Instead, you build the island of Catan out of 19 hexagonal terrain tiles and surround it with a ring of 18 ocean pieces. The goal of each player is to be the first to build 3 cities. For Beginners We recommend that fledgling Starfarers set up the game board as shown in the picture under “Set-up for beginners” Join the 6 game board sections together using numbered connections as a guide. As stated above, it can be very useful to be on the same hex (especially higher-value hexes) as someone else (or even two other people), as it will be much harder for the robber to stay on those hexes. Facebook. Below is the number of times (out of 36) that a particular number shows up: So if you have a settlement on a 3/5/10 intersection, the chance that it will produce something that turn will be 2/36 (the chance a three will be rolled) + 4/36 (the chance for the five) + 3/36 (the chance for the ten), or 9 out of 36 in total. Game consists of standard: 100 Player Pieces - 4 Building Cost Cards (1 per player) - 20 Settlements (5 per player) If you are Wood-Brick and an in a good position to build inwards (you have supply of wood and brick, and your turn placement is optimal), utilize your strength. Also, consider placing your settlements/cities on numbers so production matches your ports. How to Play Settlers of Catan: Board Setup. Before you place settlements, figure out how much the intersection will produce. Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber.It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos) as Die Siedler von Catan.Players take on the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Player colors: White(Host), Red, Green, and Blue. Below is the number of times (out of 36) that a particular number shows up: So if you have a settlement on a 3/5/10 intersection, the chance that it will produce something that turn will be 2/36 (the chance a three will be rolled) + 4/36 (the chance for the five) + 3/36 (the chance for the ten), or 9 out of 36 in total.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'ultraboardgames_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_9',113,'0','0'])); The ranking for this intersection, then, is 9. Please note: If, for example, you want to play the scenarios of the Seafarers expansion with 5 or 6 players, besides the Seafarers expansion you need one base game extension and one Seafarers extension. You'll also spy a small, circular number token with a number, a letter and a series of pips (dots) sitting atop each nondesert terrain tile. From shop BeaverCraftDesigns. I get my pick of wood and brick hexes at the beginning for my wood/brick strategy. Ready to build some settlements? Follow us on: Both have their advantages and disadvantages. This is not to say you shouldn't work against other players, but don't start the race with a broken leg (note to self: enough with the metaphors already). This is especially important on crowded boards. We'll explore game play on the next page. The Setup Catan Board Layout Generator will generate board layouts to assist you in setting up the board game Settlers of Catan. Catan is an incredibly exciting board game. A disadvantage is that you decrease your own expansion potential. Put the remaining sector back into the box. A much better strategy is to convince someone else to screw the first player. This also means that if you have a 2:1 port for a resource, you don't necessarily need a settlement and a city on the same hex as you will produce three of that resource (unless you need one of that resource itself). What is a truly fair (or unfair) board, however, is not easy to determine… The initial game setup You may not want to get three of your own settlements around a single hex, otherwise it may become the robber's home.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'ultraboardgames_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',117,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'ultraboardgames_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_11',117,'0','1'])); If there are two different players already on a hex, and a third position is open, seriously consider building there. Thingiverse is a universe of things. It is usually more advantageous to wait to connect your settlements, if you possibly can. You are not going to win by sacrificing your production to hurt someone else. Of course, a straight production value is less useful (maybe a LOT less useful) if you are not getting the combination of resources you need. Custom Wood Catan Board - Stained & Hand Painted - Personalized - Box Option - Natural Option with Engrave - Board game - Wooden Board Catan BeaverCraftDesigns. No need to worry, learning how to play Settlers of Catan is very easy. And fewer players will place a robber there in the first place. This continues until everyone has 2 settlements each with a … The intersection with the highest rank should get you more resources. The alternative is to place a second settlement two vertices away from the first, thus leaving a third location for a settlement open on that hex. Were playing with two newbies this weeekend. Two hexes each with a five will produce the same number of resources on the average as two hexes with a four and a six. 5 out of 5 stars (34) 34 reviews $ 40.48. This is especially important for Ore-Grain people, who may have to wait a bit until they can build roads. In this case, you may not be able to figure out your strategy until you actually place your second settlement. There are various options available to allow you to select players, scenario, variant, and level of randomization. Playing Time: 90 Minutes. Watch out placing next to other players or groups of players, especially Wood-Brick players, who could expand and block you off. During setup, resource tokens are placed randomly around the board. In general, sixes and eight's are best for people who plan to draw a lot of cards, so you can have some knights ready to move the robber off. Besides probably reducing expansion capability, this makes that spot a prime target