Poll

When do you start a Farm?

At the beginning, taking the risk of getting a small one
4 (15.4%)
Not at the beginning, but within the first 20 drawn tiles.
13 (50%)
When i see a (wannabe) big farm in the middle of the game.
7 (26.9%)
At the end I take free farms.
2 (7.7%)
Other..
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 26

Author Topic: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?  (Read 22127 times)

Offline SRBO

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Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« on: April 09, 2014, 10:06:52 AM »
Farms are great, at the end they deliver you huge amount of points, when placed correctly.
When playing with smart players its very wisely to keep an eye on the possible farms.

at the other side when you play a farm to fast you could end up with a little farm and a lost follower.

What kind of tactic do you guys use?


I prefer to start a farm as quickly as possible when i see an opportunity to get a big farm. the rest of the game i work to make it as big as possible.

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=691.0
« Last Edit: April 09, 2014, 10:10:30 AM by SRBO »

Offline Carcking

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2014, 10:26:26 AM »
I try to start when I'm reasonably sure the farm can be expanded. I find once I place a Farmer my entire game changes...I become all about adding cities and expanding the fields. Keeping an eye on anyone trying to glom in.
I just drew the perfect tile for my MonKnighThieFarmer!

Offline jungleboy

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2014, 12:05:56 PM »
I think it also depends on what expansions you're playing with. If I'm using non-destructive expansions, I place a farmer virtually straight away and then try to manipulate that farm in successive turns to make it bigger, by turning roads away from it (I especially like making a four-tile loop road from corner road CRRC or equivalent tiles), or placing tiles with multiple cities on it (especially CFCF tiles which can be brilliant ways to get small cities completed). But if I'm playing with something like the dragon or especially the tower, an early placed farmer is likely to be taken off the board at some point, so I find it can often be better to wait and swoop in on a farm later in the game.

Offline SRBO

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2014, 01:32:38 PM »
(I especially like making a four-tile loop road from corner road CRRC or equivalent tiles)

Ah yes indeed, got to try that more often.

Offline Carcking

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2014, 03:06:40 PM »
I like it when an opponent gets on a farm very early. I do my best to try to foil him or her by closing off the farm to keep it small.  >:D
« Last Edit: April 09, 2014, 03:08:34 PM by Carcking »

Offline rfielder

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2014, 04:33:16 PM »
We have the first four expansions, plus three of the six minis, plus River II augmented with most of the times from The River.

I agree with the earlier assessment - the dragon, and even more so the tower, change things.

The other thing is that most of our landscapes are so cut up with roads that it is hard to judge when to start a farm - they end up smaller than expected in spite of your best efforts.

I also find the strategy has to change a lot depending on if you are playing two or four players.
Robert Fielder
Brampton, Ontario, Canada  EST

Offline Paul

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2014, 04:56:58 PM »
I certainly agree with jungleboy above. It all depends on how many expansions.

The major issue with playing megaCarc is (for us) that we have most of our followers tied up in all sort of cities and roads. This eventually lead to many of us not playing a farm at all.

My cousin, though, sometimes play a farm early on, just one, and tries to have it expanded all acrooss the entire board. As for my sister, she rarely plays for the farms, but still manage to win now and then.

Something about megaCarc that, for the lack of better term, leaves you brainless. Playing with over 500 tiles is really a challenge for the mental mind, especially when we try to keep it below 4 hours of play.
World record holder for a single game of Carcassonne using 10 007 tiles!

Offline kettlefish

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2014, 10:18:08 PM »
I've voted for:
Quote
Not at the beginning, but within the first 20 drawn tiles.

I also like:
Quote
At the end I take free farms.

I think I use some of these tactics in combination during the game.

But the question was:
Quote
Farms - When do you start your first one?

Offline rfielder

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2014, 09:29:25 AM »
The major issue with playing megaCarc is
What, exactly, is "megaCarc"?


Offline Paul

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2014, 12:46:23 PM »
I chose At the end, but when you add this with the megaCarc game we usually play, at the end usually means the last fifty tiles to take farms or enter another player's territory with one or two followers.

 :meeple:

Offline SRBO

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2014, 01:15:23 PM »
The major issue with playing megaCarc is
What, exactly, is "megaCarc"?

Mega Carcassonne is a game with lots of expansions. adding up a total of around 200 tiles..

Offline Paul

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2014, 12:05:09 AM »
The major issue with playing megaCarc is
What, exactly, is "megaCarc"?

Mega Carcassonne is a game with lots of expansions. adding up a total of around 200 tiles..

Or 600 tiles or more.  ;D

 :meeple:

Offline SRBO

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2014, 12:41:32 AM »
The major issue with playing megaCarc is
What, exactly, is "megaCarc"?

Mega Carcassonne is a game with lots of expansions. adding up a total of around 200 tiles..

Or 600 tiles or more.  ;D

 :meeple:

600 ;o.. lol what do you have? 5 times the basegame?

Offline rfielder

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2014, 08:04:48 AM »
I just added up our expansions:
Base game
River II + River I tiles
Inns and Cathedrals
Traders & Builders
Princess and Dragon
The Tower
Flier mini
Ferries mini
Crop Circles II

A total of 206 tiles.  This is a lot - having 600 or more is mind boggling!  What do you do, complete one game a week?

We also have, but have not started using:
Gold Mines mini
Mage & Witch mini
Wind Roses
which would add another 22.

We are likely not going to use the Robbers or the Messages.  We have them, but somehow they don't appeal to us.  At least, not yet.

Having all this, I have to say that the OP about when to start your first farm changes with each expansion added.  My partner likes to start hers as soon as she can, but each expansion seems to make that later and later in the game.  Finding a place protected (as much as possible) from Towers is the big thing.  Too soon, and it is hard to avoid the Dragon.  Mostly, as soon as it is clear where there are a few cities on one stretch of green, given the number of roads that get built.

Offline Carcking

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Re: Carc Tactics - Farms - When do you start your first one?
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2014, 10:41:44 AM »
Or 600 tiles or more.

True! In Megacarc the sky is the limit!  :red-meeple:


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