The Settlers of Catan, sometimes shortened to just Catan, is a multiplayer boardgame designed by Klaus
Teuber and first published in 1995 in
Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos) as Die Siedler von Catan. Players assume the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Players are rewarded points as their settlements grow; the first to reach a set number of points, typically 10, is the winner. The game and its many expansions are also published by Mayfair Games, Filosofia,Capcom, 999 Games, Κάισσα, and Devir.
The Settlers of Catan was one of the first German-style board games to achieve popularity outside of Europe. As of 2015, more than 22 million copies in 30 languages were sold. The game has been translated into 30 languages. It is popular in the United States where it has been called "the board game of our time" by The Washington Post. A 2012 American documentary film titled Going Cardboard (featuring Klaus Teuber) is about this game's impact on American gaming communities and what came of it. The game involves large amounts of strategy, while still being fairly simple to learn, making it perfect for those who wish to enter the world of strategic board games.
About Jack Berlin
Founded Accusoft (Pegasus Imaging) in 1991 and has been CEO ever since.
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Tag Cloud
Klaus Teuber
Game Rules
& almanac
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Dear Settlers,
To make it as easy as possible for you to start playing Catan®, we use an award-winning rules system, which consists
of 3 parts. First, if you do not know how to play Catan, please read the Game Overview on page 16 (the back cover).
Next, read the Game Rules on pages 2-6 (red borders) and start to play the game. If you have questions during the
game, consult the Catan Almanac on pages 6-15 (gold borders).
Now you are ready for your first adventure on Catan. Have fun settling this new land together!
— Klaus Teuber
You can find further information at:
catan.com mayfairgames.com klausteuber.com
Game Rules
These 4-page rules (pages 2-5) contain all the important
information that you need to play!
If you need more information during the game, you can look
up keywords (marked Y) in the “Almanac,” which follows
these rules.
Game ComponenTs
• 19 terrain hexes (tiles)
• 6 sea frame pieces
• 9 harbor pieces
• 18 circular number tokens
• 95 resource cards (bearing the symbols for the brick,
grain, lumber, ore, and wool resources)
• 25 development cards (14 knight cards,
6 progress cards, 5 victory point cards)
• 4 “Building Costs” cards
• 2 special cards: “Longest Road” & “Largest Army”
• 16 cities (4 of each color, shaped like churches)
• 20 settlements (5 of each color, shaped like houses)
• 60 roads (15 of each color, shaped like bars)
• 2 dice (1 yellow, 1 red)
• 1 robber
• 1 “Game Rules & Almanac” booklet
ConsTruCTinG The island
The frame pieces hold the board together and prevent
the pieces from moving after the board is in place. Before
building the island, assemble the frame by matching the
numbers at the ends of the frame pieces together (i.e., 1-1,
2-2, etc.).
You can then construct the island of Catan using the 19
terrain hexes as shown on page 3.
Starting Set-up for Beginners
You can play the game Catan on a variable game board.
For your first game, however, we suggest that you use the
“Starting Set-up for Beginners Y.” (See Illus. A on page 3.)
This set-up is well-balanced for all players.
Before your first game, you must remove the die-cut
components from the cardboard holders. Carefully punch
out and separate the pieces. When punching tiles out of the
die-cut sheets, always push the tiles through from the front,
“cut” side (pushing from the back may cause the tiles to rip).
Lay out the map as specified in Illustration A (or on the
back of this booklet).
First, assemble the frame as shown. Second, create Catan
by placing the 19 terrain hexes on the table—again as
shown. Third, place the circular number tokens on top of
the designated terrain hexes. Finally, place your settlements
and roads.
Africa is spring and we walk five paths toward the sun
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Starting Set-up for Experienced Players
It is more fun to play with a variable game board—with the
game board laid out randomly. The board changes each game.
If you would like to use the variable set-up, you can find the
guidelines in the Almanac under Set-up, Variable Y. Also look
for useful tips under Set-up Phase Y and Tactics Y.
seTTinG up The Game
Select a color and take your 5 settlements, 4 cities, and
15 roads (no more and no less!). Place your 2 roads and
your 2 settlements on the game board. Place your remaining
settlements, roads, and cities down in front of you.
Note: If you are playing a 3-player game, nobody plays the
red position indicated on the starting map.
Take your color’s building costs card. (See Illustration B.)
Place the special cards “Longest Road” and “Largest Army”
beside the game board along with the 2 dice.
Sort the resource cards into 5 stacks and put them face up
next to the game board.
Shuffle the development
cards and place them face
down by the board.
You receive resources Y
for each terrain hex
around your starting
settlement marked
with a white star H
(see Illustration A). Take
the appropriate resource
cards from their stacks.
9
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Illustration A
Starting Map
for Beginners
To make it as easy as possible
for you to get started with
Catan, we use an award-
winning rules system, which
consists of 3 parts—the
Overview, the Game
Rules, and
the Almanac.
If you’ve never
played Catan,
please read the
game Overview
first—it’s on the
back cover of this
booklet. Next, read the
Game Rules and start
to play. And finally, if you
have questions during the
game, please consult the
Almanac (it begins on page 6).
Odds fOr
dice rOlls
2 & 12 = 3%
3 & 11 = 6%
4 & 10 = 8%
5 & 9 = 11%
6 & 8 = 14%
7 = 17%
Resource Production
Robber
Illustration B
laRGest aRmy
2 Victory Points!
The first player to play 3 Knight cards
gets this card. Another player who plays
more Knight cards takes this card.
• A City replaces an already-built Settlement.
• Usually, you only play 1 development card per
turn, and you cannot play a development card on
the turn it’s built.
lonGest Road
2 Victory Points!
This card goes to the player with the
longest road of at least 5 segments.
