Questions tagged [catan]

Three or four players (up to 6 with the extension) play against each other to create the most prestigious settlement on the island of Catan, rolling dice to collect resources to build roads, towns, cities and other advancements. (90-120 minute playtime)

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
4 votes
3 answers
970 views

In Catan, how do you decide which "fifth" resource to neglect?

In Catan, there are five resources: wood, brick, wheat, sheep, and ore. You get two free settlements that can access up to three resource hexes for a total of six. An "ideal" placement will ...
15 votes
1 answer
5k views

Are "three way" trades allowed in Catan?

My basic understanding is that all trades must involve the player whose turn it is. Player A, whose turn it is, has ore and wants wheat. Player B wants ore and offers brick, which is not acceptable to ...
0 votes
1 answer
62 views

Barbarian Attack : Catan Cities & Knights

4 of us are playing P1: 2 cities and 3 activated knights P2: 2 cities and 1 activated knight P3: 2 cities and 0 activated knight P4: 2 cities and 0 activated knight When barbarian attack, would player ...
6 votes
1 answer
3k views

What is the largest number of Settlers expansions that can be combined in one game?

I recently obtained the Traders and Barbarians expansion for Settlers and in the rules for each sub-expansion there was a little addendum about possible combinations with other sub expansions. But ...
3 votes
1 answer
93 views

Catan Universe (iPad app) how to regain longest road by filling in a missing piece between 2 roads?

I’ve got 2 pieces of road with a gap in the middle. I want to fill that gap with a road and get the longest road victory points. The app will not let me do it. Is this a bug or a rule I’m not ...
8 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can two VP cards be played at once in Catan?

Weve just started playing this as a group and have a question on victory point cards. One person was on 8 points but had two cards that state: 1 Victory Point. Reveal this card on your turn if, with ...
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Settlers of Catan: is it better to go first or last?

In the preliminary stage of the game, going first/last affects (and limits) your ability to pick the location for your two initial settlements. Either scenario seems to have advantages/disadvantages. ...
9 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can you 4:1 trade with the bank if you don't own any shoreside settlements?

The question is about the base game. I'm interested in whether any of the expansions affect this rule in any way. My family recently bought Catan, and we're having a dispute over how the maritime ...
3 votes
1 answer
185 views

May I move a hex number in Catan Europe if there is a robber on that hex?

In Catan Europe Board Game there are some hexes without a number. When we come there, we get a number from an already taken hex and place that number on a new hex. So, my question is: May I move a hex ...
4 votes
1 answer
368 views

Are there systems or experts that use a "weighted" resource strategy in Catan?

There is a strategy called (highest) resource strategy in Catan. That is, build your initial settlements on hexes where the sum of the favorable die rolls is a maximum. That assumes 1) that all ...
3 votes
1 answer
464 views

Is it possible to convert a settler ship into a settlement without moving and then build or is it considered a move?

Is it possible to purchase a settler during the build and trade phase, then load him onto a ship, move him, and then on a next turn convert him into a settlement during build phase? Or is it ...
3 votes
3 answers
713 views

Can a player take one resource card using year of plenty development card?

A player has 6 resource cards. If they play a year of plenty development card then they should pick up two cards. This means they would need to discard 4 cards if robber is activated by another player....
1 vote
0 answers
52 views

Can you build only one road using road building development card in Catan? [duplicate]

If you play the road building development card in Catan, can you build only one road? Does the answer change if the reason is: You don't have enough roads available? There is only one valid place for ...
22 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is it unsportsmanlike to concede when you believe you cannot win?

I've had a long running debate with some folks I play with regarding concession. Some argue that is it is unsportsmanlike to concede a game if you are not doing very well. I contend however, that if ...
76 votes
16 answers
11k views

Is pretending to want to trade before playing a monopoly card objectionable?

In Settlers of Catan, I sometimes try to ask people if they want to trade a certain resource, tricking them into revealing the approximate amount of that resource in everyone's hand. After this I play ...
8 votes
3 answers
4k views

Can Road Building Progress Card be played with only 1 road remaining?

