The base game even comes with 2 mini-expansions (The River and The Abbot). A large figure that counts as two followers, when calculating who scores points for the completed feature. Under the Big Top is a solid expansion. There are two older editions of Carcassonne, differing in scoring of cities and fields. Whenever you build a field you can place your Shephard meeple on a field. It allows players another way to place meeples on the board to pick up extra points, and it forces players to be aware of what everyone is doing, instead of just focusing on their own buildings. The current scoring rules were introduced in the German version in 2004, but until 2008, the first edition scoring rules were still included with the English releases of Carcassonne, third edition rules[5][6] are now included with all editions (including the Xbox 360 and travel versions), and are assumed by all expansions in all languages. For example, two separate field tiles (each with a follower) can become connected into a single field by another terrain tile. My favorite part of this expansion is THE TOWER. The Wheel of Fortune a new mechanic based on icons on 16 tiles allowing an element of "fate" into the game. Sometimes in a game of Carcassonne, youll have to build a dinky two-tile city. This expansion adds three new options for the players to choose from while playing the game. Players will be bidding with the only recognized form of currency in Carcassonne: victory points. Carcassonne has a silly amount of expansions, including a PC version on Steam. The Catapult itself is very simple, made of unadorned pieces of wood put together that does exactly what its designed to do: fling things across your room. Here are the 3 things this expansion adds: This is a solid expansion that adds a lot to the base game but doesnt overpower it. The rules are simple, no one is ever eliminated, and the play is fast. If a player completes an unowned feature and they have a meeple in Carcassonne, theyll be able to immediately move the meeple into the completed feature. Jonathan | December 24, 2020November 6, 2020 | Buying Guides. If you do manage to find a copy of the Catapult, you should go into it expecting a wacky experience. 
Count meeple to be placed in the city of Carcassonne. A "pig" follower which increases the value of a field it is placed in. Traders & Builders adds an adorable piggy meeple and a new builder meeple.
After they are scored, the meeples stay where they are and are removed as normal whenever the feature they are sitting on is completed. These expansions are generally compatible with each other and may be played together. If all else fails, it does make for an incredible drinking game. Inns add one point per road tile, while Cathedrals add one point per tile or pennant in a city. The circus comes to Carcassonne with new meeple types and tiles. The Tunnels on the new tiles will sometimes continue on the other side allowing some really cool roads to be built and to continue on for more points. Carcassonne is considered to be an excellent "gateway game" by many board game players[7] as it is a game that can be used to introduce new players to board games. Gamecows.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Its just a little difficult to explain without showing somebody in-person on the board. At the end of the game, each completed road is worth one victory point (if you control the Robber token). The King and Robber are both easy to grasp. Tiles are drawn equal to the number of players and the first player chooses which tile he wants and places a bid for it. If two players have meeples for a completed feature, but one player has theirs on a Hill, the player with the hill will receive the points, and the other player gets nothing. [35], Ralph Querfurth has been the World Champion in four editions.
This expansion adds much more conflict between players, and players can start manipulating and attacking each other. So if youre playing this with anyone 8 or younger, it might be worth it if you find it available somewhere. This is an often-overlooked expansion that adds some really unique and fun mechanics to the game. Its usually worth overlooking this one unless you are trying to get every expansion for the game. On the crazy off-chance that all of these still have you thirsting for more, there are dozens and dozens of smaller expansions that I didnt even have a chance to mention. [32], The first official Carcassonne World Championship was held at SPIEL in Essen, Germany, in 2006. On top of that, the expansion fits easily into the others, making it one of my favorites. It adds depth and strategy without throwing too many monkey wrenches into the rules. It adds enough depth to make the game interesting, especially if youve played the original to death. Looking for even more Strategy Games?
