# Carcassonne: Abbey & Mayor

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2007
- **BGG Rating**: 7.2
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 30 min
- **Weight**: 2.02 / 5
- **Designers**: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
- **Artists**: Anne Pätzke, Chris Quilliams, Doris Matthäus
- **Publishers**: Hans im Glück, 999 Games, Bard Centrum Gier, cutia.ro, Devir, Enigma (Bergsala Enigma), Fantasmagoria, Filosofia Éditions, Giochi Uniti, Hobby World, Lautapelit.fi, MINDOK, Rio Grande Games, Schmidt Spiele, Stupor Mundi, Swan Panasia Co., Ltd., Venice Connection, Z-Man Games
- **Categories**: City Building, Expansion for Base-game, Medieval, Territory Building
- **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement

## Verdict
Perfect for veterans who want more tactical depth and less time counting points at the end.Score fields during the gameWagons that move aroundNew ways to score citiesIncreases player interactivityIncreases rule complexityRequires base game to playRECOMMENDED

## Description
If you've already mastered the art of placing meeples on roads and cities, the 'Abbey & Mayor' expansion is here to add some extra spice to your Carcassonne experience. This fifth major expansion isn't just a pile of new pieces; it tweaks the strategy of how you score and how you manage your resources throughout the game. The highlight here is the new types of wooden pieces that bring very specific and interesting functions to the table.

First, we have the Abbeys. They function similarly to Cloisters, but with a killer detail: you don't need adjacent tiles to match perfectly to place them, and they help complete adjacent features the moment they are played. Then, there's the Mayor, who is exclusive to cities. His strength is determined by the number of pennants in the city, adding a layer of urban influence struggle that makes the competition much fiercer.

The real game-changer comes with the Barns and Wagons. Barns are a godsend for field lovers, as they allow you to score your farms during the game, rather than waiting for that exhaustive final calculation at the end. Meanwhile, Wagons are nomadic: they can start on roads, cities, or cloisters, and once their current feature is completed, they can move to an adjacent open feature. This means your meeple doesn't get 'stuck' and can keep scoring in other areas.

With 12 new landscape tiles and 6 abbey tiles, the expansion expands both the map and the tactical possibilities. It's the ideal choice for those who feel the base game has become predictable and want more dynamism and varied ways to achieve victory. Get ready to manage your meeples better and plan migratory moves with your wagons!

## How to Play
Game Objective
Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Preparation (Setup)
To start playing Carcassonne with the "Abbey & Mayor" expansion, follow these steps:

    Distribute 1 abbey tile to each player. If there are fewer than 6 players, the remaining abbey tiles will not be used in the game and should be left in the box.
    Shuffle the 12 new land tiles (indicated with a specific symbol for easy identification) with the other tiles from the base game.
    As usual, distribute the tiles into several face-down stacks.
    Give each player three new figures of their corresponding color: 1 mayor, 1 wagon, and 1 farmhouse. Each player should keep these figures with their other followers.


Gameplay Flow
Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play
The new land tiles are placed in the usual way. Additionally, the expansion introduces new figures and the possibility of placing an abbey:

The Abbey
Instead of drawing a tile at the beginning of your turn, you can choose to place your abbey. This action replaces drawing a tile.

    Placement Condition: The abbey can only be placed in an empty space where 1 tile would fit, between the sides of four distinct tiles. That is, you can place the abbey if it "fills a hole." It doesn't matter what terrain segments exist on the sides of the adjacent tiles (whether it's a field, a road, or a city), the abbey always fits perfectly. If there is no "hole," you cannot place your abbey.
    Placing a Follower: The abbey is considered a monastery. Therefore, you can place one of your followers on it as a monk.
    Scoring Points: When placing your abbey (and perhaps a follower on it), the 4 sides bordered by adjacent tiles will be considered closed. In this way, the player scores for any road, city, or monastery that is completed by placing the abbey. The monk that can be placed in the abbey scores in the same way as a monk in a regular monastery.


Mayor
Instead of placing a normal follower, the player can place their mayor.

    Placement Condition: The mayor can only be placed in a city that does not have any knight or another mayor. That said, follow the same placement rules as other followers.
    Scoring Points: The mayor is worth the same number of shields as there are in the city (each shield is worth 1 point).
    Value Comparison in Cities with Multiple Followers:
        
            A normal follower has a value of 1.
            A large follower (from the Inns & Cathedrals expansion) has a value of 2.
            The mayor is worth as many points as the number of shields in the city. If there are no shields in the city, the mayor's value is then 0.
        
    
    City Scoring: When tallying points, you must count the value of all present figures. If you are the player with the highest value, you receive the city's points, as usual, and in case of a tie, all players receive all points. The points a city gives do not change because there is a mayor. After scoring the city, retrieve the mayor. If you score a city in which you have a mayor, but there are no shields in it, the mayor is worth 0 points and the player receives no points for that city.


Farmhouse
Instead of placing a normal follower, the player can place their farmhouse.

    Placement Condition: The farmhouse can only be placed at the intersection formed by 4 tiles. Only fields can be in such an intersection. The player can place their farmhouse in a field that already has farmers, but cannot place it in a field that already has a farmhouse. The farmhouse will remain in that spot for the rest of the game.
    Scoring Farmers When Placing a Farmhouse: If you place the farmhouse in a field that has farmers, they will score immediately as they would at the end of the game. In this way, the player (or players) who has the most farmers in this field will receive the usual 3 points for each completed city bordering that field. It is irrelevant whether the player who placed the farmhouse participates in this scoring or not. Afterwards, each player returns the farmers to their supply.
    Counting Farmers When Joining Fields: It is not possible to place a farmer in a field where there is already a farmhouse. However, if by placing a tile, one or more farmers become connected to a farmhouse, after the follower placement phase (2. Place a follower), a scoring will take place. The scoring will be done in the same way as a sum of farmers, with the difference that each completed city will only give 1 point. Afterwards, the farmers are returned to their owners.


Wagons
Instead of placing a normal follower, the player can place their wagon.

    Placement Condition: The wagon has the same characteristics as other followers, but it cannot be placed in a field. Thus, the wagon can only be placed on a road, city, monastery, or abbey.
    Scoring Points and Movement: When scoring an area (road, city, or monastery) that has your wagon, it will count as any other follower. After scoring, you can return the wagon to your supply or place it in an adjacent unoccupied area (which must be a road, city, or monastery), following the usual placement rules. In this case, "adjacent" means that the area is on the same tile as the wagon or on an adjacent tile (orthogonal or diagonal). If there is no available adjacent area, you must return the wagon to your supply. If there are multiple wagons in the same scoring, turn order must be followed, and each player will decide whether their wagon returns to the supply or moves to another area. Start with the current player and then proceed to the rest of the players.


End of Game and Scoring
Farmhouses at the End of the Game
At the end of the game, your farmhouse will give you 4 points for each completed city in that field. If there is more than one farmhouse in the same field, each player receives all points.

Tips for Winning
Refer to the manual for details on this section.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base game to play?
Yes, this is an expansion. You need the original Carcassonne to use these new components.

### Does it make the game much harder?
The complexity increases slightly due to the new wagon and mayor rules, but nothing a casual player can't learn quickly.

### How many people can play?
From 2 to 6 players, depending on how many meeples you have available.

### What exactly do the wagons do?
They allow your meeple to move to an adjacent area after the current feature is completed, preventing the piece from getting stuck.

### Is it worth it for beginners?
I recommend starting with the base game first. Once you're comfortable, this expansion is a fantastic upgrade.

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