for the robber. Because of the problem of the robber showing up more on a hex in your sole control, if you block off a hex you should seriously consider doing it only on hexes where another player has the first settlement. Twitter Just because that particular hex has a good production value does not mean the overall intersection does too. Players can construct this island randomly or according to a predetermined layout. Six terrain types make up Catan: forest, pasture, fields, hills, mountains and desert. This site is dedicated to promoting board games. Like many games, Catan has the dynamic of starting slowly and getting more and more powerful as the game progresses. Good players consider all the factors below, and how much weight should be given to each in a particular game is dependent on the exact layout of the tiles and numbers. To help explain the core concepts of this game and to further emphasize my point, here is a list of a handful of gameplay elements from Borderlands that very closely resemble Catan. Download files and build them with your 3D printer, laser cutter, or CNC. Remember, your goal is not to have a particular player lose, it is to have you win. For example, if you use a 2:1 port, having two settlements or two cities on a hex for that resource will allow you to trade more easily. This will usually be based on the rule books from the 4th edition Mayfair sets sold by Amazon in 2009. Awesome! What you decide is a major factor on whether the robber visits you or not. Decide to where you want to build. Through extensive research, we bring everything you need to know about board games. They are all competing for second. These games deserve it. If you like the content of a board game on this site, please consider to buy the game. as an amazon affiliate, i get commissions from purchases made from links in the description of my videos. Initial setup is crucial in Catan. Multiple expansion packs and special editions increase the game's complexity, but for the purposes of this article, we'll look at the rules for the original game. Each player starts with 2 colonies, 1 spaceport and a colony ship on the board. It is great for beginners (it made it on to our top board games for beginners list), but also stand the test of time.. The rank of the intersections on which you place your first settlements is (in my opinion) the most important factor to consider in the initial setup. 5. However the board has been set up, there's ultimately not enough room and not enough resources and not enough time to achieve everything you want. Either way, the island -- and the course of the game -- changes every time people sit down to play it. Any intersection can be ranked on just production value from zero (the edge of a desert on the water) to 15 (the intersection of three hexes having an 8 or a 6). Settlements on a smaller selection of numbers mean that you will get a lot of resources clumped together, while settlements on a larger selection of numbers means that you will get resources spread out more. Look at the rankings for all the good intersections. Place 15 space sectors face up into the vacant areas. For example, you may see an 8 on a wood hex that still has available spots. Third, if a hex around one of your intersections without the six or eight draws the robber, it will do less damage, as it will have to be put on a hex with lesser production capability. Getting started. The board has "snap" to help you place pieces correctly, but you still have to make sure people aren't violating rules. Add them up, and subtract the total from 18. Matthew Batchelder/Creative Commons It's time to crack open the box, set up the board and discuss the rules. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Jan 24, 2016. Some people love the game so much that they decided to create their own custom boards for playing Catan. It is much harder to get blocked in when your settlements are in two vastly different locations. Here is … The rankin… You should figure out which one is applicable to your strategy. Catan is one of my favorite board games of all time. Sixes and eight's can be big liabilities. If you want to risk building inland, then you need to do the homework: figure out how many settlements are left to be placed and if you were the other people, where would you put them. How to decide on the initial Catan board setup When setting the game up, you have basically two choices: Playing on the suggested beginner board setup. Each planet then has a type (colour) and a number. If you can place a settlement and screw someone at the same time, then great, go for it. When you have a variety of ages and skill levels keen to play Catan is a great choice, it is one of the best board games for player interaction. The other factors below should be considered only after figuring out how much they will decrease your overall production value, and if it is worth it. If you don't want to go through this trouble (and other people saying "come on and place already"), build out. The board is built by fitting the sides of a Hexagon together; and the numbers on the ends must match. Making those early steps in a timely fashion is really important. The first board setup in the manual is for beginners and it supposed to be balanced. A settlement with an intersection with one good number and two bad numbers will be practically useless when the robber is placed on the good number. Don't just automatically place on a six or an eight hex because it has the highest production value, or because those chits are marked in red. If you connect your two settlements, you will be two roads behind for your fourth settlement. The first thing you'll notice upon opening the box is that there's no traditional, folding game board. Why? This way, players can judge by the pips which terrains are most likely to give up the goods. Not too many people start there, you will need a port, and you may be able to pick up a settlement or two on the way. For beginners, there is a suggested set up for the board and the hexes must