Settlers: Cities and Knights

Please read this overview first, it outlines the most important changes with respect to the basic game. Then read part B on the following pages 2 to 4 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 find tips to the development cards, a material list and notes on pasting the playing figures.

Playing guide

Structure of the island

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

• First set the borders together. Always join the sections with the same letters.
• Inside the borders you mount the playing board exactly as shown in the big figure: land fields, over them the number chips and the sea fields as shown. Start setting the new double sea field with the round fields (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.

Preparation

The following materials are organized on table in the following way:

• The raw material cards are separated into 5 batches according to their types and laid out beside the playing board (face up).
• The new "commodities" cards are sorted according to their types in 3 batches 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 batches: trade (yellow), politics (blue), science (green). These three batches 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, likewise the card "longest road".
• The ship, with which the barbarian army sail, 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 - the beginning:

• All players roll the dice. Who achieves 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 acces to grain and does not forget that only three fields produce "commodities"!

• Each player receives a raw material card for each raw material field, which borders on its city.
• The cards are laid down in front of the player.
• Each player stores his development calendar in front of him - closed, with the first page upward.

An Overview of the Playing Flow

1. He must throw and thus determine all three dices:
   • The event (dice with the symbols).
   • The gain of a development card (numberd dice).
   • Raw material yields for all players - with both numberd dice.
   • The gain of "commodities" (only possible with 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 course, but only after the dice have been rolled:
   • play development cards, and or
   • execute knight actions.

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

Playing Flow in Detail

1. The dice results

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

   • Event dice

     If it shows the ship symbol, then the ship approaches one circle towards Catan. If the ship achieves 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 dice + red numbered dice

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

     • have developed its cities in the direction related to the colour of the city-gate: blue-politics, yellow-trade, green-science; and
     • the number of the red die must be shown on its city development calendar.

2. The Trading

   The commercial possibilities of the basic game are preserved, the folowing applies to the new "commodities" 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. To the exchange the commodities must be however uniform. 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. 4 clay per 1 commodity "cloth", or with a clay port also 2 clay per 1 commodity).
   • Development cards cannot be traded.

3. The Building

   The players can build roads, settlements and cities, if they are in 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 beneath the city figure.
     • Each city wall increases the number of raw material cards, which a player may hold when the number 7 is thrown, 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 heading - 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 with this side upward a knight can intervene in the play.

     • Knight may have one of the three levels: simple knights, strong knights and powerful knights. They are represented on the passive side by different heading size, on the active size by 1, 2 or 3 gloves. Each glove is for 1 point of strength.

   • Knights Set up
     • The cost for placing a knight on the playing board is of 1 ore and 1 wool raw material card. Then the player takes a simple knight and places it on the playing board.
     • The knight must be placed with his passive side upward on a free crossing, on one of the player roads - a knight interrupts a road from other players and prevents the building of a road from another player at this crossing.

       Example: Player red has four crossings (see arrows) on the figure, on whose 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 grain 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 symbol "glove" is shown.
     • 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 round it was built (or in any later), be also upgraded. By paying 1 raw material ore and 1 raw material wool it becomes a strong knight. The player takes the simple knight disk out the playing board and replaces it for 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 established a fortress before (third city development - politics-blue). A knight may be upgraded only once in a round.

4. The Development of the 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 development are made with the help of the development calendar which is in front of the player. The development calendar has three separated blocks 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 block has five pages. At the beginning of the play the block is closed, 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 card "cloth", a player builds a market and the player can turn to the next page in the trade area. The emerging page then shows the established building and two red dice. These red dice display whether 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".

     Aquaduct (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 Aquaduct (green) would be: "from now on take any raw material, if he does 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)
   • The first player, who built 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 its cities. For indication, which metropolis it concerns, it puts a metropolis chip on the 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 are before him. A metropolis is safe, if the owner achieved the fifth stage of development. A player can also build more than one metropolis, if it achieves the fourth level and has sufficient cities.
   • If a player possesses only one city, which he has already developed to a metropolis, then can only develop the two other areas city 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 area politics. Another player builds now the "advice Catans", so he now receives the Metropolis from the other player, and this Metropolis cannot be lost in the future playing process anymore.

