The game for caravan

The caravan moves on, the Sultan would have Doosch! Yes, here in the Cologne area has once again started the foolish time, everywhere you meet strangely dressed people and the anticipation is already palpable almost palpable. How fortunate that I can start times so nix with Carnival and me love to live set to a new board game. Kosmos is so friendly and gives me the game directly to the caravan.

Kashgar (Gerhard Hecht / cosmos) lets us manage players caravans and transported with these spices along the Silk Road. Or else we purchase goods, fulfill orders and collect victory points. All this with only a handful of cards and a few, a few wooden markers.

Patriarch with entourage
At the beginning of a game of Kashgar in the players no more than 3 caravans consisting of a patriarch at the top and a random person behind it. Since 2 people hardly pass for a caravan, offers us the Patriarch when activated to recruit another person. Because we use every round the front person of a caravan, the decision is to start simple. So activate the Patriarchs, a selected two persons of the draw pile and covered them, as well as the patriarch, applied to the caravan behind. In the next round we have to activate the choice one of the two unused patriarch or the person of the first caravan that now lies ahead.

Spices, gold and mules
Precisely those (random) people help to create the variability of Kashgar. Some of them provide about spices, gold or Mulies. These are removed by means of wooden figurines on the player's tableau. Other meet with diverse goods orders and thus collect victory points. Even special functions, such as manipulating the own caravan or (optional) interactions with the players are to be found. Some of the actions are free, for others gold or spices have expended or the appropriate caravan participants are dropped.
The orders to be fulfilled, there is this in the following flavors: small, large and special. These differ partially in bonuses granted, but especially in the victory points. Their 25 need to finish the game and usually go as a winner of the game out.

Conclusion
The first look at Kashgar promises to refresh a known issue (deckbuilding) by a clever approach, while increasing control over their own destiny. Good card combinations are no longer owed the Nachziehglück but can be earned, the construction of Victory Point chains are clearly targeted at Kashgar. However, if you go with this idea to Kashgar, could experience a letdown. The own caravan is not as well planned as hoped by far. The restriction to 2 random cards in hiring of people good luck is. Although this can be countered with a few deliberately cards, but the loss of speed is possibly immensely. Simultaneously, the strategy quickly crystallized out in my groups to always have a caravan of one dealer at any time be able to meet orders. Who can do that, have a clear advantage. Strategies away this approach often occur randomly and can be planned only in exceptional cases.

Is Kashgar so disappointing? No, Kashgar is still a decent game, was my (perhaps too high) expectations but do not meet. The fortune portion is a bit too high for my taste. Major deckbuilding games deliver beyond the drawn cards additional voltage and provide emotions. Something that me in Kashgar sadly lacking.

@ Spielfreude.blogspot