Ghosts, Castles and Cemeteries
General info and comments
Originally released by HiG in 2022, this expansion belongs to the third edition of the game, known as C3 for short. It has cities with clipped buildings.
Ghosts, Castles and Cemeteries is a expansion for the base game. The components of this expansion are also part of the cooperative standalone game Mists over Carcassonne. You can also use only portions of this expansion, or even combine it with other expansions, but the publisher has not provided any rules for this combination.
Contents
- 60 new land tiles (marked with ), some of them with new features (castles and cemeteteries) and some field areas covered in mist.
- A new 2x2 starting tile.
- 30 guard meeples, 5 in each player color.
Guard meeples |
- 15 ghosts, a new neutral figure to haunt any meeples but guard meeples.
- A new scoring track to replace the one from the base game.
Rules
Preparation
Place the new, large starting tile in the middle of the table. Return the base game starting tile to the game box.
Shuffle all new 60 land tiles with the other tiles. Place them in a face-down supply on the table as usual.
You will only need 1 scoring track. Better to use the one from the expansion, leaving the one from the base game in the game box.
Give each player, including yourself, 2 guard meeples and 5 normal meeples in the color of their choice. [1]
Place a 6th meeple in each player color onto space 0/50 of the scoring track. Return the remaining base game meeples to the game box.
Place the remaining guard meeples in player colors in a supply next to the scoring track. Return any guard meeples in unused colors to the game box.
Place the 15 ghosts in a general supply next to the scoring track.
Leave the goal token and the level summary from Mists over Carcassonne in the game box. You can also leave the two hounds in the game box — they don't like competitive games.
Mist and ghosts
1. Place land tile
First, draw a tile and place it on the board. You must follow the usual rules but ignoring the mist, as it always hovers over a road or a field but it is not part of the terrain itself. The rules for all other types of terrain (cities, roads, and fields) remain unchanged.
2a. Place ghosts
The ghosts in the mist don't matter — ignore them. If you draw a tile with mist on it, you now have the option of bringing ghosts into play. It all depends on how you place the tile:
- Expand the mist: You place a tile with mist on it such that at least 1 side expands an existing mist bank. You must then add 1 ghost to another player's meeple on the game board. It doesn't matter if you finish the mist bank. You just have to expand it.
- Limit the mist: You place a tile with mist on it such that at least 1 misty side is placed next to an existing, mist-free tile. In this case, you must then add 1 ghost to one of your own meeples on the game board.
- It can happen that you simultaneously expand one mist bank while limiting another. In that case you must first add 1 ghost to another player's meeple on the game board, after which you must add 1 ghost to one of your own meeples on the game board.
If the general supply of ghosts has run out, you don't need to add any ghosts. Or the other way around: if there aren't any meeples you can add a ghost to, then you skip this step.
As soon as you add the third ghost to a meeple on the game board, you must return the meeple and the ghosts to their respective supplies. It doesn't matter whose meeple it is.
2b. Place a meeple
After potentially placing ghosts, you may place one of your meeples onto the tile just placed according to the usual rules.
3. Score points
Finally, score according to the usual rules. However, each ghost added to the meeple being scored costs you -2 points. This means that you may end up scoring negative points. Don't worry, you can't go lower than 0 points on the scoring track. Finally, return the scored meeple and any ghosts added to it to their respective supplies.
Final scoring
Each ghost added to your meeples is worth -1 point.
Guard meeples
2a. Placing ghosts
You may never add ghosts to guard meeples. They can't be terrified and driven off the game board.
2b. Placing a meeple
You may place a guard meeple as any other meeple (as a farmer, a monk, etc.).
Cemeteries
2a. Place ghosts
You cannot add ghosts to a meeple placed on the cemetery.
3. Score points
You score a cemetery as soon as it is fully surrounded by tiles (like a castle or cloister). Take an additional guard meeple from the general supply and add it to your own supply. You now have another meeple at your disposal. You also return the cemetery keeper to your supply. [2]
If there aren't any guard meeples in your color left in the general supply, then you already have a sizeable advantage and don't get any more.
Final scoring
There is no final scoring for meeples on cemeteries.
Castles
2a. Place ghosts
Ghosts may be added to a meeple placed on a castle according to the position of the tile just placed.
2b. Place a meeple
3. Score points
You score a castle as soon as it is completely surrounded by tiles (like a monastery or a cemetery). Score 2 points for each neighboring tile with mist on it (including the castle tile itself).
Final scoring
Each castle with a meeple on it is worth 1 point for each neighboring tile with mist on it (including the castle tile itself).
Fields and mist
As in the base game, you can place farmers in this expansion.
But watch out: mist acts as a border to fields the same way that cities do. And farmers are afraid of ghosts.
If you place a guard meeple as a farmer, then of course you are safe from ghosts.
Other expansions
You can combine Ghosts, Castles and Cemeteries with other expansions. However, do so 'at your own risk' — there will not be any official rules for doing so.
Tile reference
Total Tiles: 60 + 1 start tile
The numbers in brackets represent the amount of ghost symbols on the tile.
Footnotes
For Icons explanation and licensing please visit Icons page.