The Rainbow Bridge (Fan Expansion)

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The Rainbow Bridge is a special incorporeal bridge. It follows the placement rules of standard  bridges, but standard meeples cannot remain on it.

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The Rainbow Bridge is a special incorporeal bridge. It follows the placement rules of standard Bridges, but meeples cannot remain on it. A Phantom may, and meeples falling from it follow the rules of The Flier.

Rainbow Bridge

General info

The Rainbow Bridge is a fan-expansion for  Carcassonne Base Game created by Carcassonne Central forum member MMike (CarcC).

Contents

• 1 rainbow bridge

Rules

Preparation

• Place the Rainbow Bridge next to the playing area. It is available to be claimed during the game.
• Unless otherwise stated, follow the standard rules for Bridges when placing the Rainbow Bridge.

Gameplay

1a. The Rainbow Bridge moves (How to obtain)

Fill the pot of gold:

Immediately after drawing your tile and before placing it, you may claim the Rainbow Bridge by paying 5 points from your score. Move the scoring marker back accordingly. Alternatively, you may claim the Rainbow Bridge from a tile on the board by paying 5 points; simply remove it from that tile (see consequences below) and keep it until step 3 this turn.

Note: At the start of the game you must wait until you have at least 5 points on the scoreboard before you can buy the Rainbow Bridge.

Sorry for your loss:

• If, during your turn, a Dragon eats your Pig, Barn, Wagon, or other animal tokens on a tile, you automatically receive the Rainbow Bridge (if multiple players lost tokens on the same tile in that event, it goes to the player with the latest turn order among those players).
• If Wolves eat any of your Sheep on a field where you have a Shepherd, you automatically receive the Rainbow Bridge.

If you cannot or choose not to claim, leave the Rainbow Bridge where it is (on the table or on its current tile).

Breaking roads:

If the Rainbow Bridge was removed from another tile this turn (because you claimed it from the board by paying 5 points), immediately resolve these effects on the tile it left:

• Any once-connected road segments are now separate and remain incomplete.
• If a Phantom was standing on the bridge there, it falls to the tile below and must be placed on an incomplete feature on that tile (occupied or not). If no such feature exists, return it to supply.

1. Placing a tile

Just like in the base game, you must place tiles so that its edges match the edges of the tiles already in play. After placing a tile, you may place the Rainbow Bridge, which count as a road and connects roads over features or meeples on that tile, but has special rules about meeple placement and points. You can place the Rainbow Bridge on the tile you just placed, or on a tile touching the tile you just placed. Follow all placement constraints of the standard wooden bridges (you must place both ends in a field).

Variant rule for placement

Rainbows are incorporeal: you may place the ends of the Rainbow Bridge not only in fields (as with wooden bridges), but also on the edges of roads or cities. They don't need to be connected to other roads. Placing the Rainbow Bridge on a RRFF tile creates a fork in the road.

2. Placing a meeple

Rainbows are incorporeal:

• Wooden meeple: Standard meeples and special figures cannot remain on the Rainbow Bridge. If you attempt to place it “on” the Rainbow Bridge, it falls immediately. Follow the same placement restrictions as The Flier or special figures: they may only land on incomplete features, never on fields. If no incomplete features exist, return them to the player’s supply.
• Phantoms are special: Your Phantom may either (a) be placed on the Rainbow Bridge to claim the connected road as normal, or (b) fall like a wooden meeple, onto an incomplete feature of the tile (occupied or not; if none exist, return it to supply).

3. Scoring a feature

• The Rainbow Bridge may connect two road segments and allow them to be completed, just like a standard Bridge.
• If you have a Phantom on the Rainbow Bridge or any other connected road segments, the Rainbow Bridge itself is worth 1 point.
• If you don't, the road segment formed by the Rainbow Bridge itself is worth 0 points.
• While the Rainbow Bridge remains on a tile, any Phantom standing on it scores for that road according to normal road rules when completed. After scoring, return the Phantom to its owner as usual.
• If the Rainbow Bridge is moved away before the road is completed, the Phantom falls (see above) and the road becomes broken and cannot be finished.

Final Scoring

• Any roads broken by the Rainbow Bridge’s removal remain incomplete at the end of the game.
• If such a road has an Inn, it scores 0 points.
• The Rainbow Bridge itself has no value during final scoring, it's worth 0 points as road segment, unless you have a Phantom anywhere on the road.

Tactics

The Rainbow Bridge is intended as a tactical tool to

• Easily expand and connect roads when drawn tile do not have any road segments
• Sneak a meeple into an occupied feature on the tile beneath.
• Break roads occupied by opponents, or help with majorities on them.