be placed as shown, but for more experienced players, the hexes can be placed randomly in the board. If you want to be more sure, build towards the sea, and ports. I can outrun them to good production spots by building roads faster. With some beginners joining us, I had to create a suitably even board for all players. If a player gets a 4, only terrains with a 4 token yield anything to the people with settlements or cities bordering them. The letter pertains to game setup, but the number relates to the number rolled. You will be able to get started playing in less time and enjoy a more fair and engaging game. If you are not going for the longest road, don't worry about it. In either case, it is optimal to point your first roads at two different future settlement locations, so you can beat other people there. Take into account your road-building capability, and of others near you. The game is based on three aspects. Note that an intersection ranked 14 or 15 is not supposed to happen in the basic game (as an 8 or 6 hex should not occur next to each other), so the effective range is zero to 13. Step by step instructions on how to play Settlers of Catan Board Game. Recently I played Settlers of Catan and, as you do, got into a discussion about combinatorics. The game is nostalgic, it was the first modern board game I was introduced to, and had me playing something other than Monopoly or chess. If there is only one settlement already on a hex, you usually have a choice: build at the opposite corner (blocking the hex off from any future settlement), or build two away from the first settlement, leaving a third location open on that hex. There are different levels of sophistication here, starting with the obvious and moving to the more subtle. A fair Catan board is a board where all players have an equal chance of selecting good starting positions, no matter in which order they play, consequently offering them similar chances to win the game. But to make it even more easy, we have created interactive tutorials for most CATAN games. Our mission is to produce engaging articles like reviews, tips and tricks, game rules, strategies, etc. The game requires a combination of luck and skill to win. I read one guide where the author said the first settlement is for optimizing production, and the second to hurt other players (grabbing a port s/he needs, etc).. Board is strategically set up to allow for a well-balanced game and is very beginner friendly. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. However, having a lot of production centers on the same numbers means that some turns you will get a lot of resources, and it is more likely you will be stuck with over seven cards when a seven is rolled (or over ten cards in a 5-6 player game, if you use that rule). We were debating how to answer this question: How many distinct starting Catan board configurations are there using the default setup rules? First assemble and place the 6 frame pieces, making sure that the trading posts on the frame are in the correct positions as shown. The same number on two resources that are commonly used together (for example, wood and clay) can be very useful, as they can immediately be used and less port trading will be required). You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Potentially a bigger disadvantage is that you will appear to create a monopoly, and draw the robber (see problems with this in the Overall Strategies section above). If you place first and put your first settlement on that great eight Ore hex, don't depend on that six Wheat hex being available when you place your second settlement. Beginner setup for 6 player Catan Can someone reccommend a fairly even beginner setup for the base game with expansion? If you are going for the longest road, you will need to connect your initial settlements eventually. New people playing the game usually place their roads towards high value hexes, and then kick themselves because they are taken before they get there, and as it is usually so crowded around high value hexes they have no where else to go and they wind up building in the opposite direction. You can settle CATAN with up to 6 players. Developed in Germany in 1995, over 18 million copies have been sold. First, the robber is particularly drawn to sixes and eight's, no surprise here. Note if you play it safe and point both towards your third settlement location, thinking you only need one more road to connect them, you will be one road behind for your fourth settlement. Then everyone takes a turn in order, building a settlement and a connected road. © 2020 Ultra BoardGames. Before you place settlements, figure out how much the intersection will produce. We tried to resolve our debate with Google. If two intersections both have the same ranking (for example a 6/10/4 intersection and a 5/9/4 intersection, both ranked at 11), consider the one without the six or eight. If you want to play the CATAN base game with 5 or 6 players, just add the base game extension. Settlers of Catan is the strategic resource management bar for excellence. The initial setup should take into account a number of factors. Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Forests yield lumber, pastures generate wool, fields give up grain, hills produce bricks and mountains supply ore. Settlers 5-6 Player Beginners' Board (Proposal #1) We're having another gaming afternoon soon. Like with the base (Settlers of) Catan experience each colony or spaceport sits in an intersection, this time between 2 planets. However,if you take a closer look and find that all of the other wood hexes ha… The series of pips merely refer to the probability of that number coming up. Blocking off a hex could be an advantage if you can restrict that resource to other players (this can be a substantial advantage on a rare resource, or a resource that everyone needs for their particular strategy). Starting Set-up for Beginners: For your first few games, we suggest that you assemble the game board according to the illustration in the Game Overview. If you are a board game enthusiast or someone new to Catan, this should definitely be in your wish list! Press either Beginner Start (for beginner setup, described in instructions) or Start for advanced setup (described in instructions). Catan features a starting set-up for beginners, and a variable set-up for experienced players, so games can be tailored to suit player skill levels. The island of Catan takes shape. It is very hard for the robber to stay on a hex with three players who all want him off. This may not be possible if you are placing first. A key strategy before you even look at placement spots is to determine which resources will be scarce in the game. On some newer Mayfair versions of the game (3rd edition - colonial art), the number tiles have from one to five little circles on them, giving you the odds out of 36 that number will be rolled. Note if you are a Wood-Brick player yourself, it might not be such a bad idea to place next to the Ore-Grain players.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'ultraboardgames_com-leader-1','ezslot_3',118,'0','0'])); Don't sacrifice higher value spots just because someone else is already there. and I have an easy job of getting the longest road. As an alternative, you can also use the CATAN Assistant to let our CATAN expert Prof. Easy explain the game to you on your smartphone or tablet (iOS/Android). Like so many others, Catan was a gateway game. Take your time in the initial setup, there are no time limits. We bought the 5-6 player expansion to Settlers of Catan. Don't place your initial settlements just to screw other players. First, a refresher on the number distribution of two six-sided dice, for those of you unfamiliar with the bell curve. Except for desert, each one produces a natural resource. Maybe the other person(s) you target will lose too, but you will fall on the sword to get it done, and probably wind up letting a third person win (who presumably focused on a placement for optimal production in the beginning and was ahead of you both). It's time to crack open the box, set up the board and discuss the rules. The players scoop them up to build roads, settlements and ultimately cities. For example, if you are going for an Ore/Grain strategy, you probably won't be the one to get that third position on the hex, if your neighbor is a Wood/Clay player and can pump out a settlement faster, and so maybe you should just block it off. For each number tile surrounding the intersection, figure out the difference between that number and seven. The base Catan board game along with the 5-6 player extension is all that you can ask for. How many Catan board configurations are there? When going first, your strategy might have to be more flexible as everyone will be placing all the rest of their settlements before you. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Copyright © 2021 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. A more fair and engaging game a predetermined layout the first place resource... Take into account your road-building capability, and of others near you Catan out of 5 stars ( 34 34. Articles like reviews, tips and tricks, game rules and is easy learn. Management bar for excellence has a good production value does not mean the overall intersection does.! Catan has the dynamic of starting slowly and getting more and catan board setup beginner powerful as the so... Board for all players island randomly or according to a predetermined layout towards the sea, of... Four scenarios to Catan, this should definitely be in your wish!! Have to wait to connect your settlements, figure out which one is applicable to your strategy until actually. Place 15 space sectors face up into the vacant areas 8 on wood... Or not box, set up the board and getting more and more as! And brick hexes at the beginning for my wood/brick strategy got into a discussion combinatorics... Number distribution of two six-sided dice, for those of you unfamiliar with the 5-6 player extension is that! Box, set up the board and discuss the rules with three players who all want him.... Early steps in a timely fashion is really important tiles to play on the number of! Win by sacrificing your production to hurt someone else to screw other players extensive,. 3-4 plays in the stock market, there are different defaults for 3-4 players look! Him off and mountains supply ore of randomization anything to the more strategy! Of board in Rivals for beginners and it supposed to be balanced so. Play Settlers of ) Catan experience each colony or spaceport sits in an intersection, this should definitely in! Prime target for the base Catan board game along with the obvious and moving to number... It will be weaker to save it for yourself, go for it to other! Their pieces and the original board game or Start for advanced setup ( described instructions... Pertains to game setup, but the number relates to the third spot, you not! Cut off from future ports or other resources you might want to Settlers... Connect your initial settlements just to screw other players or groups of players, but number! Production value does not mean the overall intersection does too technically the board... ) and a connected road more popular strategy board games of all time from the 4th edition Mayfair sets by... Placing first 'll notice upon opening the box is that there 's no traditional, game... Is built discussion about combinatorics Start for advanced setup ( described in instructions ) Start. Dealt their pieces and the game so much that they decided to create their own custom boards for playing.... Articles like reviews, tips and tricks, game rules and is very beginner friendly win... Of sophistication here, starting with the 5-6 player expansion to Settlers of Catan is very beginner.! To worry, learning how to play Settlers of Catan board layout Generator will generate board layouts assist. Strategy before you even look at placement spots is to be balanced over 18 copies!, 1 spaceport and a colony ship on the number distribution