Base Game - Test

General info and comments

Originally released by Hans im Glück in 2014.

Carcassonne, the world-famous French city, is known for its imposing fortifications erected during Antiquity and the Middle Ages. This fortress, surrounded by magnificent walls, still stands today as one of the most unique French cities. In this game, players must develop the area around Carcassonne. They place their meeples onto roads and into cities, monasteries, and fields. Only those who make the most judicious placements will gain the points required to win the game.

Copies printed in the period 2014-2016 have the darker city backgrounds.

Info on farmers rules

Farmers are considered a part of the base game for most Carcassonne players. They are also used in every official tournament as they are commonly not considered an expansion. In the new edition of Carcassonne farmers were separated as a supplement to ease access to the game for new players and smooth learning curve. WikiCarpedia follows this streamlined approach. For the sake of other expansions and the rest of the WikiCarpedia, farmers are considered a part of the base game.

In any case, you may choose to play initially with the rules on this page and, after a few games, start playing with the fields and the farmers in order to increase your strategic possibilities.

You can find farmers rules here.

Components and setup

Following part will explain initial setup and introduce components of the game.

The 72 LANDSCAPE TILES show roads, cities, and monasteries, in a field. Other graphical elements such as houses, people, or animals have no impact on the game.

Tile showing a city

Tile showing a road

Tile showing a monastery

The backs of all the tiles are the same, but the START TILE has a darker colored back, so you can recognize it easily.

Regular back

Dark back

Begin setup by placing the start tile (the one with a dark back) in the middle of the table. Shuffle the remaining tiles and set them as different facedown stacks that are easily accessible to all players.

Start tile

Then comes the scoreboard, which you set to the side of your playing surface (table, floor, etc.).

Part of the scoring track with meeples on initial positions.

Finally, we have the MEEPLES. You will find in the box 40 regular meeples, including 8 meeples in each of these colors: yellow, red, green, blue, and black.

	Normal meeples

Start by distributing 7 meeples of the color of their choice to each player. These meeples constitute each player’s personal supply. Each player takes seven meeples of their chosen color to form their supply. Place each player's eighth meeple on the 0 space on the scoreboard. These will be used to track each player's score throughout the game.

  Question: Too few followers—are we playing wrong or are there really too few?

Answer:

This is the number intended by designers. A certain shortage of followers is entirely intentional. An important element of the game is precisely learning to be economical with one's followers.

[WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.002]

Overview and goal of the game

In Carcassonne, players take turns placing tiles and expanding the landscape of roads, cities, monasteries and fields, one tile at a time. Players may place their meeples on the individual features of tiles as well (roads, cities, monasteries, and fields), where they will become highwaymen, knights and monks. Points are earned throughout the game, and the player with the highest score at the end is the winner!

Gameplay

A game of Carcassonne is played in clockwise order. Starting with the youngest player, the current player does the following actions in the order listed below, after which it is the next player's turn, and so on and so forth. First, we'll give you a brief description of the actions you have to do during one of your turns. These actions will be detailed as we present the roads, the cities, and finally the monasteries. So what are these actions?

1. Placing a tile

The player must draw exactly one land tile from a stack and place it faceup adjacent to any tile already on the board to continue the landscape.

2. Placing a meeple

The player may place a meeple from their supply onto the tile just placed.

3. Scoring a feature

The player must score any feature completed by tile placement.

The roads

1. Placing a tile

You draw the depicted tile with three road segments starting from a village. You must place it in such a way that it continues the existing landscape (the tiles already in play). In the rare case that a tile cannot legally be placed anywhere, and all players agree, it is removed from the game, and the player draws another.

Example 1a: You place the tile here. The road and fields continue the existing landscape.

2. Placing a meeple as highwayman

After placing the tile, you may place a meeple as a highwayman on one of that tile’s road segments, but only if the road is unoccupied by another highwayman.

In our example, since the road is not yet completed, no scoring occurs (see action 3) and play moves on to the next player.

The next player draws a tile that he/she places to continue the landscape. They may not place a meeple on the road to the right since your highwayman is already present on that road. Instead, they choose to place their meeple as a knight in the city segment of that tile.

Example 1b: You use your meeple as a highwayman on this road. This is possible because no other meeple is present on it.

