Carcassonne Consolidated Clarifications

This page is under construction. It only includes information about Expansions 1 to 3 with other major and minor expansions for the time being. More to come soon. Select those expansions you are interested in and check the clarifications available about their interactions. You can select full expansions or some individual elements.

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Consolidated clarifications

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Glossary

• ThiefHighwayman: Any meeple placed on a road.
• Knight: Any meeple placed in a city.
• Monk: Any meeple placed on a cloistermonastery, abbey, German monastery, Belgian & Dutch monastery, Japaneses building, Darmstadt church.
• Heretic: Any meeple placed on a shrine.
• Farmer: Any meeple placed in a farmfield.

Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals

Inn

General comments:

• An inn affects only the road segment(s) that it is immediately adjacent to, not all segments on the tile.

Big follower Large meeple

General comments:

• A player with a large meeple DOES NOT score twice as many points. The large meeple is dealt with in exactly the same way as two normal meeples; for two meeples in a city, on a road, or in a field, you only earn points once. The only function of the large meeple is to obtain the majority more quickly. For example, in a monastery the large meeple earns precisely the same number of points as a normal meeple.

Exp. 4 - The Tower:

• The ransom for a captured large meeple is the same as for any other meeple.

    Question: [If captured by a tower,] is the ransom for the large meeple doubled?

  Answer: No: it may be big, but it's still only one person.

Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders

Trade good tokens

Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor:

• A player who places an abbey tile that completes a city with trade goods receives the goods tokens for that city.

    Question: If cities with trade goods are completed by placement of an abbey tile, are the goods tokens awarded as usual to the player placing the abbey tile?

  Answer: Yes, as the player completed the city.

  [CAR.060]

Builder

General comments:

• When placing a builder, the rules do not include any limitations regarding the presence (or not) of meeples or builders from other players. The only requirement is that there must be at least one of your meeples on the feature. This means you may place your builder on a feature no matter it is also occupied by meeples and builders from other players.
• As long as the builder was present in the city/road when the tile was placed to extend it, the second part of the builder turn can occur even if the builder is no longer present by the end of the first part of the turn (such as removal by completing the city, or removal by the dragon, or removal by The Festival). (3/2015; updated 12/2018)
• Important note: The "double turn" is really a single turn with two parts. Both parts of the double-turn are identical, but actions that only occur once per turn (see box below) still only happen once. (modified 6/2013)

  Things that happen only ONCE

  • Bonus point from fairy (Exp. 3 - The Princess & the Dragon)
  • Prisoner Buyback (3 points) (Exp. 4 - The Tower)
  • Tunnel token placement (The Tunnel)
  • Flight from plague (The Plague)
  • Plague spread (The Plague)
  • No actions

  Things that may or must happen TWICE

  • Draw and place a landscape tile (required)
  • Resolution of special symbols on tile (required)
  • Meeple, figure or token placement
  • Scoring (if one or more features are completed)
  • Prisoner exchange (can be more than twice) (Exp. 4 - The Tower)
  • Removal of a knight from a besieged city (Besiegers - Cathars - Siege)

Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor:

• If a player completes a feature with an Abbey tile and his or her builder is on the feature, the feature does not get “extended” by the Abbey (as the Abbey is a separate feature), so the player does not get another tile.

Exp. 8 - Bridges, Castles & Bazaars:

• Placing a bridge on a tile to extend a road is sufficient to trigger the builder’s double turn.

Exp. 3 - The Princess & the Dragon

Volcano

General comments:

• When a tile with a volcano is placed, the player may deploy:
  • The fairy (or move it)
  • A tower piece (Exp. 4 - The Tower)
  • A meeple on a tower (Exp. 4 - The Tower)
  • A barn (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor) - A volcano does not prevent the normal placement of a barn, since that is not fully on the tile.
  • A bridge, as necessary (Exp. 8 - Bridges, Castles & Bazaars)
  • An acrobat on an adjacent acrobat space or pyramid (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • A meeple to the Wheel of Fortune (The Wheel of Fortune)
  • Little Buildings, since they are not figures (Little Buildings)
  • No figures
• When a tile with a volcano is placed, the player may not deploy the following figures to the tile:
  • Normal meeple (Base game)
  • Abbot (Base game - The Abbot)
  • Large meeple (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals)
  • Pig (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Builder (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Mayor (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Wagon (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Shepherd (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
  • Ringmaster (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • Phantom (The Phantom)
• When a tile with a volcano is placed, the player may carry out some actions:
  • Grow the flock (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
  • Guide the flock to the stable (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
  • Score an acrobat pyramid (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • Remove their abbot and score points for it (The Abbot)
  • Move ferries on roads extended by the volcano tile (Mini #3 - The Ferries)
  • Protect one meeple already placed from peasant revolts (The Peasant Revolts)
  • Retrieve one meeple trapped by Vodyanoy (Russian Promos)
  • Retrieve one meeple trapped by Solovei Razboynik (Russian Promos)
  • Move highwaymen to the Solovei Razboynik tile (Russian Promos)