Another player who builds a longer
road takes this card.
H
H
H
H
Hills
Produce Brick
Forest
Produces Lumber
Mountains
Produce Ore
Fields
Produce Grain
Pasture
Produces Wool
Desert
Produces Nothing
Begin the game with
the resource cards
produced by the
settlements
marked with
white stars.
See H.
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Example: See Illustration A. Blue receives 1 brick card,
1 lumber card, and 1 ore card for his leftmost settlement
(i.e., his settlement marked with a star H).
Each player keeps his resource cards hidden in his hand.
Important: Settlements and
cities may only be placed at
the corners of the terrain
hexes—never along the edges
(see Illustration C). Roads may
only be placed at the edges of
the terrain hexes—1 road per
edge (see Illustration D). The
Distance Rule Y means many
intersections along roads will
remain unoccupied.
Turn overview
Unless you’re using the Starting
Set-Up for Experienced Players,
the oldest player goes first.
On your turn, you can do the
following in the order listed:
• You must roll for resource
production Y (the result applies to all players).
• You may trade Y resource cards with other players and/or
use maritime trade Y.
• You may build Y roads Y, settlements Y or cities Y and/
or buy development cards Y. You may also play one
development card Y at any time during your turn.
After you’re done, pass the dice to the player to your left, who
then continues the game with step 1.
Tip: For advanced players, we recommend combining the
second and third steps. You can find more details in the
Almanac under “Combined Trade/Build Phase Y.”
The Turn in Detail
1. Resource Production
You begin your turn by rolling both dice. The
sum of the dice determines which terrain hexes
produce resources.
Each player who has a settlement on an intersection Y that
borders a terrain hex marked with the number rolled receives
1 resource card of the hex’s type. For an example see resource
production Y. If you have 2 or 3 settlements bordering that hex,
you receive 1 resource card for each settlement. You receive
2 resource cards for each city you own that borders that hex.
If there are not enough of a given resource in the supply to
fulfill everyone’s production, then no one receives any of that
resource during that turn (unless it only affects 1 player).
2. Trade Y
Afterwards, you may trade freely (using either or both types of
trades below) to gain needed resource cards:
a) Domestic Trade Y
On your turn, you can trade resource cards with any of the
other players. You can announce which resources you need and
what you are willing to trade for them. The other players can
also make their own proposals and counteroffers.
Important: Players may only trade with the player whose
turn it is. The other players may not trade among themselves.
b) Maritime Trade Y
You can also trade without the other players! During your
turn, you can always trade at 4:1 by putting 4 identical resource
cards back in their stack and taking any 1 resource card of your
choice for it. If you have a settlement or city on a harbor Y, you
can trade with the bank more favorably: at either a 3:1 ratio or,
in certain harbors, at 2:1 (trading the resource type shown).
Important: The 4:1 trade is always possible, even if you do
not have a settlement on a harbor.
3. Build Y
Now you can build. Through building, you can increase your
victory points Y, expand your road network, improve your
resource production, and/or buy useful development cards. To
build, you must pay specific combinations of resource cards
(see the Building Costs Card Y). Take the appropriate number
of roads, settlements, and/or cities from your supply and place
them on the game board. Keep development cards hidden in
your hand.
You cannot build more pieces than what is available in your
pool—a maximum of 5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads.
a) Road Y Requires: Brick & Lumber
A new road must always connect to 1 of your existing roads,
settlements, or cities. Only 1 road can be
built on any given path Y.
The first player to build a continuous
road (not counting forks) of at least 5
road segments receives the special card
“Longest Road Y”. If another player
succeeds in building a longer road than
the one created by the current owner of the “Longest Road”
card, he immediately takes the special card (and its 2 victory
points). In this case, there is a 4 victory point swing!
Illustration C
Illustration D
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b) Settlement Y Requires: Brick, Lumber, Wool, & Grain
Take special note of the “Distance
Rule” Y: you may only build a
settlement at an intersection if all
3 of the adjacent intersections are
vacant (i.e., none are occupied by any
settlements or cities—even yours).
Each of your settlements must connect to at least 1 of your
own roads. Regardless of whose turn it is (i.e., during any
production phase), when a terrain hex produces resources, you
receive 1 resource card for each settlement you have adjacent
to that terrain hex.
Each settlement is worth 1 victory point.
c) City Y Requires: 3 Ore & 2 Grain
You may only establish a city by
upgrading one of your settlements.
When you upgrade a settlement to a
city, put the settlement (house) piece
back in your supply and replace it with
a city piece (church).
Cities produce twice as many resources as settlements.
You acquire 2 resource cards for an adjacent terrain hex that
produces resources.
Each city is worth 2 victory points.
d) Buying a Development Card Y
Requires: Ore, Wool, & Grain
When you buy a development card,
draw the top card from the deck.
There are 3 different kinds of these
cards: knight Y, progress Y, and
victory point Y. Each has a different
effect (see 4.b, below).
Development cards never go back into the supply, and you
cannot buy development cards if the supply is empty.
Keep your development cards hidden (in your hand) until
you use them, so your opponents can’t anticipate your play.
4. Special Cases
a) Rolling a “7” and Activating the Robber Y
If you roll a “7,” no one receives any resources.
Instead, every player who has more than 7 resource cards
must select half (rounded down) of his resource cards and
return them to the bank.
Then you must move the robber Y. Proceed as follows:
(1) You must move the robber Y immediately to the number
token of any other terrain hex or to the desert Y hex.
(2) Then you steal 1 (random) resource card from an
opponent who has a settlement or city adjacent to the target
terrain hex. The player who is robbed holds his resource
card hand face down. You then take 1 card at random. If
the target hex is adjacent to 2 or more players’ settlements
or cities, you choose which one you want to steal from.