Example 1c: Since the road to the right is occupied, the blue player decides to put his meeple in the city.

3. Scoring a road

When both ends of a road are closed, that road is completed and scored. The end of a road is closed when it meets a village, a city, a monastery, or it loops onto itself by meeting the other end.

Example 1d: The road completed has 3 tiles.

  Question: Can a road end in nothing?

Answer:

No, like all the usual land tiles, a road segment must continue to another road segment on all edges.

[WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.016]

Even though it is your opponent that placed the tile, this still completes your road. How many points do you score? When scoring a road, each tile of that road grants you 1 point. Here, since you scored a road that is made out of 3 tiles, you score 3 points.

It is now time to note your score. You keep track of your score with the meeple you placed on the scoreboard before starting the game. Continuing our example, you move it forward 3 spaces to show that you’ve scored 3 points. Note: if your score passes 50 points, lay down your scoring meeple to show your 50+ points.

Example 1e: You keep track of the 3 points you earned on the scoreboard.

After scoring, return any meeples that occupy the road that was just scored to their owners' supply.

Example 1f: You return to your supply the highwayman that earned you 3 points. The blue meeple stays in place since it was not part of a scored feature.

We’ve already seen the most important parts of the game. Now, we will further expand on those actions by showing you how they apply to the other features, namely the cities and the monasteries:

The cities

1. Placing a tile

As usual, you draw a tile that you use to continue the landscape. Of course, the illustration must be continued as well. For example, a city segment must be connected to an open city.

Example: A tile showing a city.

2. Placing a meeple as a knight

Then, you see if there is already a meeple as a knight in the city. Here, there isn’t, so you can place one of your meeples as a knight in this city.

Example 2a: You placed this tile and it expands the city by one tile. Since the city is unoccupied, you place a meeple there.

  Question: We have difficulty deciding when a placed tile represents a new city or belongs to one already being built.

Answer:

'Corner to corner' is not a connection. Segments can only be connected on the edges. In the example shown there are two cities at the moment.

[WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.007]

3. Scoring a city

Let’s continue our example and assume that a few turns have passed. You now draw this tile that you place to continue your city. Since the tile you’ve placed completes a feature (here, the city), it must now be scored. A city is completed when it is surrounded by walls and there are no gaps inside the city. Since you have a meeple in the completed city, you are the player to score it.

Each tile in a completed city is worth 2 points. In addition, each coat of arms is worth 2 more points. For this city, you score 8 points! As usual, the meeple that was in the scored feature returns to your supply.

Example 2b: Completed city scoring.

The monasteries

1. Placing a tile

Once more, you draw a tile to continue the landscape. Monasteries are always depicted in the center of a tile. When placing such a tile, you must, as usual, make sure that it continues the illustration.

Example: Tile showing a monastery

2. Placing a meeple as a monk

You can place a meeple on a monastery as a monk. Of course, that meeple must come from your supply.

Example 3a: A monastery is always in the middle of a tile. You may place this tile here because the monastery on it is surrounded by fields.

3. Scoring a monastery

A monastery is completed when it is surrounded by tiles. During scoring, the monastery is worth 1 point per tile that completes it (including the monastery itself).

By placing this tile, you complete your monastery. It earns you 9 points and allows you to take your meeple back.

Example 3b: Completed monastery scoring.

We have already seen most of the rules for Carcassonne. There are only a few points left to see, but first, here is a summary of what we’ve seen so far:

Summary

1. Placing a tile

• You must place your drawn tile in such a way that it continues the landscape and the illustration.
• In some very rare cases, it may be impossible to place the tile. In those cases, simply return the tile to the box and draw a new one.

2. Placing a meeple

• You may place a meeple on the tile you’ve just placed.
• You may not place a meeple in a feature where there already is at least one other meeple, including one of yours.

