[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":432},["ShallowReactive",2],{"game-en-dune-conquest-diplomacy":3,"overlays-en-dune-conquest-diplomacy":431},{"id":4,"title":5,"accent":6,"age":7,"backdrop":8,"bggUrl":9,"body":10,"categories":27,"components":8,"cover":31,"deepDive":32,"description":16,"duration":147,"extension":150,"faq":151,"industryLegend":8,"lastReviewed":187,"leaders":8,"locale":188,"manualUrl":189,"mechanics":190,"meta":194,"navigation":195,"path":196,"players":197,"publisher":200,"quickStart":201,"resourceLegend":8,"rulesVersion":390,"seo":391,"sourceFiles":392,"sourceNotes":394,"stem":395,"strategies":396,"summary":427,"videoLanguage":8,"videoUrl":8,"weight":428,"year":429,"__hash__":430},"games\u002Fen\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy.md","Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy","#C08A2E","12",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fboardgamegeek.com\u002Fboardgame\u002F341165\u002Fdune-a-game-of-conquest-and-diplomacy",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":23},"minimark",[13,17,20],[14,15,16],"p",{},"Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy is the short, sharp version of the 1979\nclassic: same Arrakis map, same factions, but five turns and none of the rules\nweight of the big edition. The tension comes from the calendar — the first two\nturns are build-up, and from turn 3 anyone can win with three strongholds.",[14,18,19],{},"The economy drives everything. Spice pays for shipping, revivals and market\ncards, and the storm can wipe out what you have stored. Battles resolve with\nimperfect information: secret wheels, leaders, weapons and traitors, with the\nchance to win without losing anything when a traitor card matches the enemy\nleader.",[14,21,22],{},"The last turns are a race against turn order. Whoever moves late sees the\nweaknesses everyone leaves and can walk into a stronghold unanswered; whoever\nmoves early has to strike before their three strongholds slip away.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":26},"",2,[],[28,29,30],"Science fiction","Strategy","Negotiation","\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fcover.webp",{"title":33,"intro":34,"phases":35},"Conquering costs; holding wins","You can already run the seven phases. The game is decided by attrition: every battle you win costs forces, every force you land costs spice, and the fortress check only looks at what is still standing at the end of the turn.",[36,69,101],{"id":37,"label":38,"steps":39},"attrition","The cost of winning battles",[40,55],{"title":41,"text":42,"images":43,"check":48},"Winning is not surviving","In every battle you commit forces on the wheel and lose them even when you win; the loser loses all of theirs. A narrow victory can therefore leave you worse than a retreat: win with four forces while the rival loses two and you hold the territory with nothing and no army for the next check. Before entering a battle, work out not who wins, but what you still own afterwards.",[44],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fbattle.webp","Battle example with two wheels set to 2 and 4, weapon and defence cards, the leaders Beast Rabban and Duke Leto and a counter-attack card.","Battle plans",{"question":49,"options":50,"answer":53,"explanation":54},"What does the winner keep after a battle?",[51,52],"The territory, but not the forces committed","The territory and all their forces",0,"Forces marked on the wheel are always lost; winning only secures the territory.",{"title":56,"text":57,"images":58,"check":63},"Leaders and traitors change the maths","A leader adds to your total, but if you lose the battle they may die, and reviving them costs their value in spice. Traitors are the other side: a card can cancel the rival leader or turn them. That is why a battle is not decided by raw numbers alone: save a traitor for the fortress you truly need, not for a skirmish you can afford to lose.",[59],{"src":60,"alt":61,"label":62},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fcomponents.webp","Game components: spice tokens worth 1, 2, 5 and 10, turn, phase, storm and first player markers, and the two assembled battle wheels.","Tokens and battle wheels",{"question":64,"options":65,"answer":53,"explanation":68},"What can a traitor do in battle?",[66,67],"Cancel or turn a rival leader","Double your committed forces","Traitors affect leaders, which is why battles with leaders need more preparation.",{"id":70,"label":71,"steps":72},"spice","Spice as a budget",[73,87],{"title":74,"text":75,"images":76,"check":81},"Every force that lands is paid for","Landing costs 1 spice per force, reviving costs 2 per force and market cards cost 2 each. With a harvest of 2 per force in the sector, spice comes in and leaves fast: an army of six forces costs six spice just to get back on the map. That is why factions with more starting income can afford war while the rest must choose between landing and reviving.",[77],{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fspice.webp","Spice blow example in Broken Land with tokens worth 5 and 2, and a note that Imperium collects nothing because its forces are in a different sector.","Spice blow",{"question":82,"options":83,"answer":53,"explanation":86},"How