Important: If the production number for the hex containing
the robber is rolled, the owners of adjacent settlements and
cities do not receive resources. The robber prevents it.
b) Playing Development Cards Y
At any time during your turn, you may play 1 development
card (put it face up on the table). That card, however, may not
be a card you bought during the same turn (except for a victory
point card, as described below)!
Knight Cards (Purple Frame) Y
If you play a knight card, you must
immediately move the robber. See “Rolling
a ‘7’ and Activating the Robber” above and
follow steps 1 and 2.
Once played, knight cards remain face
up in front of you. The first player to have
3 knight cards in front of himself receives
the special card “Largest Army,” which is
worth 2 victory points. If another player has
more knight cards in front of him than the
current holder of the Largest Army card, he
immediately takes the special card and its
2 victory points.
Progress Cards (Green Frame) Y
If you play a progress card, follow its
instructions. Then the card is removed from
the game (i.e., toss it in the box).
Victory Point Cards (Orange Frame) Y
You must keep victory point cards hidden.
You may only reveal them during your turn
and when you are sure that you have 10
victory points—that is, to win the game. Of
course, you can reveal them after the end of
the game if someone else wins. You may play
any number of victory point cards during your
turn, even during the turn you purchase them.
endinG The Game
If you have 10 or more victory points during your turn,
the game ends and you are the winner! If you reach 10 points
when it is not your turn, the game continues until any player
(including you) has 10 points on his turn.
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Move the robber.
Steal 1 resource from the
owner of a settlement or
city adjacent to the
robber’s new hex.
KNIGHT
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MONOPOLY
When you play this card,
announce 1 type of resource.
All other players must give
you all of their resources
of that type.
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
LIBRARY
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almanac
This “Catan Almanac” contains detailed, alphabetical entries
and examples for Catan. These are not the “Game Rules”!
You do not have to read this material prior to your first game.
Instead, use the Game Rules. Then read this to enjoy the
complete experience.
This almanac includes advanced rules and clarifications. You
can also refer to it if any questions arise during a game.
B
build (buildinG)
You may build on your turn after you have rolled for resource
production and finished trading. To build, you must turn in the
specified combinations of resource cards (see the Building
Costs Cards Y). Return the resource cards to the supply stacks.
You can build as many items and buy as many cards as
you desire—as long as you have enough resources to “pay”
for them and they are still available in the supply. (See
Settlements Y, Cities Y, Roads Y, and Development Cards Y.)
Each player has a supply of 15 roads, 5 settlements, and 4
cities. If you build a city, return the settlement to your supply.
Roads and cities, however, remain on the board until the end of
the game once they are built.
Your turn is over after “building,” and the player to your left
continues the game.
New rule variant: see Combined Trade/Build Phase Y.
buildinG CosTs Cards
The building costs cards show what can be built and which
resources are required. When you pay building costs, you must
return the necessary resources to their supply stacks. You
can build settlements Y and roads Y, upgrade settlements to
cities Y, and buy development cards Y.
C
CiTies
You cannot build a city directly. You can only
upgrade an existing settlement to a city. You pay
the required resources, return the settlement to
your supply, and replace the settlement with a city on the same
intersection Y. Each city is worth 2 victory points. You receive
double resource production (2 resource cards) from the
adjacent terrain hexes whenever those numbers are rolled.
When you build a city, the upgraded settlement piece becomes
available again. You can use it to build another settlement later.
Example: See Illustration E. Claudia, the blue player, rolls
a resource production roll of “8.” She receives 3 ore cards: 1
ore for her settlement and 2 ore for her city. Benny, the red
player, receives 2 lumber for his city.
Hint: It is extremely difficult to win the game without
upgrading settlements to cities. Since you only have 5
settlements available, you can only reach 5 victory points by
only building settlements.
CoasT
When a terrain hex borders on the sea (i.e., a frame piece),
it is called a “coast.” You can build a road along a coast. You
can build settlements and upgrade settlements to cities on
intersections that border on the sea. However, since a site on
the coast borders only 1 or 2 terrain hexes, coastal settlements
generate smaller resource yields. Still, coastal sites often lie
on harbors, which allow you to use maritime trade Y to trade
resources at more favorable rates.
Combined Trade/build phase
The separation of the trade and build phases was introduced
to make the sequence easier to learn for beginners. We
recommend experienced players ignore this separation.
After rolling for resource production, you can trade and build
in any order (you can trade, build, trade again and build again,
etc.). You can even use a harbor on the same turn you build a
settlement there. Using this method speeds up the game a lot.
Illustration E
E8
•••••
E8
•••••
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D
deserT
The desert is the only terrain hex that
does not produce resources. The
robber Y is native to the desert,
and he starts the game there. A
settlement or a city built adjacent
to the desert yields fewer resources
than those built next to one of the
other terrain types.
developmenT Cards
There are 3 different kinds of development
cards: Knight Cards Y, Progress Cards Y, and
Victory Point Cards Y.
When you buy a development card, take
the top card of the draw pile into your hand.
Keep your development cards hidden until
you play them. This keeps the other players
in the dark.
You cannot trade or give away development cards.
You may only play 1 development card during your turn—
either 1 knight card or 1 progress card. You can play the
card at any time, even before you roll the dice. You may not,
however, play a card that you bought during the same turn.
Exception: If you buy a card and
it is a victory point card Y that
brings you to 10 points, you may
immediately reveal this card
(and all other VP cards) and
win the game.
You only reveal victory point
cards when the game is over—once
you or an opponent reaches 10+
victory points and declares victory.
disTanCe rule
You may only build a settlement on an unoccupied
intersection Y and only if none of the 3 adjacent intersections
contains a settlement or city.
