Carcassonne Central: Advent Quiz MMXXII

[Meepledrone]

I stopped answering about halfway through because I got sick and basically slept all day for a few days, then couldn't find the motivation to catch up. Oh well, there's always next year

Sorry to hear this. Hope you are fully recovered now.

[Carqui]

The same happened to me! I was sick and my mind was not in the mood for those puzzles! But I enjoyed the first days! Thank you Meepledrone!
Carqui

[Bumsakalaka]

Answer #15: Dear, I forgot clarification I did from HiG on their own Discord channel!
Anyway, Hig closed their Discord?

How could you after all the fuzz we both made? 

Maybe, but when you remember, they have a lot of channels and nobody answer to requests

I hope that their web page will be available in near future.

[Bumsakalaka]

@Meepledrone Quizz #12
In Base game rules is:

Use a meeple, score a feature, and get the meeple back
You can place a meeple in a feature you just completed, immediately score it, and then return the meeple to your supply.
To do so, follow these steps:
 1. Place a tile, completing a feature (such as a road, city, or monastery).
 2. Place a meeple as a highwayman, knight, or monk on the feature you just completed.
 3. Score the completed road, city, or monastery and return the meeple to your supply.

So for this I think that Red was able to place Meeple on Monastery.

Clarification on The Princess & the Dragon page on Wica not covered this scenario. They cover scenario if feature was completed in previous turns.

Question: If there is a completed feature that no-one scored for, for example a monastery that was never occupied, or a city where the all the knights were eaten by the dragon before they would score, then can I use a magic portal to occupy it and score for it?

Answer: No. The magic portal rules state that you cannot place a meeple on a completed feature. This applies even if no-one scored for it.

Hmm?

Magic portals and flying machines have this limitation compared to placing a meeple directly. Magic portals and flying machines cannot place meeples on features just completed. You have the clarification you quoted for magic portals and this one:

https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/The_Princess_and_The_Dragon#cite_note-18

...and this clarification for flying machines:

https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/The_Flier#cite_note-2

...plus additional clarifications with examples for flying machines here:

https://wikicarpedia.com/index.php/The_Flier#Additional_clarifications

Who the ... is reading footnotes?!?!?!?!

[Challa007]

Who the ... is reading footnotes?!?!?!?!

Me  for each and every question of the advent Quizz 

Meepledrone loves to use „edge“ cases which are mostly described in the footnotes…
Mean, mean Meepledrone !!!!

 

[P-Chilton]

Question #20: The Gingerbread Man

Hi Meepledrone, just for future reference as it's not going to make much difference, but is there a reason that I only scored 1 point for question 20 even though I had the 4th quickest correct answer? Is it because of the length of time elapsed? Thanks 

[Meepledrone]

The same happened to me! I was sick and my mind was not in the mood for those puzzles! But I enjoyed the first days! Thank you Meepledrone!
Carqui

Hi @Carqui !!!

Sorry you hear you caught ill too and missed half of the quiz because of that... Hope you are fully recovered now.

Still happy that you enjoyed even so.

Best regards!

[Meepledrone]

Who the ... is reading footnotes?!?!?!?!

Me  for each and every question of the advent Quizz 

Meepledrone loves to use „edge“ cases which are mostly described in the footnotes…
Mean, mean Meepledrone !!!!

 

The Grinch loves it when you don't read the footnotes... Edge cases are his favorite dish in every meal... 

[Meepledrone]

Question #20: The Gingerbread Man

Hi Meepledrone, just for future reference as it's not going to make much difference, but is there a reason that I only scored 1 point for question 20 even though I had the 4th quickest correct answer? Is it because of the length of time elapsed? Thanks 

Ooooops! My bad. I skipped the 2-point score by mistake. Solved now...

Thank you for letting me know.

[Meepledrone]

Question #21: The Snowman places this tile on Blue's behalf. The player has  the following questions:
a) Does the player draw a card from the Cloister deck (top card shown face up)? (0-1 point)
b) Does the player draw a card from the Roadside deck (top card shown face up)? (0-1 point)
c) How many points does each player score? Blue would like to activate the cards in their hand (shown left) and any card drawn on this turn? (0-5 points)
d) If the the game ends with this tile, how many points does each player score after the game? (0-5 points)

Answer #21: This tile placement causes Blue to draw a card from the Cloister deck, since the player placed a tile next to an opponent's monastery. This card will be activated immediately, as indicated by the symbol at the bottom of the card.

