Carcassonne: The Castle
Carcassonne: The Castle Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 1 castle wall, consisting of 10 pieces, which must be put together like a puzzle before each game.
- 60 castle tiles
The parts of the castle: path, house, tower, court.
Special parts of the castle:
- Court with market
- Path with square — the square divides the path into 3 sections.
- Path with fountain — the fountain does not divide the path into separate sections.
The scoring track is located on the castle wall. The start spaces are marked along the inside of the castle wall.
The people, animals, and objects pictured on the castle tiles have no meaning in the game!
- 18 wall tiles (each pictured tile is included twice). All wall tiles share a common back.
- 14 followers in 2 colours
- 2 keeps in 2 colours — the keep (palas) is the main building of a medieval castle.
- These rules
The Goal of the Game
Turn by turn, the players lay out the castle tiles within the castle wall. In doing so, paths of varying length and towers, houses, and courts of varying size are created, on which the players can place their followers in order to grab points. Since points can be scored both during the game and at the end of the game, the winner is not determined until after the final scoring.
Preparation
The castle wall is assembled according to the illustration on page 1, so that the numbers run in an unbroken sequence from 0 to 99.
The 60 castle tiles are shuffled well face down and placed on the table in several face-down stacks outside the castle wall, so that both players can reach them easily.
The 18 wall tiles are shuffled well face down. One wall tile is placed face down on each corner tower of the castle wall (with the exception of corner tower "0/1"). Surplus wall tiles go back into the game box unseen and are no longer needed.
Both players each receive the 7 followers and the keep of one colour and place 1 follower as a scoring marker on space 0 of the castle wall. The remaining 6 followers and the keep are first placed in front of each player as their supply. The younger player decides whether they or their opponent begins the game.
The Course of Play
The players take turns alternately. Whoever is on turn carries out the following actions in the order given:
- The player must draw a castle tile from one of the face-down stacks and lay it out so that it fits.
- The player may place one of their followers from their supply on the castle tile just laid.
- If completed paths, towers, or houses have been created by laying the castle tile, they must now be scored.
- If, by advancing along the castle wall, a player lands their scoring marker exactly on a corner tower of the castle wall, they receive the wall tile, if one is still lying there.
1. Laying Castle Tiles
As the first action of their turn, the player must take a castle tile from one of the face-down stacks. They first show it to their opponent (so that the opponent can also "advise" them properly) and then lay it face up. In doing so, they must observe the following:
- The first castle tile in the game must be laid with one side against one of the start spaces of the castle wall.
- Each further castle tile (outlined in red in the examples) must be laid with at least one side either against one of the remaining start spaces of the castle wall or against another castle tile. Laying a tile only "corner to corner" or "half tile to half tile" is not permitted.
- The paths must always be continued. The other castle parts (tower, house, and court) may be laid next to one another in any way desired.
- Anything may be laid against the castle wall (paths, towers, houses, and courts).
- If a castle tile cannot be laid, it is removed from the game and the player draws a new one.
Example: this is where the first tile of the game could be laid. The entire side of the tile must lie flush against the start space.
Examples are shown of legal placements ("this is how a tile may be laid") and illegal placements ("this is how a tile may not be laid").
2. Placing Followers
Once the player has laid the new castle tile, they may place a follower on it. In doing so, they must observe the following:
- They may only ever place 1 follower.
- They must take it from their supply.
- They may only place it on the castle tile just laid.
- They must decide which part of the castle tile they place the follower on. Either as a...
| Follower | Placed on |
|---|---|
| Herald | on a path |
| Knight | on a tower |
| Squire | on a house |
| Merchant | on a court (with or without market) |
- A new castle tile can enlarge paths, towers, houses, or courts that are already laid out. If a follower is already standing on the enlarged feature (from one of the previous turns), no further follower (not even one's own) may be placed into it. It makes no difference how far away the other follower is. Two examples make clear what is meant by this:
Example: no squire may be placed on the enlarged house, because a white squire is already standing in the house. A knight or a merchant may be placed, however.
Example: no merchant may be placed on the enlarged court, because a white merchant is already on the court. A squire may be placed, however.
In the course of a game it is nevertheless possible for several followers to be standing in a single feature. On this, see "Features Are Connected" on page 4.