6 new Messenger Meeple for the scorecard which allow for possible bonus points by drawing from a new stack of action tiles. This is the first expansion that does not include tiles, and is also the first time meeples have been released in plastic. If nothing is completed in the fief, then you get no points so youll have to balance risk and reward, depending on where you are at in the game. If, however, you want a serious board game, do not get this expansion. Just like the Hills & Sheep expansion, this expansion is often overlooked as well. 8 tiles which incorporate the included gold bar pieces, which allow for bonus points at the end of the game. carcassonne [33] An annual world championship has been held at SPIEL every year since 2006 with the exceptions of the fifth championship, which was held on 24 October 2010 during SPIEL but at an alternate location in Herne, Germany; and the 2020 edition which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade goods appear in cities and are collected by the player who completes the city, even if they are not the one who scores it (thus encouraging the completion of other people's cities). [2] It received the Spiel des Jahres[3] and the Deutscher Spiele Preis awards in 2001. The Count, on the other hand, is a little trickier to grasp and add to other expansions, but it adds a lot of new strategy with its ability to move meeples around the board. Hidden in the Sheep bag are two hungry Wolf tokens. The main components of this expansion are: If you enjoy set collection games, this is a fantastic expansion to go for. 
Now we are getting into the expansions that are only worth getting if you have a significant amount of the ones above and are looking for specific gameplay changes. Princess tiles and Dragon figure allow for followers to be removed. We couldnt end this list without including the original Carcassonne. ", "Ars Technica's ultimate board game buyer's guide", "Carcassonne: Using a Tabletop Game to Teach Geographic Concepts", "exozet develops Android and J2ME version of board game classic Carcassonne", "Review of Carcassonne: The Computer Game", "Koch Media concludes "Carcassonne" licensing contract for Nintendo DS", "Microsoft Offers More Ways to Play Games for Windows and Xbox 360 at German Games Convention", "Build a Medieval Empire on Xbox LIVE Arcade with the Popular German Board Game, "Xbox LIVE Turns Five, Gives Away Carcassonne", "JCloisterZone Java implementation of Carcassonne board game", "Concarneau web version of the Carcassonne board game", "Carcassonne International Championship 2003", "World Team Carcassonne Online Championship", "Hans Im Gluck and Spielezentrum support the WTCOC", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carcassonne_(board_game)&oldid=1099809160, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1 point + 1 point for each of the surrounding tiles. I havent played most of the expansions in 7, so am concerned it wont be as great an experience as the other big box Im used to! Needing to recruit some other players to get addicted. Not compatible with the 10th anniversary edition of the base game (10th edition replaced all of the wooden meeples with the same plastic meeples used in the phantom expansion, which makes it impossible to tell them apart even though they would use new rules). Inns & CathedralsTraders & BuildersThe AbbotThe River IThe Flying MachinesThe FerriesThe MessengersThe Gold MinesMage & WitchThe RobbersThe Crop Circles. At the end of the game, when there are no tiles remaining, all incomplete features are scored. There are some great parts of this expansion but its not an essential one to get.
They are the most faithful to the original game without adding too many extras and are generally the most well-received and easiest to get into out of all of the expansions. With less than 7,000 plays according to Board Game Geek, this is definitely a lesser played expansion. The first player to build a road will get the Robber token. You may notice that theres still no coin or currency in the game. Carcassonne The Messengers (Carcassonne Die Depeschen), 3. Another new element are Barns. The cloth Sheep bag is nice and is another nice little extra that comes with the expansion. (Just a note: Z-Man Games is currently re-releasing some of these expansions and not others, so availability may be limited on certain titles.). The Catapult expansion is an example of an expansion changing the dynamic of a game to appeal to a broader audience. Volcano and Dragon tiles that place and move the dragon. With a Castle, players can instead build a Castle and place a meeple on a two-tile city to create a fief. Multiple meeples mean multiple scores. Figuring out which Carcassonne expansion would work best for your group can be difficult. There are 4 main things this expansion adds to the game: Of all of these mechanics, The Barn is the most complex since scoring changes based on whether there is a Pig or Castle present. Its always nice having a set goal to look forward to when playing a game, but some players may find themselves so focused on the bonus points that the entire game becomes the pursuit of the Robber and King. Many expansions work off the base games strength to improve that feeling. 6 tiles making a new Corn Circles expansion composed of each of the bonus tiles from the 6 minis. They have to be placed with a Farmer meeple. Events that can be triggered include famine, plague, and fortune, among others. In general (see table), points are awarded for the number of tiles covered by a feature; cloisters score for neighboring tiles; and fields score based on the number of connected completed cities. Its also one of my favorites for on-the-go and as a warm-up for bigger games. It still feels like Carcassonne and doesnt alter anything too drastically. Its an excellent expansion and is an excellent starting point if you want to give it a try.