As a result, Blue will score 4 for the monastery occupied by the abbot (4 tiles adjacent to the monastery x 1 point). Note the monastery tile is not counted. The abbot will be removed from the monastery as clarified by the publisher, so it will not participate in the final scoring.

Since the tile just placed doesn't feature only roads, the player many not draw another card from the Roadside deck.

During this turn, the following features will be scored:
- A 3-tile city with 1 coat of arms occupied by Blue: if the player activates the card bottom left for this city, the coats of arms in this city will be worth 3 points instead of 2 points. So, Blue will score 9 points for the city ( (3 tiles x 2 points per tile) + (1 coats of arms x 3 points) = 6 + 3 points). The meeple in this city will be returned to its owner as usual.

- A 4-tile city with no coats of arms occupied by Blue: if the player activates the card top left for this city, each city tile will be worth 3 points instead of 2 points. So, Blue will score 12 points for the city (4 tiles x 3 points per tile). The meeple in this city will be returned to its owner as usual.

- A monastery in the city occupied by Red: The player will score 9 points (9 tiles x 1 point per tile). The meeple in this monastery will be returned to its owner as usual.

- A road occupied by Yellow: This road is worth 4 points. Due to the rotated meeple on it, the road will not be scored until the end of the game. The meeple will stay there until then. (Note this meeple lying down on the road is not protected from a peasant revolt - this expansion is not included in this scenario).

Bottomline:
a) Blue will draw a card from the Cloister deck.
b) Blue will not draw a card from the Roadside deck.
c) The scorings happening during this last turn are as follows:
   - Blue will score 25 points (4 points for the Cloister card + 9 points for the city bottom left + 12 points for the city in the middle).
   - Red will score 9 points for the monastery.
   - Yellow will score no points at this point (their meeple is rotated).
d) The scorings happening after the game are as follows:
   - Blue will score no points.
   - Red will score no points.
   - Yellow will score 4 points for the road (this scoring was deferred since the rotated meeple).


Important note: Due to the clarification received in early January 2023 for the Christmas Present, the scoring of this question will ignore the abbot on the monastery after the game. This abbot should be removed by the Cloister card drawn on this final turn, but this was not clarified until the quiz was closed. So, it will not be taken into consideration for the final scoring (question d)) whether the abbot stays on the monastery or it was removed.

[Meepledrone]

Question #22: Santa Claus places this tile on Red's behalf. The player has  the following questions:
a) Can Red remove the abbot before the dragon moves and receive points for it? (0-1 point)
b) The players would like to move the dragon in the following sequence: 1-2-3-4-1-2 (see the numbers on the picture). How many steps is the dragon allowed to move? (0-1 point)
c) How many points does each player score considering the scoring tiles on the right? (0-5 points)

Answer #22: The placement of the tile triggers the movement of the dragon right before the scoring of the completed features.

The abbot cannot be removed before the dragon moves, since monastery is already completed in 1. Placing a meeple. In order to remove an abbot, its monastery should be uncompleted after placing the tile.

The movement of the dragon will only be able to move 2 steps. After 1 and 2, the dragon cannot move to tile #3 due to the presence of the fairy. So the dragon will stay on tile #2.

At this point the following scorings will take place:

- Blue and Yellow share the majority on the road, so each player will score 14 points (7 tiles x (1 point for the road + 1 point for the scoring Street Fair scoring tile) = 7 x 2 points)

- Blue will also score 3 points for the Fairy. The Fairy will stay on the tile after the scoring.

- Red will score 12 points for the monastery (9 + 3 points):
   - 9 points for the monastery itself (9 tiles x 1 point per tile)
   - 3 points for the Wealth scoring tile

Notes:
- Blue does not receive the Fairy 1-point bonus at the beginning of this turn because the player is not the active one.
- We assume the active player does not move the Fairy from its current position in this scenario.
- This is not a realistic scenario. In a situation like this, Red would move the Fairy to protect their abbot, and the Dragon would eat some meeples during its movement as a result. But we are analyzing the impact of the Fairy in the movement of the Dragon, and the removal of an abbot in a situation like this.