Example: See Illustration F. Coleman, the blue player, wants
to build a settlement. The settlements marked “A” are already
in play. Coleman cannot build on the intersections marked
“B”. He can only build at intersection “C”.
domesTiC Trade
On your turn, you may trade resources with the other players
(after rolling for resource production). You and the other
players negotiate the terms of your trades—such as which
cards will be exchanged. You may trade as many times as you
can, using single or multiple cards. However, you cannot give
away cards, or trade matching resources (“trade” 3 ore for 1
ore, for example).
Important: While it is your turn, you must be a part of
all trades, and the other players may not trade amongst
themselves.
Example: It is Pete’s turn. He needs one brick to build a
road. He has 2 lumber and 3 ore. Pete asks aloud, “Who will
give me 1 brick for 1 ore?” Beth answers, “If you give me
3 ore, I’ll give you a brick.” Cooper interjects, “I’ll give you
1 brick if you give me 1 lumber and 1 ore.” Pete accepts
Cooper’s offer and trades a lumber and an ore for a brick.
Note Beth may not trade with Cooper, since it is Pete’s turn.
E
endinG The Game
If you have—or reach—10 victory
points on your turn, the game ends
immediately and you win! You can only
win during your turn. If somehow you find
you have 10 victory points during another
player’s turn, you must wait until your next
turn to claim victory.
Example: Siobhán has 2 settlements
(2 points), the Longest Road special
card (2 points), 2 cities (4 points),
and 2 victory point cards (2 points).
She reveals her 2 victory point cards,
giving her the 10 points needed to win.
She surprises her opponents and
claims victory!
Illustration F
lonGest Road
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
UNIVERSITY
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oint!
Revea
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the nu
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f po
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requi
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r victo
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MARK
ET
2 Victory Points!
This card goes to the player with the
longest road of at least 5 segments.
Another player who builds a longer
road takes this card.
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int!
Reveal this
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it, you reac
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the number
of points
required for
victory.
LIBRARY
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
MARKET
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
CHAPEL
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Reveal
this ca
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, with
it, you
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the nu
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s
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victory
.
GREAT
HALL
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
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the number of points
required for victory.
UNIVERSITY
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G
Game play
Here is a summary of the the game sequence, plus some
more specific entries where you can find details:
(1) Lay out the game board: Set-up, Variable Y
(2) Initial set-up: Set-up Phase Y
(3) Play
The starting player begins the game. The other players follow
in clockwise order.
On your turn, you complete these 3 phases in order:
• Roll for Resource Production Y (the roll applies to
all players)
• Trade Y
• Build Y
You may play 1 development card any time during your turn.
Pass the dice to the player on your left at the end of your turn.
He then takes his turn using the same 3 phases.
H
harbors
Harbors allow you to trade
resources more favorably. In
order to control a harbor, you
must build a settlement on a
coastal intersection Y which
borders the harbor. See also
“Maritime Trade” Y.
I
inTerseCTions
Intersections are
the points where
3 hexes meet. See
Illustration G. You may
only build settlements
on intersections. The
influence (for resource
yields) of settlements
and cities extends into
the 3 adjacent terrain
hexes that form the
intersection.
K
KniGhT Cards
When you play a “Knight” development card during your turn,
you must immediately move the robber Y. Place the knight card
face up in front of you.
You must move the robber away from his current spot and
onto the number token of any other terrain hex or on the
desert.
You then steal 1 resource card from a player who has a
settlement or a city adjacent to the robber. If there are 2 or
more such players, you may choose your victim.
The player you elect to rob keeps his cards face down while
you take 1 of his cards at random. If he has no cards, you
get nothing! (However, you can always ask players about the
number of cards they hold.)
If you are the first player to have 3 knight cards face up in
front of you, you take the “Largest Army” Y special card. This
special card is worth 2 victory points.
If another player has more face-up knight cards than you, he
takes the special card and the 2 victory points that go with it.
Example: See Illustration H. On Niall’s turn he plays a
knight card and moves the robber from the fields hex to the
hills hex with the “4.” Niall may now steal a random card
from player A or B.
L
larGesT army
If you are the first player to play
3 knight cards, you receive this special
card, which is worth 2 victory points.
You place the “Largest Army” card face
up in front of you. If another player
plays more knight cards than you have,
he immediately takes the special card.
The 2 victory points likewise count for
the new owner.
Illustration G
Illustration H
J4
•••
A
B
laRGest aRmy
2 Victory Points!
The first player to play 3 knight cards
gets this card. Another player who plays
more knight cards takes this card.
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lonGesT road
If you are the first player to build a
continuous road of at least 5 individual
road pieces, you take this special card
and place it face up in front of you. This
card is worth 2 victory points.
Note: If your road network
branches, you may only count the
single longest branch for purposes of
the longest road.
If you hold the “Longest Road” card and another player
builds a longer road, he immediately acquires your “Longest
Road” card. He also acquires the 2 bonus victory points. (Since
you also lose the 2 victory points, it is a 4 point swing!)
Example: See Illustration I. Emily, the red player, builds a
continuous road with 7 wooden pieces (A–B). The branch
roads (marked with arrows) are not counted. Emily snags
the “Longest Road” special card.
You can break an opponent’s road by building a settlement on
an unoccupied intersection along his road!
Example: In Illustration I, the blue player Coleman builds a
settlement on intersection “C” (which is legal). This breaks
Emily’s road into 2 parts. Emily must give the special card to
Coleman, who now has the Longest Road (and 2 more VPs).
Special Case: If your longest road is broken and you are
tied for longest road, you still keep the “Longest Road” card.
However, if you no longer have the longest road, but two or
more players tie for the new longest road, set the “Longest
Road” card aside. Do the same if no one has a 5+ segment
road. The “Longest Road” card comes into play again when only
1 player has the longest road (of at least 5 road pieces).