much does reviving one force cost?",[84,85],"2 spice","1 spice","Two forces come back free each turn; beyond that, 2 spice each.",{"title":88,"text":89,"images":90,"check":95},"The storm destroys your investment","Everything in the sand under the storm disappears: forces and spice. That makes position an economic decision. An army on rock or in a fortress produces no spice if the sector is wrong, but survives; an army in the sand harvests and dies. The practical rule is never to leave more material in the sand than you can lose, and to move the storm thinking of your rival rather than yourself when you control the direction.",[91],{"src":92,"alt":93,"label":94},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fboard.webp","Circular Arrakis board showing the territory map, turn track, phase track, spice bank and Tleilaxu tanks areas.","The Arrakis board",{"question":96,"options":97,"answer":53,"explanation":100},"What protects a force from the storm?",[98,99],"Being on rock, in a fortress or in the Polar Sink","Being in the spice sector","The storm only scours the sand; rock, fortresses and the Polar Sink are shelter.",{"id":102,"label":103,"steps":104},"calendar","The fortress calendar",[105,119,133],{"title":106,"text":107,"images":108,"check":113},"Only the end of the turn counts","The fortress victory is checked at the end of turns 3, 4 and 5, not the moment you take the third. That changes the rhythm: you can conquer mid-turn and lose it all in the next battle. If you are going for the win, secure the third fortress with enough forces to survive the counterattack, or wait for turn 5, when there is no response after the check.",[109],{"src":110,"alt":111,"label":112},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fphases.webp","Column of the seven turn phases with their icons: storm, spice blow, gain cards, revival, shipping and movement, battle, spice collection.","The seven phases",{"question":114,"options":115,"answer":53,"explanation":118},"When is the three-fortress victory checked?",[116,117],"At the end of turns 3, 4 and 5","The moment you take the third","The check is at the end of the turn: a fortress taken earlier can be lost.",{"title":120,"text":121,"images":122,"check":127},"The economic win is prepared too","If nobody reaches three fortresses, each fortress is worth 5 points and each spice 1. Hoarding spice without spending it is therefore a real plan for turn 5, especially for factions that cannot win the military race. But spice on the map can be lost to the storm or a battle: keep it on your faction sheet, not in a contested territory.",[123],{"src":124,"alt":125,"label":126},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fshipping.webp","Rulebook example: Atreides ships four forces into Broken Land for four spice and moves six forces two territories to Carthag.","Forces on the map",{"question":128,"options":129,"answer":53,"explanation":132},"How is the game scored if nobody gets three fortresses?",[130,131],"5 per fortress and 1 per spice","Only fortresses count","The game is settled on points: fortresses at 5 and spice at 1.",{"title":134,"text":135,"images":136,"check":141},"Pick your war before turn 3","Fortresses are spread out and every faction can contest several, but not all. Before the first check you need a clear route: which two fortresses you will fight for, with which forces and how much spice you need to replace them. If turn 3 arrives without a plan, you are already playing for the economic victory, and then your job is to harvest and survive rather than conquer.",[137],{"src":138,"alt":139,"label":140},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-esquema-1.webp","Annotated diagram that makes the idea of the step visible.","Diagram",{"question":142,"options":143,"answer":53,"explanation":146},"What defines your plan from turn 3 onwards?",[144,145],"The fortresses you can contest and the spice to replace losses","How many market cards you hold","The military race needs a route, forces and a budget; without them, switch to the economic path.",{"min":148,"max":149},30,60,"md",[152,156,159,163,166,170,173,176,180,184],{"category":153,"question":154,"answer":155},"setup","What is the minimum number of players?","Two. That mode uses four strongholds instead of five: one is covered with a blocker and becomes a sand territory. There is also a two-player alliance mode —Atreides and Fremen against Harkonnen and Imperium.",{"category":153,"question":157,"answer":158},"How does Harkonnen handle traitors?","They pick last and from more cards: draw the top eight in a four-player game (six with three, four with two) and keep four, three or two. Before each of their battles they may also take the top traitor card and return one from their hand to the bottom of the deck.",{"category":160,"question":161,"answer":162},"turn","Can I move forces through the storm?","No. You cannot move into, out of or through a sector in storm, even if the territory is only partly covered: the move has to avoid that sector. The Polar Sink is never affected.",{"category":160,"question":164,"answer":165},"Can I move forces from one territory to another?","Not directly. Shipping goes from your reserve to the planet at a spice