Let's say that I have already placed 14 roads and have the Road Building Progress Card. Am I able to play it and place my single road, or must I be able to play 2? Here's the full description in the ...
46 votes
4 answers
23k views

Is giving resources away for free allowed?

Motivation: I once had one surplus card on my hand, and knew the robbers would come soon. So I gave it to someone for free, to avoid losing more cards when they hit. I was surprised by how badly this ...
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can I build a settlement on a "broken" road?

If I have a settlement with many roads connected, let’s say at least 6 roads deep, and my opponent cuts it off and builds a settlement between them, can I still build a settlement at the deep end even ...
0 votes
2 answers
635 views

Catan longest road card question

After you get the longest road card, can you start building on it and still retain the longest road card?
9 votes
2 answers
3k views

Settlers of Catan: does the "knight card steal" have to be random? [duplicate]

When using a knight card, can you negotiate with your opponent to agree on a specific resource card that may be mutually beneficial? For example, let's say I desperately need a sheep and use a knight ...
2 votes
1 answer
897 views

Can I play catan-seafarers 5-6 player extension without the actual seafarers?

I have just bought the 5-6 player seafarers extension for catan and I also have the basic catan. Can I play like this? or do I have to have the normal seafarers?
39 votes
2 answers
24k views

In Catan, can I ask how many cards are in a player's hand?

While playing Catan tonight, I rolled a 7 and moved the robber. No one had more than 7 cards, but I still asked how many cards people had in their hand because I wanted to know who had the most. All ...
0 votes
0 answers
43 views

Forgetting to take a Vps card / settlement of road after purchasing in Catan [duplicate]

Good day all, hope ur doing well. A quick question since I never found anything in the rules of Catan. After a player purchased a Vps card/ road or settlement and forgets to take the card or item ...
3 votes
1 answer
90 views

Can we play Conquerers if we don't have Cities and Knights?

We have the base Catan and the Cities and Knights: Legend of the Conquerers scenario extension set. But we don't have the Cities and Knights set. We also have the Seafearers extension. Is there a way ...
27 votes
12 answers
91k views

Where can I find good tile layouts for Settlers of Catan?

I just bought a copy of Settlers, and noticed that there was a suggested starting layout that is included in the Almanac. I noticed it was mentioned online as well: "new editions of the game also ...
27 votes
6 answers
41k views

What are the differences between the four editions of The Settlers of Catan base game?

I haven't played Settlers of Catan yet, but I've been considering asking my gaming group if they want to try it. As I understand it, Settlers of Catan is now in its fourth major version. If I do get ...
3 votes
1 answer
231 views

Empty bank and Aqueduct

Our situation: Extension Cities&Knights Dices gave us the number 9 All players have settlement in the corner of hexes with number 9 and both 9 hexes are grain There are not enough grain cards in ...
-2 votes
1 answer
184 views

Aqueduct - right or duty?

Rules: If, when the dice are rolled for production, you do not receive any resources or commodities, you may take any one resource of your choice from the bank. You may not, however, use this ability ...
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

Catan Universe with 2 human and 1 computer player

I have played a lot of Catan on the original board game but there is Catan Classic or Catan Universe in the App Store. Can I play Catan online with a friend but also against the computer so we have ...
9 votes
1 answer
15k views

Can both starting roads be placed on the same settlement?

According to the rules, we can place settlements only beside roads leading to it or away from it. we can place roads beside roads or settlements. During initial placement, we have the choice of ...
1 vote
1 answer
185 views

Seafarers Pirate island - Am I OBLIGED to attack when reaching pirate fortress?

My ship route has arrived at the pirate fortress. The fortress still has it's full compliment of chits underneath. The rules say I "can" attack but I don't want to right now. I want to wait ...
17 votes
4 answers
11k views

Can you collect a resource of your choice if you have no production due to the robber?

In "Cities and Knights" there is a city improvement which allows you to "collect a resource of your choice" if "you don't receive production on a turn." Does this privilege apply when the following ...
1 vote
1 answer
368 views

Catan: Cities and Knights: "Using" progress cards to get them out of your hand [duplicate]

Can you "use" a mining card without being adjacent to ore, or an irrigation card without being adjacent to wheat, in order to get them out of your hand and prevent opponents from spying them?...
22 votes
7 answers
5k views

Unsporting trades in the end-game of settlers of Catan

Oftentimes in a big game of Settlers of Catan (4 or more players) it comes down to two or three players battling for the winning point and one or two players who have too few points to offer any ...
28 votes
10 answers
4k views

How do I avoid the endless trade negotiations in Settlers of Catan?

