Poll

How do you primarily use The Wagon?

As a moving Follower that never returns to my supply.
5 (33.3%)
As a normal Follower.
4 (26.7%)
I usually forget to place or don't get an opportunity to strategically use my Wagon.
4 (26.7%)
I use it in some other creatively strategic manner (describe below).
2 (13.3%)
I don't ever play with or don't own Abbey & Mayor.
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 15

Voting closed: November 28, 2014, 01:27:41 PM

Author Topic: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11  (Read 6782 times)

Offline Whaleyland

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The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« on: November 21, 2014, 01:27:41 PM »
ELEMENT OF THE WEEK: THE WAGON

Each week, a specific element from an expansion is chosen for deeper discussion. This is an opportunity for you, Carcassonne's biggest English-language fans, to discuss strategies and problems you have encountered through the years regarding specific expansion elements. All forms of critique – from the most joyous to the most scathing – are encouraged.

This week's element is THE WAGON (from Abbey & Mayor [Expansion #5]). This simple Follower element allows a player to place the Wagon on any incomplete and unclaimed City, Road, or Cloister. When the feature is completed, they may move the Wagon to an adjacent and connected feature (connected via a Road) that is also unclaimed and incomplete. This is a free "move wood" action and can occur during another player's turn. Thus players can keep a Wagon on the board indefinitely, possibly for the entire game if played well.

This little expansion does a lot for a little. Yes it has a lot of footnotes in the CAR but it also has a lot of uses. The free action part of its rules means that a player can keep scoring points throughout the game, even while other Followers are trapped on Farms, Cloisters, Monasteries, Towers, etc. It ensures a steady stream of points, even if those points are often minor. It also provides a rare opportunity to claim unclaimed cloisters. Discuss your relationship with The Wagon, as well as your strategies for taking advantage of this element.

Next Week's Topic: The Count   :@ O:-)

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=1282.0

Offline MrNumbers

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2014, 02:01:00 PM »
I have already told about my relationship with Wagon in Carcassonne Central News #3.
Great feature, much opportunities, so, obviously, my choice is "I use it in some other creatively strategic manner" ;)
"I never lose. Either I win or I learn." (Nelson Mandela)

Offline kettlefish

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2014, 02:02:40 PM »
When I don't play Carcassonne with the wagon then I use the wagon (together with the pig) for transport:

Offline Carcking

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2014, 08:54:11 PM »
I generally use it to score a feature immediately when I play a tile, then drive it onto a connected feature. It provides a bonus play like the Phantom.

It's especially helpful when you are playing with Inns and Cathedrals. You have your Wagon on a Road with an Inn. You draw another Inn tile that has a crossing. You can play the new tile so that it completes the Road your Wagon is on, score the points, then drive onto the new Road with an Inn. You get to "bank" your points but still keep going with an Inn Road.
I just drew the perfect tile for my MonKnighThieFarmer!

Offline Paul

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2014, 07:02:47 AM »
This is one of those element that probably has good use when there are not many elements to keep track of. In a megaCarc game, for example, this feature is easily overlooked in our games, though there's been a few times we actually make use for it as an extra regular meeple.
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Offline danisthirty

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2014, 06:06:15 AM »
I really enjoyed MrNumbers’ guide to cool things that can be achieved using the wagon. In games that I’ve played though, these sort of opportunities rarely arise and I will usually either ignore it until I’ve run out of normal meeples or forget about it completely. Every now and again it’s handy to be able to claim a short road with the wagon and move it on to some connected feature in the same turn (rather than leaving something open for someone else to claim), but in the average game I rarely spot the opportunity to use it any more deviously than this.

An alternative “creative” purpose for the wagon is to get two of them and pretend that they’re roller-skates for my “Giant” meeples...

Offline Christopher

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Re: The Wagon – Element of the Week #11
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2016, 04:37:18 AM »
I try to keep the wagon on the table as much as possible, usually be moving from road to road. I occasionally use it to grab an unclaimed cloister, but the only problem I have with this is that it often then ends up stuck there for a while, depending on how quickly you can close the cloister. I also like doing clever things with it, but the opportunity arises so little that I prefer to just keep him moving around on the board, jumping from road to road.
Look to the north. Keep looking. There's nothing coming from the south.


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