cost, and movement takes a single group from one territory to another up to three territories away. You cannot pick up or drop off forces along the way.",{"category":167,"question":168,"answer":169},"special","How do traitors work?","If an opponent plays a leader that matches one of your traitor cards, reveal it: you win the battle and lose nothing, the leader goes to the Tleilaxu tanks and you collect spice equal to its strength. Your opponent loses all forces and cards, and cannot play market cards in that battle.",{"category":167,"question":171,"answer":172},"What if I have no leader for a battle?","You still fight, but you cannot play battle cards: only the forces on your wheel count. It happens when all your leaders are in the tanks or already fought in another territory that turn.",{"category":167,"question":174,"answer":175},"What does each faction do?","Atreides sees part of the enemy plan before battle and has seven leaders. Harkonnen controls more traitors. Fremen ignore the storm in sand, ride worms and move further. Imperium collects other players' market payments and can use the Voice to force or forbid a weapon type.",{"category":177,"question":178,"answer":179},"scoring","What is a stronghold worth at the end?","5 points if nobody has won with three strongholds, plus 1 point per spice you hold. Strongholds also count for the victory check at the end of turns 3, 4 and 5.",{"category":181,"question":182,"answer":183},"end","When does the game end?","As soon as someone holds three strongholds at the end of turn 3, 4 or 5, or after spice collection in turn 5 if nobody managed it.",{"category":181,"question":185,"answer":186},"Can I win on turn 1 or 2?","No. The first two turns are development turns with no victory check: they are for collecting spice, buying cards and securing position.","2026-10-24","en","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gf9games.com\u002Fdune",[191,192,193],"Area control","Card combat","Resource management",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy",{"min":25,"max":198,"best":199},4,[198],"Gale Force Nine",{"pitch":202,"pitchCheck":203,"setup":208,"turn":284,"mistakes":354,"winning":383,"winningCheck":384},"Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy squeezes the 1979 classic into five turns. Each player runs one faction —Atreides, Harkonnen, Fremen or Imperium— with its own advantages, fighting for control of Arrakis. Every turn runs through seven fixed phases: the storm moves and destroys whatever it catches in the sand, spice appears, cards are drawn, forces are revived, troops are shipped and moved, battles are fought, and spice is collected. You win by holding three strongholds at the end of turn 3, 4 or 5; if nobody does, the end of turn 5 scores 5 points per stronghold plus 1 per spice.",{"question":204,"options":205,"answer":53,"explanation":207},"When is the stronghold win checked?",[116,206],"At any moment, as soon as a third stronghold is taken","It is only checked at the end of turns 3, 4 and 5: a stronghold grabbed mid-turn can be lost before the check.",[209,227,237,248,261,271],{"text":210,"images":211,"check":221},"Place the board and the spice bank. Shuffle the four decks —spice, battle, traitor and market— and leave them face down beside the board. The turn marker goes to 1, the phase marker to Storm and the storm marker to the storm start sector.",[212,213,217],{"src":92,"alt":93,"label":94},{"src":214,"alt":215,"label":216},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-cartas-1.webp","Game cards face up in a fan, none covering another.","Cards",{"src":218,"alt":219,"label":220},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-marcador-1.webp","Marker on its track, position pointed out.","Marker",{"question":222,"options":223,"answer":53,"explanation":226},"Which space does the turn marker start on?",[224,225],"1","3","The game starts on turn 1 and lasts a maximum of five turns.",{"text":228,"images":229,"check":231},"Deal factions at random: take one traitor card from each faction, shuffle them and give one to each player. Reveal them to show who plays what, then return them to the traitor deck.",[230],{"src":60,"alt":61,"label":62},{"question":232,"options":233,"answer":53,"explanation":236},"How are factions assigned?",[234,235],"At random, one traitor card per faction","Each player picks the one they want","Random dealing avoids the same match-ups every time; for a specific game you can simply agree on factions.",{"text":238,"images":239,"check":242},"Set up traitors: remove the factions that are not in play, shuffle and deal four cards to each player (Harkonnen does it differently, as their sheet says). Everyone keeps one in secret and returns the rest.",[240],{"src":241,"alt":215,"label":216},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-cartas-2.webp",{"question":243,"options":244,"answer":53,"explanation":247},"How many traitors does a non-Harkonnen player keep?",[245,246],"One, out of the four dealt","Four","They are dealt four and keep one; the rest go back into the deck.",{"text":249,"images":250,"check":255},"Each faction takes its starting spice from the bank: 13 for Atreides, 15 for Harkonnen, 6 for Fremen and 18 for Imperium. It sits on the faction