3. Scoring a feature

• A road is completed when both ends lead to a village, a city, a monastery, or the road forms a loop. Each tile in a completed road is worth 1 point.
• A city is completed when it is surrounded by walls and there are no holes inside the city. Each tile in the completed city is worth 2 points. Each coat of arms in the completed city is worth an extra 2 points.
• A monastery is completed when it is surrounded by 8 tiles. Each of the monastery’s tiles (the 8 surrounding tiles and the one with the monastery itself) is worth 1 point.
• Scoring always occurs at the end of a player’s turn. At that moment, each player with a meeple in a scored feature earns points.
• After each scoring, return the scored meeples to their owners' supply.
• If there are multiple meeples in a single scored feature, the player with the most meeples is awarded full points and all other players receive nothing. When more than one player have the most meeples in a scored feature, the tied players all score full points.

Game end and final scoring

The game ends immediately after the turn of the player who placed the last tile. Then, players proceed to a final scoring, after which the winner will be known.

Once the game is over, all meeples still in play are scored:

• Each incomplete road is worth 1 point per tile, just like during the game.
• Each incomplete city is worth 1 point per tile and 1 point per coat of arms, which is only half the points.
• Each incomplete monastery is worth 1 point plus 1 point per adjacent tile, just like during the game.

Example of final scoring:

• Left city: Green is the only one to score 8 points (5 tiles and 3 coat of arms). Black does not score any points since Green has the most meeples in this city.
• Monastery: Yellow scores 4 points for this incomplete monastery (3 points for the adjacent tiles and 1 point for the monastery itself).
• Right city: Blue scores 3 points for this incomplete city (2 tiles and 1 coat of arms).
• Road: Red scores 3 points for this incomplete roads (3 tiles).

Once the final score is known, the winner is the player with the most points.

Special cases

Many meeples on the same road

Example 4a: The tile you’ve just drawn could continue the road. However, there already is a highwayman on that road, which means that you may not place yours. You decide to place your tile, and a highwayman, so that it is not connected.

Example 4b: During a following turn, you draw this tile and decide to continue the road with it. Both roads, each with a highwayman, are now connected. Since this completes the road, it is now scored and both you and the other player score 4 points. Then, you both take your meeple back.

Many meeples in the same city

Example 5a: You wish to take control of the city away from yellow and place your tile as pictured with a knight on it. you are allowed to place a knight there because the city segment is not connected to another city segment with a knight on it. If you succeed in linking your two city segments, your two knights will allow you to take the city from yellow.

Example 5b: That is exactly the tile you needed to connect the city segments. Since you now have the most knights in the city, only you get to score the 10 points awarded for completing that city. Then, both you and the other player take back your meeples.

Use a meeple, score a feature, and get the meeple back

You can place a meeple in a feature you just completed, immediately score it, and then return the meeple to your supply.

To do so, follow these steps:

      1. Place a tile, completing a feature (such as a road, city, or monastery).

      2. Place a meeple as a highwayman, knight, or monk on the feature you just completed.

      3. Score the completed road, city, or monastery and return the meeple to your supply.

Example - Sequence taking place:
1. You place a tile.
2. You place your meeple on the road.
3. You score 3 points for the road. Return your meeple to your supply.

  Question: There is a situation that puzzles us. If a player draws a tile with two city segments and completes a small city, earning 4 points, can he or she then deploy a meeple to a new city segment in the same turn?

Answer:

A player may only deploy one meeple per turn, and that meeple may be deployed only once, and it must be before any scoring. If the player already occupies the small, now-completed city, he or she may deploy a second meeple to the other city segment immediately after placing the tile. The small city will then be scored and the meeple involved returned to the player. If the player does not yet occupy this city, he or she can decide which of the two city segments to deploy a meeple to. If the meeple is deployed to the small city (1), it will be returned immediately (2) and the player will earn four points, but the meeple cannot be redeployed (3).

[WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.014]

Use of a table

A number of questions have been asked about rules related to the play area itself, including what happens when the edge of the area is reached, or if a table has to be used for play. The following clarifications are from Georg Wild from HiG (5/2013):

