Objective of the Game
Carcassonne – Gold Rush is a standalone game based on the mechanics of the classic Carcassonne game, set in the Wild West. The objective is to score the most points by cleverly placing land tiles and strategically deploying figures, called cowboys.
Setup
- Prepare Tiles: Shuffle all landscape tiles face down and place them as a draw stack.
- Place Starting Tile: Place the starting tile (it is marked) openly in the center of the table.
- Scoreboard: Set up the scoring board where players will track their points with scoring markers.
- Distribute Cowboys and Tents: Each player receives 5 cowboys (figurines) and 4 tents in their color.
Gameplay
The game is played in turns in a clockwise direction and consists of the following steps:
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Draw and Place Tile: Draw a landscape tile and place it so it matches the adjoining edges of the already placed tiles (railroads, grasslands, etc.).
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Place Figures (Optional): Decide whether to place one of your figures (cowboy or tent) on the tile just placed:
- Cowboys: These can be placed on railroads, grasslands, or mountains. A cowboy on a railroad scores points when the railroad is completed. Cowboys on mountains gather gold and score points during evaluation.
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Tents: Can be placed on mountain tiles and offer additional strategic options during the gold scoring.
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Gold Mining: When a mountain field is placed, draw gold nuggets from the bag and place them on this field, which can later be claimed by tents and cowboys.
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Scoring: Occurs whenever a road or a mountain range is completed by adding a tile. Points are awarded based on the number of tiles involved in the construction.
End of the Game
The game ends when the last tile is drawn and placed. A final scoring takes place: - Unscored landscapes are completed and evaluated. - Unclaimed gold reserves on mountain tiles are distributed.
Strategic Tips
- Strategic Placement: Carefully consider where to place your cowboys and tents to maximize gold nugget collection and scoring.
- Observe Gold Sites: Keep an eye on which mountain regions have gold placed and position yourself nearby.
- Flexibility with Tents: Use your tent to react flexibly to opponents' moves and gain advantages in gold rushes.
