Game Overview
Welcome to the Settlers of Catan, an exciting game set on an always new and unsettled island. Now, you will guide your own principality in a quest to settle and dominate the island of Catan. It is an intriguing contest involving clever trading and construction, instead of military conquest or conflict.
Here is a brief 10 point overview of the game:
1. The island of Catan lies before you. The isle consists of 19 terrain hexes surrounded by ocean. Your goal is to settle the island and expand your territory to become the largest and most glorious in Catan.
2. There are five productive terrain types and one desert on Catan. Each terrain type produces a different type of resource (raw material):
Terrain-----------------Resource
Forest------------------Lumber
Pasture-----------------Wool
Fields------------------Grain
Hills-------------------Bricks
Mountains---------------Ore
Desert------------------Nothing
3. You begin the game with two settlements and two roads. Each settlement is worth one victory point. The first player to acquire 10 victory points wins the game.
4. To gain more victory points, you must build new roads and settlements or upgrade settlements into cities. Each city is worth two victory points. To build or upgrade, you need resources.
5. How do you acquire resources? It’s simple. Each turn, a die roll determines which terrain hexes (indicated by the numbered markers on the terrain pieces) produces resources. If, for example, a “5" is rolled, then all terrain hexes containing the “5" produce resources. In the Example 1, one of the hills produces bricks, and one of the mountains produces ore.
6. Players can only collect resources if they own a settlement or a city that borders a terrain hex producing a resource. In Example 1, the red settlement (A) borders on hills, and the blue settlement (B) is adjacent to mountains. A die roll of “5" gives the red player bricks, and the blue player ore.
7. Since settlements and cities usually border on multiple terrain types (up to a maximum of three), it is possible, depending on the dice roll, to harvest a variety of resources. In Example 1, settlement C borders on fields, forests, and pasture. It can collect resources from all three of these hexes. Settlement D is on the coast. It borders only on pasture and fields, so it can only collect resources from those two hexes. (Neither the desert nor the ocean hexes produce any resources.)
8. Trade is a critical element in the game. It is, of course, impossible for you to have settlements or cities everywhere. (You only have five settlement and four city markers!) Therefore, you may have to do without certain resources. This can be tough, for all new construction requires specific combinations of resources. For this reason, you can trade with the other players. Make them an offer, or let them make you an offer. If you trade successfully, you might just get the card you need to build a new road settlement!
9. A new settlement can only be built on an unoccupied intersection and only if you have a road leading to that intersection. All settlements must be at least two intersections apart.
10. Choose the locations of your settlements with care. The more often a number is rolled, the more often you will collect resources. The number markers (tokens) indicate the relative frequency of the die rolls. Note the dots (pips) beneath the numbers on the markers. The greater the number pips, the more likely it is that number will be rolled. The six and eight have five dots because there are five ways to roll these numbers on the two dice. These numbers are rolled more frequently than the others.
Game Rules
This section contains the “Game Rules” for The Settlers of Catan. Please read the “Game Overview” first. Then read these rules before beginning the game. If you still have questions or need additional information, please refer to the “Settlers’ Almanac.”
Constructing the Island (Beginners’ Board Setup)
The game is usually played on a variable game board. We recommend, however, that you use the “Starting Setup for Beginners” on the reverse side of the “Game Overview” when playing your first game. The odds are relatively even, with no player starting with an unfair advantage.
It’s generally more fun to play with a variable game board. For instructions on how to set up the variable game board, please refer to the “Setup Phase” entry in the “Settlers’ Almanac.”
Setting up the Game (For Beginners)
Each player chooses a color. The starting locations of the roads and settlements are illustrated on the "Starting Setup for Beginners” color map. Players should put the remaining settlement, road, and city pieces in front of them.
If there are only three players, do not use the red pieces.
Each player receives a Building Cost Card.
The special cards “Longest Road” and “Largest Army” are placed next to the game board along with the dice. The Resource cards have a map on the back. They are sorted by bype and placed face up in the five stacks.
The Development Cards bear the Shield of Catan. They are shuffled and placed face down.
Again, refer to the color map on the “Starting Setup for Beginners” Note the settlements. Every player who has a settlement marked with star recieves resources at the beginning of the game. The player recieves one resource card of the appropriate type for each terrain hex that borders the settlement. For example, blue gets one brick, one wool, and one ore card.
Resource cards are always held concealed in the players’ hands.
Place the “Robber” marker on the desert terrain hex.
Turn Overview
Unless you are using the “Setup Phase” entry in the “Settlers’ Almanac,” the oldest player goes first.
You can do the following during your turn, in the order listed:
-You must roll for resource production.
-You may trade resources with other players.
-You may build roads, settlements, and cities, and/or purchase a development card.
Additionally, you can play one development card at any time during your turn (even before you roll the dice).
When you finish your turn, pass the dice to the player on the left. The order of play proceeds clockwise.
Specific Actions
1. Resource Production
Each player begins his turn by rolling the dice. The number rolled determines which terrain hexes produce resources. Each of the five productive terrain types produces a different type of resources:
Terrain--------------Resource
Forest---------------Lumber
Pasture--------------Wool
Field-----------------Grain
Hills-----------------Bricks
Mountains-----------Ore
Each player who has a settlement bordering a terrain hex marked with the number rolled recieves one resource card of the type that hex produces. Each player who has a city bordering that hex receives two of the given resource cards. Each player who has more than one settlement and/or city bordering that hex receives one resource card for each of his adjacent settlement, and two resource cards for each of his adjacent cities.
