Objective

The goal of Catan: Cities & Knights remains the same as the base game—to be the first player to reach a set number of Victory Points (typically 10) by building cities, roads, and knights, and by completing various objectives introduced in the expansion.

Components

• Game Board: Uses the base Catan board with additional city and knight-related components.

• City Improvements Cards: Include various upgrades for cities.

• Knight Tokens: Represent knights that can be used to protect cities.

• Progress Cards: Offer special abilities and bonuses.

• Barbarian Ships: Represent the threat of invasion by barbarians.

• Victory Point Tokens: Additional tokens for achieving certain objectives.

• City Walls: A new type of improvement for cities.

• Development Cards: Modified to fit the new expansion.
  

Setup

1. Prepare the Board: Use the base game board and add the new components, including barbarian ships and city improvement cards.

2. Distribute Starting Resources: Follow the base game rules, with adjustments for the new components.

3. Setup City Improvements: Shuffle and place the City Improvements cards and Progress cards in their respective piles.

4. Determine Starting Player: As per the base game rules.
   

New Gameplay Mechanics:

Building Knights

• Cost: Knights cost 1 wheat, 1 ore, and 1 sheep to build.

• Placement: Knights are placed on the board and can be used to defend cities from barbarian attacks.

• Activation: Knights must be activated (by paying resources) to use their abilities.
  

City Improvements

• Types of Improvements: Includes city walls, libraries, and marketplaces. Each type of improvement offers different benefits and bonuses.

• Building Improvements: To build an improvement, players must pay resources and possibly achieve certain conditions.
  

Barbarian Invasions

• Barbarian Ship Movement: Barbarian ships move closer to Catan each turn. The more ships that advance, the greater the threat.

• Defense: Players must have knights in order to defend against barbarian invasions. The city with the most knights will receive the most protection.

• Outcome: If barbarians reach Catan and are not sufficiently defended, cities lose their benefits, and players may face penalties.
  

Progress Cards

• Types: Progress cards provide various benefits, such as extra resources, special abilities, or immediate bonuses.

• Drawing Cards: Progress cards are drawn from the deck and used to gain advantages or counteract threats.
  

Victory Points

• Base Game Points: Points are earned through settlements, cities, longest road, and largest army.

• City Improvements: Building city improvements grants Victory Points and other benefits.

• Defending Cities: Successfully defending against barbarian attacks can lead to Victory Points and other rewards.
  

Special Rules

• City Walls: Offer additional protection and can be built in cities to enhance their defense.

• Barbarian Ships: Track their progress on the board and prepare defenses accordingly.

• Progress Cards: Use progress cards strategically to maximize their benefits and influence the game.
  

Tips and Strategies

• Balance: Balance city development with knight deployment to ensure effective defense against barbarians.

• City Improvements: Focus on building city improvements that offer the greatest benefits for your strategy.

• Barbarian Defense: Prioritize building and activating knights to protect against barbarian invasions.