Author Topic: La Porxada – Element of the Week #48 (Read 11059 times)

Whaleyland · « **on:** August 14, 2015, 02:54:34 PM »

ELEMENT OF THE WEEK: LA PORXADA

Carcassonne has definitely taken strange turns in the past ten years, so these few expansions may not be in your knowledge bank, but that doesn't make them any less official (or does it?). So as we conclude this series over the next few weeks, feel free to express any form of praise or criticism you may have for these off-beat elements.

This week, we present LA PORXADA, a unique expansion in that it has never been formally printed and is, therefore, considered by Hans im Glück to be a fan expansion. However, Klaus-Jürgen Wrede has supported this expansion on multiple occasions and it was distributed by Devir, the Spanish-language reseller of Carcassonne, giving it a similar status to the Games Quarterly Expansion (The Mini Expansion) and Cult, Siege & Creativity. The expansion was initially released in 2010 at Jugar X Jugar and depicts a 16th-century town hall located in the middle of the Spanish town of Granollers. It only includes a single tile which is a 4xCity tile with a pennant.

There are two options given to the player who plays this tile: 1) switch one of their in-play Followers with an in-play Follower of another player (e.g., swap a Follower on a Road for another player's Follower on a valuable City); or 2) score, at the end of the game, all incomplete Cities under their control as if they were complete. This second option will impact all players that were in the city with La Porxada when it was completed (that City must be completed for the effect to occur). Obviously, this expansion has a number of fiddly bits that are confusing with no official rulings forthcoming. For how small it is, the expansion includes five footnotes and takes three pages in the CAR, suggesting increased complexity for the tile. For one tile, it certainly has a lot of potential and can definitely change the balance of the game. Discuss your relationship with La Porxada and how you optimise your use of this strategic element.

Next Week: The Scout (from Hunters & Gatherers)

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2007.0

Paul · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2015, 04:19:07 PM »

I don't own it but may have the tiles somewhere on the computer.

Someday hopefully I'll be printing out fan stuff.

danisthirty · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2015, 05:09:39 AM »

I got hold of a copy of this from eBay. It appears to be a printed tile rather than a sticker stuck on a tile so I'm happy enough with it even though I've never used it.

One thing that's always bugged me about this though is that the 2nd option seems much more powerful than the 1st. Perhaps someone with a bit more first-hand experience of this can verify this is the case? I'm not one to underestimate the power of swapping an opponent's meeple with one of my own, but being able to score any/ all incomplete cities as complete at the end of the game? Wow.

kettlefish · « **Reply #3 on:** August 21, 2015, 01:36:43 PM »

La Porxada is an unofficial expansion - a fan-expansion.
I don't like the ebay traders who are selling this fan-expansion.

I decided not to play this expansion. I have a landscape tile with the original sign from Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, but not from the event in Spain some years ago (there were only 72 tiles signed from KJW). My tile is from last year. I've asked KJW to sign 6 La Porxada tiles. All these tiles are now around the world for the fans.

SRBO · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2015, 04:08:08 PM »

Quote from: kettlefish on August 21, 2015, 01:36:43 PM

La Porxada is an unofficial expansion - a fan-expansion.
I don't like the ebay traders who are selling this fan-expansion.

I think its unbelievable how many times you said this on the forum haha

Whaleyland · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2015, 08:10:03 PM »

Quote from: SRBO on August 21, 2015, 04:08:08 PM

Quote from: kettlefish on August 21, 2015, 01:36:43 PM
La Porxada is an unofficial expansion - a fan-expansion.
I don't like the ebay traders who are selling this fan-expansion.

I think its unbelievable how many times you said this on the forum haha

Honestly, one of the reasons I wanted to include it on this list (besides the fact that Klaus seems to approve of the expansion) is to see how long it would take for kettlefish to make her public statement. I think I covered that aspect of the expansion quite well in my summary, though.

kettlefish · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2015, 01:47:29 AM »

he he...
In the last few "Elements of the Week" - I said nothing. But when I saw this "La Porxada" - I know - I have to write my statement as always...