5. Development Cards
   • Receiving Development Cards

     The awarding of "development cards" is attached to 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, second three red dice, third four red dice, fourth five red dice, and fifth six red dice.
     • The event die must show the city-gate 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 city-gate symbol is rolled.
     • Each player that has developed his city in the direction shown by the event dice can receive a "development card", if and only if the number shown on the red die shows in his development calendar in the direction shown by the even dice.
     • Development cards are pulled from the top of the batch. If several players receive such a card, then the player that is in turn pulls firstly. The others follow in the clockwise direction.

       Example: Player A rolled the dice with the white die=6, with the red die=3 and with the event die="yellow city-gate". The player B has already built a "city hall" (politics-blue) and a "guild" (science-yellow) and it is possible to see that he has developed his cities on the yellow direction and a red die with that "3" is shown, so he can pull a yellow development card.

   • Playing Development Cards

     The player that is in his turn, may during his turn arbitrarily play as many of his development cards as he wants - only after he rolled the dice (exception the Alchimist card).

   • Special Features
     • Victory point cards are uncovered immediately after receiving it; they cannot be stolen by another player.
     • A player cannot keep more than four development cards (without counting the uncovered victory point cards). If the player receives a fifth development card, then he must discard (without playing it) one of them immediately (placing it under the corresponding batch).
     • A player that receives a development card in his turn can play that card immediately.
     • Development cards cannot be traded.
     • Played developement cards inserted (face down) under the corresponding batches.

6. Knights Actions

   A player that is in his turn, can execute a knight action, if he has active knights - the action is executed after he rolled the dice. After the action is executed, the knight must be turned to its passive side. The player can activate the knight immediately against payment of a grain raw material again - however in this turn he cannot execute another knight action with that knight.

   • Shifting
     • The player in turn may shift knights that he activated in a previous turn. The following applies: both crossings, the source crossing and the (free) target crossing must be connected by a player own road.
     • a crossing may be occupied by one knight at a time.
     • a knight that was shifted, must be turned to its passive side.
     • a player that wants to build on a crossing, on which there is one of its knights, must first shift this knight to another free crossing within its trade route. If the knight cannot be shifted (no free crossing, not activated), the player cannot be built there.

     Example: Player Red may shift its activated knight (on crossing "A") to the crossings marked with arrows. Shifting the knight to the crossings "B" or "C" is not permitted, since these crossings are not connected by roads with crossing "A".

   • Shifting and Driving out
     • a player in his turn, may also place one of its knight on the crossing occupied by another knight, driving this other knight out. However only weaker knights can be driven out.
     • the refugee knight must be shifted by his owner to a free crossing within the same, own trade route. The status of the refugee knight remains unchanged - if it was active, then it remains active.
     • if there is no free crossing, in the same trading route, to shift the refugee knight, then this knight must be taken from the playing board.
     • it is not possible to drive own knights out.
     • after shifting and driving out, the attacking knight must be turned to its the passive side.

     Example: Player red may drive out the knight of the player blue using his active knight because it is stronger than the knight of the player blue, and it is on his trade route. Player blue must shift now his refugee knight to crossing "A" or "B" (on his trading route). Moving the refugee knight to crossing " C " is not permitted.

   • Driving out the Robber

     A player can drive the robber out with his active knight (no matter how strong), if the robber sits on one of the three neighbouring land fields.

     • the refugee robber is handled, how described in the basic settlers game.
     • after driving out the robber, the knight must be turned to its pasive side.

     Example: The knight of player red could drive out the robber of the grey fields. Unfortunately the robber sits outside of the sphere of influence of the knight. In order to drive out the robber, the player must do as follows: he shifts the knight to crossing "A" or "B" and deactivates it; then he pays a grain raw material and activates the knight again; in his next turn the player can drive out the robber.

7. The Army of the Barbarians Lands on Catan

   As soon as the barbarian ship lands on the field with the axe (assault), the barbarian army fight with the active knights of Catan.

