Thrones of Valeria Review: Follow The Leader

About Thrones of Valeria, from BoardGameGeek:

Thrones of Valeria is a trick-taking and rank manipulation game designed by Matt Jacobs. Thrones of Valeria is 3-6 players with special rules for 2 players and offers individual or team play. Ideally, you will be able to play this with 3+ players. The story: Long ago, when the realm was fledgling, the five Great Houses of the Valeria were constantly bickering, stealing, conspiring, and even assassinating each other - all for the chance to become the wealthiest and most powerful House in the Kingdom! Thrones of Valeria evolved from those power struggles and has thrived among the common people looking to taste the tug-of-war of the nobles. Today, it is the sort of game travelers play in taverns for fun and money. The game itself: Thrones of Valeria is a trick-taking game where winning is based on the coins gained and not on the amount of tricks won. Each card has a special power that affects how game rounds unfold; causing the Great Houses (suits) to swing from the prestigious to the reviled - from winning a small treasure to losing a small fortune. Thrones of Valeria features a standings board that tracks Great House prestige, chunky ""mahjong-style"" tiles to reflect the relative power of each House, a custom draw bag, coin tokens, and cards designed by The Mico. -description from the publisher