Carcassonne Central

We haven't actually tried the A&M expansion yet since I'm still teaching the wife the basics with I&C and T&B sets. I imagine we'll take the plunge soon however, so I'm curious over possible strategies for this new "barn" piece. It's the one piece that's hard to visualise how it will work and impact on the game, without actually using it. For instance, is it primarily a defensive piece or is it considered to be more of an offensive offering? My assumption, which could quite possibly be incorrect, is that it would actually be a little bit of both...

Defensive:

*There's one giant farm and you've got a farmer on it, but you can see others trying to get their farmers connected. Perhaps this is a perfect time for a barn - collect your points and if even the others get connected, they'll only get a solitary point per city. However, there's one upshot - it would appear there could be a valid strategy in keeping trying to connect one's farmers to a well placed barn. Getting 1 point per city multiple times can start to stack up, so it would seem there's a potential for this strategy to backfire, unless of course you're the one making use of the barn in this fashion...

*You have a good farm, but the Dragon's about and the farmer's in peril. Place your barn and ensure points can't be lost for that farm by the removal of your farmer. Presumably, the barn can also be used to protect against losing farmers, and thus their farms, to towers.

*Protect against the possible influx of meeples arriving from the Count of Carcassonne's palace to take a share, or even steal your farm completely, at the end of the game. This of course presumes that one is not allowed to place meeples with a barn to earn 1 point per city when the barn is being scored at the end of the game.

Offensive:

*There's one giant farm and it's got many players' meeples on it, including one of your own, but no one has yet achieved majority. Placing the barn here means that everybody cleans up once, but then you'd get a bumper second bite at the cherry.

*There's a good farm but you don't own it. Placing the barn means you initially take a small hit by giving the owner an early harvest. However the premise is you'll be the one benefitting more in the long run - more cities might be added, and you get 4 points per city. The points bonus you'd get compared to the original owner could be alleviated if the player continues to join his farmers to your barn after its placing. Therefore, is this a potentially risky strategy? Perhaps, but then you wouldn't get any points if you didn't interject at some point...

Ok, these thoughts are all without having actually played the A&M expansion! ;) So I realise many might not be applicable, and those that are might be a little misguided. With this in mind, I'd be interested to hear some thoughts from others that have played the expansion and used the barn piece to great effect!  I'll happily add to or edit this post accordingly. :)

Best,

Getting your farmers to score off the barn farm, especially if you have the pig farm and the pig in (3 points) and get a few cathared cities too and you can get some good points going.

Well, if you deny your opponents their farmers early in the game with your barn, and continue hooking up your farm to that of your opponents, you'll get quite a windfall at the end of your game.