   • the strength of the barbarian army is determined by counting the the number of built cities (with metropolises) on Catan. The total results in the strength of the army.
   • the strength of the knights of Catan is determined by counting the number of iron gloves of all active knights.
   • independent of success or failure all knights must be deactivated after the fight.

   • The Barbarian Army Win

     The barbarians win, if they are stronger than the knights of Catan. The barbarian army attack the cities or the players, who has the fewest (or none) active knights, and therefor contributed the least to the defense of Catan.

     • the players that have only settlements do not lose anything. Metropolises are likewise not lost, since they are always protected.
     • only players that possess one or more cities, count the ice gloves of their active knights. The player that used the fewest ice gloves must convert one of its cities into a settlement. If several players contributed with the same fewest number of iron gloves, then all of them lose a city. In extreme cases, if for example no player activated a knight, then all players lose a city.
     • if a city with a city wall is reduced to a settlement then the city wall is also lost.
     • a player that loses all his cities may keep its city developments and thus the possibility of receiving development cards. However it may only develop his cities when he has a city again.

     Example: Fritz and Peter possess each two cities, Gabi possesses only one metropolis and Claudia has only settlements. The barbarian army has the strength 5 (4 cities, 1 metropolis). Peter, Fritz and Claudia have a simple active knight each, Gabi has none. The knight army of Catan have the strength 3. The barbarians win. Both Fritz and Peter lose a city. Although Gabi did not activate a knight, she is not affected, since her metropolis is protected. Claudia cannot be affected, since she possesses settlements only.

   • The Knights of Catan Win

     If the knights Catans are stronger or at least just as strong as the army of the barbarians, then they win.

     • the player that contributed most with iron gloves to the victory, receives a victory point card "rescuer of Catan".
     • if two or more players contribute with the same number, then all of them may pull a development card from the top of one of the batches. They will not get victory point card though.

     After the atack the ship goes back to its launching field and begins its journey in direction of Catan again.

8. The Trader

   The trader figure comes into play only when a development card "trader" is played. The player that played the development card "trader", places the trader figure on a land field beside one of his settlements or cities. That player only may exchange the raw material of this land field in the ratio 2:1, for as long as the trader stays on that land field. The trader figure can be shifted only when a new "trader" card is played. The trade figure is worth one victory point for the last player that played a "trade" card.

9. The End

   The game ends as soon as a player is in his turn and has 13 victory points.

10. Variation

    The "Fiesepeter" rule for experienced settlers that still require more tactics, should try out this version. It adds a small, but very impressive rule modification: If the barbarian army landed, then all players decide, in clockwise way, beginning with the player that is in turn, how many of its knights he wants to use to fight the barbarians.

    TIP: a player can consciously on the application of his knights werzichten, in order to let the barbarians win and so different players harm. Only who uses knights, it must deactivate after the decision.

Neither German nor English mother-tongue speaker :-), so do not expect much :-).

Development Cards

Name	number in pack	Card Text	Additional remarks
Science (green)
	2	Play this card before rolling the dice and set the numbers shown on the number dice. Roll the event dice as usual and act on the event.	With this card you can pick numbers of your choice. First, though, the event is determined by rolling the event-die. Only then do you get the desired resources.
	2	For you a city extension s.a. Rathaus (city hall) costs one commodity less in this round.	The crane only has effect for the round in which it is played. It only affects city extensions. Cities themselves have to be "paid" in full.
	2	Take 2 ore resource cards for each ore-field which you have at least one city or settlement adjacent to.	It makes no difference for this card whether you have a city or a settlement at an ore-field.  Ex.: you have two settlements adjacent to one mountain range (ore-field), and a city next to another. On playing the card you receive 4 ore resource cards.
	2	Take 2 cropresource cards for each crop-field which you have at least one city or settlement adjacent to.	As Bergbau / mining but for crops.
	1	1 victory point	Development cards yielding victory points have to be played immediately and must be visible to all. They cannot be robbed.
	2	Exchange two number chips, but never 2, 12, 6, 8.	Improve your income of resources! Pick any two (except 2, 12, 6, 8) number chips and exchange them with one another. A robber does not affect the action and remains on the field he is on.
	2	Immediately build a city wall for one of your cities free of charge.	More protection against the robber: take a city wall and place it underneath (one of ) your city(ies). When the robber event occurs (a 7 is rolled) you may have 2 resource cards more on your hand. You can only have one city wall per city. There are 3 city walls altogether. Settlements may not have city walls.
	2	Convert a settlement into a city with 2 ore and one crop resource.	Playing the card saves you one ore and one crop resource card when building a city
	2	You may upgrade 2 of your knights for free (Observe rules for creating powerful knights!). Powerful knights cannot be upgraded.	You may upgrade passive and active knights. Strong knights (2nd level) can only be upgraded to mighty knights once you have completed the city extension fortress (Festung). Teh state of the knight does not change. A knight can only be upgraded one level per turn.
	2	Immediately build two roads free of charge.	If playing with Seefahrer/Mariner: also 1 road, one ship or two ships