Exception: The hex containing the Robber never produces any resources. See “Rolling a 7" under “Special Actions” below.
2. Trade
Players may trade for resources.
A. Domestic Trade
You can trade resources with the other players. You announce which resources you need and what you are willing to give in return. You are free to accept offers from other players and to make counter proposals.
Important: Only one player whose turn it is can initiate a trade. The other players may NOT trade among themselves.
B. Maritime Trade
You can also trade without the participation of the other players.
Regardless of the locations of your settlements and cities, you can always make a 4:1 trade by placing four identical resource cards back into the resource pile and taking any one resource card of your choice.
If you have a settlement or city on a harbor hex, you are said to “have a harbor” AND the trade ratio is more favorable. You can make a 3:1 trade if you have a harbor with a question mark. Place three of any one resouce back into the pile and take any one resource card of your choice. You can make a 2:1 trade if you have a harbor with a resource symbol; however, you can only trade two resource cards of that specific type for one resource card of your choice.
Important: Put all the cards you are spending face up in front of you before returning them to the resource pile. This will permit other players to see what you are trading.
3. Building
The last thing that you can do during a turn is build. Building is the most important (or most common) way to increase your victory points.
You must build by using specific resource combinations (see the building cost card). You return a combination of resource cards to their stacks in exchange for the appropriate roads, settlements, or cities from the game stock. You cannot build an item that is out of stock.
A. Road (Requires Brick and Lumber)
Only one road can be built on a given path. (A path is where the edges of two terrain hexes meet.)
A new road must always connect to one of the player’s existing roads, settlements, or cities.
As soon as a player creates a continuous road of five or more single roads (forks do not count), the player receives the special card entitled “Longest Road” (which is worth two victory points). Only one player at a time can possess the card. If another player builds a LONGER road, ownership of the card transfers to him.
Exception: If another player builds a settlement that “breaks” the longest road--and at the same time creates two or more longest roads of equal lenght--the Longest Road card is returned to the table.
B. Settlement (Requires Brick, Lumber, Wool, and Grain)
Each settlement is worth one victory point.
You cannot build a settlement that is adjacent to another settlement or city. You can only build a settlement on a vacant intersection, and only if all three of the adjacent intersections are all vacant.
A settlement must be connected to at least one of your roads.
You can collect resources from all of the terrain hexes (except desert or ocean hexes) adjacent to the settlement. When a given terrain hex produces, you get one resource card per settlement bordering that hex.
C. City (Requires Three Ore and Two Grain)
Each city is worth two victory points.
If you decide to upgrade one of your settlements into a city, you return the settlement piece to your stock and replace it with a city piece.
Cities double the resource production of adjacent terrain hexes. You get two resource cards per city bordering a given terrain hex.
D. Buying Development Cards (Requires Ore, Wool, and Grain)
Some development cards are worth one victory point. Most have no inherent victory point value, although they may create a valuable effect.
There are three types of development cards:
-Soldier Cards--which allow you to chase (move) the robber and possibly create the “Largest Army.”
-Progress Cards--such as Monopoly, Road Building, or Year of Plenty, which allow you to acquire roads or resources.
-Victory Point Cards--such as the Market, Library, University, or Governer’s House, which provide you victory points.
If you buy a development card, take the top card from the stack. Conceal all your development cards until they are played.
Special Actions
1. Rolling a “7" (The Robber is Activated)
If you roll a “7,” you activate the Robber. The following occurs:
-No players receive resource production from any hex.
-Each player who holds more than seven resource cards must select half (round down) of his or her resource cards and discard them.
-You must then move the Robber to any new terrain hex (other than the desert, ocean, or harbor hexes) of your choice. You cannot leave the Robber in his current location.
-You may take one resource card from any one player who has a settlement or city adjacent to the hex now occupied by the Robber. You choose which affected player will be robbed. The victimized player then holds his cards face down and you select one at random.
A hex containing the Robber produces no resources, even if that hex’s number is rolled, until the Robber moves to another hex.
2. Playing Development Cards
You may play one--and only one--development card at any time during your turn (even before your production roll).
Exception: You may play any number of victory point cards in any given turn.
You may not play a development card on the turn you purchase it. Victory point cards are an exception to this rule, for they can be played immediately.
Hint: Victory point cards should only be uncovered at the end of the game, when you are certain that you have at least ten victory points.
Once played, players must follow the directions on the card. Then remove the ard from the game.
3. Soldier Cards
If you play a Soldier card, immediately do the following:
-You must move the Robber to the numbered terrain hex (i.e., non-desert, non-ocean, non-harbor hex) of your choice.
-Take one resource card from any player who has a settlement or city adjacent to the hex that now contains the Robber. If two or more players have settlements in the adjacent terrain, then you may choose which player will be robbed. The victimized player holds his cards face down and you select one at random.
Important: If the numbered hex that contains that Robber is rolled in a subsequent turn, the players with settlements or cities in the adjacent intersections collect no resources. The Robber remains in place.
Soldier cards that have been played remain face up.
The first player to turn up three Soldier cards gets the “Largets Army” card, which is worth two victory points. If another player then puts a LARGER number of Soldier cards in play, he takes the “Largest Army” card away from the previous owner. Only one player at a time can possess the “Largest Army” card.
Winning the Game (End of Game)
The first player to accumulate ten or more victory points during his turn immediately wins the game. This player is declared the “Lord of All Catan,” and is praised and heralded by all the people of Catan!
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