Carcassonne Game Reference

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Game reference

by Meepledrone

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Introduction

• This section serves as a high-level description of a Carcassone game.
• The word “you" throughout this section refers to the active player.
• Steps written in yellow represent deviations from the official HiG rule set.
• Steps written in blue are features from other editions of Carcassonne adapted for the preferred version with a little creativity when required.
Game reference summary

Phase & Main Activities
. Preparation Set up the playing area and the elements to be used during the game. Main activities: Decide expansions and rules Prepare start tile(s) Prepare the remaining tiles for the game Set aside elements needed during the game Distribute figures and other elements to players Set scoring figures on scoreboard
. River Rounds Place river tiles. Order of PlayOrder of PlayOrder of Play: Place tile Place a followermeeple Score a feature Scoring During the GameScoring During the GameScoring During the Game (Limited scoring )(No scoring applicable)
. Game Rounds Proceed with the game until there are no tiles left. Order of PlayOrder of PlayOrder of Play: Place tile Place a followermeeple (2b. Move the dragon - for HiG & ZMG)(2b. Move the dragon) Score a feature (3b. Move the dragon - for RGG) Additional actions Scoring During the GameScoring During the GameScoring During the Game
. Extra Abbey Round If any abbey tiles have not been placed, proceed with one more round to allow all players to place them. Order of PlayOrder of PlayOrder of Play: Place tile Place a followermeeple Score a feature Additional actions Scoring During the GameScoring During the GameScoring During the Game
. Final Scoring Carry out final scoring. Main activities: Prepare for final scoring Resolve final scoring Scoring After the GameScoring After the GameScoring After the Game

Preparation

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Introduction

• This section serves as a guide to the set up of the playing area and the elements to be used during the game.
• Steps written in blue are features from other editions of Carcassonne adapted for the preferred version with a little creativity when required.

Preparation summary

. Decide expansions and rules

1. Decide which Carcassonne edition to use as primary for the game
   • First edition
   • New edition
   • Winter edition
2. Decide which expansions, if any, to use with the base game
3. Identify and agree any rule variants -according to the selected edition(s)- or house rules, resolve and agree any points of interpretation and clarify areas of potential misunderstanding or contradiction.
4. Choose the youngest participant as starting player (unless otherwise agreed).

. Prepare start tile(s)

1. Set aside start tile(s) according to selected expansions, if any
   • Base starting tile
   • River tiles from:
     • River I/III (remove spring and lake tiles) (remove spring tile)
     • River II (remove spring tile)
     • GQ #11 (add spring tile and the other river tile)
     • CutCassonne (add river tiles)
   • River tiles from:
     • River I/III (remove spring and lake tiles)
     • River II(remove spring tile and the river end with a city)
     • 20th Anniversary River
     • GQ #11 (remove spring tile but add the other river tile)
     • CutCassonne (add river tiles)
   • City of Carcassonne tiles and Count figure
   • Ghosts, Castles & Bazaars 2x2 starting tile
   • Wheel Of Fortune tile and big pig figure
   • Orange wind rose tile
   • School tiles and teacher figure
   • Markets of Leipzig tiles
   • Spiel Doch! 02/2018 tiles (if used as starting tiles)
2. Place start tile(s) faceup in the center of the playing area
   • Place the base starting tile. Place the Gingerbread Man on the city segment.
   • Discard the base starting tile unless you are playing with The School. Be ready to place the Gingerbread Man on a city segment of the first tile placed containing at least one. (It can be on a river tile if no other start tile is used.)
   • Place the school with the teacher figure next to the base starting tile
   • Place the City of Carcassonne with the Count figure on the castle quarter
   • Place the Ghosts, Castles & Bazaars 2x2 starting tile
   • Place the Wheel Of Fortune with the big pig figure on the "Fortune" section
   • Place the Markets of Leipzig tiles
   • Place the orange wind rose tile
   • Place the Spiel Doch! 02/2018 tiles (if used as starting tiles)
   • Place the river spring tile and prepare the other river tiles
     • Separate the fork tile
     • Separate the lake tiletiles
     • Shuffle all the other river tiles and place them in a stack facedown with the fork tile on top and the lake tiletiles at the bottom

