Customer Reviews

Carcassonne: Traders

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an expansion for the Carcassonne game; note that you need the original game to use this. Also note that this is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers version of Carcassonne.

This expansion introduces trade goods into cities. When a city is completed, the person collects all goods inside the city (this person who completes the city may not be the same person who controls a city -- this introduces incentive to complete an opponent's city.) The person who had a majority of one of the three trade goods collects 10 extra points at the end of the game, which may give a 30 point swing at the end.

A builder is also introduced. A builder is placed on either a city or a road that you already control. When you add a tile to this road or city, you get to take an extra turn (maximum of one extra turn.) This can really help complete a city.

Finally, a farmer is introduced; it's placed in a field you already control and all fields are worth a puny extra point. (So at the end of the game a city would score 5 points instead of 4.) This is the single worst addition to the game in both expansions, as it has little effect on the game. But the rest of the game is good.

There are a lot of new city tiles, many of them "strange" in the way they cut off cities and fields. It's worth playing. A bag is included for storing tiles which solves the problem of the 1st expansion having slightly different colored backs. (Something I didn't notice until pointed out to me.)

I've only used the Traders & Builders and Inns & Cathedrals expansions, but I've also Carcassone the City and Carcassone without expansions. OF the four variations I've played, Carcassone with Traders and Builders was definitely the most interesting.

The variations on the game have already been described well by other reviewers, so I'll limit my comments to what makes the expansion so interesting:
-the trade goods give players an incentive to complete other players' cities; in other versions of the game, players often avoid other players's cities because they don't want to expand the city (adding to the city's value) of close the city (causing the city to be scored).
-in addition ot being a fun twist, the builder is also a great way of speading up the game. I think it actually took us less time to play with this expansion despite learning new rules and adding tiles.

If you own Carcassone, you should own this expansion.

This 2nd expansion to Carcassonne is an excellent addition that gives three new twists to the game.
The first are the trade goods, which are included in city tiles. They are granted to the person who plays the last tile to complete the city, which creates incentive to finish a city you otherwise have no stake in. At the end of the game, the player with the most of a given trade good gets 10 points; with 3 trade goods, this can be a pretty big swing.
The second is the builder piece. This piece must be added to a city or road you already control, and lets you take an extra turn in the future when you again add to that city or road. This gives you something to play when adding on to your cities, and also means that cities with the 3x piece from the first expansion are more likely to finish; making the 3x pieces a valuable addition to a city, instead of a disaster.
The third is the pig piece. This piece must be added to a farm you already control, and boosts the values of any completed cities it is next to from 4 to 5 for you alone. I disagree with the other (only other, at this time) reviewer that this piece is useless; I've often found that a well-placed pig can gain 5 or more points, and is generally played on a turn when you would not otherwise be playing a piece. This turns a 0 point turn (or perhaps 1 or 2) into a 5 point turn (or 6 or 7!), which is always welcome, in my mind.
The new pieces added are often unusually formed cities and odd constructs with roads and cities and so forth; mostly they will make completing cities harder (but only the ones with trade goods in them) and provide more opportunity to isolate farms.
While I don't consider this expansion as a "must have" like the first one (Carcassonne plays much better with the first expansion than without it), it is a lot of fun, and adds a few more tweaks to the game that are generally welcome.

In Carcassonne, one always has to keep in mind the many options on your turn, and also be keeping and eye out for future oportunities for building roads, castles and farms. With this expansion, those options increase, and demand a more attentive player at all times.

The main thing you have to keep an eye out for is the chance to get an extra turn. With the new special figure, the builder, you can actually place 2 tiles on your turn if you place a tile that contributes to the expansion of a road or castle. This requires the previous placement of said figure and trying not to forget that you can take advantage of that chance. There are also tiles with special markers, that when completed, give you icons representing some trade goods. If you manage to get the most of them, up to 30 extra points can be yours at the end of the game.

The last figure, a little pig, can increase the value of farms by a point. Not exactly a game changer, but it might separate a few close games.

All in all, I like this expansion, even if it does complicate things a bit, especially for new players or absent minded ones. Recommended for varying up the game or for gamers that like having as many options as possible.

This is a good expansion for Carcassonne (you *cannot* play this as a stand-alone game, you *must* have Carcassonne already!)

Each color (including gray) gets two new meeples, a "pig" and a "builder". The pig is added to a farm for +1 point for every city (regardless of whether you're playing with the new rules or the old ones). The builder is added to a city or road that you already possess, and allows you to take an extra turn (no more than one extra turn-per-turn) every time you add a tile to said city or road. (Oh, it's great fun to close somebody's city for them right after they added their builder, thus robbing them of their chance to get their extra turn!)

There also are many cities with 'trade goods' in them - cloth, wine, or grain. The person who completes a city with trade goods in them - not necessarily the person who owns that city - gets the goods. At the end of the game, the person with the most in each good gets extra points. Oh, is it ever fun to close somebody's city and get a sweet, sweet reward!

This is my favorite expansion pack for Carcassonne. It changes the dynamic of cities by adding commodity points to them and gives a player that 2nd turn if they've got a builder on a road. It's a really good expansion for the game and perhaps my favorite one.

My friends and I play this game at least 3 times a week and love it! The builder has become a crucial part of the game and adds a lot of strategy. Trying to "lock-up" the other player's builder so it can't be used adds yet another layer to the game and increases the fun. I highly recommend this expansion to anyone that owns Carcassonne. After using this expansion, it's difficult to go back to the original game without expansions.

Traders is a great add on in that its cheap and adds in a good number of new tiles. These tiles add new dimensions to the game and you'll end up with a lot more completed cities as other players will be gunning to complete yours for the goods.

It is a little slow. And a bit of a pain to count points at the end. I will probably play it a few more times, but it is not my favorite game to play.

This expansion has added a fun dimension to the game. The unique board pieces and the use of the builder and pig makes the game even more fun than before. The ability to play with 6 people was a must for my family. And the bag makes the passing of the tiles around for selection much easier. Highly recommended as a first expansion pack to the basic Carcassonne game.