Take on the role of the lords and ladies of the noble families in 18th Century Imperial Russia. Compete against your neighbors to earn prestige and the favor of the Empress, Catherine the Great. Acquire new lands, perform tasks at the bidding of the Empress and contribute tithing towards the construction of the Empresses Palace. Catherine the Great was the Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796, the countries longest ruling female leader. She came to power following a coup d’etat that she organised, resulting in Peter III, her husband, being overthrown. Under her reign Russia was revitalized, growing larger and stronger than ever, recognized as one of the great powers of Europe. Clandestinely bid on new lands as you manage your fiefdom’s economy behind its great walls. After the big reveal see if you’ve built the best engine, won glorious battles, fulfilled the Empress's graceful command and provided the greatest contributions to the Catherine Palace! Most actions are taken simultaneously, as such the game moves quickly at approximately 10 minutes per player! Each round consists of 5 phases; Bidding and Land Management Income Auction Fulfilling the Empress's Bidding or Tithing to the Palace Restock The majority of decisions are made during the first phase, pre-determining much of the actions you may take in the following phases, with a dose of subterfuge and press your luck. The game ends following the Empress's Bidding phase of the round in which any player has filled all open land deed slots within their fiefdom (player board) OR the Land Deeds deck has been fully depleted, leaving no deeds available for the restock phase. At this point you will calculate your total prestige (Victory points) and the player with the most prestige wins. Prestige (Victory Points) is earned through the placement of a variety of Land Deeds within your fiefdom, Empress's Bidding’s you have fulfilled, palace tithing and remaining resources. Prestige is lost for land deed slots that have not been filled in your fiefdom at the end of the game. Prestige may also be stolen by players during the game through Special Use Act of War cards. MECHANISMS: - Hidden Bidding/Auction - Resource Management - Set Collection - Tableau Building