® ® Dear Settlers, Before you invite your fellow gamers over, we suggest that you read over these "Game Rules." Peruse the short Game Overview on page 16 (the back cover) and study the game board illustration. Then read the Game Rules in peace. This will not take long. The actual rules (red pages) are quite short. You do not need to read the Almanac at the back of this book (gold pages) quite yet. Use the Almanac for reference when questions come up during play. Now you are ready for your first adventure on Catan. Have fun settling this new land together! — Klaus Teuber You can find further information on the Internet at: www.catan.com www.mayfairgames.com www.universityofcatan.com www.klausteuber.com These 4-page rules (pages 2-5) contain all the important CONSTRUCTING THE ISLAND information that you need to play! The frame pieces hold the board together and prevent the If you need more information during the game, you can look pieces from moving after the board is in place. Before building up keywords (marked ) in the “Almanac,” which follows 4 the island, assemble the frame by matching the numbers at the these rules. ends of the frame pieces together (i.e., 1-1, 2-2, etc.). GAME COMPONENTS You can then construct the island of Catan using the 19 terrain hexes as shown on page 3. • 19 terrain hexes (tiles) • 6 sea frame pieces Starting Set-up for Beginners • 9 harbor piece You play the game The Settlers of Catan on a variable game • 18 circular number tokens (chits) board. For your first game, however, we suggest that you use • 95 Resource Cards (bearing the symbols for the ore, the “Starting Set-up for Beginners4.” (See Illus. A on page 3.) grain, lumber, wool, and brick resources) This set-up is well-balanced for all players. • 25 Development Cards (14 Knight/Soldier Cards, Before your first game you must remove the die-cut 6 Progress Cards, 5 Victory Point Cards) components from the cardboard holders. Carefully punch • 4 “Building Costs” Cards out and separate the pieces. • 2 Special Cards: “Longest Road” & “Largest Army” Lay out the map as specified in Illustration A (or on • 16 cities (4 of each color shaped like churches) the back of this booklet). • 20 settlements (5 of each color shaped like houses) First, assemble the frame as shown. • 60 roads (15 of each color shaped like bars) Second, create Catan by placing the 19 terrain • 2 dice (1 yellow, 1 red) hexes on the table—again as shown. • 1 robber Third, place the circular number tokens • 1 Game Rules & Almanac booklet on top of the designated terrain hexes. Learn how Finally, place your settlements to play the quick and roads. and easy way! Visit 2 www.profeasy.com. – Prof. Easy Illustration A Starting Set-up for Experienced Players Place the Special Cards “Longest Road” and “Largest Army” It is more fun to play with a variable game board—with the beside the game board along with the 2 dice. game board laid out randomly. The board changes each game. Sort the Resource Cards into 5 stacks and put them face up If you would like to use the variable set-up, you can find the next to the game board. Shuffle the Development Cards and guidelines in the Almanac under Set-up, Variable4. Also look place them face down for useful tips under Set-up Phase4 and Tactics4. by the board. Illustration B You receive SETTING UP THE GAME resources for each Select a color and take your 5 settlements, 4 cities and terrain hex around 15 roads (no more and no less!). Place your 2 roads and your starting your 2 settlements on the game board. Place your remaining settlement marked settlements, roads, and cities down in front of you. with a white star # Note: Remove the red pieces from the game if you are playing a (see Illustration A). 3-player game. Take the appropriate Take your color’s Building Costs Card. (See Illustration B.) Resource Cards from their stacks. 3 Example: See Illustration A. Blue receives 1 brick card, 1 wool card, 2. Trade4 and 1 ore card for his leftmost settlement (i.e., his settlement marked with a star). Afterwards you may trade freely (using either or both types of trades below) to gain needed Resource Cards: Each player keeps his Resource Cards hidden in his hand. Important: Settlements and cities a) Domestic Trade4 may only be placed at the corners Illustration C On your turn, you can trade Resource Cards with any of the of the terrain hexes—never along other players. You can announce which resources you need the edges (see Illustration C). and what you are willing to trade for them. The other players Roads may only be placed at the edges of the terrain hexes—1 road can also make their own proposals and counter offers. per edge (see Illustration D). The Important: Players may only trade with the player whose turn it is. Distance Rule means many inter- The other players may not trade among themselves. sections along roads will remain unoccupied. b) Maritime Trade4 You can also trade without the other players! TURN OVERVIEW During your turn, you can always trade at 4:1 by putting Unless you’re using the Starting 4 identical Resource Cards back in their stack and taking any Set-Up for Experienced Players, 1 Resource Card of your choice for it. the oldest player goes first. On If you have a settlement or city on a harbor4, you can trade your turn, you can do the follow- with the bank more favorably: at either a 3:1 ratio or in special ing in the order listed: harbors (trading the resource type shown) at 2:1. Illustration D • You must roll for resource Important: The 4:1 trade is always possible, even if you do not have production4 (the result applies to all players). a settlement on a harbor. • You may trade4 resources with other players or using 3. Build4 maritime trade. Now you can build. Through building, you can increase your • You may build4 roads4, settlements4 or cities4 and/or victory points 4, expand your road network, improve your buy Development Cards . You may also play one 4 resource production, and/or buy useful Development Cards. Development Card4 at any time during your turn. To build, you must pay specific combinations of Resource After you’re done, pass the dice to the player to your left, Cards (see the Building Costs Card). Take the appropriate who then continues the game with step 1. number of roads, settlements, and/or cities from your supply Tip: For advanced players, we recommend combining the second and and place them on the game board. Keep Development Cards third steps. You can find more details in the Almanac under “Combined Trade/Build Phase.” hidden in your hand. You cannot build more pieces than what is available in your The Turn in Detail pool—a maximum of 5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads. 1. Resource Production a) Road4 requires: Brick & Lumber You begin your turn by rolling both dice. A new road must always connect to The sum of the dice determines which 1 of your existing roads, settlements, terrain hexes produce resources. or cities. Each player who has a settlement on an intersection 4 that Only 1 road can be built on any borders a terrain hex marked with the number rolled receives given path4. 1 Resource Card of the hex’s type. For an example see The first player to build a continuous resource production 4. If you have 2 or 3 settlements road (not counting forks) of at least 5 road segments, receives bordering that hex, you receive 1 Resource Card for each the Special Card “Longest Road”4. If another player succeeds settlement. You receive 2 Resource Cards for each city you in building a longer road than the one created by the current own that borders that hex. If there is not enough of a given owner of the “Longest Road” card, he immediately takes the resource in the supply to fulfill everyone’s production, then Special Card (and its 2 victory points). In this case, there is a no one receives any of that resource during that turn. 4 victory point swing! 4 b) Settlement4 requires: Brick, Lumber, Wool, & Grain (1) You must move the robber4 immediately to the number Take special note of the “Distance token of any other terrain hex or to the desert4 hex. Rule”4: you may only build a settle- (2) Then you steal 1 (random) Resource Card from an ment at an intersection if all 3 of the opponent who has a settlement or city adjacent to the adjacent intersections are vacant target terrain hex. The player who is robbed holds his (i.e., none are occupied by any Resource Card hand face down. You then take 1 at ran- settlements or cities—even yours). dom. If the target hex is adjacent to 2 or more players’ set- Each of your settlements must tlements or cities, you choose which one you want to rob. connect to at least 1 of your own roads. Important: If the production number for the hex containing the robber is rolled, the owners of adjacent settlements and cities do not Regardless of whose turn it is (i.e., during any production receive resources. The robber prevents it. phase), when a terrain hex produces resources, you receive 1 Resource Card for each settlement you have adjacent to that b) Playing Development Cards4 terrain hex.