Flandern - The Flemish Guilds' Revolution began in the Battle of the Golden Spurs in Kortrijk on July 11th 1302. The guilds of weavers, fullers, dyers and cloth-cutters had successfully rushed to the aid of the Count of Flanders to drive out King Philip IV of France's armies of knights which had occupied the whole of Flanders. For this, the guilds were granted complete autonomy and co-governance of the towns. Encouraged by the events in Bruges (Brugge), Ghent (Gent) and Ypres (Ieper), the craft guilds in Utrecht in the north and Liège (Luik) in the south successfully seized power - with the support of the Church. However, the guilds now fought for supremacy in the towns. This is where your game begins: your aim is to distribute your power – i.e. your districts – so skilfully that at the end of the game you have the greatest influence in Flanders. Rio053; 45-60 minutes 2-4 players, aged 8 and up - Rio Grande Games