sheet, which also lists your forces and leaders.",[251],{"src":252,"alt":253,"label":254},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-cenital-1.webp","Top-down view of the table at the setup point the step describes.","Table from above",{"question":256,"options":257,"answer":53,"explanation":260},"Which faction starts with the most spice?",[258,259],"Imperium","Fremen","Imperium starts with 18, then Harkonnen 15, Atreides 13 and Fremen 6.",{"text":262,"images":263,"check":265},"Place forces: Fremen put 5 in the Polar Sink and keep the rest in reserve. Every other faction keeps all forces in reserve, next to its leader discs.",[264],{"src":124,"alt":125,"label":126},{"question":266,"options":267,"answer":53,"explanation":270},"Where do Fremen forces start?",[268,269],"Five in the Polar Sink, the rest in reserve","All in reserve, like every other faction","Fremen are natives: they start with five forces already on the planet.",{"text":272,"images":273,"check":278},"Roll the storm die to pick the first player: highest roll goes first, and the storm icon counts as the highest value. Reroll ties.",[274],{"src":275,"alt":276,"label":277},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-dados-1.webp","Dice in the foreground with the relevant face showing.","Dice",{"question":279,"options":280,"answer":53,"explanation":283},"Which result is highest on the storm die?",[281,282],"The storm icon","6","The die has 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the storm icon, which beats them all.",[285,297,306,320,332,343],{"title":286,"text":287,"images":288,"check":292},"Storm","The first player rolls the die and moves the storm counter-clockwise. On the storm icon they may move it anywhere from 0 to 6 sectors. Anything in a sand sector under the storm is destroyed, forces and spice included. Forces in rock, strongholds and the Polar Sink are safe.",[289],{"src":92,"alt":290,"label":291},"Arrakis map with the sectors marked by longitude lines and the sand area where the storm travels.","Sectors and the storm",{"question":96,"options":293,"answer":53,"explanation":296},[294,295],"Being in rock, a stronghold or the Polar Sink","Being in the sand with spice","The storm only destroys what sits in sand; rock and strongholds are shelter.",{"title":298,"text":299,"images":300,"check":302},"Spice blow and cards","Reveal the top spice card and place spice in the two territories it shows. Then every player refills their battle hand to four cards and may buy market cards at 2 spice each, up to a maximum of three.",[301],{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},{"question":303,"options":304,"answer":53,"explanation":305},"What does a market card cost?",[84,85],"Each market card costs 2 spice, and if Imperium is in play that payment goes to them.",{"title":307,"text":308,"images":309,"check":314},"Revival","You may revive two forces for free. For 2 spice each you can revive more forces or a leader (costing its strength in spice). Revived pieces return to your reserve, ready to ship.",[310],{"src":311,"alt":312,"label":313},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy\u002Fguia-mesa-1.webp","The table mid-turn, with the pieces the step mentions.","Table in play",{"question":315,"options":316,"answer":53,"explanation":319},"How many forces are revived for free each turn?",[317,318],"Two","Everything you have in the tanks","The free revival is two forces; anything beyond that costs spice.",{"title":321,"text":322,"images":323,"check":326},"Shipping and movement","You may ship forces from your reserve into one territory or stronghold for 1 spice per force. Fremen may bring up to 5 forces into the Polar Sink for free. Then you move one group up to three territories; you cannot enter a stronghold that already holds forces from two other factions.",[324],{"src":124,"alt":325,"label":321},"Shipping and movement diagram with Atreides paying spice to land and moving six forces to Carthag.",{"question":327,"options":328,"answer":53,"explanation":331},"What does it cost to ship one force from reserve?",[329,330],"1 spice per force","Nothing, shipping is free","Each force landing on the planet costs 1 spice; Fremen have their Polar Sink exception.",{"title":333,"text":334,"images":335,"check":337},"Battle","A battle happens in every territory holding forces from two or more factions. Each player secretly dials forces on their wheel, adds a leader if they can, and plays weapon or defence cards. Highest total fighting strength wins; ties go to whoever has Battle Advantage. The winner still loses the forces dialed, the loser loses everything.",[336],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},{"question":338,"options":339,"answer":53,"explanation":342},"How many forces does the winner of a battle lose?",[340,341],"The ones dialled on the wheel","None","Winning is not free: the forces dialled on the wheel are lost even in victory.",{"title":344,"text":345,"images":346,"check":350},"Spice collection","Players with forces in the sector of a territory holding spice collect it: each force takes 2 spice. Afterwards, anyone below 3 spice takes the difference from the bank. Then the turn marker advances and the first player token passes counter-clockwise.",[347],{"src":78,"alt":348,"label":349},"Map