Welcome to the ultimate guide to Catan: Cities and Knights! Whether you are a seasoned Catan player or a newcomer eager to learn the rules for beginners or delve deeper into the complexities of this popular board game expansion, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know to enhance your gameplay and strategy.
Introduction to Catan: Cities and Knights
What is Catan: Cities and Knights?
Catan: Cities and Knights is an expansion for the classic board game Catan (originally known as The Settlers of Catan). This expansion introduces several new elements that add depth and complexity to the base game. The core gameplay remains the same: players collect resources, build roads and settlements, and strive to accumulate victory points. However, Cities and Knights introduces new mechanics such as knights, commodities, and city improvements, which make the game more strategic and engaging.
Components of the Game
The Cities and Knights expansion includes the following components:
- Commodity Cards: Paper, Cloth, and Coin.
- Progress Cards: Three types – Trade, Politics, and Science.
- City Walls: Provide protection against barbarians.
- Knight Tokens: Used to defend against barbarians and interact with other players.
- Barbarian Fleet: Moves towards Catan and can attack the island.
- City Improvements: Build to gain benefits and access to Progress Cards.
Key Changes from the Base Game
- Commodities and City Improvements: Cities now produce commodities (Paper, Cloth, and Coin) in addition to resources. Commodities are used to build city improvements.
- Knights and Barbarians: Players must recruit and activate knights to protect their cities from barbarian invasions.
- Progress Cards: Replacing Development Cards, these cards provide powerful benefits and are drawn based on city improvements.
Setting Up the Game
Preparing the Board
Set up the game board as you would for the base game of Catan, but add the additional elements from Cities and Knights:
- Place the hex tiles and number tokens as usual.
- Add the Barbarian Tile and the Barbarian Fleet on the designated spot.
- Shuffle the Progress Card decks (Trade, Politics, and Science) and place them near the board.
- Distribute the Commodity Cards, City Wall tokens, and Knight tokens.
Initial Setup
Each player starts with:
- Two settlements and two roads.
- One city instead of a second settlement.
- One Knight token (inactive).
Gameplay Mechanics
Commodities and City Improvements
Cities now produce commodities when their corresponding hexes are rolled:
- Forest: Produces Paper.
- Sheep: Produces Cloth.
- Mountain: Produces Coin.
Commodities are used to build city improvements, which are represented on the city improvement calendar. These improvements unlock new abilities and allow players to draw Progress Cards.
Knights and Barbarians
Knights are critical for defending Catan from barbarian invasions. Players must:
- Recruit Knights: Spend wheat and ore to place knight tokens on the board.
- Activate Knights: Spend wheat to activate knights, which enables them to protect cities or move to block other players.
- Barbarian Attacks: The barbarian fleet advances each time a barbarian symbol is rolled on the event die. When it reaches Catan, a battle occurs. The combined strength of active knights must equal or exceed the strength of the barbarians to prevent destruction.
Progress Cards
Progress Cards replace Development Cards and are divided into three categories:
- Trade: Provides benefits related to resources and trading.
- Politics: Offers advantages in knight deployment and interactions.
- Science: Enhances resource production and other strategic elements.
Players draw Progress Cards based on their level of city improvements. The more improvements, the more cards they can draw.
Strategy Tips
Balancing Resources and Commodities
Successfully balancing resource and commodity production is key to winning Cities and Knights. Here are some tips:
- Early Game: Focus on building settlements to gather a diverse range of resources.
- Mid Game: Upgrade settlements to cities to start producing commodities.
- Late Game: Invest heavily in city improvements and Progress Cards to gain strategic advantages.
Efficient Knight Deployment
Knights are essential for both defense and offense:
- Defense: Ensure you have enough active knights to defend against barbarians, especially if you have many cities.
- Offense: Use knights strategically to block opponents and protect key resource hexes.
Utilizing Progress Cards
Progress Cards can significantly impact the game:
- Trade Cards: Use these to gain needed resources or disrupt opponents’ trades.
- Politics Cards: Enhance your knight strategies and interactions with other players.
- Science Cards: Boost your resource production and overall efficiency.
Advanced Strategies
City Improvement Focus
Deciding which city improvements to prioritize can shape your overall strategy:
- Trade Focus: Prioritize trade improvements if you aim to control the resource flow and trade dynamics.
- Politics Focus: Choose politics improvements if you plan to dominate with knights and leverage political Progress Cards.
- Science Focus: Invest in science improvements for long-term resource production benefits and versatile Progress Cards.
Strategic Alliances and Negotiations
Diplomacy and negotiation play a crucial role in Cities and Knights:
- Alliances: Form temporary alliances to defend against barbarians or to counter a dominant player.
- Negotiations: Trade strategically, considering both short-term gains and long-term implications.
Adapting to Barbarian Threats
The barbarian threat adds a layer of complexity to the game:
- Proactive Defense: Always have a plan for knight deployment to defend your cities.
- Reactive Strategy: Be ready to adapt your strategy based on the movements of the barbarian fleet and the actions of other players.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Overextending Early
Building too many cities too quickly can leave you vulnerable to barbarian attacks. Balance your expansion with adequate knight deployment.
Ignoring City Improvements
Focusing solely on resources and settlements without investing in city improvements can leave you at a strategic disadvantage. Ensure you allocate resources to build and upgrade city improvements.
Neglecting Diplomacy
Ignoring the diplomatic aspect of the game can lead to isolation and missed opportunities. Engage with other players, form alliances, and negotiate effectively.
Conclusion
Catan: Cities and Knights adds a rich layer of complexity and strategy to the classic Catan gameplay. By mastering the new mechanics of commodities, knights, and city improvements, and by effectively utilizing Progress Cards, you can enhance your Catan experience and develop deeper strategies to achieve victory.
We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights and strategies to excel in Catan: Cities and Knights. May your settlements thrive, your cities flourish, and your knights stand strong against the barbarian threat. Happy gaming!