Followers that allow a sixth player to play (grey 2002)(pink 2015). The Mayor meeples, identified by the big poofy pantaloon meeples, are used to help capture cities. For such a cutesy theme, the Princess & The Dragon is a little bit cutthroat. Youll have to score them before the game ends. This is the black sheep of the main expansions for Carcassonne. Carcassonne The Gold Mines (Carcassonne Die Goldminen), 5. Carcassonne Mage & Witch (Carcassonne Magier & Hexe), 6. For example, if someones trying to snatch control of one of your cities from you, then you can drop your Big Meeple in the city that will count as two meeples that will help you to keep control long enough to score it. This was a very divisive mechanic that wasnt well-received since the base game was enjoyed for not having a competitive direct interaction with other players. I like the fact that you can pick and choose which elements you like and most importantly, it still feels like an awesome game of Carcassonne that captures the feel of the original. The animal is revealed and it will have a number token on it. When the symbol tile is completed, youll receive a token that matches the symbol. They are extremely powerful. The game is fun and if you enjoy Carcassonne but dont own a copy, this would be a good choice. When a Barn is placed, the farmers on fields connected to the barn can be scored immediately and returned to the supply pile to be used elsewhere. As you can see, theres a ton of value jammed into one box and it should keep you busy for a long time to come. carcassonne The Catapult expansion (if you can still find it) is generally considered the worst expansion for Carcassonne ever made. I enjoy conflict, but it just feels wrong in Carcassonne. The Wheel of Fortune expansion isnt necessarily an expansion, but more of an alternative starting point for your first game of Carcassonne. There are 5 pieces of this expansion: Of course, The River mini-expansion comes with every new version of Carcassonne so The River II isnt super exciting. This expansion is really a compilation of different mini-expansions that were released for the base game. carcassonne expansion mayor abbey game games carcassone walmart exp gamesmen In total there are 10 main expansions and 14 mini-expansions which is an absolutely massive amount of additional content for any game. When a Ringmaster is scored, they will gain two bonus points for every Circus tile or Acrobat tile that is adjacent to them. Whenever a Bazaar tile is placed the game stops and an auction round occurs. Great article! I hope you enjoyed our picks for the best Carcassonne expansions. Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals Board Game EXPANSION 1 | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Carcassonne Traders & Builders Board Game EXPANSION 2 | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults #6: Carcassonne: The Princess & The Dragon, #9: Carcassonne: Bridges, Castles and Bazaars. Every time a player places a tile and completes an opponents feature, the player can move a meeple into Carcassonne. 12 River tiles that replace the single initial tile. Want to talk board games? Acrobat tiles look like they have a blank rectangle in the center of them. The second expansion, Traders & Builders, is highly regarded as the best expansion along with the first expansion. When it gets activated players will begin to direct it around the board, destroying and eating meeples in its wake. I really enjoy fantasy and all things related, but Princess & Dragon seemed like a flimsy excuse to appeal to a wider audience. Any player that places a tile adjacent to the Acrobat tile can add a meeple to the pyramid. This expansion allows players to become shepherds on the hills in addition to the usual thieves, knights, monks, and farmers. Its just much more fun to pull tiles out of a bag instead of a pile or a coffee mug. The game ends when the last tile has been placed. There are some mechanics that the base game doesnt do well, so by adding in the new tiles, theres added risk and incentive to finish roads and cities. Players who control a tower will be able to kidnap another players meeple on the board that is nearest the Tower. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys the base game or just wants some more players at their table. Inns & Cathedrals, as you might guess, adds new scoring options for roads. Players can get some serious points when combined with some of the other expansions that focus on road building, like the Count, King & Robber expansion. Its everything you love about Carcassonne, but better.
Six stand-alone mini expansions, with each containing a tile for a seventh mini expansion. With more meeples, the player count jumps up to six, and theres an additional BIG MEEPLE. If youve ever played Catan, the mechanics will be familiar for the king and robber. Anything touching an abbey can use it to complete its section.
