Carcassonne - The Princess & The Dragon - Expansion 3 (Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy)
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The FroGames Card
You've just completed a perfect monastery when the dragon appears from the hill and devours your monk. Your opponent smiles. You play the fairy. Now they're smiling less.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
When fantasy breaks into the French countryside
The Fairy & The Dragon (originally Princess & Dragon) is the third major expansion for Carcassonne, designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede and published by Hans im Glück in 2005. It introduces fantasy elements into the medieval world of the base game: a wooden dragon that roams the tiles devouring followers, a protective fairy, princesses who drive knights out of cities, and underground passages for farmers.
At the table, you still build landscapes with tiles and place meeples on roads, cities, and monasteries. But now every Dragon tile forces players to move the dragon six steps, eliminating all followers it encounters. The fairy can protect you, princesses free up spaces in cities, tunnels offer escape routes. It's Carcassonne with more interaction, more unpredictability, more revenge.
What they say abroad
"Adds a dose of chaos and direct conflict that the base game lacks."
It adds a dose of chaos and direct conflict that the base game lacks.
— BoardGameGeek
This expansion changes the pace of Carcassonne: every dragon tile creates immediate tension, every dragon move can ruin perfect plans. It's no longer just about placing tiles and hoping: you have to defend, attack, protect. The fantasy isn't cosmetic; it profoundly changes the game.
— FroGames
Carcassonne - The Fairy & The Dragon - Expansion 3 (Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy)
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsWhat's in the box
The new fantasy elements
The Dragon
A large wooden token that moves across the board. When a dragon tile appears, players move it six steps, eliminating all followers it encounters. It's Carcassonne's nastiest weapon.
The Fairy
A token that protects one of your followers: the dragon cannot enter the tile it's on, and at the start of your turn, it gives you extra points. It's the only defense against chaos.
Princess Tiles
Cities with princesses depicted: when you place them, you can remove a knight from that city (yours or someone else's). Useful for freeing up spaces or sabotaging opponents.
Underground Passages
Tiles with tunnels: they allow farmers to move from one field to another without being exposed. An escape route that didn't exist in the base game.
Recommended sleeves 30 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 46 × 46 mm | 30 |
| Total cards | 30 |
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
A turn in this expansion follows the structure of basic Carcassonne, but with events triggered by the new tiles.
As always, you draw a tile and place it following the adjacency rules. If it has a dragon, volcano, or magic portal symbol, it triggers a special event after placement.
If the tile allows, you place a meeple on a road, city, monastery, or field. Or you move the fairy next to one of your followers already on the board to protect it.
If you placed a dragon tile, players move the dragon six spaces, removing followers. If it's a princess tile, remove a knight from the city. If it's a magic portal, you can place a follower on any incomplete feature.
If you complete a road, city, or monastery, you score points and reclaim your followers. If you have the fairy next to one of your meeples at the beginning of the turn, you gain 1 bonus point. Then it's the next player's turn.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Familiar setup
You set up the game like a normal Carcassonne: starting tile, meeples, score track. Then you place the wooden dragon and the fairy on the table. Those unfamiliar with the expansion ask, "What is that?" You smile.
The first dragon tile
Someone draws the first tile with a dragon egg depicted. The dragon activates: players, one after another, move it one space each for a total of six spaces. Any follower it encounters is removed. The first victim complains, the others laugh. Then they realize it can happen to anyone.
Defenses and revenge
Whoever has the fairy places it next to their most valuable follower: the dragon cannot enter there. Others try to place meeples far from the dragon, or send it towards opponents' followers when they draw dragon tiles. Informal alliances form and break in one turn.
The princess's move
Someone places a princess tile on a huge, almost complete city and removes an opponent's knight. The city remains open, points vanish. Shouts of protest, laughter from the others. It's the moment everyone will remember.
Final scoring
The board is a fantasy mosaic: dragon stopped on a tile, fairy next to a monastery, tunnels crossing the fields. Points are counted. Whoever protected their followers best wins, but whoever lost the most meeples has the best stories to tell.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things to consider
The dragon is mean to everyone
You can't completely control where it goes: each player moves it one step, so whoever comes after you can sabotage your plans or send it towards your followers. If you don't like direct interaction or chaos, this expansion isn't for you.
Turns get longer
Each dragon tile requires all players to decide where to move the dragon (six steps total). With 5-6 players, a single dragon event can take two minutes. The game slows down compared to the base game.
Requires the base game
This is an expansion, not a standalone game. You need basic Carcassonne to play. The 30 new tiles mix with the original ones, so the more expansions you add, the more you dilute the probability of drawing dragon events.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when the last tile is placed. Whoever has the most points wins, but whoever lost the most followers has the best stories.
Victory
- You complete cities, roads, and monasteries before the dragon eliminates your followers
- You use the fairy to protect followers on large features and accumulate bonus points
- You use underground passages to place farmers in dominant fields without exposing them to the dragon
Defeat (or almost)
- The dragon eliminates your followers from the most valuable features before you can complete them
- You don't protect your meeples with the fairy and run out of available followers too early
- Other players use princesses to sabotage your best cities just as you're about to close them
It's no longer the peaceful Carcassonne you knew: it's revenge, protection, and fantasy chaos. And the wooden dragon on the board always makes a scene.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Carcassonne - The Fairy & The Dragon - Expansion 3 (Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy)
Can I play this expansion without the base game?
No. The Fairy & The Dragon is an expansion, not a standalone game. It requires the basic Carcassonne to play: the 30 new tiles mix with the original ones, and you use the followers and score board from the base game.
What mechanics does Carcassonne - The Fairy & The Dragon use?
The mechanics are tile placement, area majority, and take that (direct interaction via the dragon). Compared to the base game, it adds special events triggered by symbols on the tiles.
Does the dragon ruin the game or improve it?
It depends on your taste. If you love planned and zen Carcassonne, the dragon adds too much chaos. If, on the other hand, you find the base game too solitary and want more direct interaction, this expansion transforms it into a game of attack and defense. It's a matter of personal preference.
Does it work well with 6 players?
Technically yes, but downtime increases. Each dragon event requires all six players to decide where to move it, and with six people at the table, the downtime between your turns becomes considerable. Ideal for 2-4 players, acceptable for 5, tiring for 6.
Is this edition in Italian?
Yes. The Giochi Uniti edition includes 30 tiles, 1 wooden dragon, 1 wooden fairy, and rules in Italian. The tiles have international graphics and symbols (there is no written text on the tiles, only icons), making them compatible with any edition of Carcassonne.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Carcassonne - The Fairy & The Dragon (Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy) is the third major expansion for Klaus-Jürgen Wrede's famous tile-placement game. For 2-6 players, ages 13+, 60 minutes playtime, it introduces fantasy elements: a wooden dragon that removes followers, a protective fairy, princesses that chase knights, and underground passages. Giochi Uniti Italian edition, compatible with basic Carcassonne and other expansions. Mechanics: tile placement, area control, direct interaction. Available on FroGames.it.
Carcassonne - The Princess & The Dragon - Expansion 3 (Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy)
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
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