Author Topic: Poll: What's your favourite major expansion? (Read 22965 times)

franks · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2015, 07:18:48 PM »

Another vote for T&B. I like that you have tangible resources to show for the hard fought city battles, then the race that ensues as you work for the majority. With that in mind I am also a big fan of the Gold Mines as well.

Safari · « **Reply #16 on:** January 08, 2015, 08:15:16 PM »

I like Abbey and Mayor most, because it adds so many new followers and of course abbeys.

danisthirty · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2015, 05:37:59 AM »

I'm surprised to see that Traders & Builders is ahead of Inns & Cathedrals (albeit only narrowly) as I'm sure when this question has come up in the past the latter has been voted more popular.

If they were available together (presumably as "Inns, Cathedrals, Traders & Builders") then this would be undoubtedly and unwaveringly be my favourite expansion of all time.

I wonder if HiG might think to pack large expansions like this together in order to get all of them out in the new art style as quickly as possible? If indeed they're going to do this at all, but that's quite another subject...

Hounk · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2015, 05:50:53 AM »

Quote from: danisthirty on January 12, 2015, 05:37:59 AM

I wonder if HiG might think to pack large expansions like this together in order to get all of them out in the new art style as quickly as possible? If indeed they're going to do this at all, but that's quite another subject...

I don't think, they will do that, rather that they will pack a new bonus feature like the "Abbot" to every expansion, they release in the new artwork. But if they want to combine main expansions, don't you think, they rather throw in "The Catapult" with I&C.

Tnsol · « **Reply #19 on:** January 14, 2015, 09:35:53 AM »

To me, Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders don't sound like "major expansions". They're great, they had tiles and new scoring mechanism but not much strategy like Princess & Dragon or the Tower.

Those two may be considered as destructive ones but they really bring a lot of thinking before laying tiles on the table (especially the Tower).

I&C and T&B should be packed with every base game set

Safari · « **Reply #20 on:** January 14, 2015, 03:45:57 PM »

Quote from: Tnsol on January 14, 2015, 09:35:53 AM

To me, Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders don't sound like "major expansions".

Yes, you're right. They are no "major expansions". They are "essential add-ons".

Hounk · « **Reply #21 on:** March 14, 2015, 05:21:50 AM »

I still have to play a lot, before I can determine, which is my favorite major, so I won't vote jet. However: this is something to be heard and read alot, and I think, it does not really do justice to A&M:

Quote from: jungleboy on October 28, 2014, 08:55:43 AM

I think Inns and Cathedrals and the Princess and the Dragon are the only two major expansions where all elements work together perfectly. At the opposite extreme, King, Count and Cult is just a bunch of unrelated mini-expansions put together. To me, Abbey and Mayor, Bridges, Castles and Bazaars and even Hills and Sheep seem a bit like that too.

I think, A&M is a real clean and thoughtfully put together expansion. Probably not according to theme, but then, when was this ever applied to Carcassonne? I mean: in medieval times, farmers and knights more or less "belonged" to the king, monks to the clerus, and thieves where "free enterprises", so how can you place a follower as one of those to begin with? And theme wise the builder would have fit much better with the cathedral then the trade goods, nevertheless these expansions work better in this combination.

On the other hand: this expansion has a clean goal regarding to game mechanism, everything can be used for: making meeple management "easier" and early farming more rewarding. You get two "special ability meeple", which can be not used for farming, but because of there presence, you can easier spare some of your regular ones for that purpose. And you get an abbey, which can be used to free trapped meeples and/or split big cities, again with potential bigger reward to the farms surrounding. And of course, the barn is the element, where all of this runs together, with it's ability to score farmers during game. So I think, the elements work beautifully together, altering the game in a very different direction, which is, likewise P&D fun to play from time to time. Of course, to further boost this aspect, pig and besiegers are perfect supplements, and I think the second would have made this a perfect expansion, if added to the release. (Although of course nothing to further alter the "meeple management aspect".)

About the pig in T&B: I think, that maybe after the release of I&C, HiG might have thought: hmm, we have included elements to boost roads and cities, we should have done this for farms as well. So on next option, they put something inside for the farmers as well, but to not exactly repeat themselves, changed it to a piece of wood rather than a tile. Surprisingly, it took them years to include vineyards, nevertheless, I would say, pig should have rather going with I&C then T&B, if they had thought of it before.

Chooselife · « **Reply #22 on:** March 14, 2015, 09:54:22 AM »

For me the only problem with P&D is the fairy marking points for possession, 99% of the times I either forget to move it or forget to score de point for holding it.
One of my house rules is playing without the fairy, I the dragon moves there's no escape.

Considering the above with the standard rules my favourite is the Tower cause you have the opportunity to take the opponents meeples but have to be extra careful not to have it backfire you.

BabyGamer · « **Reply #23 on:** March 14, 2015, 02:26:14 PM »

this one is easy!!!

Inns and Cathedrals!!

)

I like everything in that expansion... AND you get a 6th player.

There are some other good ones too, but the rest of the expansions have some elements that I don't like..

I love the builder, but I'm not exited about the pig and usually forget to use it... I love the shepherd, but the hills are annoying... My least favorite is the catapult, tower, and then bridges, castles and bazaars... yuck yuck yuck...

tangyi · « **Reply #24 on:** March 15, 2015, 11:24:24 PM »

Vote for Inns and Cathedrals. Why can only vote one?

Hills and Sheep looks good but I don't get change to play it with my family. All of them are keen on Inns and Cathedrals!

From my point of view, I do prefer games with some uncertain factors, like playing a dice or drawing a token, etc.

jungleboy · « **Reply #25 on:** March 15, 2015, 11:58:34 PM »

Quote from: Hounk on March 14, 2015, 05:21:50 AM

On the other hand: this expansion has a clean goal regarding to game mechanism, everything can be used for: making meeple management "easier" and early farming more rewarding. You get two "special ability meeple", which can be not used for farming, but because of there presence, you can easier spare some of your regular ones for that purpose. And you get an abbey, which can be used to free trapped meeples and/or split big cities, again with potential bigger reward to the farms surrounding. And of course, the barn is the element, where all of this runs together, with it's ability to score farmers during game. So I think, the elements work beautifully together, altering the game in a very different direction, which is, likewise P&D fun to play from time to time. Of course, to further boost this aspect, pig and besiegers are perfect supplements, and I think the second would have made this a perfect expansion, if added to the release. (Although of course nothing to further alter the "meeple management aspect".)

Great analysis, I hadn't really thought about it as deeply as this before!

Quote from: tangyi on March 15, 2015, 11:24:24 PM

Vote for Inns and Cathedrals. Why can only vote one?

Life isn't always fair

jma03 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 16, 2015, 05:23:11 AM »

if I had to choose just one , I would stay with T & B .
although my usual set usually includes I & C , ABBEY AND MAYOR , CASTLES AND BRIDGES - bazaars , RIO I- II , KING AND ROBBER BARON .
sometimes combined with Count ( tile only ) and hills and sheep.

Halfling · « **Reply #27 on:** March 27, 2015, 01:46:14 PM »

Has to be Abbey and Mayor for me because of the Abbey tiles and the Barns in particular.

p.s. Who voted for The Catapult?

totor66 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 02, 2015, 12:58:05 PM »

Made Inns and Cathedral go first !

Just love the use of the big meeple, so much strategy around this guy, I think the whole game is almost just about him.

I didn't play with all expansions though, but my next order from cundco should solve this problem