Official CATAN Cities & Knights Rules
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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
Prepare the Board: Use the base game board and add the new components, including barbarian ships and city improvement cards.
Distribute Starting Resources: Follow the base game rules, with adjustments for the new components.
Setup City Improvements: Shuffle and place the City Improvements cards and Progress cards in their respective piles.
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.
Catan: Cities & Knights offers a more strategic and competitive gameplay experience, with a focus on military strength and city development.