• The edge of the table is the limit for the game if, as stated in the rules, a table is used.
• The rules state that the starting tile is placed in the middle of the table. If all of the tiles are shifted to allow more room, the starting tile would no longer be in the middle. So in principle, total shifting of the tiles is not allowed. Additionally, with a manual shift of all of the tiles, the tiles and figures on the field can slip, which could lead to incorrect positioning of tiles or figures.
• Addition of a second table is possible if one of an appropriate height is added to the first table. If a table is extended (as with an additional panel), make sure that the tiles and figures on the playing field do not slip.
• Playing on the floor: The rules technically do not allow this, because the rules state that the first tile is placed in the middle of the table. Playing on the floor is not forbidden, however, if use of a table is not feasible. If the floor is used, tiles must be placed so all tiles are visible to all players. Tiles cannot be placed under the sofa, cabinet/shelf, etc.
• It is important generally, that all the players in the round agree how to play:
  • Table - Standard
  • Table - with "total shifting" of tiles
  • Table - with extension
  • Floor
• Continue to play fairly and not intentionally unfair to other players.

Rules differences with Big Box 6

There are some small differences in the rules of the standalone and the Big Box 6 version of the base game rules:

• The standalone base game introduces all the elements contained in the box, including the river tiles and the abbots, so new players may get to know all the elements from the very beginning, even if not used in the base game and put aside initially.
• The Big Box 6 base game contains a lots of elements for various expansions, so the previous approach is not followed. Instead:
  • The base game avoids introducing any elements not directly used, such as, river tiles, abbot meeples, and so on.
  • The base game however introduces elements from a later expansion (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals): the meeples for the 6th player and the point tiles. This is done for practical reasons while not altering the essence of the game itself.

The following table summarizes the main differences.

Topic	Standalone	Big Box 6	Comments
Tile count	84 tiles (72 + 12 tiles)	72 tiles	The standalone base game considers the 12 tiles of The River in the initial description. These tiles are not used in the base game.
River tiles	Introduced at the beginning of the rules	Not introduced until The River mini expansion	The standalone base game introduces the river tiles in the initial description although the rules are explained separately. All these tiles feature a river segment and have a dark back, so they can be separated easily. River tile Check the rules here.
Graphical elements on tiles	This clarification is included: "Other graphical elements such as houses, people, or animals have no impact on the game."	The clarification is omitted	The base game may not use a few elements found on the tiles but some of them are considered in later expansions, as explained here.
Meeple sets	5 sets of 8 meeples, each in different colors: yellow, red, green, blue, and black	6 sets of 8 meeples, each in different colors: yellow, red, green, blue, black, and pink	Big Box 6 includes a meeple set for a 6th player in the base game, that normally is part of Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals. The base game plays nice with up to 5 players; a 6th player would require to add extra tiles since the game would be too short. This approach simplifies the unfolding of the Big Box 6 rules.
Abbot meeples	Introduced at the beginning of the rules	Not introduced until The Abbot mini expansion	The standalone game considers the abbot meeples of The Abbot in the initial description although the rules are explained separately. These meeples are not used in the base game and will be removed from the game. Abbot meeples in standalone base game Check the rules here.
Point tiles with 50 and 100 sides	Not considered	Covered in the base game rules	The standalone base game rules instruct players to lay down their scoring meeple if their scoring goes above 50 points. However, Big Box 6 includes 8 point tiles to keep track of scorings above 50 points. Those tiles are part of Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals, which standalone version contains 6 of them. This approach simplifies the unfolding of the Big Box 6 rules. Front Back Point tiles Here is a summary of rules regarding point tiles: During preparation: Set aside the point tiles with 50 and 100 sides. You will need them later for scoring. During scoring: Whenever your scoring meeple reaches or passes the 0 space, take a point tile, and place it in front of you with the 50 side face-up, flipping the tile to the 100 side if you reach or pass the 0 space again. Continue to take and flip point tiles as necessary if you reach or pass the 0 space additional times. Check the usage rules here.
Clarification "Use a meeple, score a feature, and get the meeple back"	Not included	Added in this version	Big Box 6 includes this clarification omitted in the base game that addresses this special case with full detail of the sequence of actions. Check the clarification here.

Interactions with expansions

This section contains some considerations when playing with expansions. Some concepts described in the rules of the base game may require some clarifications due to several factors:

• Expansions may override or extend the concepts described incorporating some nuances to be considered.
• Expansions may add more options to those available in the base game.

