Settlers: Cities and Knights

Part A - Overview

Please read this overview first, it outlines the most important changes with respect to the basic game. Then read part B on the following couple of pages first - the new additional game control. The big illustration below shows a prepared playing board that you should at least employ in the first game. The small illustrations show the new raw material gains per town. In the Part C, you will find tips to the development cards, a material list and notes on pasting the playing figures.
1 / Catan is in danger - dark clouds gather over the peaceful Catans. Wild barbarians, lured by Catan's wealth, sail here to invade the country.
2 / There is enough time remaining in order to stop the danger. The number of barbarians always corresponds to the number of Cities in Catan. When the barbarian army strikes, the sum of all knights every player has, must be at least as strong as the barbarians.
3 / If Catan succeeds to conquer the barbarians, the danger is momentarily eliminated. However, if the knights of Catan are too weak, then the barbarians will invade city. The invaded city is considered to be looted and after this raid it becomes a settlement.
4 / This loss always hits the player who contributed with no or with the fewest knights to the defence of Catan. So do not tempt fate, and create knights during your game.
5 / Apart from this external enemy, the players might compete ferociously for the building of three metropolises! To construct a metropolis - which is worth two (2) victory points - players must further develop their cities.
6 / The city development is only possible using the new "commodity" cards. A player only receives commodities for cities which border ore mines, forest or pastures.
7 / In the beginning everyone starts with a Settlement and a City. If you receive raw materials for a city bordering ore mines, forest or pastures, you receive only 1 raw material card, but additionally you get a corresponding commodity.
8 / You can develop your cities using cash in the direction of politics (blue); paper makes the expansion possible in the direction of science (green) and cloth makes the expansion possible in the direction of trade (yellow). You receive a Metropolis (+ 2 victory points) as soon as you reach the fourth development level, in any of these 3 areas, only if you are the first to get there.
9 / Continuing city development increases your chances - through the fitting combination of red numbered die and event die - of getting new development cards, which enable considerably deeper interventions into the game than before.
10 / Therefore, prepare yourselves for a hard life in Catan - this is no longer a game! The one to achieve 13 victory points first, wins.

Part B - Playing guide

Structure of the island (For the first play)

Despite the variable playing board we recommend that you use - for the first time you play - the starting playing board as shown: thus it is guaranteed that there is sufficient quantity of raw material in play - above all wheat.

  • First set the borders together. Always join the sections with the same letters.
  • Inside the borders you set the playing board exactly as shown in the big picture: land fields, over them the number chips and the sea fields as shown. Start by placing the new double sea field with the white circles (for the ship of the barbarians).
  • On the right of and on the left of it you put then the sea fields in such a way that empty sea fields and port fields always alternate.

Note: After the first play you should use then the variable playing board - as you do for the basic settlers game.

Preparation

The following material of the basic game is NOT needed: development cards, construction cost cards, the "largest knight army" card, 1 die. (You use one white die and the red die)

The following materials should be placed on the table in the following way:

  • The raw material cards are separated into 5 piles according to their types and laid out beside the playing board (face up).
  • The new "commodity" cards are sorted according to their types in 3 piles and laid out underneath the raw material cards (face up). Placing the "money" cards underneath the ore cards, the "paper" cards underneath the wood cards and the "cloth" cards underneath the wool cards.
  • The new "development cards" are sorted in 3 piles: trade (yellow), politics (blue), science (green). These three piles are shuffled and laid out on the other side of the playing board (face down).
  • The three metropolises, their appropriate chips, the dealer figure, the white as well as the red numbered dice and the event dice are put beside the playing board, along with the "longest road" card.
  • The ship, with which the barbarian army sails, is set on the launching field S.

Each player selects a colour and receives:

  • 5 settlements, 4 cities, 15 roads
  • 6 knights (2 simple knights, 2 strong knights, 2 powerful knights)
  • 3 city walls
  • 1 development calendar for the city development

Settlements and cities - Establishment Phase:

All players roll the dice. Whoever gets the highest number, begins. He places first a settlement and a road - according to the rules of the basic Settlers game. Then, in the second phase, instead of a settlement, a city and a road are placed.

Important: Make sure that you have access to wheat and do not forget that only three fields produce "commodities"!

