Guppies are small fish that are less than 7cm long, with females typically longer than males. Because of their diminutive size, they make for easy prey.
As is fairly common in many species, the males tend to be show-offs. They’re brightly coloured, which isn’t great for camouflage purposes. Females dull, grey-brown in hue, are less conspicuous, which is a natural defence allowing species to reproduce.
Guppies give birth to live young, which isn’t typical of fish, a class of animal that is usually egg-bearing. Young guppies have the skills needed to live independent lives from birth, and they tend to begin their life-cycle in schools, performing anti-predator tactics.
The Diplomacy ‘Guppy’
‘Guppy’ can be a derogatory term. It’s often used to designate someone of lesser importance, unable to achieve anything. In Diplomacy, the ‘Guppy’ is a player who thrives when they’re reduced to a small size in terms of SCs. In reality, these are highly-skilled Dippers who seem to not only survive when you think they’re on the track to being eliminated, but they could well grow enough to even win the game.
The skill of the Guppy is in knowing how to use the supposed lack of threat they carry. Being a smaller power in Diplomacy doesn’t mean you’re powerless, and doesn’t mean you don’t have something to offer other players. There are plenty of times when a small power can hold the balance of the game.
Guppies work well in alliances: they ‘school‘ well. There is strength in numbers, after all. A Guppy will find a way to form survival alliances with other players, often Bismarckian in nature, being contradictory. In other words, they manage to create a alliances with players who are opposed to each other.
They’re slippery, too. Just when you think you’ve got them in your sights, and they’re ready to be killed, they’ll create a sudden change of situation, making themselves indispensable.
They’re skilled strategists, of course. They’ll inspect the board carefully, using the state of play to build strategies for survival and, all too often, growth.
There’s a reason Guppies are such good players. Often, a very good Dip player can be targeted by others. Nobody wants a Shark freely swimming around your estuary, so other players will act in concert to attack them early on.
However, a Guppy is able to deal with this situation, creating circumstances where they become necessary adjuncts or janissaries to one or more players. When a Dipmeister is left alive in a game, you can bet they’ll remain dangerous throughout.
THE DIPLOMATICON 
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