Let's review some of the concepts that some expansions may alter:

      Features

• Features ending roads:
  • The base game states that one end of a road is closed when it meets a village, a city, a monastery, or it loops onto itself by meeting the other end. This list is valid in general terms and should be considered open ended. Some expansions incorporate additional features that may end a road, such as groups of trees and bushes, cottages, lakes, various types of ecclesiastical buildings, castles, etc. [WICA.0201.0001]

Example: Roads ending at a group of trees.

Example: Roads ending at a lake.

Example: Road ending at a volcano.

Example: Road ending at a German monastery.

Example: Roads ending at a German castle.

• Effect of coats of arms:
  • The base game features coat of arms on tiles with one city segment only, so there it is clear that the coat of arms affects that city segment.

In later expansions, there may be several city segments on the same tile. In this case, a coat of arms only affects the city segment it is in, not the whole tile, even if there is more than one segment on the tile.

Example: The coat of arms only affects the top city segment.

Example: The coat of arms only affects the top city segment.

Example: The coat of arms only affects the top and bottom city segments connected by an overpass.

There also may be more than one coat of arms in a city segment. [WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.020]

Example: A city segment with two coats of arms.

• Monastery configurations:
  • The base game states that monasteries are always located in the center of a tile, so when you place a monastery you must continue the existing other landscape features. Monasteries tend to be surrounded by fields, so monastery tiles normally have field and road edges. In some expansions, we may also find monastery tiles with city edges, and even monasteries within cities. [WICA.0201.0001]

Example: Monastery pushed aside by a city segment and a road segment.

Example: Monastery in a city.

• Graphical elements on tiles:
  • Some graphical elements such as houses, people, or animals have no impact on the base game but several of them are used in some expansions:
    • The Abbot: gardens
    • The Markets of Leipzig: villages at crossroads, farmhouses, sheds
    • The Tollkeepers: villages at crossroads, farmhouses, sheds (cowsheds, pigsties and donkey stables), gardens, highwaymen groups

[WICA.0201.0001]

 
G | Garden

 
F | Farmhouse

 
C | Cowshed

 
W | Water Tower

 
H | Highwaymen

 
P | Pigsty

 
D | Donkey Stable

      Turn sequence

• Modification of the turn sequence:
  • After game setup, the base game explains the turn sequence as a series of three actions repeated until the end of the game, when a final score takes place. These actions are:
    • 1. Placing a tile
    • 2. Placing a meeple
    • 3. Scoring a feature

However these initial simple actions, should be considered as phases when playing with expansions, since they serve as containers to group additional actions during the turn sequence. Expansions may also affect game setup and the final scoring. Moreover they may add new phases with special actions or even extra turns. [WICA.0201.0001]

      1. Placing a tile

• Alternatives to using stacks of tiles:
  • There are some expansions adding various options for drawing tiles:
    • Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders: Includes a cloth bag to place the tiles in it.
    • Exp. 4 - The Tower: Includes a cardboard tower serving as a tile dispenser.

[WICA.0201.0001]

Cloth bag included in Expansion 2.

Tower tile dispenser included in Expansion 4.

• Alternative mechanics to drawing tiles:
  • Some expansions allow you to place a tile in your supply instead of drawing one. This alternative may happen when drawing a tile or after discarding a tile that does not allow a valid placement. In any of this case you may use:
    • An Abbey tile (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
    • A Halfling tile (Halflings)
    • A German castle tile (Castles in Germany)

[WICA.0201.0001]

An abbey tile

A Halfling tile

A German castle tile

• Complete features:
  • Note that features are considered to be complete as soon as the tile is placed, although meeple placement and scoring only occur afterwards. This is important when playing with magic portals (Exp. 3 - The Princess & the Dragon) or flying machines (Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines)). [WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.022]

      2. Placing a meeple

• Use of the word meeple:
  • In the base game, there are normal meeples only, simply referred to as meeples interchangeably in this context. However, the addition of other types of meeples in some expansions leads to use the word meeple to represent any figure assigned to players that allow them to claim a feature. This includes the normal meeple. Whenever you see in the rules a reference to meeple, it will apply to any of the figures in the category. Different meeple types have different properties to be considered during the game, as we comment below. [WICA.0201.0001]