3 points for each completed city bordering the field. If youre looking into getting a set of Carcassonne and dont already have a copy, the Big Box edition is by far the best way to get started. First, well take a look at the Abbey tiles. Giving players the options to remove opponents meeples, drastically changes gameplay and how you approach the game. Z-Man Games is currently updating and re-releasing a lot of the Carcassonne expansions, so if your favorite isnt currently available, chances are its in the process of getting a makeover and will be updated soon. The last addition is more meeples. Your email address will not be published. When the new Circus tiles are placed a random animal token is taken and placed face down underneath the Circus tent piece. The second edition considered different fields separately for each field, the players with the greatest number of followers in a field scored three points for each city adjacent to the field, although points were only scored once for any given city. If you like extras, the game also comes with a nice quality cloth bag that you can store all of the tiles, making it much more portable than before.
Count meeple to be placed in the city of Carcassonne. A "pig" follower which increases the value of a field it is placed in. Traders & Builders adds an adorable piggy meeple and a new builder meeple. After they are scored, the meeples stay where they are and are removed as normal whenever the feature they are sitting on is completed. These expansions are generally compatible with each other and may be played together. If all else fails, it does make for an incredible drinking game. Inns add one point per road tile, while Cathedrals add one point per tile or pennant in a city. The circus comes to Carcassonne with new meeple types and tiles. The Tunnels on the new tiles will sometimes continue on the other side allowing some really cool roads to be built and to continue on for more points. Carcassonne is considered to be an excellent "gateway game" by many board game players[7] as it is a game that can be used to introduce new players to board games. Gamecows.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Its just a little difficult to explain without showing somebody in-person on the board. At the end of the game, each completed road is worth one victory point (if you control the Robber token). The King and Robber are both easy to grasp. Tiles are drawn equal to the number of players and the first player chooses which tile he wants and places a bid for it. If two players have meeples for a completed feature, but one player has theirs on a Hill, the player with the hill will receive the points, and the other player gets nothing. [35], Ralph Querfurth has been the World Champion in four editions.
This expansion adds much more conflict between players, and players can start manipulating and attacking each other. So if youre playing this with anyone 8 or younger, it might be worth it if you find it available somewhere. This is an often-overlooked expansion that adds some really unique and fun mechanics to the game. Its usually worth overlooking this one unless you are trying to get every expansion for the game. On the crazy off-chance that all of these still have you thirsting for more, there are dozens and dozens of smaller expansions that I didnt even have a chance to mention. [32], The first official Carcassonne World Championship was held at SPIEL in Essen, Germany, in 2006. On top of that, the expansion fits easily into the others, making it one of my favorites. It adds depth and strategy without throwing too many monkey wrenches into the rules. It adds enough depth to make the game interesting, especially if youve played the original to death. Looking for even more Strategy Games?
6 new Messenger Meeple for the scorecard which allow for possible bonus points by drawing from a new stack of action tiles. This is the first expansion that does not include tiles, and is also the first time meeples have been released in plastic. If nothing is completed in the fief, then you get no points so youll have to balance risk and reward, depending on where you are at in the game. If, however, you want a serious board game, do not get this expansion. Just like the Hills & Sheep expansion, this expansion is often overlooked as well. 8 tiles which incorporate the included gold bar pieces, which allow for bonus points at the end of the game. carcassonne [33] An annual world championship has been held at SPIEL every year since 2006 with the exceptions of the fifth championship, which was held on 24 October 2010 during SPIEL but at an alternate location in Herne, Germany; and the 2020 edition which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade goods appear in cities and are collected by the player who completes the city, even if they are not the one who scores it (thus encouraging the completion of other people's cities). [2] It received the Spiel des Jahres[3] and the Deutscher Spiele Preis awards in 2001. The Count, on the other hand, is a little trickier to grasp and add to other expansions, but it adds a lot of new strategy with its ability to move meeples around the board. Hidden in the Sheep bag are two hungry Wolf tokens. The main components of this expansion are: If you enjoy set collection games, this is a fantastic expansion to go for. 
