Gimmick Game - Only expansions that have no tiles

[Doom_Shark]

Today, my partner and I played a couple games using every expansion I have that does not add any landscape tiles! Well, the first game we both completely forgot about the Gifts until halfway through, so we decided that they just didn't exist for that game. The full list of expansions we used:

• The Abbot
• The Phantom
• The Messengers
• The Land Surveyors
• The Gifts

Our first game was also our first experience with the land surveyors. We quickly figured out how to complete each others' features while a negative scoring tile was active. In general our first game was most impacted by the land surveyors - we never made it through the full stack of messages. I wonder if part of this was the fact that most of our energy was spent on learning the impact of the scoring tiles and how to manipulate them.

The second game was much more dynamic. Sabotaging each others' features using the scoring tiles was great already, but now that we actually remembered the gifts, it was an extra treat to force a completed city under the effect of the poverty tile, and then also draw a gift for our troubles. Messages were much more impactful now that we were more careful about the Land Surveyors scoring tiles. It's hard for me to estimate the impact of the abbot and the phantom, seeing as we include these figures in just about every game we play.

Overall, I really liked this combination, as it adds a lot of mechanical complexity (which I like) without really adding too much to the game time - each game took less than an hour, compared to 1.5+ hours with a handful of expansions that add more tiles. We had a lot of fun!

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=6164.0

[Whaleyland]

You forgot the Little Buildings!

There are also several elements within expansions that can be used without tiles, such as most of the wooden figures (Big Meeples, Builders, Pigs, Mayors, Wagons, Shepherds) and the King and Robber Baron.

[Doom_Shark]

For the sake of simplicity, we chose to not use any partial expansions. Also, for the most part, I only have C2/3 expansions, so I don't have little buildings.

[DIN0]

You should get little buildings - it's a must in a game like this. Also threre is one more C2 expasnion with no tiles to be potentially added - St. Nicholas scoring track.

[Doom_Shark]

Also threre is one more C2 expasnion with no tiles to be potentially added - St. Nicholas scoring track.

Haha, I don't think I'll be able to aquire it officially! I did forget about that though, might see if my partner is willing to throw that minor addition into the mix

[Meepledrone]

You may find the magazine with this mini here both in German and in English  :

https://nostheide.de/webshop3/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=2012/5

I sometimes play it using 18 1.5cm wooden cubes with 1, 2 or 3 pips drawn on top representing sheds, houses and towers respectivly... Much easier to place and spot on the board than the original tokens which tend to be too big for my taste.

[kothmann]

Today, my partner and I played a couple games using every expansion I have that does not add any landscape tiles!

Overall, I really liked this combination, as it adds a lot of mechanical complexity (which I like) without really adding too much to the game time.

Thanks for sharing this.  Sounds like a lot of fun!   

Perhaps you would be interested in my Old City expansion, which was created with a similar motivation in mind.

[Bumsakalaka]

As Abbot is part of Base game, maybe try also these partials of large expansion which works well in every game.
1. Large meeple
2. Builder
3. Wagon / Mayor / Barn
4. King / Robber Barron
5. Shepherd

[wolnic]

Today, my partner and I played a couple games using every expansion I have that does not add any landscape tiles!

When I read this first I thought you were playing without any tiles, just the components from those expansions ... and wondered what sort of game that might be ...