Four double-tiles. An extra set of meeples. And a German city in southern France. What could go wrong?
Differing Opinions Two Tiles for the Price of One – This is not the first time Hans im Glück has made this mistake – they did it with German Castles, too – but the company really needs to figure out its two-tile rule. Considering this expansion is meant to be played with the base game, the question must be answered: are these two tiles or one when scoring for Monasteries? Logic dictates that they are two, but the lack of any faux divider between the two halves and previous rulings regarding German Castles suggests they are one, and so adjacent Monasteries will score fewer points. it is a simple problem to solve by just printing a faint line down the middle where the two tiles would separate, much like the border of the Wheel of Fortune tile or the City of Carcassonne. Get it together, Hans im Glück!
Meeples for Sale! – The original version of this expansion, released at the Modell Hobby Spiel in Leipzig, came with a full set of meeples for every player because, quite frankly, this expansion requires it. With up to 4 meeples heading to Leipzig as am investment, that can leave a player a bit short on the Meeplage. Unfortunately, people who got this expansion elsewhere must substitute with their own meeples, of which not everybody has a ton of spares. I used the scoring meeple as my #8 and subbed that out with a fem-meeple from The Messengers. Still, not ideal. All versions of this expansion really need a full set of meeples included.
The German Invasion Continues – I know, I know, I've been harping on this for years now, but seriously: German Monasteries, German Castles, German Cathedrals, Darmstadt, and now Markets in Leipzig? I'm pretty sure there are more German-themed expansions in this game than actual French-themed elements. It's getting a bit ridiculous.
Impartial Agreement A Better City than Carcassonne – The core mechanic of this expansion is obvious but very well implemented. The idea that the four quarters of the city benefits players in four different ways. It's almost like they had used a similar mechanic before... But this works much better than the City of Carcassonne, ruled over by that tyrannical count. And they all work. Really! One gives an Inn-like bonus that requires a long-term investment but pays off very well. The city bonus is a little less grand, especially if you are just playing with the pennant-low base game. The Monastery bonus can earn a total of 24 bonus points with just the base game if invested early and if all six Monasteries are completed. Perhaps not the greatest bonus, but still worthwhile. And the field bonus, well that's just a perfect use for those strange buildings in the fields that have hitherto been without purpose.
Making It Work with 1.0 – Speaking of those hitherto unused field features, the original Carcassonne game has them just like the new version, and while the distribution may be slightly different between versions, it still works and this expansion suddenly makes those long-neglected farm structures worthwhile. I earned nearly 24 points from the farms playing with a mixed selection of a 1.0 base game and some 2.0 tiles (primarily from The Festival).
A South American Bonus – Who dislikes free tiles? Granted, you really need to own
Amazonas to appreciate this item, but this expansion includes two additional tiles for that game, which I think means that every Carcassonne Around the World game has an expansion now except
Safari, which just come out in 2018.
InconclusionThis expansion is actually quite worthwhile, assuming you can get it cheaply. It is available from CundCo.de right now, but they can be pricey depending on if you buy anything else with it and where in the world you live. Nonetheless, this is definitely one of my top promo expansions, which is saying something. This along with German (or Dutch or Japanese) Monasteries is a good combination, while using The Festival alongside this allows for the retrieval of meeples from Leipzig or a German Monastery, which is definitely not a bad thing. This is also the first expansion that I actually recommend players use Carcassonne in the new art (2.0) if they have access to it. The use of the Abbot provides an additional meeples that, even with the one bonus "supplied" by (or more likely added to) this expansion, will definitely help keep your supply of meeples flowing. This is a rare expansion that I don't think would work especially well with Inns & Cathedrals, though, since the city's Road bonus may get undermined by people blocking the Inn bonus (even though the two should stack).
SCORESPlayability: A
Affordability (Obtainability): C
Aethetics: B+
Learning Curve: B
FINAL GRADE: BLinkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=4191.0