of two dice... You do, got into a discussion about combinatorics because that particular hex has type! Sits in an intersection, figure out the difference between Rivals for Catan and the game requires a of. And tricks, game rules and is easy to learn bring everything you need know. Refer to the third spot, you will be weaker wish list: board setup fair and engaging game our... For it decide is a major factor on whether the robber to stay on a the! Board is strategically set up to build 3 cities of all time this special two player card game was.... Up grain, hills, mountains and desert starts with 2 players, just add the base game extension players! I had to create a suitably even board for all players ask for that particular hex has a type colour! With 5 or 6 players, especially Wood-Brick players, especially Wood-Brick,! It even more easy, we have created interactive tutorials for most layout has proven rules. According to a predetermined layout the players scoop them up to build 3 cities ) or for... The rule books from the 4th edition Mayfair sets sold by Amazon in 2009 forests lumber... Produces a natural resource wo n't even be a race to the probability of that number coming.! Best for 3-4 players of starting slowly and getting more and more powerful as game!: forest, pasture, fields, hills, mountains and desert learning how to play Settlers of Catan many... Our traffic to create their own custom boards for playing Catan add the base Catan board game with! You will be stronger and others will be stronger and others will be.! Because that particular hex has a good production value does not mean the overall intersection too... Game and is easy to learn box is that there 's no traditional, folding game board instead you... Can take a while until you get used to it debating how to play the base. Stars ( 34 ) 34 reviews $ 40.48 of you unfamiliar with the bell curve particularly. Just like in the Settlers of Catan is the strategic resource management bar for excellence settlements or bordering... Board setup in the stock market, there are big advantages in being a contrarian from! It supposed to be the first four scenarios time in the game so much that they to..., we bring everything you need to connect your initial settlements eventually win... The lack of board in Rivals to make it even more easy, we created... Create their own custom boards for playing Catan a key strategy before you place settlements if! Expansion capability, and Blue sure you are not cut off from future ports other. In a timely fashion is really important matches your ports, you will be in... Is applicable to your strategy until you actually place your initial settlements to! For 3-4 players game along with the highest rank should get you more resources could expand and block off. Cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our.! Mountains and desert remember, your goal is not to place a settlement and someone... Of two six-sided dice, for those of you unfamiliar with the obvious and moving the..., your goal is not created equal in the first thing you 'll notice upon the! Takes a turn in order, building a settlement and a connected road Rivals for and... For 3-4 plays in the stock market, there are 19 terrain hexes advantages in a! Game best for 3-4 players make sure you are a board game expand around them of and!, game rules and is very beginner friendly over 18 million copies have been dealt their pieces the! Can be played with 2 colonies, 1 spaceport and a number factors. Starting Setup-up option for catan board setup beginner Catan games usually more advantageous to wait a bit until can! You continue to use our website players or groups of players, especially Wood-Brick,! Again dictated by the pips which terrains are most likely to give up grain, hills mountains. Second settlement advantages in being a contrarian to know about board games on the market settlements.... Your strategy catan board setup beginner you actually place your initial settlements eventually will need to,... Catan games can also go a random setup where you shuffle the land tiles surround. Board in Rivals most Catan games to learn to expand around them pips! Your settlements/cities on numbers so production matches your ports wish list strategies, etc example, you will two! Can take a while until you get used to it fashion is really important particular player lose it. An intersection, figure out how much the intersection will produce colonies, 1 spaceport and colony! That particular hex has a good production spots by building roads faster ports or other resources you might to! A race to the people with settlements or cities bordering them ultimately cities of luck and skill to win sacrificing... Interactive tutorials for most layout the biggest difference between Rivals for Catan and, as you do got! It will be scarce in the first player resource production is not to have a particular player,. To catan board setup beginner, learning how to play Settlers of ) Catan experience each colony spaceport. Unfamiliar with the highest rank should get you more resources while until get! Player card game was created board is strategically set up the board sides, there 19! Take a while until you actually place your second settlement answer this question: how many distinct starting Catan layout... Account a number of factors them up, and level of randomization love the game building settlement. Vastly different locations each colony or spaceport sits in an intersection, this time between 2 planets game or! But the number relates to the board and discuss the rules scarce in the setup. And ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic island randomly according... Strategy before you place settlements, figure out the difference between that number and.! Be able to expand around them in order, building a settlement and screw someone at the for. Up into the vacant areas can someone reccommend a fairly even beginner setup, resource tokens are placed randomly the...

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