The Settlers of Catan is a very popular board game that can also be played on X-Box 360. The great variety of possible strategies, the constant trading and the fact that each game is different from the previous one have contributed to making this game one of the best sellers in the world. world. I Coloni di Catan is suitable for any age and offers fun games by playing with both friends and family.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing the Game
Step 1. Understand what the aim of the game is
The object of the game is to earn 10 points. Whoever does it first wins the game. Points are earned by building structures and buying cards. To do this, you use the resources gained by strategically placing your buildings. During the game, carefully evaluate the resources you are going to earn or prepare to trade with other players to get what you need. Before starting to play, carefully study the game rules to know what resources are needed to build the different structures.
- Settlements are worth one victory point each, while cities are worth two points.
- The "Building" cards are worth one victory point each.
- Each bonus card is worth two victory points. The "Longest Road" bonus card is given to the player who first builds a five-segment road. The card changes hands when another player, adding segments to his longest street, crosses the cardholder's longest street in length. The "Mightiest Knight" bonus card is given to the player who first plays three "Knight" cards and changes hands when another player outperforms the holder of the card by the number of "Knight" cards played.
Step 2. Mount the outer frame
Each piece of sea has a number on the ends. Mount the outer frame by matching the numbers at the ends of the sea sections.
Step 3. Place the hexes depicting the terrain
Place a random terrain hex inside the frame, matching its edges with those of a section of the sea. Keep placing the hexes clockwise until you reach the center of the frame, making sure there are no empty spaces left on the board.
Step 4. Place the numbered chips
Place the token with the letter "A" on one of the outermost terrain hexes, then place the token with the letter "B" to its right. Keep placing the pieces clockwise until you reach the center of the frame. All terrains should have a token on it. Once all the pieces are placed, turn them upside down to reveal the numbers. These numbers indicate which dice rolls guarantee the various resources.
Step 5. Place the Bandit
Put the Robber token on the desert.
Part 2 of 4: Preparatory Round
Step 1. Determine the order of play
Each player rolls two dice. Whoever gets the highest score goes first. The turn continues clockwise.
Step 2. Place the first settlements
The first player places one of his settlements on an intersection - the point where three hex tiles meet - the adjacent hexes will determine the resources gained based on the dice rolls (so choose carefully!) Then the same player places a road near the settlement, in one of the three available places. Then, on his turn, the second player places his settlement in another area of the board.
- Roads must always be placed between two hexes, close to the settlement.
- A settlement can never be placed in the intersection immediately adjacent to the one occupied by another settlement. There must always be space between settlements to place at least two roads.
Step 3. Place the second settlement
The last player of the turn is authorized to place two settlements and two streets (one for each settlement). The game now continues counterclockwise and the players place their second settlement, with its street, until each has put two settlements and two streets on the board.
Part 3 of 4: Game Turn
Step 1. Roll the dice
Each settlement should touch three hex tiles, each with a numbered counter on it. When the result of the dice matches the number placed on a terrain near a player's settlement, he draws the resource card corresponding to the terrain in question. The same thing happens for a player in possession of a city, except that two cards are drawn instead of one.
Step 2. Perform the actions of the turn
After rolling the dice, the player can build structures (roads or settlements), replace settlements with cities, play a development card or trade. Once his actions are complete, he passes the dice to his right.
Step 3. Build some structures
During their turn, a player can use their resources to build structures that are worth points. Look at what resources are needed to build a certain structure and evaluate how many points the structure can earn you.
- To build a road, you need wood and clay.
- To build a settlement, you need wood, clay, wool and grain.
- Three minerals and two grains are required to build a city. Cities can only be built by replacing an existing settlement.
- To draw a development card you need a wool, a grain and a mineral.
Step 4. Play a development card
Players can play development cards at the start or end of their turn. Development cards have various effects (clearly explained on the card itself). The development cards are as follows:
- The "Knight" allows the player to move the Brigand to any point on the board and draw a card from the hand of a player who has a settlement or city bordering the hex where the Brigand is placed.
- The "Road Construction" card allows the player to place two roads on the board for free.
- The "Discovery" card allows the player to draw two resources of their choice.
- After playing the "Monopoly" card, the player declares a resource type and the other players are forced to hand over all resource cards of that type in their hand.
- The "Building" cards immediately give the player one victory point.
Step 5. Trade
The player can get the resources he needs by trading with other players or with the bank. He can trade four resources of the same type to get one of a different type of his choice. If the player has a settlement on a special port, he can exchange two resources of the type indicated by the port to obtain one of a different type. A common port, on the other hand, allows you to exchange three resources of the same type to get one of a different type.
Step 6. Be careful when a seven is rolled
When a seven is rolled, each player checks that they have no more than seven cards in their hand. If a player has more than seven cards in his hand, he is required to discard half of them. Then the player who rolled the seven takes the Brigand and moves it to a terrain hex of his choice. If during the game the number corresponding to the marker placed on the terrain in question is rolled, the players who have a settlement or a city bordering it do not draw the associated resource, because the Brigand blocks the hex.
Part 4 of 4: Helpful Tips
Step 1. Develop a winning strategy
There are many useful strategies for getting the best hand and winning the game. The most basic tactic is to place the initial settlement in the area that guarantees the best chance of obtaining resources (near the hexes with the red and larger numbers on them).
- A fairly common strategy relies on roads and settlements (which means you need a lot of wood and clay initially). Another tactic focuses on the monopoly of certain resources and ports (reach a port and place at least two cities on different hexes that guarantee the same resource; use the port to get what you need). Another strategy is to build cities and get the "Mightiest Knight" (which means having a lot of wool and a lot of mineral at your disposal).
- Build cities and settlements as soon as possible. The more resources you have, the more you can trade and build.
- Avoid monopolizing a single hex: this will make you more vulnerable to the attack of the Brigand.
- The 3: 1 ports are the most useful, because those who suffer from them are less affected by the action of the Brigand and avoid other players blocking key resources.
- Generally, it is best not to buy development cards (unless you are aiming for the "Mightiest Knight". Better invest your resources in building roads or structures, as they guarantee points. Buying development cards can be useful when you have more of 7 cards, you don't know how to use them, and you don't want to run the risk of having to discard.
Step 2. Make sure you have all the pieces
Checking never hurts!
- 19 hexagons depicting the land (four pastures, four forests, three hills, three mountains and a desert).
- Six sea sections.
- 18 numbered tokens.
- A Brigand pawn (black or gray).
- 4 sets of wooden pieces of different colors, each containing 5 settlements, 4 cities and 15 streets.
- 25 development cards divided into 14 Knight cards, 6 Progress cards and 5 Building cards.
- The resource cards for any terrain, except the desert.
- 4 summary tables of construction costs.
- 2 bonus cards: "The Longest Road" and "The Mightiest Knight".
- Two six-sided numbered dice.
- Extra ports to be placed randomly (optional).
Advice
- Always pay attention to the number of cards you have in your hand so as not to be forced to discard.
- Reaching the ports can turn the game around!
- Take into account the number of dots on the numbered tokens. The more balls there are, the higher the chances of that number being rolled.
- By placing the first two settlements try to ensure a certain variety of numbers and resources.
