The Count is the 2nd Small Box expansion in the Carcassone series and consists of a Count Meeple and 12 new city tiles called the Inner City)placed the same way each time.

It can be used with all the expansions I have tried it with so far.

The idea is that when a player chooses to end his opponents current build scoring points for that opponent but none for him/herself that player may place a meeple into the inner city into one of four areas including the Castle, Market, Cathedral, and Blacksmith and move the Count to another section of the city if they choose. The four sections of the Inner City corespond with scoring forms in Carcassone.
Castle = City
Market = Farm
Cathedral = Cloister
Blacksmith = Road

When any player then later completes a build of the type that the players meeple was placed on in the Inner city that player may choose to move that meeple onto the completed build to count towards scoring.

The Count meeple complicates things by being placed on one of the four sections of the inner city and blocking the ability of all meeples placed on that section to be used.

Example:
Player 1 Ends a Road that Player 2 has a meeple on scoring 2 points for Player 2, but none for Player 1. Player 1 may now take one of his unused meeples and place it in the inner city on any section (Castle for this example). Player 1 moves the Count meeple onto the Blacksmith section blocking any meeples played there from being used. Later in the game Player 2 completes a 32 point city in which he has one meeple and player 1 has none. Player one takes his meeple from the Castle in the Inner City and uses it towards that city and thus shares the 32 points with Player 2.

Experience with it:
With inexperienced players the Count is frequently not used well or at all. Either players commit too many meeples to the inner city and don't have enough to play on the regular field, or they ignore it completely thinking that scoring any points for their opponent(s) is always a bad idea.
With 2 player games with no other expansions it can be quite difficult to do anything other than use the Inner City to share points of scoring structures you couldn't build into.
With >2 players it begins to really shine by being useful in commiting players to use up meeples in the Inner City to defend against over taking of their large builds while at the same time scoring you points in order to do so.

I find it to be a nice addition for the game when a change of pace is needed!

Since it's a mini expansion I give it a 4/5.