. Prepare the remaining tiles for the game

1. Remove from game extra tiles:
   • River tiles from CG#11
   • River tiles from CutCassonne
   • Optionally, 2 of the 6 cloistersmonasteries in base game, if adding Darmstadt churches to the game without other expansions
   • The 6 cloistersmonasteries in base game, if adding German monasteries or Dutch & Belgian monasteries or Japanese buildings to the game
   • Extra Bathhouses
     • 2 players: use 4 bathhouses
     • 3 players: use 5 bathhouses
     • 4-6 players: use 6 bathhouses
   • Remove 3 out of the 12 Peasant Revolts tiles, after shuffling them. Use only 9 tiles
2. Shuffle normal land tiles (separate 17, if playing The Plague)
   • Place them in stacks facedown
   • Put them in the tile bag, as an option
   • Place them in the tile tower, as an option
3. Distribute abbey tiles: 1 to each player
4. Distribute Halfling tiles according to the number of Halfling sets used:
   • 1 set (12 tiles): 2 tiles per player
   • 2 sets (24 tiles): 3 tiles (or more, if agreed so) per player

   Two possible options:

   • First game: Shuffle the Hafling tiles (except those with expansion symbols) face down and each player gets the tiles.
   • Later games: Place the Halfling tiles face up. Starting from the last player in counterclockwise order, each player picks one tile at a time until all players have the required number of tiles.
5. Distribute German Castle tiles, depending on the number of players:
   • 2-3 players: 1 or 2 tiles
   • 4-6 players: 1 tile

   Two possible options:

   • Each player picks the tile (or tiles) of his choice.
   • Mix the tiles and distribute them at random.

. Set aside elements needed during the game

1. Tiles and tokens:
   • 50/100 point tiles
   • Trade goods tokens
   • King/Robber Baron tiles and tokens
   • Sheep and wolf tokens: placed inside the flock bag
   • Animal tokens: shuffled and placed in a stack facedown
   • Message tiles: shuffled in a stack facedown
   • Plague tokens: outbreak and flea tokens
   • La Porxada tokens if available
   • Fruit-bearing trees tokens: arranged by fruit type and placed facedown in 6 stacks by type.
2. Wooden figures and other pieces:
   • Fairy
   • Dragon
   • Wooden catapult and ruler
   • Big Top
   • 15 ghosts
   • 3 guard followersmeeples in each player color
   • Flier die
   • Ferries
   • Gold pieces and the scoring token
   • Mage
   • Witch
   • Gingerbread Man
   • Easter bunny
   • 40 Easter eggs
   • Regular die, if the Flier die is not available
3. Place the scoreboard off to the side of the game table. Use the one included in Ghosts, Castles & Cemeteries instead of the one from the base game.
4. Shuffle the gift cards and place them facedown in a stack by the scoreboard
5. Prepare Land Surveyors scoring tiles:
   • Shuffle the scoring tiles and place them face up in three stacks (cities, roads and monasteries) by the scoreboard
   • Take the top scoring tile from each stack and place them next to the corresponding stack as initial active scoring tiles

. Distribute figures and other elements to players

1. Distribute figures to each player in one color
   • Normal followermeeple: 8 (or 9, if available, when playing with the Markets of Leipzig)
   • Normal followermeeple: 6 (or 7, if available, when playing with the Markets of Leipzig)
   • Big followerLarge meeple: 1
   • Pig: 1
   • Builder: 1
   • Tower piecesfloors, depending on the number of players
     • 2 players: 10 tower piecesfloors
     • 3 players: 9 tower piecesfloors
     • 4 players: 7 tower piecesfloors
     • 5 players: 6 tower piecesfloors
     • 6 players: 5 tower piecesfloors
   • Mayor: 1
   • Wagon: 1
   • Barn: 1
   • Bridges, depending on the number of players
     • 2-4 players: 3 bridges
     • 5-6 players: 2 bridges
   • Shepherd: 1
   • Ringmaster: 1
   • Guard followermeeple: 2 (the other 3 were already set aside)
   • Messenger: 1
   • Robber: 1
   • Phantom: 1
   • Abbot: 1
2. Distribute tokens to each player
   • Catapult tokens: 4, one per type
   • Castle token, depending on the number of players
     • 2-4 players: 3 castles
     • 5-6 players: 2 castles
   • Tunnel tokens, depending on the number of players
     • 2 players: 6 tunnel tokens (3 sets)
     • 3 players: 4 tunnel tokens (2 sets)
     • 4-6 players: 2 tunnel tokens (1 set) with player's colour
   • Little buildings, depending on the number of players and the rules applied
     • Normal rules (no distinction between building types)
       • 2 players: 9 buildings
       • 3 players: 6 buildings
       • 4 players: 4 buildings
       • 5-6 players: 3 buildings
     • Variant rules (distinction between building types)
       • 2 players: 3 towers + 3 houses + 3 sheds
       • 3 players: 2 towers + 2 houses + 2 sheds
       • 4-6 players: 1 tower + 1 house + 1 shed
   • Tollhouse tokens: 1 in player's color
   • Betting chips: 6 in player's color (placed face down)