If a player runs out of followers during the game, they cannot place any followers. But have no fear: followers are also returned to you.
Now the player's turn is over and the opponent is on turn.
Exception: if a path, a tower, or a house has been completed by laying the new castle tile, it must be scored now. Courts are not scored during the game (but see the final scoring).
3. Completed Paths, Towers, and Houses Are Scored
A Completed Path
A path is complete when the individual path segments are bounded at all ends by a square or by the castle wall, when they run into a building, or when the path forms a closed loop. A path can be of any length (it can be made up of any number of castle tiles).
For a completed path, the player who has the most heralds on that path receives 1 point for each castle tile of which the path is made up. (Should the path run into a matching start space, that space counts as well, as if it were a castle tile.)
Example: black receives 2 points (2 castle tiles with paths). The path is ended by a square and by the castle wall.
These points, like all further points, are recorded immediately on the castle wall. The castle wall shows a circuit of 100 spaces. Should a player be able to move their scoring marker beyond space 99, they begin again on space 0. As a sign that they already have 100 points, they lay their scoring marker down on its side.
If one or more fountains lie along the edge of the path, the player receives 2 points for each castle tile of which the completed path is made up. Even with more than 1 fountain per completed path there are only 2 points for each castle tile.
Example: black receives 8 points. (3 castle tiles and the piece in the castle wall form the completed path. Since a fountain lies on this path, each castle tile is worth 2 points.) The marks show where the path ends in each case.
A Completed Tower
A tower is complete when the individual tower sections are completely surrounded by paths, houses, courts, or the castle wall (and the tower has no gap in it). A tower can be of any size (it can be made up of any number of castle tiles).
For a completed tower, the player who has the most knights on the tower receives 2 points for each castle tile of which the tower is made up. (Should the tower run into a matching start space, that space counts as well, as if it were a castle tile.)
Example: white receives 8 points. (4 castle tiles with the connected tower sections 1, 2, 3, 4.)
A Completed House and the Keep
A house is complete when the individual house sections are completely surrounded by paths, towers, courts, or the castle wall (and the house has no gap in it). A house can be of any size (it can be made up of any number of castle tiles).
For a completed house, the player who has the most squires in that house receives 1 point for each castle tile of which the house is made up. (Should the house run into a matching start space, that space counts as well, as if it were a castle tile.)
Example: white receives 1 point. (1 castle tile with a house.) The house is not continued around the corner.
General: it is irrelevant which of the two players completes a feature (path, tower, or house). The points for a completed feature always go to whoever has the most followers in that feature.
As soon as a player completes their first house, they place their keep on it. If they themselves later complete a larger house (with more castle tiles) in which they also have the most squires, they move their keep there. At the end of the game the keep thus marks each player's largest house.
Features Are Connected
By laying castle tiles, features can be connected. By connecting features, several heralds can then be standing on one path, several knights on one tower, several squires on one house, or several merchants on one court.
Therefore, when scoring a completed path, a completed tower, or a completed house, it is first determined whether one of the players has more followers there than the other. That player then receives the points alone. If both players have the same number of followers in that feature, no one receives the points in the scoring (see the example above: neither black nor white receives the points).
Example: when white and black placed their knights, the towers were separate. Only with the new castle tile were they connected. Now both knights are standing in the same tower, which was also completed at once by the new castle tile.
Attention: several followers in the same feature do not contradict the rule on page 3: "If a follower is already standing on the enlarged feature, no further follower (not even one's own) may be placed into it." That rule applies to the placing of followers! Here, however, it is a matter of the connecting of features. At the time of placement the followers were standing in separate features. After the connection they are standing in the same feature.
The Return of the Followers to Their Owners
After a path, tower, or house has been completed and scored — and only then — the followers placed there (exception: merchants) return to their owners. The player or players take them back and may place them again from their next turn on in any role they like.
Fast Points
It is possible, in the same turn, to place a follower, score immediately, and get the follower back again. To do this, one must … (always in this order!)
- Complete a path, a tower, or a house with the new castle tile.
- Place a follower (according to the rules on page 3).
- Score the completed path, tower, or house.
- Take the follower back.
Example: black receives 1 point for the completed path.
