Outremer - BGG How to Play

About Outremer, from BoardGameGeek:

The year is 1099. The crusader armies besiege and capture Jerusalem, and new Christian states appear in the Levant. The Arab tribes - known to them as the Saracens - seek vengeance against them as they fight one another for favours from Vatican and control over trade. Their struggle is far from over… Outremer is a grand strategy game that combines area control with well-crafted Euro-style mechanics. The action takes place in the Levant-on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea-in the 12th century, right after the First Crusade. Each player takes control of one of four Crusader states and uses every available means to expand their influence and increase the wealth of their domain. You'll develop cities, manage trade, appoint viceroys, send spies, and lead armies of battle-hardened knights into war. But victory in these lands requires more than just the sword-it demands strategy. Event cards and relentless Saracen raids can shatter even the most careful plans. In the Levant, only the bold survive. Gameplay Features: The Cross of Orders: a central element of planning and the struggle for resources and initiative. Players will face tough dilemmas: would you occupy an empty slot to profit at the expense of others? Choose a valuable action but pay another player for it? Or sacrifice a turn to perform a powerful action in the next round? Two layers of territory control: traditional military dominance and religious influence through bishops, using an area majority mechanic. Combat system: battles against other players and the game-driven common enemy (Saracens) depend on a smart combination of cards and a bit of luck. Players must decide what they are willing to sacrifice to achieve a coveted victory. Story-driven campaign: in addition to the main standalone game mode, players can explore 4 interconnected scenarios with persistent progress. Each scenario introduces a new mechanic, offering a fresh perspective on the familiar gameplay. -description from the designer