A stalemate line is a line across the map that, when the correct support holds are inputted, is impregnable to someone the other side of a stalemate line. These are usually formed in the late-game to stop somebody soloing.

FWIW I think I've only ever seen the first couple of these ones in any of my games: http://diplom.org/Online/StalematesAtoY/western.htm

Think of a russia with only armies, they can't retake stp from the south - it can be held indefinitely by:
Fleet stp holds
Fleet Bar sup Fleet stp to hold.

Now extend a series of positions like this in a line (all the way to munich)

To make a proper stalemate line, there must also be enough supply centers behind the line to support all the units in the line.

The most common stalemate I saw was Turkey getting stalemated by (usually) England + Germany/France. Turkey cannot build fleets in the north, so they are fairly easy to stalemate in Stp and Germany.

What I hate though: I admit, I am a bit of a carebear. If I spent the whole game working with one guy, and he was a REALLY good ally, I sometimes refuse to stab him. On several occasions I reached a stalemate me+my buddy vs. some other player. Both of us had our draw votes in because we reached an obvious stalemate, but the third player refused to draw saying I could easily stab my ally and try to win, and therefore it's not a stalemate. Now, I know that he's just saying that so we start fighting, my ally potentially getting all bitter and handing the win to the opponent. Nevertheless, I think that more than once I ended up losing such game due to some NMR after 6 turns of absolutely no movements due to stalemates etc. Hate it.

Apart from that I kinda like stalemates. They're the main reason I like FoAE and Modern variants, it's much easier to create a stalemate and there is a bigger variety of them (at least it seems so from my experience, never really analyzed that thoroughly)

Carebear comment of the year:
"I kinda like stalemates."
;)

I mean, never do I intentionally go for a stalemate, but I like that there are stalemates. Especially because I believe I can use them pretty well. And you Jeff Kuta, as I recall, are the type of asshole who keeps postponing the draw even despite a CLEAR af stalemate, you steaming piece of shit : P

Someone needs to design a map with less stalemate lines. Draws suck.

Nah. The draw you speak of was not clear as early as you claim it was. It did eventually become that way however, so the game ended in a draw.

Stalemates lines give a specific target to reach - or breach - to stop a solo.

It actually makes for a more interesting game in some ways, and early on it isn't an issue because nobody holds enough centers to fill a line.

So you get an effective time limit on winning the game (ie do it before someone manages to form a stalemate line against you... This is particularly the case where three players are left and two of them form a stalemate line to prevent your continued growth... Kinda the opposite of yassem's comments)

If you haven't broken through the stalemate line before they form up their units then you don't deserve anything more than a draw.

Yup to all of the above. Apart from the "main stalemate lines", where you have 17SCs on one side and 17 on the other and various units arranged, you can have mini ones even in mid-end game - they may not be "perfect" in the sense that with extra units one side or the other may be able to flank, but consider:

German
Fleet Belgium Hold
Army Ruhr Support F Belgium
Army Munich Support Ruhr

vs French
Army Burgundy Support Picardy To Belgium
Army Picardy Move Belgium
Army Paris Support Picardy Hold.

That's a mini stalemate line of sorts - neither side can break through, at least unless one side or the other or an ally can find an extra unit to intervene, or someone decides to try a risky set of orders at the wrong time.

So they're important tactically as well as for the endgame strategic picture.

Fluminator: Ancient Med doesn't have that many that I can see. I haven't analysed it in detail, but the map topology lends itself more to breaking lines, I think.

I think it's arguable as to which is better (more or fewer stalemate lines). I'm on the side of "it's just different, neither is better".

I disagree with the earlier comment that Stalemate lines are only important late game - that's a load of shit.

For example if France can capture Munich as early as possible - its a virtual laydown masere solo for France - there are other examples - but Munich is probably the most important SC in the game.

The French-German stalemate is the reason I hate playing as France in gunboat. Start war with Germany, create a stalemate, wait for being killed by England or Italy/Turkey. Sucks. Nevertheless, if you consider WWI it is a pretty accurate picture, isn't it?

Hehe. So don't start a war with Germany... :-) (Yeah yeah, I know, easier said than done, especially in gunboat. And yes, definitely somewhat realistic as far as WWI goes.)

I have soloed 6 times in France, and the France/Germany stalemate line is beautiful:

2 fleets against England, and 3 fleets keeping Germany at bay, and you have the edge. Keep Brest and MAO, then north atlantic AND irish sea hit liverpool, you can support into EC, and the great part is England usually is against Russia, with at least 2 units securing Norway, and one to try to take on st. P

you can get an edge on England easily, and then work onto Germany.

Well, I soloed 3 times as France (or so it seems, it's really difficult to browse won games ._.) which is a much better result than I would thought I had. Still, often there is absolutely nothing you can do to win, apart from trying some unusual tactics like letting Germany into France to break the stalemate, but not a single gunboat. I wonder, JY, how many of those were gunboat?

Allen Calhamer actually claimed there were no stalemate lines...well at least a 17-17 line
He was, of course, proven wrong, however early thought was that there wasn't one


That said, it's nice to know that the large stalemate line wasn't intentionally put into the game

Beautiful accidents :)

@yassem
um... 3 were gunboat, 3 were not I think, but it could be 2-4 on either side. still, i think i had stalemate lines in all of them