M
mariTime Trade
On your turn, you can trade resources using maritime trade
during the trade phase even without involving another player.
The most basic (and unfavorable) exchange rate is 4:1.
You may trade 4 identical resource cards
to the supply in exchange for
1 resource card of your choice. You
do not need a harbor Y (settlement
at a harbor location) to trade at 4:1,
so when nobody wants to trade…
Example: Benny returns 4 ore cards to the supply and takes
1 lumber card in exchange. Normally, he should first try a
more favorable trade with the other players (domestic trade).
If you have built a settlement or city at a harbor Y location,
you can trade more effectively. There are 2 different kinds of
harbor locations:
Generic Harbor (3:1): Here
you may exchange 3 identical
resource cards for any 1 other
resource card during your
trade phase.
Example: Brad has a settlement
at a generic harbor. He can, for
instance, exchange 3 lumber cards
for 1 wool card.
Special Harbor (2:1): There is
only 1 special harbor for each
type of resource (with the same
symbol). So, if you earn plenty of
a certain type of resource, it can
be useful to build on the special
harbor for that resource type. The
exchange rate of 2:1 only applies
to the resource shown on the
harbor location. A special harbor does not permit you to
trade any other resource type at a more favorable rate (not
even 3:1)!
Example: Ron built a settlement at the ore special harbor.
He may exchange 2 ore cards for any 1 other resource card.
He can also trade 4 ore cards for any 2 other cards. If he
traded 4 wool instead of 4 ore, he would get only 1 card in
return.
Illustration I
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A
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lonGest Road
2 Victory Points!
This card goes to the player with the
longest road of at least 5 segments.
Another player who builds a longer
road takes this card.
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10
N
number ToKens
The 18 number tokens are marked with the
numerals “2” through “12.” There is only one “2”
and one “12.” There is no “7.”
The more often a number is rolled, the more often each
associated hex produces resources. Note the size of the
numbers and the dots (pips) beneath the numbers on the
tokens. The taller the number and the larger the quantity of
dots, the more likely it is that number will be rolled. “6” and
“8” (the red numbers) are the most frequently rolled numbers.
They each have 5 dots, because there are 5 ways to roll these
numbers on the 2 dice.
The letters on the back of the number tokens are only used
during the setup phase (see Set-up, Variable Y).
P
paThs
Paths are defined as the edges where
2 hexes and/or hexes and the frame
meet. Paths run along the border of
2 terrain hexes or between a land hex
and the frame. Only one road Y can be
built on any path. At each end of a path
is an intersection Y.
proGress Cards
Progress cards are a type of development card. They have
green frames. There are 2 each of 3 varieties:
Road Building: If you play this card, you may
immediately place 2 free roads on the board
(according to normal building rules).
Year of Plenty: If you play this card you may
immediately take any 2 resource cards from
the supply stacks. You may use these cards to
build in the same turn.
Monopoly: If you play this card, you must
name 1 type of resource. All the other players
must give you all of the resource cards of
this type that they have in their hands. If an
opponent does not have a resource card of
the specified type, he does not have to give
you anything.
You may play only 1 development card Y during
your turn.
R
resourCe Cards (resourCes)
There are 5 different types of resources
(see page 3): grain (from fields), brick (from
hills), ore (from mountains), lumber (from
forest), and wool (from pasture). These
resources are represented by “resource
cards.” You receive these cards as income
from the resource production of these hexes. Resource
production is determined by the dice roll at the beginning
of each turn. You receive your income for each terrain hex
adjacent to your settlements or cities every time the production
number on the hex is rolled (exception: see Robber Y).
resourCe produCTion
On your turn, you must roll the dice for the turn’s resource
production. The number rolled determines which hexes
produce resources. Each number appears twice—except for
“2” and “12,” which only appear once.
All players who have settlements Y or cities Y on the hexes
indicated by the roll receive the yields (resource cards) of those
hexes. Each settlement produces 1 resource card and each city
produces 2 resource cards.
Example: See Illustration J. Loren, the blue player, rolls a
“4”. Her settlement “A” borders a hills hex marked by the
number “4”, so she takes a brick card. If settlement “A” had
been a city, she would have received 2 brick cards. Bridget
owns the red settlement “B” that borders on 2 hexes with the
number “4”: hills and pasture. Bridget takes 1 brick card and
1 wool card from the supply stacks.
It is possible that during the game there will not be enough
resources in the bank to supply all of the yields. If there are not
enough resource cards to give every player all the production
they earn, then no player receives any of that resource that turn.
Exception: If the shortage of resource cards only affects a
single player, give that player as many of these resources as are
left in the supply, and any extras are lost. In either case,
production of other types of resources is not affected.
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ROAD BUILDING
Place 2 new roads as if
you had just built them.
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Take any 2 resources from
the bank. Add them to
your hand. They can be
2 of the same resource or
2 different resources.
YEAR OF PLENTY
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MONOPOLY
When you play this card,
announce 1 type of resource.
All other players must give
you all of their resources
of that type.
8
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8
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4
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A
B
Illustration J
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11
resourCe Trade
In the second phase of your turn, you may trade with
the other players. The other players may not trade among
themselves, only with the player whose turn it is. There are
2 different kinds of trade:
• Domestic trade Y and
• Maritime trade Y.
roads
The roads connect your
settlements and cities. You
build roads on paths Y. You
cannot build new settlements
without also building roads.
Roads provide victory points
only if you hold the Longest
Road Y special card. Only
1 road may be built on each
path. You can build roads
along the coast.
Example: See Illustration K. Liam, the white player, would
like to build a road. He may build (place) his road on any of
the paths outlined in green. Each of these paths connects to
either Liam’s road or his settlement, and is not blocked by
the blue player’s settlement (see the path outlined in red).
robber
The robber begins the game in the desert Y.
