The set is complete!

[CKorfmann]

Well, I received the Tower in the mail yesterday.  I finally have the complete set of official expansions.  Yeah!     Now, if I only found some people to play with... 

[Skull One]

Congrats.

Now for the tough question.  Did you really buy Catapult?  It may be official but I can not bring myself to buy it even though I am completionist by nature.

And that reminds me, I need to get the camera out and take a snap shot of two tiles that are different between the original Inn & Cathedrals stand alone expansion and the same tile in Big Box 2.  I was very shocked to see they changed how the tile works between my home collection and my work collection.

[CKorfmann]

Congrats.  Now for the tough question.  Did you really buy Catapult?  It may be official but I can not bring myself to buy it even though I am completionist by nature.

Yep, I bought the Catapult.  It's not my favorite, but I don't mind playing with it.  It can have some significant implications on the game.

And that reminds me, I need to get the camera out and take a snap shot of two tiles that are different between the original Inn & Cathedrals stand alone expansion and the same tile in Big Box 2.  I was very shocked to see they changed how the tile works between my home collection and my work collection.

 

I'd like to see that.

[Novelty]

You bought the Cathars?  How much did you pay for that?

[meepleater]

All I need is Cathars (trying to trade AotC for it) and C,K&C (though I have them all separately). C,K&C a friend will probably be getting it sometime towards the end of the year... I got Catapult too, some of the tiles were nice (I really wanted the four-way intersection and the RRRF tiles have been useful)...

[CKorfmann]

No, I don't actually have Cathers.  I guess I'm counting Siege.  I don't really feel the need to get Cathers though.

[Deatheux]

you MUST have the catars!!

[Whaleyland]

Not to be a stickler, but I have the "complete set" that you mention and I still consider it incomplete without the Cathars. It is unfortunate, but those silly four tiles are the Gold in this Calf. Without them, you just have a block of stone many people here can say they have.

[Skull One]

Not to be a stickler, but I have the "complete set" that you mention and I still consider it incomplete without the Cathars. It is unfortunate, but those silly four tiles are the Gold in this Calf. Without them, you just have a block of stone many people here can say they have.

So if someone owns Cult, Siege & Creativity which contain the same 4 functional tiles (yes I know the artwork is different), then they don't have a complete set?  If that is true a lot of people are going to be ticked when I show that there are two version of 1 tile from Inn & Cathedrals and Big Box 2 where the tiles technically play differently but you will know they are supposed to be the same tile. 

I guess my idea of being a completionist borders on the side of pratical vs fanatical.

[Novelty]

Which tile is that, Skull One?

[Whaleyland]

I guess you do have a point there. I have the original Big Box, which has the corrected Inns & Cathedral tile too, but also was the first to watermark all the tiles (except River 1...CURSES!). I don't know if they have since watermarked the individual expansions tiles, but either way, there are two versions. There are also three different versions of The Cult out there right now: CS&C (with no watermarks), KC&K (with crown watermarks), and The Cult magazine expansion (with pentagon watermarks). Perhaps my main point was that the Cathars, while it has been recreated by RGG, is still in effect its own micro-expansion, as opposed to I&C which had a printing mistake or the other multi-print expansions that just have different watermarks. As it stands, I consider ownership of CS&C essential to be able to claim completeness since it includes an additional Cult tile (although I also have the KC&K version because I prefer the watermarks to RGG lack of them). The Cathars is the only expansion that has art significantly different enough, for me personally, to be considered a separate expansion and I think ownership of it is necessary to have a complete collection. That being said, I still don't have it because it costs so freaking much, but I do plan on buying it someday. I also am a historian and the Cathars logos and the broken walls look far more interesting than the silly siege tiles from CS&C (and they are easier to see, too). That is my two pence and should not have any baring on your own definition of completeness. There are degrees more serious than mine.

I guess to be a true completist, you would actually have to own the following:

Carcassonne (with and without River)
Inns & Cathedrals (original and watermarked)
Trader & Builder (original and watermarked)
The Tower (original and watermarked)
Princess & the Dragon (original and watermarked)
King & Scout
The Cathars
The Count
The River II
The Mini Expansion (GQ11)
Abbey & Mayor
The Catapult
Count, King & Consort
Cult, Siege & Creativity
The Cult
Limited Edition (2003) (with Carc, River, I&C, and T&B)
Kreivi ja Kuningas (2006) (with River II, Count, and K&S)
The Big Box (2006) (with Carc, River, I&C, T&B, Tower, and P&D)
The Big Box 2 (2008) (with Carc, River, I&C, T&B, P&D, A&M, and KC&K)
The Big Box 2 (2009) (with Carc, I&C, T&B, P&D, A&M, and KC&K)

So following these rules, well, you would have a lot of duplicates. Stick with your own definitions because there is always more items that can be added if you are obsessed (or crazy). Sorry for being so rude earlier, I just really want a Cathars expansion.

[Wishmaster]

I'm missing 'Cult Seige and Creativity' and 'The Catapult', I'm not counting the Big Boxes as they add nothing new, same as the tiles with Hans Im Gluck almanac cos they are in 'Cult...' etc. I DO have the Cathars!  Yes, I agree they are the Holy Grail of the game!!

But, to be a completist you have to also have:

Hunters &Gathers
The Castle
The Discovery
The City
The New World
Ark of the Covenant
The PC game (Collection Version of course!)

... Yes, I do have all of those. 

[Tobias]

You do not need any watermarked tiles to have it all. You do not need HiG:s ridiculous compilation (but you should get RGG:s version with new stuff). Big boxes are also not needed since it is old stuff. But, yeah, you will need The Cathars (since it has different rules and graphics from The Siege). You do really not need the Travel edition either.

Being a completist does not mean you need to get every different edition, it just mean you want to get everything. Now, if you are a collector: you will probably want to own everything Wishmaster listed (and then some).

Personally - I care nothing for compilations or old stuff. But I own pretty much everything that is unique.

[Wishmaster]

Being a completist does not mean you need to get every different edition, it just mean you want to get everything. Now, if you are a collector: you will probably want to own everything Wishmaster listed (and then some).

Personally - I care nothing for compilations or old stuff. But I own pretty much everything that is unique.

Spot on there.    ...and I forgot the travel edition which I don't have but it's exactly the same game as original Carcassonne and I still think it's a poor effort regards being good for travel.

[CKorfmann]

OK, so I guess I'm a poser.     I'm counting the Big Box as having all those sets.  Still, I think I've got every tile (with the exception of the Cathers of course) which is really what is important to me.  I suppose I don't have the different tile from I&C, but would anyone really count that?  Can someone post a photo comparision?

So, here is what I bought in order:
Carcassonne w/ the River
Princess & the Dragon
Count of Carcassonne (tuck box)
King and Scout
Catapult
GQ11
Cult, Siege, and Creativity
Big Box 2
The Tower

My plan is to use the extra base set, P&D, King, and Count to make new tiles.  I'm keeping the original River to play with my big box set.  I'll probably keep the 50/100 counter tiles too.  Not sure yet.  

But, yeah, you will need The Cathars (since it has different rules and graphics from The Siege).

I didn't know they had different rules.  What are the differences?