Condottiere

Product Description

It is 13th century Italy Trade is flourishing between the city-states & the Levant Venice Florence & Genoa are all bursting with wealth However each city-state is also plagued with a weak national army leaving them defenseless against invasion from their envious neighbors Enter the Condottiere As veteran English soldiers returned from the Crusades Italy found itself with an influx of desperate & capable men These hired swords were contracted to fight for individual city-states by an agreement known as a condotta The most elite of these men were the mercenary leaders known as the Condottiere The object of Condottiere is to acquire four connected provinces in renaissance Italy To do this players auction off different provinces on the board & bid on these provinces with a hand of cards representing mercenaries seasons scarecrows & political figures However unlike standard auctions in which only the highest bidder loses their bid in Condottiere every player loses their bid Players are in effect bidding the number of troops they are willing to lose in order to win a province However several special effect cards shake the contests up & keep the players guessing Players 2-6 Playing time 45 minutes Ages 14