Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Fun, but nothing extremely new July 22, 2008
This is an expansion that requires the core game of Carcassonne Game (which I highly recommend if you don't have it).
This expansion does two core things. First of all, it provides inn and cathedral tiles that multiply the value of the road or city they're associated with so that completed cities with cathedrals are worth 3 per tile or pennant instead of 2. Completed roads that are connected to an inn on the lake are worth 2 per tile instead of 1. However, if these features aren't completed by the end of the game, the entire city or road is worth nothing.
This makes these tiles good either as a bonus for a feature you think you can complete or a hinderance for a feature you think your opponent cannot complete (particularly with the cathedrals since they make the cities much bigger and harder to complete). This definitely adds some strategic elements and sabotage potential to the game. It also adds more tension as players try to complete things before the game ends.
Perhaps the biggest gameplay change is the simple addition of the giant follower. The giant follower is identical to other followers, except it counts as two followers for the purposes of determining who owns a completed city, road, or field. This makes it much more possible to attempt to steal a city from your opponent and also allows you to deploy the giant follower to defend assets you think might be vulnerable.
If you don't want to buy for this expansion, get colored indicators and use them as giant followers and you'll get about 20% of the expansion's benefits, maybe more.
This expansion also adds gray pieces for a sixth player to be able to play.
All-in-all, it's a good expansion that I recommend getting, though I liked Builders and Traders better.
 Adds a little more backstabbing to a great game June 30, 2008
This is a terrific expansion to Carcassonne (note - you cannot play this on its own, you need to have the original game!).
It includes two "cathedral" pieces and several "inn" pieces. These increase the value of your cities and roads, respectively - but only if those cities and roads are finished by the end of the game! Oh, it's great fun to add a cathedral to somebody else's big city at the end of the game, let me tell you!
You also get a big meeple for each color, which counts as *two* meeples, making it easier for you to still somebody else's cities, roads, or farms.
Really, this expansion fits in so well with the original game that there's no reason not to get it.
Essential Upgrade. June 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you've played the basic game and enjoyed it, now is the time to add an expansion or two.
Several expansions are available and this one being the first of those I would add it as soon as possible after you are used to the basic game. Adds a few more tiles into the basic game, a couple of new rules, making it slightly more challenging. After this expasion I recommend Traders and Builders.
Great Expansion April 22, 2008
If you love Carcassonne then this is a great expansion pack. We have a large family (who loves board games) so we always wanted to play with more players. Now we can. Plus the one extra big Meepole counts as double for an added challenge. Happy gaming!
A Competitive Carcassonne Expansion February 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This expansion Contains 18 new tiles, a new larger follower for each player (who counts as 2 followers), and a whole new set of gray pieces allowing for 6 players. This expansion is simple to learn, if you know how to play Carcassonne already it only takes a couple minutes to grasp the added elements.
This expansion adds a new competitiveness to the game. The Larger piece allows for more stealing of farms cities and roads. The inns and Cathedrals allow you to double road points or triple city points, but also make incomplete roads and cities worthless. Early in the game the Inns and Cathedrals can greatly increase the value of your road or city, late in the game they can wipe out all the points you've been building up in that large city or long road you've been working on all game long. However if you merely interested in a "friendly" game this may not be the best expansion for you.
|
