Catan

Catan

The Catan Board
About
Inventor	Ca3lan, Tibal, CesarMC13, mercurialmusic, Eggles182, FreyaHaze, Jennyblaze
Category	Games
# of Players	4-8
Public?	Yes
Availability	BadWolfMC Game Nights
Location
Location Specific?	Yes
Server	Alpha
Dimension	Tardis
/res tp	catan
Nearest warp	Tardis

These are the rules for BadWolfMC Catan. The object of the game is to be the first player to reach 10 Victory Points (VP) on their turn by building settlements (1 VP each) and cities (2 VPs each), collecting Victory Point cards, and/or obtaining the Longest Road or Largest Army cards (2 VPs each).

Setup

When starting the game, the Banker will use a dropper with wool blocks corresponding to each player's color. The random order in which the wool is dispensed will determine the turn order of the players.

Then, during this setup phase, players will each place 1 settlement and 1 road on the board in the order of their turn, then 1 settlement and 1 road in reverse order (so the last player in the lineup will place 2 settlements and 2 roads on the board at the same time). This setup order for 8 players would be: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

This initial placement is generally considered to be fairly important, so you will want to be strategic in choosing locations that provide the materials you will need, ideally corresponding with the statistically more commonly rolled dice values (represented on each number by buttons -- the more buttons the higher chances of the number being rolled) while also considering future expansion to obtain additional resources.

Odds For Dice Rolls

• 2 & 12 = 3%
• 3 & 11 = 6%
• 4 & 10 = 8%
• 5 & 9= 11%
• 6 & 8= 14%
• 7 = 17%

Turn Overview

When starting the game, players will revert to the regular rotating turn order. On your turn, you can do the following in the order listed:

1. You must roll for resource production (the result applies to all players).
2. You may trade resources with other players, harbors, or the bank.
3. You may build roads, settlements, or cities, and/or buy development cards. You may also play one development card at any time during your turn.

After you're done, the next player in the lineup then continues the game with step 1.

The Turn In Detail

1. Resource Production

You begin your turn by rolling the dice. The sum of the dice determines which terrain hexes produce resources.

Each player who has a settlement on an intersection that borders a terrain hex marked with the number rolled receives 1 resource card of the hex's type. 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

Afterwards, you may trade freely (using either or both types of trades below) to gain needed resource cards:

a) Domestic Trade

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.

b) Maritime Trade

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, 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).

3. Build

Now you can build. Through building, you can increase your victory points, 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). Take the appropriate number of roads, settlements, and/or cities from your supply and give them to them banker. Keep development cards hidden in your inventory.

You cannot build more pieces than what is available in your pool - a maximum of 5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads.

a) Road (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. The first player to build a continuous road (not counting forks) of at least 5 road segments receives the special card "Longest Road." If another player succeeds in building a longer road than the one created by the current owner of the "Longest Road" card, they immediately take the special card (and its 2 victory point). If there is a tie for "Longest Road", the card is returned to the banker and any VP points gained by the award are lost until one player has the longest road.

b) Settlement (Requires: Brick, Lumber, Wool, & Grain)

Take special note of the "Distance Rule": 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). Another way to think about it is there must be at least two available road spaces between any settlement or city.

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 (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.

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 (Requires: Ore, Wool, & Grain)

When you buy a development card, give the resource requirements to the banker and then click the right button near the dice to dispense a card. There are 3 different kinds of these cards: knight, progress, and victory point. 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 inventory) until you use them, so your opponents can't anticipate your play.

4. Special Cases

a) Rolling a "7" and Activating the Robber

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 their resource cards and return them to the bank.

Then you must move the robber. Proceed as follows:

1. You must move the robber immediately to the number token of any other terrain hex or to the desert hex. Perform this action by right-clicking on the number on top of the hex you wish to move it to.
2. Then you steal 1 (random) resource card from an opponent who has a settlement or city adjacent to the target terrain hex. The banker will facilitate this by choosing a random resource card from the target player's inventory. If the target hex is adjacent to 2 or more players' settlements or cities, you may choose which one you want to steal from. If the player chosen does not posses any resource cards you may choose another adjacent player, if one exists.

b) Playing Development Cards

At any time during your turn, you may play 1 development card. That card, however, may not be a card you bought during the same turn (except for a victory point card, as described below) or a card previously played!

Knight Cards (Purple Name)

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 themself receives the special card "Largest Army," which is worth 2 victory points. If another player has more knight cards in front of them than the current holder of the Largest Army card, they immediately take the special card and it's 2 victory points. If there is a tie for "Largest Army", the card is returned to the banker and any VP points gained by the award are lost until one player has the largest army.

Progress Cards (Green Name)

If you play a progress card, follow it's instructions. Then the card is removed from the game (i.e., given to the banker).

Victory Point Cards (Orange Name)

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 purchased 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 their turn.

Strategy

In Catan, a winning strategy typically involves balancing early expansion with late-game development, prioritizing resource diversity, and strategically using development cards. Focusing on building a variety of resources, including wheat and ore, early on allows for faster city upgrades and a strong economic base. Additionally, strategically placing settlements and roads to access valuable resources and ports can lead to a significant advantage. That said, try not to get too caught up in the strategy - the main goal is just to have fun!

Early Game

• Placement: Prioritize placing settlements on numbers that have a higher chance of being rolled (6 and 8 are common choices), and aim for a good mix of resources to avoid dependence on a single resource type.
• Expansion: Build roads that connect to other settlements and potentially access valuable ports later in the game.
• Resource Focus: While balanced resource production is ideal, prioritize wheat and ore as they are crucial for building cities.

Mid Game

• Development Cards: Use development cards strategically, such as "Year of Plenty" to get a quick boost, or "Road Building" to disrupt opponents' plans.
• City Upgrades: Focus on upgrading settlements to cities for a significant boost in victory points and production.
• Resource Management: Use trades and develop resources efficiently to prepare for late-game development and expansion.

Late Game

• Longest Road/Largest Army: Take advantage of the development card "Knight" to build a large army or focus on building roads to claim the longest road.
• Victory Points: Continue building cities and using development cards to reach 10 victory points before your opponents.
• Trading: Use trades effectively to get the resources you need to build cities and development cards.