Example: black receives 4 points for the completed tower.
4. The Wall Tiles
If, during a scoring, a player lands their scoring marker exactly on a corner tower of the castle wall (= on one of the two number spaces that each corner tower has), they take the wall tile, if it has not previously been cleared away by the opponent, and lay it face up in front of them. If one skips over the corner tower, one does not receive the wall tile!
The player can use this wall tile from their next turn on. In their turn a player may also use several wall tiles. A used wall tile is removed from the game. The wall tiles are explained in more detail on page 6.
For the clearing away of a wall tile, the following is also important: should several scorings be triggered by one castle tile, the player who laid the castle tile always scores first.
Example: black moves their scoring marker to space 33 and takes the wall tile.
The Court
Courts are separated from one another by paths, towers, and houses.
If a player places a merchant on a court, they lay it down on its side as a sign that a merchant does not return to its owner during the game. This is because the courts are not scored until the end of the game.
Example: 3 separate courts.
The End of the Game
The game ends with the completed turn in which the last castle tile was laid.
All wall tiles still remaining on the castle wall are cleared away, and the final scoring follows.
The Final Scoring (Scoring the Keep, the Courts, and the Wall Tiles)
In the final scoring, the largest keep and the courts are scored. In addition, wall tiles 4 – 9 now come into use. Incomplete paths, towers, and houses are not scored. Exception: a player has wall tiles 4, 5, or 6.
Scoring the Largest Keep
The player with the largest keep (that is the player with the largest completed house) receives the following points:
Within the castle wall, exactly 16 spaces in total have remained unoccupied at the end of the game. The largest connected area of these free spaces is determined, and the castle tiles that would still have fitted into it are counted. The player with the largest keep advances this number on the scoring track.
If both players' keeps are the same size, neither receives the points.
Attention: note wall tile 8!
Example: no castle tiles were laid in the white spaces. The largest connected area in this example comprises 11 spaces. The player with the largest keep therefore receives 11 points.
Scoring the Courts
The player who has the most merchants on a court receives 3 points for each market on that court. If both players have the same number of merchants on a court, no one receives the points.
Example: white receives 3 points. 1 market lies on the small court (separated from the large court by paths and a house).
Example: on the large court there are a total of 5 markets (including the one on the scoring track). Black has the most merchants on the court. Black receives 15 points. White comes away empty-handed on this court. If black were able to use wall tile 7, they would receive 4 points for each market, that is 20 points in total.
Afterwards, the points for wall tiles 4, 5, 6 (for incomplete features) and 9 are awarded, if they are in play.
The player with the most points wins.
Description of the Wall Tiles
| No. | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | You immediately take a complete second turn. (During the game) |
| 2 | 1 completed tower counts double for you. (In a scoring you receive 4 points per castle tile) |
| 3 | 1 completed house counts double for you. (In a scoring you receive 2 points per castle tile) |
| 4 | 1 incomplete path brings you 1 point per castle tile. (In the final scoring) |
| 5 | 1 incomplete tower brings you 2 points per castle tile. (In the final scoring) |
| 6 | 1 incomplete house brings you 1 point per castle tile. (In the final scoring) |
| 7 | Each market on 1 court brings you 4 points. (In the final scoring) |
| 8 | Your keep is 2 castle tiles larger. If, for example, it comprises 5 castle tiles, it now counts as though it consisted of 7 castle tiles. (In the final scoring) |
| 9 | You receive 5 points. (In the final scoring) |
A player who wants to use tiles 2 – 7 must have more followers in the scored feature than their opponent.
Points Table
| Feature | Points |
|---|---|
| Path | 1 |
| Path with fountain | 2 |
| Tower | 2 |
| House | 1 |
| Market | 3 |
Credits
© 2003 Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH
Do you have suggestions, questions, or criticism? Write to our e-mail address: [email protected], or by post: Hans im Glück Verlag, Birnauer Str. 15, 80809 München, Fax: 089-302336.
For countless test games, ideas, and suggestions, the publisher thanks Iain Adams, André and Alex, Chris Bowyer, Martin Higham, Dieter Hornung, Ross Inglis, Kevin Jacklin, Chris Lawson, Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Schorsch, and especially Andreas Seyfarth.