• Meeple types - placement restrictions and additional abilities:
  • Depending on the meeple type, there may be certain placement restrictions. They also may have certain abilities:
    • Base Game: Normal meeple (valid on any feature but gardens)
    • Base Game - The Abbot: Abbot (limited to on monasteries and gardens; can be removed and scored at will)
    • Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals: Large meeple (valid on any feature but gardens; counts as two normal meeples during scoring)
    • Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor: Wagon (valid on any feature but gardens and fields; can move after scoring)
    • Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor: Mayor (limited to cities and castles; variable majority value)
    • Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top: Ringmaster (valid on any feature but gardens; scores extra points)
    • Exp. 11 - Ghosts, Castles & Cemeteries: Guard meeple (valid on any feature but gardens; unaffected by ghosts)
    • The Phantom: Phantom (valid on any feature but gardens; can be placed as second figure during a turn)

[WICA.0201.0001]

Normal meeple

Abbot

Large meeple

Mayor

Wagon

Ringmaster

Guard meeple

Phantom

• Meeple placement on tiles previously placed:
  • The base game assumes that players may only place one meeple on the tile just placed. Later expansions bend this constraint in several ways with the addition of various placement mechanisms that allow players to deploy a meeple on a tile different than the one just placed:
    • A magic portal (Exp 3 - The Princess and the Dragon)
    • A tower (Exp. 4 - The tower)
    • Acrobats (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
    • The Wheel of Fortune (The Wheel of Fortune)
    • A flying machine (Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines))
    • Place Meeple action (20th Anniversary Expansion)
    • Add Meeple action (20th Anniversary Expansion)

It also possible to place up to two meeples in one turn (The Phantom). [WICA.0201.0001]

• Meeple placement on occupied features:
  • The base game assumes that you can only place a meeple on an unoccupied feature. Later expansions bend this constraint in several ways with the addition of various placement mechanisms that allow players to deploy a meeple to an occupied feature:
    • A flying machine (Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines))
    • A labyrinth tile and its road network with the Advanced Variant rules (The Labyrinth)
    • Add Meeple action (20th Anniversary Expansion)

[WICA.0201.0001]

      3. Scoring a feature

• Determining the majority:
  • In the base game, the player or players with the most meeples on a feature have the majority and score it. It is assumed that each meeple has 1 majority vote. Later expansions add new meeple types and some of them have different majority vote rules:
    • Base Game: Normal meeple (1 vote)
    • Base Game - The Abbot: Abbot (1 vote)
    • Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals: Large meeple (2 votes)
    • Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor: Wagon (1 vote)
    • Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor: Mayor (1 vote per coat of arms in the city)
    • Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top: Ringmaster (1 vote)
    • Exp. 11 - Ghosts, Castles & Cemeteries: Guard meeple (1 vote)
    • The Phantom: Phantom (1 vote)

Normal meeple

Abbot

Large meeple

Mayor

Wagon

Ringmaster

Guard meeple

Phantom

Additionally, some expansions add mechanisms that alter the majority:

• Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep: Hill (If there is a tie, tied players with at least one meeple on a hill are considered to have control)
• The Land Surveyors: The Citizen's Jury scoring tile (All players in a city share the majority no matter their votes)

[WICA.0201.0001]

A hill

Citizen's Jury scoring tile

• Majority on monasteries:
  • The majority is applicable to the scoring of all features even monasteries. Monasteries can normally be occupied by one meeple, but expansions like Exp. 6 - Count, King and Robber or Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines) allow you to deploy more than one meeple to a monastery. [WICA.0201.0001]

• Scoring more than 50 points:
  • You score your points with a scoring meeple standing on the scoreboard. When your score scoring meeple reaches 50 points or more, the base game rules instruct you place your scoring meeple lying down to indicate so.

This may suffice in this case, but the addition of expansions to your game makes possible to score 100 points or more. Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals adds a mechanism to keep track of scores beyond 50 points: the use of two-sided point tiles with one side showing 50 and the other 100. These special tiles allow players to keep track of their points as needed. The Big Box 6 rules introduce these tiles in the base game (however we are considering the standalone configuration of the game on this page). [WICA.0201.0001]

Front

Back

      End of the game

• Last tile in the game:
  • The base game considers the game ends when a player cannot draw any more tiles. This means that, at this point, a player may not place any tiles remaining in their supply at the end of the game. No remaining abbeys, German castles or Halfling tiles can be placed when the game ends.

