The Phantom (1st edition)
General info and comments
Originally released by Hans im Glück in 2011. [1]
The Phantom is the only expansion to date that is completely edition independent, in that it can be used with both First Edition and Second (and Third) Edition Carcassonne.
This expansion has been developed for the Carcassonne basic game. All the basic game rules still apply in addition to the expansion rules below.
New extra follower for each player, which can be placed in same turn as your regular follower.
Contents
- 6 new translucent followers in six colors [2]
Rules
Preparation
Every player receives the phantom of his or her color - the purple phantom belongs to the grey player (First Edition), or the pink player (Second and Third Editions).
Placing a tile
There are no tiles supplied with this expansion.
Placing a meeple
After placing a tile, the player may deploy the phantom to it as a second follower (on a second feature). [3] Thus, in one turn the player may deploy two followers to two different features of the tile he or she just placed. When the phantom follower is returned to the player's supply, it may be deployed again in the same way in a later turn.
As with a normal follower, the phantom can also be deployed as the only follower on a turn, and the phantom follower always counts as a normal follower.
Scoring a feature
The phantom follower is scored as if it were a normal meeple.
Final scoring
The phantom follower is scored as if it were a normal meeple.
Other expansions
This section contains additional information about the interactions with other Carcassonne expansions.
A) The phantom can be placed as second figure to a wooden follower, a special figure, a neutral figure or a token placed during the "Move Wood" phase.
- Followers
- Normal follower, the standard option (
Base Game C1 / Base Game C2 & C3) - Big follower (
Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals C1 / Exp. 1 - Inns & Cathedrals C2 & C3) - Mayor (
Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C1 / Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C2) - Wagon ( Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C1 / Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C2)
- Ringmaster (
Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top C2) - Guard meeple (
Exp. 11 - Ghosts, Castles & Cemeteries C3) - Abbot (
The Abbot)
- Normal follower, the standard option (
Question: Does the phantom have to be second to a wooden follower, or can it be placed in addition to a non-follower piece?
Answer: The phantom may also be placed as a second piece in addition to the builder, pig, or any other "Move Wood" piece such as movement of the fairy or placement of a tower piece.
- Special figures
- Pig (
Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C1 / 
Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C2 & C3) - Builder ( Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C1 / Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C2 & C3)
- Barn ( Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C1 / Exp. 5 - Abbey & Mayor C2)
- Shepherd (
Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep C1 / Exp. 9 - Hills & Sheep C2)
- Pig (
- Neutral figures
- Tokens
- Little building (
Little Buildings) - Tollhouse (
The Tollkeepers)
- Little building (
B) The phantom can be also placed as second figure after removing a figure during the "Move Wood" phase.
- An abbot follower ( The Abbot)
- A follower or a special figure (
The Festival C1 / 
The Festival C2 & C3) - A follower trapped by Vodyanoy or Solovei Razboynik (
Russian Promos)
Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C1 / Exp. 2 - Traders & Builders C2 & C3
The phantom cannot be placed, then followed by a builder or pig on the same feature on the same turn. The builder [or pig] must be placed as the second figure in a feature [i.e. placed after a follower], but the phantom is always the last piece placed on a turn. If the phantom is the first piece placed on a turn, another figure cannot then be placed. Thus, if a phantom is placed [as the primary follower] on a feature, the builder could at the earliest be placed on the next turn.
The phantom can be placed as second figure to special figures such as the pig and the builder.
Exp. 3 - The Princess & the Dragon C1 / Exp. 3 - The Princess & the Dragon C2
The phantom can be placed as second figure to neutral figure such as the fairy. (12/2014)
The placement of a princess tile with removal of a knight from the city cannot be used as a first "follower 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.]
A phantom can use a magic portal. However, both a wooden follower AND the phantom cannot go through the magic portal – you must choose one or the other. This is because the magic portal is treated as a feature and the phantom is effectively a normal follower. If the first follower is placed on the magic portal, it is claiming that portal (then is moved to a feature on another tile). The phantom cannot be placed on that portal because it is a claimed feature. (1/2013)
A follower and a phantom can be deployed to different tiles if one of them uses a magic portal.
Question: When a tile with a magic portal is played, can the first follower go to the tile itself and the phantom go through the magic portal (or vice versa)? In other words, can figures be deployed to 2 separate features (one to a portal and one to a primary feature) and end up on different tiles?
Answer: Yes. You have a second separate placement phase, independent from the first placement phase, immediately after the first placement phase. You can do whatever you can do with a follower. You can choose a different target/action, of course.
Exp. 4 - The Tower C1 / Exp. 4 - The Tower C2
The phantom can be placed as second figure to neutral figure such as a tower piece.
A phantom can also be played to areas such as a tower – the phantom is not restricted to placement on the tile that was just placed. (11/2013)
You can place a follower at an open tower to close it, and then place the phantom into an area which is safe now because the tower is closed.
Exp. 10 - Under the Big Top C2
Even though the phantom is considered as a normal meeple, it's still a phantom. The rules state precisely that no other meeple can be placed in an acrobat pyramid, no exceptions. (6/2021)
A phantom can be played to areas such as The Wheel of Fortune – the Phantom is not restricted to placement on the tile that was just placed. (11/2013)
Mini #1 - The Flying Machines C1 / Mini #1 - The Flying Machines C2 & C3
A phantom can be a flier. However, if you first use a normal follower as a flier then the second figure (the phantom) cannot use the flying machine. The flying machine is a feature, so claiming the flying machine feature with the first figure prevents the phantom from also claiming it. Thus, in this situation the phantom can only be placed on a road or on the field.
The Festival C1 / The Festival C2 & C3
If The Festival is used to remove a follower, the phantom can still be placed on that turn. (11/2013)
Footnotes
For Icons explanation and licensing please visit Icons page.
- ↑ The original translation of the German for this expansion was The Entourage.
- ↑ The 6 phantom meeples are shipped together in a large, translucent, meeple-shaped, plastic box, of which there are also six colours available.
- ↑
Just like a normal follower, the Phantom can only be deployed to an unoccupied feature.