  • Each player receives one raw material card for each field, which borders on his city.
  • The cards are laid down in front of the player.
  • Each player places his development calendar in front of him - closed, with the first page upward. (The pages that shows building costs should be visible at the start)

An Overview of the Game-play

The player with the highest die-roll starts. Each player, in his turn, should perform the following described actions:

1. He must throw and thus determine all three dice:

  • The event (die with symbols).
  • The gain of a development card (RED numbered die).
  • Raw material yields for all players (both numbered dice).
  • The gain of "commodities" (only available to cities).

2. He can in any order:

  1. Trade - with the bank or other players.
  2. Build
  • as before: roads, settlements, cities; NEW: city walls.
  • "simple knights" and activate them.
  • develop his cities - with the "commodities" cards.

Additionally: the player, who is in turn, can during his turn, but only after the dice have been rolled:

  • play development cards, and or
  • execute knight actions.

Exception: Before the dice have been rolled the "Alchemist" is the only development card that can be played.

Game-Play in Detail

1. Dice results

After a player throws all three dice, the dice results are processed in the following order:

  • Event die

If it shows the ship symbol, then the ship approaches one circle towards Catan. If the ship reaches the last circle (with the axe), then the army of the barbarians lands on Catan. The players must have "activated" knights in order to be able to strike back the barbarians. See details on "fighting the barbarians army".

  • Event die + red numbered die

If it shows a coloured-Castle symbol, then all players check whether they may draw a "development card". In order to receive a development card a player must:

  • have developed a city in the direction related to the colour of the Castle on the die: blue-politics, yellow-trade, green-science; and
  • the number on the red die is shown on his city development calendar.

Example:

Assume the dice have been rolled and the result is:

Original die: 5

Red die: 3

Event die: Yellow Castle

The following happens:

- All settlements/cities bordering tiles with an "8" on them receive raw materials

- All players with a City developed after "Zunft" (Number 3 shown in the "development Calendar") receive a Yellow Development Card

2. Trading

The commercial possibilities of the basic game are preserved, and the following new rules apply to the new "commodity" cards.

  • Commodities can be exchanged at will with the other players; also in the ratio 4:1 with the bank against another commodity or a raw material. The exchange of commodities must be however uniform. A player who has a 3:1 port, may also exchange commodities in the ratio 3:1 for raw materials.
  • You can also exchange raw material for commodities (e.g. exchange 4 clay for 1 "cloth" commodity, or with a clay port you could exchange 2 clay for 1 "cloth" commodity).
  • Development cards cannot be traded.

3. Building

The players can build roads, settlements and cities, during their turn, as they used to do in the basic game.

The new building possibilities are:

  • City Wall
  • The building of a city wall costs 2 clay cards; the wooden block that represents a city wall is placed under the city figure.
  • Each city wall increases the number of raw material cards, which a player may hold when the number 7 is rolled, by 2 cards.
  • If a player loses a city, then he also loses the city wall of that city.
  • Knight
  • Knights are represented by wooden disks. One side of the disk shows a knight head- the "passive side". A "passive" knight cannot undertake any action. The other side of the disk shows iron gloves - that is the "active side" - only when this side is facing up can a knight intervene in the play.

  • A Knight may have one of three levels: simple knight, strong knight and powerful knight. They are represented on the passive side by different head sizes, on the active side by 1, 2 or 3 gloves. Each glove signifies 1 point of strength.
  • Knights Set up
  • The cost for placing a knight on the playing board is 1 ore and 1 wool raw material card. Then the player can place a simple knight on the playing board.
  • The knight must be placed with his passive side upward on a free crossing, on one of the player's roads - a knight interrupts another player's road and also prevents other players from building roads at this crossing.

Example: The red Player has four crossings (see arrows on figure), on which he could set up his knights. If the red player places his knight as shown on crossing "A", he blocks the blue player - only red can build a road now from that crossing. If red had placed his knight on crossing "B", he would have interrupted the trade route of the blue player.