Dragon

General comments:

• The dragon eats all meeples on a tile:
  • Normal meeple (Base game)
  • Abbot (Base game - The Abbot)
  • Large meeple (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals)
  • Meeple on a tower (Exp. 4 - The Tower)
  • Mayor (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Wagon (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Ringmaster (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • Phantom (The Phantom) -as per the additional clarifications (3/2015)
• The dragon eats the following special figures on a tile:
  • Pig (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Builder (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Shepherd, and the sheep next to it (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
• The dragon eats the following neutral figures on a tile:
  • Mage (Mini #5 - Mage & Witch)
  • Witch (Mini #5 - Mage & Witch)
  • Gingerbread Man (Winter Edition - Gingerbread Man)
• The dragon cannot eat the following figures since they are not placed on a particular tile:
  • Barn (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor): special figure placed on tile junctions
  • A meeple in a castle (Exp. 8 - Bridges, Castles & Bazaars): meeple placed across the two tiles
  • Teacher (The School): neutral figure placed across the two tiles -as per the additional clarifications (4/2015)
• None of the the figures in the dragon's menu may occupy the same tile as the dragon at any point. As a consequence, meeples cannot be deployed to the tile with the dragon by any means:
  • Direct placement is not allowed
  • Magic portals cannot be used
  • Flying machine are not allowed cannot be used
  • Deploying meeples from the City of Carcassonne is not allowed
  • Crop circles cannot be used either, since this would require another meeple already deployed to the tile, condition that cannot be met.

Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders:

• If the dragon eats a player's last knight in a city where the player's builder is present, the builder is automatically returned to the player's supply. (The reason: builders are not meeples.)
• If the dragon eats a player's last highwayman on a road where the player's builder is present, the builder is automatically returned to the player's supply. (The reason: builders are not meeples.)
• If the dragon eats a player's last farmer in a field where the player's pig is present, the pig is automatically returned to the player's supply. (The reason: pigs are not meeples.)

Exp. 4 - The Tower:

• Placing a tower piece happens before moving the dragon.

    Question: If you place a dragon tile and add a piece to a tower, what happens first: meeple capture by the tower, or dragon movement?

  Answer: Prisoners are taken first; placing a tower piece is an alternative to deploying a meeple, so occurs before dragon movement.

Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor:

• The barn cannot be eaten by the dragon, since the barn stands at the intersection of 4 tiles, while the dragon only affects figures discretely on a single tile.

Exp. 6 - Count, King & Robber:

• The dragon may not enter the city of Carcassonne.
• Note that the dragon can still move onto tiles that include the City of Carcassonne, treating the landscape areas as normal tiles, but it must stay outside the City itself. Thus only figures outside the City are eaten, and those inside (including the Count) are safe. (12/2013)

Exp. 8 - Bridges, Castles & Bazaars:

• The dragon cannot eat meeples in the castle.

Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep:

• If a tile with a dragon symbol is placed and extends the field with the active player's shepherd, the dragon moves after the player can perform the shepherd action (grow or guide the flock to stable.)

Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top:

• As the rules do not specify the dragon can eat the big top, it is included in the dragon's diet plan along with the other tokens and figures representing buidings or construction elements: barn, bridge, tower pieces, etc.

The Wheel of Fortune:

• The dragon may not enter the Wheel of Fortune.
• The dragon can fly around the outside of the Wheel of Fortune, treating the landscape areas as normal tiles and eating any meeples on those tiles. Meeples on the Wheel of Fortune itself are unaffected. This represents a notable change from previous FAQs. (10/2012)

Mini #5 - Mage & Witch:

• The Mage was included in the list of neutral figures that can be eaten by the dragon. (3/2015)
• The Witch was included in the list of neutral figures that can be eaten by the dragon. (3/2015)

Winter Edition - Gingerbread Man:

• The Gingerbread Man (when playing the iOS version) can also be eaten by the dragon. (12/2014)

Castles in Germany:

• German castles do not protect meeples within, or on any feature on the tile. (10/2015)

The Markets of Leipzig:

• The dragon may not enter the city of Leipzig, due to its similarity to the city of Carcassonne (see Count, King & Robber) but this is not officially confirmed.

