# Carcassonne: The Watchtowers ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2016 - **BGG Rating**: 6.8 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 30-45 min - **Weight**: 2.20 / 5 - **Designers**: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede - **Artists**: Anne Pätzke - **Publishers**: Hans im Glück - **Categories**: Expansion for Base-game, Medieval, Territory Building - **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement ## Verdict If you love Carcassonne and want a little twist without adding much complexity, this mini-expansion with watchtowers is a great pick!Adds interesting bonus pointsKeeps base game simplicityEasy to integrate into gamesVariety with different towersBonus points can be unpredictableDoesn't radically change the gameFarmers don't get bonusesRECOMMENDED ## Description Hey, Carcassonne crew! Ready to spice up your favorite game? The 'The Watchtowers' expansion introduces 12 new tiles that blend seamlessly with the base game, adding a strategic twist and a dash of luck with its watchtower feature. When you place one of these special tiles, you can position your meeple on a city, road, or even as a farmer, but be warned: the tower itself is just for show, no meeples allowed there! The cool part is when a completed road or city includes one of these towers. First, you check out the bonus points the tower grants – each one has a different secret bonus. Then, you add the normal points for completing the structure. Oh, and the farmers, unfortunately, don't get any of these extra tower points. It's a small expansion, but it adds extra flavor to your games, encouraging area control and a bit more planning on where you place your tiles and meeples. If you enjoy Carcassonne and want something new without adding too much complexity, this is a neat addition to shake up your game nights. ## How to Play Game Objective In Carcassonne: Watchtowers, players build and expand the landscape around Carcassonne, adding new Watchtowers. The objective is to score points by completing roads and cities that contain a Watchtower, and also for the Watchtower itself, which becomes more valuable the more elements it "watches." Preparation (Setup) Shuffle the six new land tiles showing Watchtowers together with the base game's land tiles. The base game rules remain the same. Gameplay Flow The game progresses following the rules of the base Carcassonne game. When you draw a land tile showing a Watchtower, you place it according to the known rules. Actions and How to Play The flow of a turn is as follows: Place a land tile: You draw a land tile and place it on the board. If the drawn tile is a Watchtower, it is placed like any other tile. Place a meeple: After placing a land tile showing a Watchtower, you may place one of your meeples on it according to the known rules. You can place it in a city, on a road, or in a field as a farmer. You may not place the meeple on the Watchtower itself. Score: When a road or city is completed and your meeple is on the land tile with the Watchtower, you score the Watchtower first. The completed road or city is scored afterward. This does not apply to farmers. Farmers do not trigger scoring for Watchtowers. To score Watchtowers, the 8 directly adjacent land tiles and the land tile with the Watchtower itself are considered. Each Watchtower has specific scoring criteria: 2 points for each meeple. 1 point for each land tile showing at least 1 road. 1 point for each land tile showing at least 1 part of a city. 2 points for each coat of arms. 3 points for each monastery. End of Game and Scoring Refer to the manual for details on this section. Tips for Winning Try to complete roads or cities that contain a Watchtower to trigger its scoring. Observe the scoring criteria of each Watchtower to maximize your points by positioning it near meeples, roads, cities, coats of arms, or monasteries. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base Carcassonne game to play this expansion? Yes, absolutely! 'The Watchtowers' is an expansion and requires the base Carcassonne game to be played. ### How many new tiles come in this expansion? There are 12 new terrain tiles that you shuffle in with the base game tiles. ### Does the game's complexity increase significantly? No, it's a mini-expansion. It adds a new element (the towers) without introducing many new rules, keeping the game accessible. ### How do the tower points work? When a city or road with a tower tile is completed, you first gain the bonus points from the tower (each has a different bonus) and then the normal points for the structure. ### Can I place my meeple on the tower? No, you cannot place a meeple directly on the tower. You can place it on the city, road, or as a farmer on the tower tile. ### Is this expansion good for Carcassonne beginners? Yes, it's a great option for those who know the basics and want to add a bit more variety without feeling overwhelmed by new rules. ### Do farmers get extra points from the towers? No, farmers do not receive any bonus points from the towers. 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