An abbey tile

A Halfling tile

A German castle tile

• Regarding this point, there were some rules changes that affected the first edition: According to the RGG Big Box 3 rules, the last land tile placed could be an Abbey tile (see Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor). According to these most recent rules, "If one or more players have not yet placed their Abbey tiles when the last landscape tile is drawn and placed, they may now do so, if possible, in clockwise order starting from the left of the person who placed the last tile. Then, the game ends." This is a reversal of a previous FAQ, which used the statement, "The game is over when the last face-down land tile has been played." This older statement was to specifically prevent players from placing any abbey tiles which they may still have in their hand after the last ‘normal’ land tile (from the stack, the bag, or the tower) had been played. [WICA.0201.0001 / CAR.028]

An abbey tile

House rules

• The players decide who starts the game by any method they choose—such as by rolling three meeples. The first player to ‘roll’ a standing meeple decides who plays first. (Thanks to Joff.)

• To determine the first player; each player draws a tile from the bag, the player that drew the tile with the most roads (0 to 4) plays first, if there is a tie for most roads, a draw-off takes place. This is repeated until someone wins. (Thanks to michael.)

• Take your next tile at the end of your turn, to give you time to think about placement and avoid analysis paralysis.

• Play with a three-tile hand. The abbey counts as part of your hand. Play your turn, including the builder, and then draw back up to three tiles. These tiles could be visible to all or hidden to the other players (Thanks to DavidP and youtch.)

• When playing with a bag for the tiles, the original starting tile may be put into the bag, and unplayable tiles can be put back into the bag rather than set to one side. (Thanks to dwhitworth.)

• Trees (bushes) on roads do not end the road—only houses do (when the road forks). This makes road building a lot more dynamic. (Thanks to Tobias.)

• When a tile is the only tile which can currently complete a structure, other players can offer to ‘buy’ it by offering points, trades counter, abbey, and so on. (Thanks to Deatheux.)

• If you place a tile that fills a hole in the playing field by touching something on all four adjacent sides, you get another turn. This helps motivate people to finish the board even if they do not get an advantage from the placement. (Does not apply to the abbey tile). (Thanks to viberunner.)

• Incomplete features at the end of the game do not score points at the end of the game. (Thanks to metoth.)

• The edge of the table limits the playing area. Thus, a player may not place a tile past the edge of the table or move the playing area to place a tile that would have been past the edge of the table. (Thanks to metoth for prompting this one, and to SkullOne for pointing out that this is an official rule from Hunters and Gatherers.)

• Table borders COMPLETE features as an abbey would. (Thanks to PreGy.)

• Use colored dice instead of meeples on the scoring track. Start out with the 6 showing on top. When the marker completes one lap, turn it to the number 1 to indicate it has completed one lap. This shows at a glance which player is on what lap and who's ahead. On the 100 space track it’s even easier to determine someone’s score at a glance. (Thanks to Carcking.)

Tile reference

Total Tiles: 72

 ×2
(H)

 ×4
(F;D)

 ×1
(W)

 ×4
(F;P) + (S)

 ×5
(G;F)

 ×2
(W)

 ×1
 

 ×3
(G;H)

 ×2
(G)

 ×3
(H;F;C)

 ×3
(H;F;D)

 ×3
 

 ×2
(G)

 ×3
(G;W)

 ×2
(F;C)

 ×3
(H;W)

 ×1
 

 ×3
(G;W)

 ×2
(W)

 ×1
 

 ×8
(G;2xH;F;P)

 ×9
(G;2xH;F;2xP)

 ×4
 

 ×1
 

One of the tiles marked with "(S)" -tile number four- is the starting tile (with a dark back).

Several tiles have a small illustration on them. The letters in brackets show which illustration is on each tile:

 
G | Garden

 
F | Farmhouse

 
C | Cowshed

 
W | Water Tower

 
H | Highwaymen

 
P | Pigsty

 
D | Donkey Stable

Note: The small illustrations of a cowshed, a pigsty and a donkey stable are collectively referred to as sheds or stables.

Footnotes

For Icons explanation and licensing please visit Icons page.