It is moved only by rolling a “7” Y or playing
a Knight Y card.
If the robber is moved to any other terrain
hex, he prevents that hex from producing
resources. Players with settlements and/or cities adjacent to the
target terrain hex receive no resources from this hex as long as
the robber is in the hex.
“A” and “B” do not receive a brick resource card. This lasts
until the robber is moved again by another “7” or a knight
card. Xander may also take 1 resource card at random from
1 of the players who own settlements “A” or “B”.
rollinG a “7” and aCTivaTinG The robber
If you roll a “7” for resource production, none of the players
receive resources. Instead:
(1) Each player counts his resource cards. Any player with
more than 7 resource cards (i.e., 8 or more) must choose
and discard half of them. Return discards to the supply
stacks. If you hold an odd number of cards, round down
(e.g., if you have 9 resource cards, you discard 4).
Example: Alex rolls a “7”. He has only 6 cards in his hand.
Larry has 8 cards and Will has 11. Larry must discard 4 cards
and Will 5 (rounding down).
(2) Then you (the player who rolled the “7”) must move
the robber Y to the number token Y of any other terrain
hex (or to the desert Y hex). This blocks the resource
production of this hex, until the robber moves to another
number token or the desert.
(3) After discarding occurs, you also steal 1 resource card at
random from a player who has a settlement or city adjacent
to this new hex. If there are 2 or more players with
buildings there, you may choose from which one to steal.
The robber must be moved. You may not choose to leave the
robber on the same hex.
After moving the robber, your turn continues with the trade
phase.
See also Knights Y.
S
seTTlemenTs
A settlement is worth 1 victory point.
Settlements are built on intersections Y (where
3 hexes meet or 1 or 2 hexes meet the frame).
You share in all of the resource production of
each terrain hex adjacent to your settlements.
You must meet 2 conditions when building a settlement:
(1) Your settlement must always connect to 1 or more of your
own roads Y.
(2) You must observe the Distance Rule Y. For an example of
the distance rule, see Illustration M on page 12.
Example: See Illustration L. It is Xander’s turn and he rolls a
“7.” He must move the robber. The robber was in a fields hex.
Xander places it on the “4” number token of a hills hex. If a
“4” is rolled in the coming turns, the owners of settlements
Illustration L
J4
•••
A
B
Robber
Illustration K
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12
Example: See Illustration M. Olivia, the blue player, wants
to build a new settlement. She may only do so at one of the
intersections marked “B”. She cannot build on “A” because
of the Distance Rule, nor on “C” because no blue road leads
to this intersection.
Note: If you have built all 5 of your settlements, you must
upgrade 1 of your settlements to a city before you can build
another settlement. You will then have the settlement in your
supply, so you can build another settlement.
seT-up phase
Begin the “set-up
phase” after you
build the game map
(see Illustration
N and Set-up,
Variable Y).
Everyone chooses
a color and takes the
corresponding game
pieces:
• 5 settlements;
• 4 cities;
• 15 roads; and
• 1 building costs card.
Sort the resource cards into 5 stacks and place them face up
beside the board.
Shuffle the development cards Y and place them face down
beside the resource cards.
Place the 2 special cards and the dice beside the board.
Place the robber in the desert.
The set-up phase has 2 rounds. Each player builds 1 road and
1 settlement per round.
Round One
Each player rolls both dice. The
player who rolls highest is the starting
player and begins.
The starting player places a
settlement on an unoccupied
intersection Y of his choice. He places
a road adjacent to this settlement.
The other players then follow clockwise.
Everyone places 1 settlement and 1 adjoining road.
Important: When placing all other settlements, the Distance
Rule Y (see page 7) always applies!
Round Two
Once all players have built their first settlement, the player
who went last in the first round begins round two: he builds his
second settlement and its adjacent road.
Note: After he builds, the other players follow
counterclockwise, so the starting player in round one places
his second settlement last.
The second settlement can be placed on any unoccupied
intersection, as long as the Distance Rule is observed. It
doesn’t have to connect to the first settlement. The second road
must attach to the second settlement (pointing in any of the 3
directions).
Each player receives his starting resources immediately after
building his second settlement; for each terrain hex adjacent to
this second settlement, he takes a corresponding resource card
from the supply.
Note: The starting player (the last to place his second
settlement) begins the game: He rolls both dice for resource
production. You can find helpful tips about the set-up phase
under “Tactics.”
seT-up, variable
Assemble the frame as outlined on pages 2-3.
Note: If you want to vary relative harbor locations slightly,
just shuffle the order of the frame pieces and do not place
the random harbor
pieces as outlined
below in point 2.
Turn the terrain hexes
face down. Shuffle the
terrain hexes.
1. Randomly place
the terrain tiles face
up inside the frame
arranged as shown in
Illustration O.
Illustration M
Suggested Beginners’ Map Set-up
Illustration N
9
••••
2
•
8
•••••
10
•••
5
••••
12
•
5
••••
4
•••
11
••
10
•••
11
••
6
•••••
4
•••
9
••••
6
•••••
3
••
3
••
8
•••••
Illustration O
A
C B B
B
A
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13
2. Now take the
9 harbor pieces (the
small 5-sided pieces
with ships on them)
and randomly place
one on top of each
harbor on the frame.
See Illustration P.
3. Place the 18 number tokens as shown in Illustration Q:
• Sort the number
tokens beside the
board, letter side
face up.
• Place 1 token on
each land hex. Start
at a corner of the
island. Place the
number tokens on
the terrain hexes in
alphabetical order,
proceeding counter-
clockwise toward the center. Skip the desert.
Important: Alternatively, you can use a fully random set-up.