with spice tokens and forces in the right sector, plus the note about collecting eight spice in Broken Land.","Collecting spice",{"question":351,"options":352,"answer":53,"explanation":353},"How much spice does one force collect?",[84,85],"Each force in the sector collects 2 spice from the territory.",[355,364,373],{"title":356,"text":357,"check":358},"Forgetting that winning costs forces","The forces dialled on your battle wheel are lost even when you win. Bet everything on a stronghold and you may have no army left when the counter attack comes.",{"question":359,"options":360,"answer":53,"explanation":363},"Does the winner get the dialled forces back?",[361,362],"No, they go to the Tleilaxu tanks","Yes, if their leader survives","Dialled forces are always lost; only the leader can survive.",{"title":365,"text":366,"check":367},"Neglecting spice","No spice means no shipping, no leader revivals, no market cards and no way to grow. Factions without income, like Atreides and Harkonnen, live or die by what they collect each turn.",{"question":368,"options":369,"answer":53,"explanation":372},"What is spice used for?",[370,371],"Shipping forces, reviving and buying market cards","Only the final score","Spice is the currency of the whole game, not just the final tally.",{"title":374,"text":375,"images":376,"check":378},"Ignoring the storm and the worm","The storm and the sandworms destroy forces and spice without a battle. Leaving an army in open sand, or a pile of spice in a sector the storm will cross, is giving material away before the stronghold check.",[377],{"src":110,"alt":111,"label":112},{"question":379,"options":380,"answer":53,"explanation":382},"Who is immune to the storm in the sand?",[259,381],"Nobody","Fremen forces in sand are not destroyed by the storm, though they still cannot move through it.","The game lasts at most five turns. At the end of turns 3, 4 and 5, anyone holding three strongholds with at least one force wins on the spot. If nobody does it by the end of turn 5, each stronghold is worth 5 points and each spice 1; highest total wins and ties are shared.",{"question":385,"options":386,"answer":53,"explanation":389},"How is the game scored if nobody reaches three strongholds?",[387,388],"5 points per stronghold and 1 per spice","3 points per stronghold and 2 per spice","In the turn-5 economic victory, each stronghold counts as 5 points and each spice as 1.","EN rulebook (Gale Force Nine, 2021)",{"title":5,"description":16},[393],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FDune_Conquest_Diplomacy_Rulebook_EN.pdf","The rulebook covers 2 to 4 players, a two-player allied-faction mode and every faction's advantages. This guide explains the standard 3 to 4 player game; the two-player and alliance modes are summarised in the FAQ.","en\u002Fdune-conquest-diplomacy",[397,401,404,407,411,414,417,421,424],{"level":398,"title":399,"text":400},"beginner","Collect spice every turn","Spice collection is the most forgotten phase and the most costly to skip: without spice there is no shipping, no revival and no market deck. Park forces in the right sector, not just the right territory.",{"level":398,"title":402,"text":403},"Take strongholds early","You cannot win before turn 3, but a faction with no strongholds then cannot win at all and hands the table an easy path to three.",{"level":398,"title":405,"text":406},"Learn your faction","The four factions do not play alike: Fremen is mobility, Imperium is money, Harkonnen is information and betrayal, Atreides is foresight. Copying another faction's plan usually ends with an empty reserve.",{"level":408,"title":409,"text":410},"intermediate","Dial only what you need","The forces dialled are lost even in victory. Dial just enough to beat the opponent: betting ten to win by eight hands your army away with every win.",{"level":408,"title":412,"text":413},"Save defence for your best leaders","A leader without a defence card dies to any matching weapon. If a leader has high strength, keep the card that saves them from projectiles or poison for when it really matters.",{"level":408,"title":415,"text":416},"Revive, even when it stings","A leader in the tanks is a turn without battle cards. Paying their strength in spice to bring them back is usually worth more than one more market card.",{"level":418,"title":419,"text":420},"advanced","Read the turn order","Whoever moves last on turn 3, 4 or 5 sees the weaknesses the others leave and can walk into a stronghold unanswered. If you move early, strike first or reinforce what you cannot defend.",{"level":418,"title":422,"text":423},"Lock strongholds with two factions","A stronghold holding forces from two factions cannot be entered. Putting a second faction into a key stronghold shuts the door on everyone else and forces a fight where you already sit.",{"level":418,"title":425,"text":426},"Prepare the economic win","If the board stalls, turn 5 is decided by 5 points per stronghold and 1 per spice. Piling up spice over the last two turns can beat grabbing one more stronghold.","Four factions, five turns and a storm that sweeps the spice: hold three strongholds or end up richest.",2.2,"2021","YQ80nEqyqPxsJNReMPfoKz9ewZOMOhQXJP_eYOQhqLw",[],1792932784359]