Name	number in pack	Card Text	Additional remarks
Politik / Politics (blue)
	2	Move the robber. Draw a resource card from each player who has a city or settlement adjacent to this field.	When moving the robber you may steal a card from every player who has a city or settlemenr adjacent to this field. If a player has built several times along this field, you may still only steal one card from him.
	2	You may (re-)move any open-ended road. A road owned by you may be placed back on the board immediately in any legal position	A road is open-ended if it is not connected on both ends to roads, cities, settlements or knights of the same colour.
	2	Immediately activate all your knights free of charge	Activiating your knights does not cost you any crop-resources
	2	Every player who has more victory points than you must give you two resource cards of his choice as a present.	If an affected player has only one card, she has to give you this one; only if she doesn@t have resource cards is she exempt.
	2	You may drive away any other player's knight, provided one of your roads / ships leads up to the knight in question.	This card enables you to move an opposing knight who is blocking a building site or a road extension. You may not automatically place one of your own knights at this location.
	2	Turn an opponent's city upside down ("sabotage it"). This city only yields a settlement's resource until it is repaired with 1 wood and 1 ore resource.	A sabotaged city is still worth 2 victory points. It also counts towards the strength of the Barbarian Army. A city wall stays intact and maintains its effect.
	3	Look at any opponent's development cards and take one, which you may use in the same turn	It is allowed to steal a spy from one opponent and use it straight away.
	2	Choose a player who must remove one of his knights (his choice) from the board. Place an equivalent own knight one the board	If, on playing this card, your opponent removes a knight which you cannot replace with a knight of your own, you may use a less powerful knight. If you do not have such a knight, you may not place a knight of your own, but your opponent must still remove (one of) his. Should a mighty (most powerful) knight be removed, you may place such a knight on the board even if you have not built a fortress yet. Your knight is in the same state as the one it "replaces". You should only play this card if you space for placing a knight.
	1	1 victory point	Development cards yielding victory points have to be played immediately and must be visible to all. They cannot be robbed.

Name	number in pack	Card Text	Additional remarks
Handel / Trade (yellow)
	6	Place the trader figure on a field next to one of your cities or settlements. You may trade this raw material 2:1 with the bank while the trader occuoies the field.	As long as the trader stays on the field (in your posession), you may trade this kind of raw material 2:1. The trader is worth 1 victory point. When another player plays a trader card, she gets the trader, the trading advantage as well as the victory point
	2	You may offer each player a raw material (one card) which he is obliged exchange for any commodity (money, paper, cloth)	You make take advantage of this while it is your turn, but you may only trade once with each player under this condition. If you offer a card to a player who doesn't have any commodities, the exchange is void and you keep your resource card.
	2	Until the end of your turn you may exchange a resource (raw material or commodity)of your choice 2:1.	As always, the 2 cards have to be of the same kind.
	2	Choose a player who has more victory points than you. Choose two of her resource cards.	Yes, you may look at and choose and keep two of the selected player's resource cards
	2	Choose a commodity. Every player has to give you one such commodity if he has one.
	4	Choose a raw material. Every player has to give you 2 such cards.	If a player has only one such resource card, she must give you this one.

German and English mother-tongue speaker :-).