Place 1 token on each land hex. Start at one corner of the
island, and place the number tokens in random order. In
such case, the tokens with the red numbers must not be next
to each other. You may have to swap tokens to ensure that no
red numbers are on adjacent hexes.
Note: The desert never gets a number token. It should be
skipped.
More set-up instructions can be found in “Set-up Phase.” Y
soldier Cards
Some earlier editions of Catan had soldier cards. These are
now called knight cards. See Knight Cards Y.
sTarTinG seT-up for beGinners
If you want to use the starting set-up, lay out the board as
shown in Illustration R (and the Game Overview):
• Assemble the frame exactly as shown in Illustration R.
• Place the terrain hexes exactly as shown in Illustration R.
• Place 2 settlements and 2 roads of each color as shown.
If only 3 are playing, remove the red pieces.
• Each player receives the 3 resources from the terrain hexes
adjacent to his settlement marked by the white star.
The oldest player is the starting player. The oldest player takes
the first turn and rolls for resource production.
T
TaCTiCs
Since you play Catan with a variable map, the tactical
considerations of each game are different. There are,
nevertheless, some common points you should consider:
• Brick and lumber are the most important resources at the
beginning of the game. You need both to build roads and
settlements. You should try to place at least 1 of your first
settlements on a good forest or hills hex.
• Do not underestimate the value of harbors. For instance, a
player with settlements or cities on productive fields should
try to build a settlement on the “grain” harbor.
• Leave enough room to expand when placing your first 2
settlements. Look at your opponents’ sites and roads before
making a placement. Beware of getting surrounded! If you
plan to build toward a harbor, the middle of the island may
be a tricky place for a starting settlement, for it can easily
be cut off from the coast.
• The more you trade, the better your chances of victory.
Even if it is not your turn, you should offer trades to the
current player!
Illustration Q
5
••••
2
•
3
••
8
•••••
10
•••
9
••••
12
•
11
••
4
•••
8
•••••
10
•••
9
••••
4
•••
5
••••
6
•••••
3
••
11
••
6
•••••
Illustration P
Illustration R
H
D
H
9
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2
•
8
•••••
10
•••
5
••••
12
•
5
••••
4
•••
11
••
10
•••
11
••
6
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4
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9
••••
6
•••••
3
••
3
••
8
•••••
Robber
H
H
H
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14
Trade
After you roll for resource production, you may trade with
other players (domestic trade Y) or with the bank (maritime
trade Y).
• You may trade as long as you have resource cards.
• If you decide not to trade during your turn,
no one can trade.
• You may trade with another player between your turns, but
only if it is his turn and he elects to trade with you.
• You may not trade with the bank during another
player’s turn.
• You may not give away cards.
• You may not trade development cards.
• You may not trade like resources (e.g., 2 wool for 1 wool).
V
viCTory poinT Cards
Victory point cards are development cards Y, so they
can be “bought.” These orange framed development cards
represent important cultural
achievements, represented by
certain buildings.
Each victory point card is
worth 1 victory point. You only
reveal your victory point cards
when you or someone else
wins the game! Keep victory
point cards hidden until you
have 10 points during your
turn and you can declare
victory. (You should also
reveal them if someone else wins.)
Hint: Again, keep your victory point cards hidden until the
end of the game. Place them face down in front of you. Of
course, if you have 1 or 2 unused cards face down in front of
you for a long time, the other players will assume that they
are victory point cards.
viCTory poinTs
The first player to reach (be at) 10 victory points (VPs)
on his/her turn wins the game.
Players acquire victory points (VPs) for the following:
1 settlement = 1 VP
1 city = 2 VPs
Longest Road special card = 2 VPs
Largest Army special card = 2 VPs
Victory point (VP) card = 1 VP
Since each player begins with 2 settlements, each player
begins the game with 2 victory points.
Therefore, you only need 8 more victory points to win the
game!
Hint: In Catan, you will often see an icon of a
rising sun (on VP cards and special VP cards, etc.).
This is the VP symbol. It is a visual reminder for the
things, other than settlements and cities, that earn you VPs.
Each VP symbol you see is worth 1 VP.
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1 Victory Po
int!
Reveal this
card on you
r
turn if, with
it, you reac
h
the number
of points
required for
victory.
LIBRARY
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
MARKET
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
CHAPEL
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1 Victo
ry Poi
nt!
Reveal
this ca
rd on y
our
turn if
, with
it, you
reach
the nu
mber o
f point
s
requir
ed for
victory
.
GREAT
HALL
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
UNIVERSITY
A general note on Catan rules. This is the 5th English-
language edition of Catan (aka Settlers of Catan). Over the
years, the rules have been clarified, refined, and occasionally
updated. As of January 1, 2015, all of the rules in this version
of Catan take precedence over any previously-published rules.
= 2 VPs
= 2 VPs
= 2 VPs
= 1 VP
Victory Points in Catan
= 1 VP
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1 Victory Point!
Reveal this card on your
turn if, with it, you reach
the number of points
required for victory.
UNIVERSITY
laRGest aRmy
2 Victory Points!
The first player to play 3 Knight cards
gets this card. Another player who plays
more Knight cards takes this card.
2 Victory Points!
This card goes to the player with the
longest road of at least 5 segments.
Another player who builds a longer
road takes this card.
lonGest Road
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almanaC index
Entries
Page
Build (Building) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Building Costs Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Combined Trade/Build Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Development Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Distance Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Domestic Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Ending the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Game Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Harbors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Knight Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Largest Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Longest Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Maritime Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Number Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Progress Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Resource Cards (Resources) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Resource Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Resource Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Robber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Rolling a “7” and Activating the Robber . . . . . . . . . . 11
Settlements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Set-up Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Set-up, Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Soldier Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Starting Set-up for Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Tactics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Victory Point Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Victory Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
CrediTs
Designer: Klaus Teuber (www.klausteuber.com)
Original Development: TM-Spiele GmbH
5th Ed. Development Team: Pete Fenlon, Arnd Fischer,
Ron Magin, Benjamin Teuber, and Guido Teuber
Art: Michael Menzel, Pete Fenlon
Art Direction & Graphic Design: Pete Fenlon,
Michaela Kienle, and Ron Magin
Production: Ron Magin & Pete Fenlon
Special Thanks: Richard Bertok, Peter Bromley, Robert T.
