- BGG rating
- 7.0
Rules assistance for Carcassonne: Die Katharer
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.9/5
Rules assistant for Carcassonne: Die Katharer
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carcassonne: Die Katharer is an expansion for Carcassonne released in 2004 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede and Christwart Conrad and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Tile Placement.
About the game
This is an 4 tile expansion for Carcassonne. The tiles allow you to lay siege on a city. A besieged city that is completed only yields 1 point per tile (2 if it includes a cathedral). Peasants supply the city as well as its besiegers, so every completed besieged city counts twice for them. Availability: The Siege tiles with the original art ('Die Katharer') are exclusive to German magazine Spielbox. They were included in issue 5/2004 (October/November) and the August 2005 'Der Carcassonne Almanach'. (Artist is Doris Matthäus.) The Siege has been re-released with new art by Rio Grande Games in October 2008 as part of the Mini Compilation Cult, Siege & Creativity. (Some have expressed concern with the new artwork as it is harder to see that a city is under siege.) A 6 tiles version of The Siege called 'Die Belagerer' (again with new art but similar to the Rio Grande edition) is part of the Carcassonne Müller Exklusiv-Edition released in 2013 and sold by the German trade company Müller. It's also available now through Cundco. Part of the Carcassonne series.
Designers
Publishers
- Hans im Glück
- W. Nostheide Verlag GmbH
Questions and answers
Carcassonne: Die Katharer supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Carcassonne: Die Katharer is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Carcassonne: Die Katharer for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Carcassonne: Die Katharer has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Carcassonne: Die Katharer belongs to these categories: Medieval, City Building, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Tile Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Carcassonne: Die Katharer are: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede and Christwart Conrad. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Carcassonne: Die Katharer as an expansion for Carcassonne. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Carcassonne to use it. Check that your edition of Carcassonne is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.