Now we are getting into the expansions that are only worth getting if you have a significant amount of the ones above and are looking for specific gameplay changes. Princess tiles and Dragon figure allow for followers to be removed. We couldnt end this list without including the original Carcassonne. ", "Ars Technica's ultimate board game buyer's guide", "Carcassonne: Using a Tabletop Game to Teach Geographic Concepts", "exozet develops Android and J2ME version of board game classic Carcassonne", "Review of Carcassonne: The Computer Game", "Koch Media concludes "Carcassonne" licensing contract for Nintendo DS", "Microsoft Offers More Ways to Play Games for Windows and Xbox 360 at German Games Convention", "Build a Medieval Empire on Xbox LIVE Arcade with the Popular German Board Game, "Xbox LIVE Turns Five, Gives Away Carcassonne", "JCloisterZone Java implementation of Carcassonne board game", "Concarneau web version of the Carcassonne board game", "Carcassonne International Championship 2003", "World Team Carcassonne Online Championship", "Hans Im Gluck and Spielezentrum support the WTCOC", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carcassonne_(board_game)&oldid=1099809160, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1 point + 1 point for each of the surrounding tiles. I havent played most of the expansions in 7, so am concerned it wont be as great an experience as the other big box Im used to! Needing to recruit some other players to get addicted. Not compatible with the 10th anniversary edition of the base game (10th edition replaced all of the wooden meeples with the same plastic meeples used in the phantom expansion, which makes it impossible to tell them apart even though they would use new rules). Inns & CathedralsTraders & BuildersThe AbbotThe River IThe Flying MachinesThe FerriesThe MessengersThe Gold MinesMage & WitchThe RobbersThe Crop Circles. At the end of the game, when there are no tiles remaining, all incomplete features are scored. There are some great parts of this expansion but its not an essential one to get. They are the most faithful to the original game without adding too many extras and are generally the most well-received and easiest to get into out of all of the expansions. With less than 7,000 plays according to Board Game Geek, this is definitely a lesser played expansion. The first player to build a road will get the Robber token. You may notice that theres still no coin or currency in the game. Carcassonne The Messengers (Carcassonne Die Depeschen), 3. Another new element are Barns. The cloth Sheep bag is nice and is another nice little extra that comes with the expansion. (Just a note: Z-Man Games is currently re-releasing some of these expansions and not others, so availability may be limited on certain titles.). The Catapult expansion is an example of an expansion changing the dynamic of a game to appeal to a broader audience. Volcano and Dragon tiles that place and move the dragon. With a Castle, players can instead build a Castle and place a meeple on a two-tile city to create a fief. Multiple meeples mean multiple scores. Figuring out which Carcassonne expansion would work best for your group can be difficult. There are 4 main things this expansion adds to the game: Of all of these mechanics, The Barn is the most complex since scoring changes based on whether there is a Pig or Castle present. Its always nice having a set goal to look forward to when playing a game, but some players may find themselves so focused on the bonus points that the entire game becomes the pursuit of the Robber and King. Many expansions work off the base games strength to improve that feeling. 6 tiles making a new Corn Circles expansion composed of each of the bonus tiles from the 6 minis. They have to be placed with a Farmer meeple. Events that can be triggered include famine, plague, and fortune, among others. In general (see table), points are awarded for the number of tiles covered by a feature; cloisters score for neighboring tiles; and fields score based on the number of connected completed cities. Its also one of my favorites for on-the-go and as a warm-up for bigger games. It still feels like Carcassonne and doesnt alter anything too drastically. Its an excellent expansion and is an excellent starting point if you want to give it a try.