  • Activating a Knight
  • A player activates a knight that is on the playing board, by paying 1 wheat raw material (independently of the strength of the knight); that applies also to a knight that was just built. The knight is then turned to the active side - the "glove" symbol is face up.
  • A player, who activates one of his knights, may not execute an action for this knight in the same round.
  • Knight Upgrading
  • A simple knight can, in the same turn it was built (or in any later turn), be also upgraded. By paying 1 ore and 1 wool raw material wool it becomes a strong knight. The player replaces the simple knight disk on playing board with a strong knight on the same position the simple knight was. Knights may be upgraded in passive or in active status.
  • On the same way a strong knight can be upgraded to a powerful knight. A player can upgrade to powerful knights ONLY if he has already established a fortress (third city development - politics-blue-"Festung"). A knight may be upgraded only once in a round.

4. The Development of Cities

If a player has "commodity" cards, then he can develop his cities. Even if a player has only one city, he can still develop his city in all three areas (trade, politics, science).

City developments are made using the "city development calendar" which is in front of the player. The development calendar has three separated sections, one for each of the three possible development areas: yellow-trade; blue-politics; green-science. In each area there are five stages of development, therefore each section has five pages. At the beginning of the play the section is closed, since no player has yet developed a city in any area.

  • The first city development of an area always costs ONE commodity card. Each page shows, which commodity is needed in each case.
  • Using e.g. a "cloth" commodity, a player can build a market and he can turn to the next page in the trade section. The next page then shows the established building and two red dice. These red dice display when a player can receive development cards. See item "Development Cards".
  • Each second city development in one area (turn second page) costs two commodities, third three etc.. With each development the chances of receiving development cards improves (more red dice).
  • If a player develops a city to its third stage of development, then he can (see development calendars):

Guild (yellow): from now on exchange "commodities" in the ratio 2:1.

Fortress (blue): from now on upgrade "strong knights" to "powerful knights".

Aqueduct (green): from now on take any raw material, if when the dice is thrown you cannot take any raw material. Exception: when 7 is rolled.

Note (added by the translator): A variation of the Aqueduct (green) would be: "from now on take any raw material, if you do not have a settlement or a city on the border of a land field that contains the number rolled. Exception: when 7 is rolled."

Metropolises (yellow town-gate figure)

  • The first player, who builds a building (bank, cathedral or theatre) of the fourth level in one of the three areas (trade, politics or science), sets a metropolis figure on one of his cities. To indicate which type this Metropolis is he places a metropolis chip (square white castle) on the relevant page of his development calendar. A city developed to metropolis counts four victory points (2 for the city + 2 for the metropolis) altogether.
  • Altogether three metropolises can be built: One for the trade, one for the science and one for the politics. The owner of a metropolis can lose his metropolis only if another player develops a city to the fifth stage of development in this area before him. A metropolis is safe, if the owner reaches the fifth stage of development. A player can also build more than one metropolis, if he reaches the fourth level and has sufficient cities to upgrade.
  • If a player possesses only one city, which he has already developed to a metropolis, then he can only develop the two other areas up to the third level. The fourth stage of development is only permitted after the building of a another city.

Example: a player possesses a Metropolis, since he built a "cathedral" in the politics area. Another player now builds the "Advice Catans" (Rat Catans), so he now receives the Metropolis from the other player, and this Metropolis cannot be lost in the future anymore.

5. Development Cards

Receiving Development Cards

The awarding of "development cards" has the following conditions:

  • The player must have at least a city development - his development calendar must show red dice. The first city development shows two red dice, the second three red dice, the third four red dice, the fourth five red dice, and the fifth six red dice.
  • The event die must show the castle symbol in the colour of his city development. If a player has developed his cities in all three areas, then he has the chance of receiving a development card each time a castle symbol is rolled.
  • Each player that has developed a city in the direction (Color) rolled by the event die can receive a "development card", if and only if the number rolled by the RED die is shown in his development calendar for the same direction (color) as the event die.
  • Development cards are pulled from the top of the pile. If several players receive such a card, then the player that is in turn pulls first. The others follow in a clockwise direction.

Example: Player A rolled the dice with the white die=6, with the red die=3 and with the event die ="yellow castle". Player B has already built a "city hall" (politics-blue) and a "guild" (science-yellow) and he has developed his cities on the yellow direction, so since the red die rolled a "3",he can pull a yellow development card.