics down quickly. I was like one of them. And I nuke one woman. I was like, "Okay." And then I was able to kind of And then yeah, it it was uh I had a couple sneakroughs and uh a couple bad blocks. You had a couple of crafty blocks there, man. You were doing very well with that. You were reading my mind.

25:23 That is Diplomacy the Golden Blade. Again, big shout out to Renegade Game Studios for sponsoring this one. Make sure to check that out and all their other great games down in the description below and let them know the Brother Murf sent you. And that's going to be it y'all. I love you all to death. Thank you for being here. My name is Nick.

25:35 I'm Mike.

25:35 And brothers Murph. We'll see you later. Bye.