. Set scoring figures on scoreboard and prepare to start

1. Place 1 normal followermeeple per player on space 0 of the scoreboard (it will serve as a scoring figure)
2. Place messengers on space 0 of the scoreboard

Final scoring

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Introduction

• This section serves as a guide for the final scoring.
• Apply Scoring After the GameScoring After the GameScoring After the Game
• Steps written in blue are features from other editions of Carcassonne adapted for the preferred version with a little creativity when required.

Final scoring summary

. Prepare for final scoring

1. Each player adds up the scores of their counting figuresscoring figures. Then each player places one counting figurescoring figure on their achieved total and removes the other. No message tiles are drawn during final scoring.
2. Each player with their robber on the scoreboard scores 3 points and returns it to their supply
3. Each player scores 2 points per unopened gift card in their supply and removes them
4. Score the circus and remove the big top
5. Settle the bets on the board separately. Each bet's owner decides its associated feature, if several options are available
6. Remove castle lords still in normal castles on the game board and any ghosts added to them
7. Remove cemetery keepers from the game board and any ghosts added to them
8. Remove gold pieces still on the game board
9. Remove the Easter bunny
10. Redeploy followersmeeples from the market quarterdistrict of the City of Carcassonne to farmsfields, if the Count figure is not placed on that district. Players starting from the left of the active player redeploy one followermeeple at a time until no followersmeeples are left. FollowersMeeples from other quartersdistricts can also be redeployed at this time.No followersmeeples from other quartersdistricts can be redeployed at this time.
    • Score any followersmeeples deployed to farmsfields with barns.

. Perform final scoring

1. Score all uncompleted features and unscored figures and unscored figures taking into account the fairy taking into account the fairy and the ringmaster taking into account the ringmaster (Ghosts only affect those players with the majority)
   • Roads
   • Cities
     • Apply La Porxada bonus if requested by a player and the city with La Porxada is completed. The scoring bonus benefits all players who had at least one knight in the city when it was closed. Those players may have received a token as a reminder, if agreed so.
   • CloistersMonasteries
   • Shrines
   • Shepherds and their sheep (0 points)
   • Acrobat pyramids
   • Abbeys
   • Haunted castles
   • Darmstadt churches
   • Baba Yaga's hut
   • German castles
   • German cathedrals
   • German monasteries / Dutch & Belgian monasteries / Japanese buildings with monks
   • Gardens
   • Easter Nest areas (no effect)
   • Fortune teller tent (0 points for the feature itself)
2. Score all end-of-game features and figures and figures taking into account the fairy taking into account the fairy and the ringmaster taking into account the ringmaster (Ghosts only affect those players with the majority)
   • FollowersMeeples trapped by Solovei Razboynik
   • FollowersMeeples trapped by Vodyanoy
   • German monasteries / Dutch & Belgian monasteries / Japanese buildings with abbots
   • Barns
   • FarmsFields taking into account the Tanners quarter bonus
3. Resolve final scoring
   • Score Easter (uneaten) eggs
   • Score fruit tokens
   • Score golden pieces
   • Score trade good tokens to majority by type
   • Score King and Robber Baron tiles

Footnotes

For Icons explanation and licensing please visit Icons page.