Followers that allow a sixth player to play (grey 2002)(pink 2015). The Mayor meeples, identified by the big poofy pantaloon meeples, are used to help capture cities. For such a cutesy theme, the Princess & The Dragon is a little bit cutthroat. Youll have to score them before the game ends. This is the black sheep of the main expansions for Carcassonne. Carcassonne The Gold Mines (Carcassonne Die Goldminen), 5. Carcassonne Mage & Witch (Carcassonne Magier & Hexe), 6. For example, if someones trying to snatch control of one of your cities from you, then you can drop your Big Meeple in the city that will count as two meeples that will help you to keep control long enough to score it. This was a very divisive mechanic that wasnt well-received since the base game was enjoyed for not having a competitive direct interaction with other players. I like the fact that you can pick and choose which elements you like and most importantly, it still feels like an awesome game of Carcassonne that captures the feel of the original. The animal is revealed and it will have a number token on it. When the symbol tile is completed, youll receive a token that matches the symbol. They are extremely powerful. The game is fun and if you enjoy Carcassonne but dont own a copy, this would be a good choice. When a Barn is placed, the farmers on fields connected to the barn can be scored immediately and returned to the supply pile to be used elsewhere. As you can see, theres a ton of value jammed into one box and it should keep you busy for a long time to come. carcassonne The Catapult expansion (if you can still find it) is generally considered the worst expansion for Carcassonne ever made. I enjoy conflict, but it just feels wrong in Carcassonne. The Wheel of Fortune expansion isnt necessarily an expansion, but more of an alternative starting point for your first game of Carcassonne. There are 5 pieces of this expansion: Of course, The River mini-expansion comes with every new version of Carcassonne so The River II isnt super exciting. This expansion is really a compilation of different mini-expansions that were released for the base game. carcassonne expansion mayor abbey game games carcassone walmart exp gamesmen In total there are 10 main expansions and 14 mini-expansions which is an absolutely massive amount of additional content for any game. When a Ringmaster is scored, they will gain two bonus points for every Circus tile or Acrobat tile that is adjacent to them. Whenever a Bazaar tile is placed the game stops and an auction round occurs. Great article! I hope you enjoyed our picks for the best Carcassonne expansions. Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals Board Game EXPANSION 1 | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Carcassonne Traders & Builders Board Game EXPANSION 2 | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults #6: Carcassonne: The Princess & The Dragon, #9: Carcassonne: Bridges, Castles and Bazaars. Every time a player places a tile and completes an opponents feature, the player can move a meeple into Carcassonne. 12 River tiles that replace the single initial tile. Want to talk board games? Acrobat tiles look like they have a blank rectangle in the center of them. The second expansion, Traders & Builders, is highly regarded as the best expansion along with the first expansion. When it gets activated players will begin to direct it around the board, destroying and eating meeples in its wake. I really enjoy fantasy and all things related, but Princess & Dragon seemed like a flimsy excuse to appeal to a wider audience. Any player that places a tile adjacent to the Acrobat tile can add a meeple to the pyramid. This expansion allows players to become shepherds on the hills in addition to the usual thieves, knights, monks, and farmers. Its just much more fun to pull tiles out of a bag instead of a pile or a coffee mug. The game ends when the last tile has been placed. There are some mechanics that the base game doesnt do well, so by adding in the new tiles, theres added risk and incentive to finish roads and cities. Players who control a tower will be able to kidnap another players meeple on the board that is nearest the Tower. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys the base game or just wants some more players at their table. Inns & Cathedrals, as you might guess, adds new scoring options for roads. Players can get some serious points when combined with some of the other expansions that focus on road building, like the Count, King & Robber expansion. Its everything you love about Carcassonne, but better.
Six stand-alone mini expansions, with each containing a tile for a seventh mini expansion. With more meeples, the player count jumps up to six, and theres an additional BIG MEEPLE. If youve ever played Catan, the mechanics will be familiar for the king and robber. Anything touching an abbey can use it to complete its section.
3 points for each completed city bordering the field. If youre looking into getting a set of Carcassonne and dont already have a copy, the Big Box edition is by far the best way to get started. First, well take a look at the Abbey tiles. Giving players the options to remove opponents meeples, drastically changes gameplay and how you approach the game. Z-Man Games is currently updating and re-releasing a lot of the Carcassonne expansions, so if your favorite isnt currently available, chances are its in the process of getting a makeover and will be updated soon. The last addition is more meeples. Your email address will not be published. When the new Circus tiles are placed a random animal token is taken and placed face down underneath the Circus tent piece. The second edition considered different fields separately for each field, the players with the greatest number of followers in a field scored three points for each city adjacent to the field, although points were only scored once for any given city. If you like extras, the game also comes with a nice quality cloth bag that you can store all of the tiles, making it much more portable than before.