Description
Catan - Cities & Knights is a big expansion for Catan. Your cities grow rich, but that wealth attracts the barbarians. You need to raise knights to defend the island, while improving your cities in science, trade and politics. You need the Catan base game to play.
How to play Catan - Cities & Knights
At the start of your turn you roll three dice. The event die either moves the barbarian ship closer to the coast or brings players progress cards. Besides resources, cities also produce commodities: paper, cloth and coins. You use commodities to improve your cities on three tracks, and whoever reaches the top first gets a metropolis worth 2 extra points.
When the barbarian ship reaches the coast, the barbarians attack Catan. The knights you recruit, upgrade and activate defend the island, and city walls let you keep more cards when a seven is rolled. The robber only comes into play after the first barbarian attack. The first player to collect 13 points wins.
Why you will like it
- Catan gets many more decisions: improvements, knights and progress cards.
- The barbarians bring tension, as everyone has to prepare for the attack together.
- Three improvement tracks offer different paths to victory.
- The science track gives you a resource even when the dice don't go your way.
Who is Catan - Cities & Knights for
It plays with three to four players aged 12 and up, and a game lasts 90 to 150 minutes. The rules are of medium difficulty, and players like it best with four. It suits those who already know the Catan base game well and want more strategy.
What you might not like
A game is noticeably longer than the base game, and the dice still have a strong influence on how it goes. It may not be the best fit for those who prefer quick games.
What's in the box
- sea frame with barbarian track and barbarian ship
- 36 commodity cards (paper, cloth, coins)
- 54 progress cards
- 4 city improvement boards and 12 marker cubes
- 24 knights and 12 city walls
- 3 metropolises, the merchant and the event die
- 6 victory point tokens, 4 player aids, 2 card trays
- rulebook
You need the Catan base game to play, and our shop also carries the Catan: Seafarers expansion.