Bottomline:
a) No, the the abbot cannot be removed because the monastery has been completed
b) Two steps. The dragon cannot continue to tile #3 because the Fairy is there.
c) The scoring is as follows:
   - Blue will score 17 points (14 points for the road + 3 points for the Fairy)
   - Red will score 12 points for the monastery
   - Yellow will score 14 points for the road.

[Meepledrone]

Question #23: Danisthirty draws and places this tile on Blue's behalf. Before the tile is placed, the player has to face a peasant revolt and also decides to open this gift card to use it on the road occupied by Red and Yellow.
a) What do you perform first: the peasant revolt or the opening of the gift? (0-1 point)
b) How many points does each player score during this turn? (0-5 points)

Note: The turn sequence is:
1. Blue
2. Red
3. Yellow

Answer #23: First of all, this tile will trigger the peasant revolt for roads.

Blue, as the active player, will check their meeples first. With a protected meeple (lying down) on a road, the player scores 2 points (1 protected meeple x 2 points). Since the player has no unprotected meeples, the next player in turn has to check their meeples.

Red has 2 unprotected meeples on roads. Both of them will be removed at this point, and the peasant revolt stops here. As a result, Yellow will not receive points for their protected meeple.

At this point, the active player opens the gift before placing the tile with the bridge. Only Yellow's meeple stays on the road to be scored. The uncompleted road has 8 tiles and an inn (Don't be fooled by the RRRR tile next to the monastery). Since the road has an inn, it is worth 0 points when scoring as if at the end of the game. So Yellow scores 0 points for the road and their meeple is removed from the bridge.

Finally, the tile with the bridge is placed and the road is completed occupied by Blue alone. The player will score 22 points for the completed road (11 tiles x (1 point  per tile + 1 point for the inn) = 11 x 2 points).

Bottomline:
a) The peasant revolt is performed before opening the gift.
b) Each player scored the following points:
- Blue will score 24 points (2 points fo the protected meeple + 22 for the road)
- Red scores no points
- Yellow scores 0 points for the road due to the gift.

[Meepledrone]

Question #24: The Grinch places this tile on Red's behalf. The player has the following questions:
a) Which meeple will be trapped by Solovei Razboynik along with Yellow's meeple when this tile is placed? (0-1 point)
b) How many points does each player score if applying the advanced variant rules for the Labyrinth? (0-5 points)
c) When distributing the gold ingots, is there any that only Red can pick? (0-1 point)
d) Which opponent's meeple can Red send to the free bathhouse? (0-1 point)

Note: The turn sequence is:
1. Blue
2. Red
3. Yellow

Answer #24: The tile placement completes several features:
- A 1-tile City Gates city occupied by Red
- A 1-tile road occupied by Blue
- A Darmstadt church occupied by Red
- A 11-tile road network with a labyrinth, a bathhouse and an inn occupied by 2 blue meeples, 1 red meeple and 1 yellow meeple. So, Blue has the majority. Note that there is only one road on the Darmstadt church tile (it passes by the church).
- A castle occupied by Red triggered by the completion of the road network.

The Solovei Razboynik tile is part of the road network, but its effect is not triggered by the placement of the City Gates city, since it doesn't extend the road. It just completes it. So, no additional meeple will be trapped by Solovei Razboynik along with the yellow meeple.

Let's score each feature:

Red will score 4 points for the 1-tile City Gates city. This is an edge case.

Blue will score 1 point for the 1-tile road (1 tile x 1 point per tile).

Red will score 9 points for the Darmstadt church with their abbot (9 tiles x 1 point). Additionally, the Darmstadt church will grant a bonus to the players with the majority in its vicinity. Blue will receive the 3 bonus points, since the player has 3 normal meeples vs. 2 red meeples (1 normal meeple and 1 abbot) and 2 normal yellow meeples (one of them trapped by Solovei Razboinyk).