Carty, Jr., Coleman Charlton, Dan Decker, Patrick De La Font,
Marinda Darnell, Morgan Dontanville, Chris Funk, Beatrice
Jones, Phil Kaplan, Hazel Kemp, Aud Ketilsdatter (LSKC/354-
2), Rebecca Kjeer, Kim Marino, Brad McWillaims, Jim Miles,
Trish Miller, Sebastian Rapp, Chuck Rice, Bridget Roznai,
Larry Roznai, Loren Roznai, Brad Steffen, Brian Steffan, Bill
Wordelmann, Elaine Wordelmann, Alex Yeager, Julie Yeager, and
Gero Zahn.
Original Product Development: Coleman Charlton, Robert T. Carty
Jr., Pete Fenlon, Nick Johnson, Will Niebling, William Niebling, Guido
Teuber, Larry Roznai, and Alex Yeager.
With thanks to: Bridget Roznai, Loren Roznai, Schar Niebling, Peter
Bromley, Darwin Bromley, Trella Bromley, Bill Wordelmann, Elaine
Wordelmann, Lou Rexing, Tom Smith, Keywood Cheeves, Mike Strack,
Benny Teuber, Claudia Teuber, Liam Teuber, Leif Teuber, Emily Johnson,
Olivia Johnston, Karl Roelofs, Arnd Beenen, Gero Zahn, and the late Scott
Anderson.
Copyright © 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2015 Catan
GmbH and Mayfair Games, Inc. Published under license from
Catan GmbH. Published in cooperation with Kosmos Verlag.
Catan, The Settlers of Catan, and all other product titles and
marks listed herein are trademarks of Catan GmbH. All rights
reserved.
You have purchased a product of the highest quality. However,
should you find that any of your components are missing or
defective, please email us at:
custserv@mayfairgames.com
or write to us at:
8060 St. Louis Ave. Skokie IL 60076 USA.
mayfair Games, inC.
www.mayfairgames.com
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16
The island of Catan lies before you. The isle consists of
19 terrain tiles surrounded by ocean. Your goal is to settle on
Catan, and expand your territory until it becomes the largest and
most glorious in Catan.
There are five productive terrain types and one desert on
Catan. Each terrain type produces a different type of resource
(The desert produces nothing). Each resource you receive is
represented by a card. Here’s what each terrain produces:
You only collect resources if you own a settlement or city
bordering these terrain hexes. In the illustration, the red
settlement [A] borders the “10” mountains and orange settlement
[B] borders the “10” hills. If a “10” is rolled, the red player
receives 1 ore card and the orange player receives 1 brick card.
Since the settlements and cities usually border on 2-3 terrain
types, they can “harvest” up to 3 different resources based
on the dice roll. Here, the white settlement [C] borders on forest,
mountains, and pasture. A settlement at [D] would only harvest the
production from 2 terrain hexes (hills and mountains). Finally, a
settlement at [E] would only harvest the production from 1 terrain
hex (pasture). However [E] is also at a sheep harbor.
Since it’s impossible for you to have settlements adjacent to
all terrain hexes and number tokens, you may receive certain
resources only at rare intervals—or never. This is tough, because
building requires specific resource combinations.
For this reason, you can trade with other players. Make them
an offer! A successful trade might yield you a big build!
You can only build new a settlement on an unoccupied
intersection if you have a road leading to that intersection and
the nearest settlement is at least two intersections away.
Carefully consider where you build settlements. The numbers
on the round tokens are depicted in varying sizes. They also
have dots (pips) below the numbers. The taller the
depicted number, and the more pips it has, the more
likely that number is to be
rolled. The red numbers
6 and 8 are the tallest
numbers with the most pips; they
are likely to be rolled most
frequently.
Bottom line: The more
frequently a number is
rolled, the more often
the hexes with those
numbers produce
resources.
You should
consider
settling on
hexes that have
good potential for
production (i.e.
6 and 8 vs. 2 and 12).
However, these same
high-producing hexes are
often the primary target for
the robber.
You begin the game with 2 settlements and 2 roads. Each
settlement is worth 1 victory point. You therefore start the
game with 2 victory points! The first player to acquire 10 victory
points on his/her turn wins the game.
To gain more victory points, you
must build new roads and
settlements and upgrade your
settlements to cities. Each city
is worth 2 victory points. To
build or upgrade, you need
to acquire resources.
How do you
acquire
resources? It’s
simple. Each
turn, 2 dice
are rolled to
determine
which terrain
hexes produce
resources. Each
terrain hex is marked
with a round number
token. If, for example, a
“10” is rolled, all terrain
hexes with a “10” number
token produce resources—in
the illustration on the right, those
terrain hexes are a mountains
hex (ore) and a hills hex (brick).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
8
•••••
D
H
9
••••
2
•
8
•••••
10
•••
5
••••
12
•
5
••••
4
•••
11
••
10
•••
11
••
6
•••••
4
•••
9
••••
6
•••••
3
••
3
••
8
•••••
Harbor
Path
Robber
Intersection
A
B
C
H
D
H
H
H
Hills
Produce Brick
Forest
Produces Lumber
Mountains
Produce Ore
Fields
Produce Grain
Pasture
Produces Wool
Desert
Produces Nothing
E
11
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