Carcassonne - Das Schicksalsrad NEW

[Whaleyland]

Maybe our initial confusion wasn't over the game being an expansion for the base game, but being a base game itself, as well as an expansion. Maybe it works as both. Who knows? But the description and image on Amazon.de make it seem still like an expansion, and I still want to go under that assumption.

[Novelty]

I refer you to this:

OK, just found this on HiG's site (scroll down to the reply dated 22/6) with regards to this expansion:

Auch überrascht, dass es als Erweiterung angegeben wird, da das ein eigenständiges Spiel ist.

Which translates roughly as "Was surprised that this is listed as an expansion as it is an independent game"

So I guess this is a spin-off and not an expansion.

HiG themselves have confirmed that it's an independent game.  I think the amazon.de listing is in error.

[mjharper]

Well, amazon.de just confirmed that it has been posted... so we'll find out more in a couple of days.

Hope it is an expansion. If it isn't, well, that'll learn me.

[Wishmaster]

At long last, the submission was accepted: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45748

That's all well and good that they've published what you sent them, but what you've sent them is of no help to anyone and mainly based on speculation.

Sorry, but i fail to see the point of publishing something of which you don't know anything about.

[Scott]

I added it to the Carcassonne wiki page on BGG.

[mjharper]

Arrived in the post... haven't had time to unbox... but from the blurb it IS both a new game and an expansion. If anything, it looks like an updated version of the basic game.

More to follow.

[Novelty]

Matt, please do remember to have a camera ready.  It'd be great to have pictures!!!! 

[mjharper]

So: it really is a remake of the original. I haven't compared the tile distribution in detail, but the set contains 72 tiles, a score board, and five sets of eight figures.

It also contains a large 'wheel of fate' (4x4 tiles), which should serve as a starting tile, and a giant pink pig for use on the wheel.

18 of the new tiles have numbers on them - something to do with moving the wheel, I think. The instruction manual claims to be identical to the original, with new rules for the wheel highlighted in red. I'll have a proper read through confirm that later.

The set I ordered seems to have been a limited edition - not only does it come with a signed copy of the accompanying book (557 pages), but the inside of the box has a insert stuck to it claiming to number 433 of 500, and is signed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede (!).

Here's some scans of the tiles:

[Whaleyland]

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! But then HiG did the one cardinal sin that they have avoided all this time: they have printed text on an actual game component! Stupid Wheel of Fate! Now if I buy you, you will be in German and I won't understand you. Will they make this expansion/spin-off/remake in English? Oh, it is so very doubtful. Must buy...must buy...spinning wheels of avarice...

Questions:
1. Does the wheel have some sort of spinner?
2. Can you snap-shot or scan the pig for us?

Wheel Translations:
Hungersnot – Famine (Bauern x Städte – Farmer x of cities)
Unwetter – Tempest (Gefolgsleute im Vorrat – something to do with "the supply")
Inquisition – Inquisition (Mönch – Monk)
Pest – Plague (1 [Meeple] zurück in den Vorrat – 1 [Meeple] back into the supply)
Fortuna – Fortune(?) (Move the pig?)
Steuern – Controls ([Shield] + Ritter – [Shield] + Knight)

Now, what do all these mean? That's for mj to discover

[Xaif]

The tile distribution is diferent from the basic game.

I think is a combination whith tiles coming from the base and the 1st expansion.

[mjharper]

I'll do a proper translation of the rules soon (I have to go out tonight), but basically it's as follows:

The new wheel is the starting tile, and the pig of fate (TM) is placed in on Fortune segment, nose point to the right (seriously).

Whenever a player chooses not to deploy a follower to a segment, the follower can be placed on one of the crown areas (need a better trans) on the rim on the wheel.

Whenever a tile with a wheel number is drawn, the game pauses (before the tile is placed). The pig of fate then moves clockwise around the wheel segments - the same number as on the tile drawn. Any segments passed over are ignored, but the segment the pig lands on triggers an action, as follows:

Fortune (Fortuna) - the player whose turn it is receives 3 points.

Tax (Steuern) - points for knights. For every knight, you receive 1 point for every pennant in an occupied city, plus 1 point for every one of your knights in that city. So: blue has 2 knights in a 2 pennant city, and scores 8 points (2x(2+2)).

Famine (Hungersnot) - points for farmers. Every framer 1 point for every completed city on/in a farm.

Storm (Unwetter) - every follower in the supply - not in play - gives a player 1 point.

Inquisition - Every player received 2 points for every monk they have in play.

Plague - Starting with the player whose turn it is, every player must return one follower to their supply.

It's important to note that all of these, except Fortune, affect all players.

After that, the crown areas of that wheel segment are scored. If there is only one crown area, any follower stood on it receives 3 points. If there are two areas, but only one follower is stood there (the second are is unoccupied) the player scores 6 points. If there are two followers stood there - one on each segment - then each scores it's owner 3 points. Then these followers are returned to the supply.

Finally, the player whose turn it is may now place the tile drawn as usual.

_________
So there you go. It is a complete expansion, although from that perspective there are a number of redundant tiles and / or figures, but it also works as an alternative 'vanilla' Carc. Definitely an improvement from The Catapult, but my guess is that it won't add that much to the play (unlike, say, Abbey and Mayor).

I wonder if the Pig of Fate (TM) features heavily in the novel?

Just musing aloud...

Fate's a pig, and then you pork it...

[mjharper]

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! But then HiG did the one cardinal sin that they have avoided all this time: they have printed text on an actual game component! Stupid Wheel of Fate! Now if I buy you, you will be in German and I won't understand you. Will they make this expansion/spin-off/remake in English? Oh, it is so very doubtful. Must buy...must buy...spinning wheels of avarice...

That's true, and I hope they do release a English version. But to be honest, with the added scoring complexity I think a little help is needed...

Questions:
1. Does the wheel have some sort of spinner?
2. Can you snap-shot or scan the pig for us?

1. No, no spinner. Thankfully (would play havoc with other tiles, I'd imagine)
2. Um, maybe . But it really is just a big pink pig. Think of the relationship between the normal and big follower, and colour it pink, and you've got it.

[Whaleyland]

Last question: Where did you buy it (I hope from inside the US)? I just left the UK and am kicking myself that I didn't stay one more week to get this straight from Germany. Thanks!

[mjharper]

Last question: Where did you buy it (I hope from inside the US)? I just left the UK and am kicking myself that I didn't stay one more week to get this straight from Germany. Thanks!

I ordered it direct from amazon.de (the original link at the start of the thread). They posted it yesterday and it arrived today... But then I do live in Germany

At the moment it doesn't seem to be on the other amazon sites. I guess it will take a little while to filter through...

[chr15lynn]

nice work MJ.....thanks for the review/photos, etc.

My wife is going to England to visit family in Aug. and she's meeting her friend there that lives in Germany.....I'm SOOOOOO tempted to have her bring me one back!
But, maybe worth waiting for an English version?  Clearly all the contents of the book will be lost on me as I don't speak German      Any info on the book?