Description from the designer: The King has died leaving no heirs. A great election is to be held to determine the throne. As an ambitious noble you must use your diplomatic prowess, economic wit, and (if all else fails) military might to secure the votes of enough Shires to garner the crown. Shires is an epic 4X strategy game for 3-5 players. The layout of the board, buildings, fields, and armies in each shire vary from game to game. A blend of map generation, resource management, negotiation, backstabbing, and simple combat make Shires an engaging game with an always climatic conclusion.