What is official at "La Porxada"?
The author of this fan-expansion asked HiG if they are allowed to give away for free at the participants of the Spanish event. And they got the permission from HiG. Klaus-Jürgen Wrede signed the Sticker "La Porxada".

Christopher · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2016, 11:06:45 AM »

This is an interesting 'expansion.' I don't know enough about what went on to say if it's a real expansion or not, but the way it seems to be regarded suggests it is at least semi-official.

That being said, it is a very strange expansion. On the occasions I have played with this it, players have almost always chosen the second option. And then, all other players then spend the foreseeable future trying to get their own follower in the city. Which is not especially difficult, especially as they do not need to have a majority, just a single follower. A significant number of the times I have used this expansion, all of the players have ended up gaining the bonus, thus negating it.

The only times I have seen the first option used was when there happened to be a very, very good reason for doing so, i.e. a particularly high scoring feature was incomplete at the time. And I have never seen a player sacrifice a follower for the remainder of the game just to negate this.

It's a nice tile, so I'd like to be able to use it, but the 'official' rules aren't great. Carcking's house rule in the CAR in which the player must have a follower in the La Porxada city at the end of the game to get the bonus works quite well. Does anyone else use this tile differently?

Christopher · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2016, 03:01:17 PM »

I've recently decided on a new way to use this tile. Following the tremendous discussion we are having on variant rules for the new Labyrinth tile from Spiel Doch, as this is a CCCC tile in a single tile expansion (and the SD tile is an RRRR), I'm going to combine the La Porxada tile with the Labyrinth to make a two-tile expansion, and use this tile as the city version of whichever Labyrinth variation is my favourite. That will make me much more likely to include the nice artwork on this tile!

If I can be terribly clever, I'll find a way to include Baba Yaga and the Choice of Bogatyr.

ARabidMeerkat · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2016, 02:58:13 AM »

Quote from: Christopher on March 24, 2016, 03:01:17 PM

I've recently decided on a new way to use this tile. Following the tremendous discussion we are having on variant rules for the new Labyrinth tile from Spiel Doch, as this is a CCCC tile in a single tile expansion (and the SD tile is an RRRR), I'm going to combine the La Porxada tile with the Labyrinth to make a two-tile expansion, and use this tile as the city version of whichever Labyrinth variation is my favourite. That will make me much more likely to include the nice artwork on this tile!

If I can be terribly clever, I'll find a way to include Baba Yaga and the Choice of Bogatyr.

The Labyrinth tile is in definite need of house ruling! I think slowing people to treat it the same as La Porxada is very good, but by having everyone make a claim negates the usefulness (just the same as LP).

We'll see what the official ruling becomes.....

Christopher · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2016, 03:40:49 AM »

Quote from: ARabidMeerkat on March 25, 2016, 02:58:13 AM

Quote from: Christopher on March 24, 2016, 03:01:17 PM
I've recently decided on a new way to use this tile. Following the tremendous discussion we are having on variant rules for the new Labyrinth tile from Spiel Doch, as this is a CCCC tile in a single tile expansion (and the SD tile is an RRRR), I'm going to combine the La Porxada tile with the Labyrinth to make a two-tile expansion, and use this tile as the city version of whichever Labyrinth variation is my favourite. That will make me much more likely to include the nice artwork on this tile!

If I can be terribly clever, I'll find a way to include Baba Yaga and the Choice of Bogatyr.

The Labyrinth tile is in definite need of house ruling! I think slowing people to treat it the same as La Porxada is very good, but by having everyone make a claim negates the usefulness (just the same as LP).

We'll see what the official ruling becomes.....

I considered that. You could use The Labyrinth as the road version of La Porxada, but the problem with that is that an incomplete road is worth the same at the end of the game as a complete one, so the bonus wouldn't be of any use. My plan is to house rule the Labyrinth and then use La Porxada as the city version with the same house rule.