The School:

• The dragon is allowed on the school tiles but cannot eat the neutral teacher figure, as it is placed on the school, a feature spanning across two tiles. (4/2015)

Princess

General comments:

• If a player uses the princess to remove a knight from a city, the player also may not place:
  • Normal meeple, the standard option (Base game)
  • Abbot (Base game - The Abbot)
  • Large meeple (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals)
  • Pig (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Builder (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Mayor (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Barn (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Wagon (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Shepherd (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
  • Ringmaster (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • Phantom (The Phantom) - See note below
  • The fairy (or move it)

Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders:

• If the princess removes a player's last knight in a city where the player's builder is present, the builder is automatically returned to the player's supply.
• Builders cannot be directly removed by a princess, as builders are not meeples.

Exp. 4 - The Tower:

• The princess cannot seduce a meeple on a tower located in a city.

    Question: If the dragon can eat a meeple on a tower, can the meeple also be seduced by a princess?

  Answer: No. The tower is not a part of the city: they are two separate areas.

The Phantom:

• The placement of a princess tile with removal of a knight from the city cannot be used as a first "meeple move" and be followed by placement of the Phantom (e.g. into the now-vacated city). As per the rules for the princess, "if a knight is removed from the city, the player may not deploy or move any other figure." [This combo would be too powerful in allowing city stealing. –ed.]

Magic portal

General comments:

• A magic portal may be used to place any meeple:
  • Normal meeple (Base game)
  • Abbot (Base game - The Abbot)
  • Large meeple (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals)
  • Mayor (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Wagon (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Ringmaster (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
  • Phantom (The Phantom)
    • However, because the magic portal counts as a feature, a wooden meeple and the Phantom cannot BOTH use the magic portal on a turn – the first meeple placed on the magic portal claims the magic portal, and no meeple (including the Phantom) can be placed on a claimed feature. (1/2013)
• A magic portal may not be used to place these figures, as they are not meeples (updated 3/2015)
  • Builder (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Pig (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Barn (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Shepherd (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
• If placement of the portal tile causes completion of a feature, such as a monastery, you cannot deploy a meeple to that feature using the magic portal, as it is considered completed before the 2. Placing a meeple (or Move Wood) phase. (7/2014, updated 1/2019)
• A meeple using the magic portal can only be placed on an unoccupied incomplete feature on any tile of the playing area. Therefore, the destination feature has to be claimable. As a consequence, the meeple cannot land on another magic portal.
• Magic portals can send a meeple to an unoccupied field even it is is closed.

    Question: If you place a magic portal tile, could you use it to send a meeple as a farmer to a closed field?

  Answer: Since fields are never completed, you can use other mechanics to place a meeple in a field (magic portals, crop circles...). (1/2021)

Exp. 6 - Count, King & Robber:

• Meeples can use the magic portal to be deployed on features outside the City of Carcassonne. (1/2013)
• Meeples cannot use the magic portal to be deployed to the City of Carcassonne, as they are not occupied using regular placement rules. (confirmed 5/2013)

Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top:

• You can use a magic portal to place one of your normal meeples on an acrobat space/pyramid.

The Wheel of Fortune:

• Meeples can use the magic portal to be deployed on features outside the Wheel of Fortune. (1/2013)
• Meeples cannot use the magic portal to be deployed to the Wheel of Fortune, as they are not occupied using regular placement rules. (confirmed 5/2013)

Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines):

• A meeple using a magic portal cannot land on a flying machine.
• A flier cannot land on a magic portal. (2/2013)

The Markets of Leipzig:

• Meeples can use the magic portal to be deployed on features outside the City of Leipzig. (1/2019)
• Meeples cannot use the magic portal to be deployed to the City of Leipzig, as they are not occupied using regular placement rules. (1/2019)

The School:

• Meeples can use the magic portal to be deployed on features outside on the school tiles (outside the school itself). (1/2013)
• Meeples cannot use the magic portal to be deployed to the school itself, as they are not occupied using regular placement rules. (confirmed 5/2013)

Fairy

General comments:

• If a player moves the fairy, the player also may not place the any of following figures (12/2013, updated 1/2019):
  • Normal meeple (Base game)
  • Abbot (Base game - The Abbot)
  • Large meeple (Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals)
  • Builder (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Pig (Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders)
  • Mayor (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Barn (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Wagon (Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor)
  • Shepherd (Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep)
  • Ringmaster (Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top)
• If a player moves the fairy, the player also may place the following figure:
  • Phantom (The Phantom) - according to additional clarifications. (12/2014)
• A player with no meeples on the board cannot move the fairy, even if he or she did not deploy a figure that turn, as there is not a legal tile to which the fairy can be moved.
• The fairy will grant 3 points when assigned to a meeple placed on a feature being scored during the game (any feature scored in phase 3. Scoring a feature) or after the game (any feature scored during the final scoring).
• The scoring of the 3 bonus points is independent of the normal points scored for a feature. The player receiving the 3 points for the fairy will score the bonus as a separate scoring from any points received for the feature being scored, if any.

Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders:

• If a player scored the fairy's 1 point bonus at the beginning of their turn, they may not score it again at the beginning of a double turn via the builder.
• Because builders are not meeples, it is not possible to move the fairy next to them, as the fairy can only stand next to a meeple.
• Because pigs are not meeples, it is not possible to move the fairy next to them, as the fairy can only stand next to a meeple.

Exp. 4 - The Tower:

• The fairy can be assigned to a meeple placed on top of a tower. The fairy would stand by the tower.
• The fairy does not protect a meeple from capture by a tower.

Exp. 6 - Count, King & Robber:

• If the fairy is next to a meeple on the losing feature when resolving a challenge, it does not provide the bonus 3 points to that meeple, as the feature is incomplete.

    Question: If the fairy is on the same tile as the losing heretic or monk in a challenge, does the player still score the bonus 3 points?

  Answer: When a challenge is resolved (that is, when someone has won), both meeples are returned to their players, so no one stands next to the fairy. [At the point that a challenge is resolved and one participant "scores" zero, the building that participant is in will be incomplete. Therefore, strictly speaking, that participant does not actually take part in "scoring" —say, in the way that a player without the majority in a city does—and so does not score the bonus points— ed.]

Exp. 8 - Bridges, Castles & Bazaars:

• You can place the fairy with a meeple in the castle and score the usual fairy points.

Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top:

• You may assign the fairy to an acrobat, in which case it counts for all acrobats in the pyramid (regardless of color). If the fairy is still there at the beginning of your turn, you score 1 point for each of your meeples in the pyramid - This case relaxes the restriction that only one meeple can receive points from the fairy.
  • Note that you score the bonus points for your acrobats at once. There is no individual bonus scoring per meeple.
• The 3-point fairy scoring bonus is not applicable to acrobats in a pyramid.
  This restriction is not included explicitly in the rules (only the 1-point fairy bonus is mentioned) but it comes from the interpretation of the rules:
  • During the game, acrobats are scored in phase 2. Placing a meeple and players receive the 3-point fairy bonus when scoring completed features in phase 3. Scoring a feature. Since both actions take place in different phases, acrobats cannot receive this fairy bonus during the game.
    
  • After the game, acrobats should not get the 3-point scoring bonus when scored for the sake of consistency. An acrobat pyramid is not a tile-based feature but a meeple-based scoring, so no feature is scored either at the end of the game in this case and no fairy bonus should be applied. (4/2020; updated 7/2020)

The Abbot:

• The 3-point fairy scoring bonus is not applicable to an abbot when removed.

Mini #1 - The Flier (Flying Machines):

• Only one meeple can be "next to" (or connected to) the fairy. Thus, only one meeple will receive points from the fairy. Even if another meeple is placed in the same feature on the same tile (as with the Flying Machines), this would not be considered "next to" the fairy. Landing a meeple on an acrobat pyramid would be the exception to this rule.

Mini #7 - Crop Circles:

• Only one meeple can be "next to" (or connected to) the fairy. Thus, only one meeple will receive points from the fairy. Even if another meeple is placed in the same feature on the same tile (as with the Crop Circles), this would not be considered "next to" the fairy.

The Festival:

• If a Festival is used to remove a figure, the fairy cannot be moved, as an action was still taken in phase 2. Placing a meeple. (5/2014)

New tiles

The Tunnel:

• If using the tunnel tokens from The Tunnel, then the road shown on the tile with a tunnel is indeed broken, and the segments may never actually meet.

Footnotes

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