Blue will score 33 points for the road netwok (22 + 3 + 8 points):
- 22 points for the road itself (11 tiles x (1 point per tile 1 1 point for the inn) = 11 x 2 points)
- 3 bonus points for the bathhouse
- 8 points for the 4 meeples on the labyrinth road network (4 meeples x 2 points per meeple)

Red's castle lord will score the same number of points the road netwok is worth. So the player will score 33 points for the castle. Note that the Darmstadt church tile and the City-Gates 1-tile city are not in the castle fief, so they cannot trigger the castle scoring as well.

The completion of the Darmstadt church, the road network, the 1-tile road and the castle will trigger the distribution of gold ingots.
- Gold ingot A:
  - Blue is entitled to it for the 1-tile road and the road network.
  - Red is entitled to it for the Darmstadt church.
- Gold ingot B:
  - Blue is entitled to it for the road network.
  - Red is entitled to it for the Darmstadt church and the castle.
- Gold ingot C:
  - No player is entitled to it.
- Gold ingot D:
  - Red alone is entitled to it due to the castle. No other player can pick this one.

Bottomline:
a) No additional meeple will be trapped by Solovei Razboynik.
b) The scoring is as follows:
   - Blue will score 37 points (1 point for the 1-tile road + 3 Darmstadt bonus points + 33 points for the road network)
   - Red will score 46 points (4 points for the 1-tile city + 9 points for the Darmstadt church + 33 points for the castle)
   - Yellow will score 0 points.
c) Gold ingot D is only entitled to Red.
d) As the active player, Red can send the blue meeple on the 1-tile road to the free bathhouse.

[Meepledrone]

- Meeple Council: Congratulations, corinthiens13!!! You are the winner of the Advent Calendar Quiz MMXXII. 
- Snowman: I feel a déjà vu right now...
- The Grinch: (clenching his teeth) Will you zip it?
- Meepledrone: I would also like to thank all the participants, who worked so hard answering all the questions.
- Meepledrone: I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did running it.   
- The Grinch: (to Meepledrone) What's up with you? You love the spotlight, huh? 
- Meepledrone: Er... I was just...
- The Grinch: Will you shut up for once and for all?
- Santa Claus: Come on, he's been working really hard!
- The Grinch: Have any proof?
- Meepledrone: I can show you...
- The Grinch: You show me what? Shut up and do your thing... quick!
- Meepledrone: I just wanted to remind the winner to send me his address by PM so I can send him the prize...
- The Grinch: And?
- Danisthirty: (whispering something) 
- The Grinch: And?
- Fir Tree: (a branch bends in the winds) 
- Snowman: (muttering) ...participants...
- Meepledrone: Ah yes... and also those participants who want a little something... please send me your address by PM too.
- The Grinch: Shoo, shoo! Go back to your box! If you send them something other than a toothpick, I will...
- His Meeple Highness: (calling from the distant) Mr. Grinch, will you feed the dragons?
- The Grinch: (pompously) Yes, Sire!!! Coming right away!!!
- Pixie: This has become a new thing!
- Flooxie: So willing to help?
- Grim Mike: He must be up to something!
- His Meeple Highness: Thank you for your prompt service...
- The Grinch: (to Meepledrone) You have work to do, lazy maggot!
- Santa Claus: (to the Grinch) Why don't you go for a change? I know this is bad news for you... We have a winner! 
- Meepledrone: May I... go?
- The Grinch: Why are you still here? You have some stuff to mail too
- Easter Bunny: Will you shut up?
- The Grinch: (leaving) I'm just warming up for 2023...
- Danisthirty: (thinking out loud) He must be hiding new stuff in footnotes...
- Fir Tree: (making a fart)
- Danisthirty: Are you implying something? 
- Easter Bunny: (whispering) Well... This is a never ending story...
- Easter Bunny: Happy 2023 to everybody!

[Willem]

Congratulations @corinthiens13 ! Well done on getting so many points!

I will stand my ground on my answer for question 24, as I argued that a bunch of meeple would have already had to have been trapped on the Solovei tile in earlier turns, but I knew it probably wouldn't score me any points hahaha