When I play Settlers of Catan, I often find myself rapidly bored by the trading component of the game. This is normally because of one or two players who insist on endlessly protracted negotiations ...
15 votes
12 answers
11k views

Short-version of Settlers of Catan

What are some rule changes that shorten the game, and what drawbacks do those changes have? Please limit your answers to rules changes with which you have first-hand experience!
2 votes
2 answers
873 views

Cities produce in Traders and barbarians of Catan

In the initial setup of the Traders and barbarians expansion and scenario, we use 1 settlement and 1 city (from where the caravan head out). At this moment the city will produce only 1 resource. But ...
36 votes
4 answers
53k views

Which of the 5 resources in Settlers of Catan (base version) is most important? Why?

Experienced Settlers of Catan players know that the answer to this question will vary based on many board setup factors such as resource productivity, 2:1 ports, whether you can corner the market for ...
-3 votes
1 answer
932 views

CATAN- May one player build roads that pass perpendicularly through another player's established roads? [closed]

If player one has built a road system through intersection A. Is it within the rules for player B to build a road system that passes through intersection A from the perpendicular direction? Or is that ...
-1 votes
1 answer
1k views

Catan: Longest Road [closed]

Does the longest road have to start and end with a settlement or city at each end? Can you make an infinite loop around a hex? Should there be a card that can destroy another player’s road, forcing ...
1 vote
1 answer
237 views

Is a player locked in to a poorly worded trade offer? [duplicate]

Is the following allowed? Player A: holds up two woods and says "I will take any one resource for two woods" Player B: Gives him a wood for his two woods. Player A: tries to say he meant any ...
50 votes
9 answers
6k views

In Settlers of Catan, how do you overcome bad initial settlement placement?

In Settlers of Catan, how do you overcome bad initial settlement placement? In a lot of games of Catan I've played, initial settlement placement seems to really make or break the game for a player. ...
2 votes
1 answer
432 views

Are there ways to estimate the value of development cards in Catan?

In Catan, a development card costs one sheep, one wheat, and one ore, three resources in all. Here are development cards that you might be able to get for those three resources: Year of plenty. Two ...
3 votes
2 answers
476 views

How to build cities in Catan without any ore?

When playing in a Catan game (basic edition) last week, I got a couple of good starting spots, with dice rolls 5,4, and 6 and 10, 5, and 8. Except that there was no ore in those settlements, and none ...
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Does a robber block maritime trading?

As the title says. If someone places the robber in one of the outer hexes which has a settlement or city that lets them do 3/2:1 trading, does the presence of robber block them from trading?
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Catan Road Eligibility for Diplomat with Knight In Between?

I recently played a game of Catan with Cities and Knights. We had a situation like the following (excuse the horrendously crude art). Where an Orange Knight (A) is breaking up some roads between two ...
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

In Settlers of Catan (like Diplomacy), is the secret to winning avoiding "peaking too soon?"

In a two person game, one should try to make the "best moves." (If your opponent doesn't, you'll crush him unless the dice or other luck factors go very much against you.) That's not always true in a ...
1 vote
1 answer
204 views

Are there different "imperatives" for the four players when choosing starting settlements in Catan?

For instance, a You Tube video opined that "the third player should focus on the scarcest resource." This may or a may not be good advice, I used it only for illustrative purposes. What, if ...
30 votes
10 answers
13k views

Catan: when to buy development cards?

I never buy development cards in the beginning: the Knights are fairly useless, the Largest Army bonus is not a priority, and it's too risky to gamble on drawing a Road Building card. When is the ...
2 votes
1 answer
303 views

Catan: play development card after rolling robber

In Settlers of Catan, we have been discussing the possibility of playing a development card before moving the robber but after rolling a 7. The idea came from someone wanting to play a monopoly card ...

1
2 3 4 5 6