You can get Tunis but it is really hard to expand otherwise

Italy's the weakest. Expansion is extremely difficult.

I guess that can be true for Turkey but I f you get an alliance with Russia you're set

I like every country, but I definitely have to say that being Russia forces you to put in the most effort by far in terms of diplomacy if you want to be successful.

I haven't actually found Turkey to be that bad at expanding, and in fact I've seen a lot of cases where Turkey expands slowly at first, then suddenly is in double digits before the surviving western powers realize it. As Turkey's expansion is in only two directions, and he needs fear no attack from the other two directions, he can explode pretty well under the right conditions.

The Juggernaut is also a decent alliance, especially as its chief weakness, being detected and stopped by the remaining 5 countries, never actually comes about - people are too dumb or greedy to stop a Juggernaut, in my experience (here and in ftf play).

Germany. No easy roads for expansion

...what?! Germany has excellent roads for expansion.

At best you ally with UK and hit France, but all too often you end up outflanked as France falls and juggernaut cuts you down from the backside

Basically Germany is in the center of the board which is a terrible place to be because you are naturally someone else's stomping grounds

No no no you get an alliance with Austria and your set with Germany. Belgium and holland usually both go to Germany and always at least one does. Denmark is a great little spot but Germany can be a powerhouse

you get an alliance with austria and you're set with germany? what happens when austia gets destroyed by a jug and a foolhardy italy?

Germany is definitely the worst. Y'all is crazy.

Germany is better than Austria because you can expand at the start without worrying about being crushed by your neighbors. Austria without a strong alliance can be almost gone by 1903.

If you have your flanks covered, even for 3 years Germany can make great bounds forward in terms if expansion

Austria is better than germany because I think a well played first few years and you're set (to be at least an important player until the end, with little chance of a defeat). I think that's much harder to achieve as Germany. Austria can take over the Turkish corner and use that as a defensive base if shit hits the fan. Germany gets squashed. Austria is harder to outflank given that Italy is almost always caught fighting France too. And there are so many scs Austria can make a quick stab at near home. Austria is, in my opinion, the best country, after France.

Italy is my favorite. And when you solo it, it's even better

Some years ago, I did an analysis of several hundreds of games to find the countries which gained most solos and draws (of various types). Italy was the bottom of every league table!

Still my favorite.

The question is unclear: What is the context? Are we talking about an "idealized" or very high level game with strong players, or just an average game between casual players?

Turkey is by far my most dreaded country--

England and France are both good...
Russia is hit or miss, about 50/50...
Germany is very difficult but has possibilities...
Italy I actually like, slower to expand, but you can use that to your diplomatic advantage...

You are playing wrong if Turkey is a bad country.

England is my worst, Russia is my least favorite to play. I enjoy the challenge of expanding as England but I just have no fun as Russia. Italy is one of my favorites - there are so many options and so many ways to hide your intentions and make a devastating attack. If you learn how to play it, it is a blast.

I hate being England, personally. It feels really claustrophobic. Italy is often very interesting, actually.

I suck with Turkey. Only country I've NEVER soloed with. I simply can't get a grasp on playing it well.

I take it you're bad at Turkey then, bo?

I love each of the four Med countries. They are all easy if you can find an ally.

'Twas a joke, because you said that you must be playing wrong if you think Turkey is bad. I expected better from someone with a comedy cube.

Maybe it was a bad joke, but I would expect nothing more from someone without a comedy cube.

It was an excellent joke because it accurately got to the crux of the issue, namely that you suck at diplomacy.

hoo the fukc made bo a mod?

I really dislike being Turkey. Russia too.
Germany requires a lot of hard work but it's so baller when you do well
I like Austria and Italy a lot
England and France are cool but I feel like I always end up inevitably needing to fight the other

Italy absolutely sucks, full press or gunboat. every other country is ok. you just have to adjust to the other players.

I dislike Austria, as usually Russia and turkey already want you dead, and if Italy jumps ship too, your dead and nothing you can do about it.

Back on a computer, so...

Turkey requires no defense, two easy targets, and one more difficult target, plus close proximity to Tunis, which, once acquired, basically ensures a place in a draw. Moscow and Warsaw aren't difficult to get to either. Two of the four most important stalemate points right there (the others being Munich/Berlin and MAO) and Turkey has a solid shot at getting either. Plus, there's rarely a need to defend, and if there is, it's almost always possible.

As for Italy, if France stays away, it's one of the best countries on the board. If France attacks, it really sucks. If not, though, the options include going after France, going after Austria (not preferred), or going after Turkey. Most players on this site have adapted to defend against the lepanto when they play Turkey, so that means that the way to successfully handle Turkey is to get creative and enlist help. Tougher to do in gunboat, and in general Italy's a tougher country in gunboat.

Austria requires a fair bit of effort, but if you put it in easily reaps rewards.

@SC. I agree with you whole heatedly. But if Italy turns early, your most likely dead.

from my experience a lot of Austria's are just like "well crap I got Austria" then don't even put forth even the smallest effort to try to stop their fate. there really isn't anything that's that bad about the country.

Austria has my worst record by far, but England is the country I hate most. You can't do anything by yourself, but it doesn't share Turkey's impregnability in the other corner.

Russia is a 50/50. You either do well, or you do awful. There's no middle ground for me.

Turkey/Italy/Germany/France are all about the same and all pretty fun.

Austria needs to convince italy not to stab them early on, which is easily done. beyond that it needs a turkish russian conflict, which with effort can be instigated.

One of the things I love about Diplomacy is that it's so hard to do anything by yourself. In my opinion, it's not the country assignment that makes or break a game. It's the players on the board.

For me Germany is kinda hard but Alliance with the right people and your good France is easy for me

Some Countries Bad; Some Countries Good. Need People To Help. A Lot.

Ethiopia. From what I hear it's very impoverished and diseased. Sad situation but I think that qualifies it as the worst. That or canada.

I've won more games with Italy than with any other country. The only nation I haven't won with yet is Austria so I'm gonna go with them. But a case could be made for all countries.

Favorites: Austria and Turkey. I don't think I've lost a press game here as Austria, at least not in the last couple of years. The two countries have almost the opposite strengths and weaknesses, but I find them fun to play and I think I'm pretty good at them.

Least favorites: England and Italy. I can never figure out what to do as England, and I usually lose my persuasive powers when I draw England too. Same for Italy. It also objectively has the worst overall results.

The others: I tend to open well as France and Germany, get optimistic, make mistakes in the midgame, and end up in a biggish draw. Russia is very boom or bust. If you divide your forces at the beginning correctly and gain some friends, you can win fairly quickly. Otherwise, you lose fairly quickly. I soloed in 1906 once as Russia, but I've also done a pretty good job of eliminating Russia quickly when I play Austria or Turkey.

Least favorite: Germany

I hate not having an edge of the board at my back, and it takes forever as Germany to make it to an edge. Everybody but Turkey is your neighbor, meaning you have to manage high-level diplomacy with all of them from the get-go. You can have great relations with four neighbors and still get screwed by the fifth.