Objective of the Game

In Catan: Explorers & Pirates, the main goal is to gather points by exploring new islands, trading resources, and completing missions. The first player to reach the required number of victory points (depending on the scenario configuration) wins the game.

Game Components

• Game Board: A flexible board made of hexagonal tiles including water and land areas.
• Resource Cards: Different resources like wood, brick, wool, grain, and ore.
• Victory Points: Earned by building settlements, cities, and roads.
• Ships and Ports: Use ships to explore and trade with islands.
• Missions: Additional tasks for victory points.

Setup

1. Game Board Setup: Setup according to the scenarios (e.g., Pirates, Explorers) using the modular board.
2. Initial Resource Distribution: Each player receives a starting amount of resource cards based on their starting position.
3. Starting Placement: Players take turns placing their initial settlements and roads.

Gameplay

1. Roll the Dice: The active player rolls the dice and collects resources based on adjacent settlements to tiles with the rolled number.
2. Trading and Building: Players may trade with others or exchange with bank ratios. Then, they can build:
3. Roads and Settlements
4. Ships, crucial for discovering new islands
5. Ports for additional trade options or benefits
6. Conduct Missions: Depending on the chosen scenario, missions might include fending off pirates or achieving trading objectives.
7. Explore New Resource Islands: Place ships at the edge of the known world and uncover new regions.

Special Features and Strategies

• Strategic Placement of Settlements: Smart positioning adjacent to resource-rich tiles is vital.
• Navigation: Early-game exploration can yield substantial rewards, but also includes risks.
• Trade Strategies: Effective communication and negotiation are key to securing needed resources.
• Missions: Aim to complete missions efficiently to boost victory points quickly.
• Conflicts and Pirates: Pirates can block resources, so planned action in anti-pirate zones is crucial.

End of the Game

The game ends when a player reaches the required number of victory points. For a more advanced game, this point target can be increased to provide longer and more challenging gameplay.

Each game offers new challenges and strategies as the board and scenarios can be reconfigured.