Objective of the Game
Settlers of Catan is a strategic board game where players act as settlers colonizing the island of Catan by building roads, settlements, and cities to earn victory points. The goal is to be the first to reach 10 victory points.
Game Components
- 19 terrain hexes (fields: 3 grain, 3 pasture, 4 forest, 4 hill, 3 mountain, 1 desert)
- 6 frame pieces for the board perimeter
- 18 number tokens
- 95 resource cards (19 each for wood, brick, wheat, and wool; 22 for ore)
- 25 development cards (14 knights, 6 progress cards, 5 victory point cards)
- 2 special card holders for longest road and largest army
- 4 building costs cards (5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads each)
- 2 dice
- 1 Robber figure
- 1 Rulebook
Setup
- Place the 19 terrain hexes randomly in the central area, surrounded by the frame pieces.
- Assign a number token to each terrain hex. These tokens range from 2 to 12.
- Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding settlement, city, and road pieces along with a resource cost card.
- Place the Robber on the desert hex.
- Shuffle and place development cards face down.
- Players take turns placing two roads and two settlements alternately on the intersections of the terrain hexes.
Gameplay
The oldest player starts, followed by turns in clockwise order. Each player’s turn consists of the following phases:
- Resource Production: The active player rolls both dice. All players receive resources based on the dice roll. If a player has a settlement at a hex with the rolled number, they receive the corresponding resources.
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Robber: Rolling a 7 allows the active player to move the Robber. The Robber blocks resources for the chosen hex, and the player may steal a card from a player with a settlement on adjacent hexes.
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Trading: The active player can trade resources with other players or through maritime trade.
- Maritime Trade: Players can trade at a 4:1 ratio without a port or 3:1 for standard ports, or 2:1 for specific ports matching a particular resource.
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Building: Players can use collected resources to build:
- Road: 1 wood, 1 brick
- Settlement: 1 wood, 1 brick, 1 sheep, 1 wheat
- City: 3 ore, 2 wheat (upgrades a settlement)
- Development Card: 1 ore, 1 sheep, 1 wheat
Winning the Game
The first player to earn 10 victory points wins. Victory points are gained by: - Each settlement: 1 point - Each city: 2 points - Largest Army and Longest Road: 2 points each - Development cards may also contain hidden victory points.
Strategic Considerations
- Placement of the initial two settlements is crucial for securing a reliable resource supply.
- Trading with other players can be pivotal to acquiring necessary resources.
- Control over ports can be advantageous for trading excess resources.
- The aim is to balance resource generation, trade strategy, and structural advancement.
