Catan

What do you do when you roll a 7 in Catan?

Clear Conclusion

In the basic rules of Catan, when a "7" is rolled, no resources are produced; instead, the "Robber" process is triggered: no player receives any resources; players holding more than 7 cards (8 or more) must discard half of them (rounding down); then, the player who rolled the "7" must move the Robber, and randomly steal 1 resource card from one opponent who has a building adjacent to the targeted tile. After this, the round proceeds to the trading phase.

Specific Process

1) No One Receives Resources
When a "7" is rolled, resource production is not resolved this round, and no player gains resources.

2) Players with More Than 7 Cards Must Discard (Discard Half, Rounding Down)
Each player counts their resource cards. Any player holding more than 7 cards (i.e., 8 or more) must choose and discard exactly half of them, returning the discarded cards to the supply piles. If a player holds an odd number of cards, round down.
> Example from the rulebook: Alex rolls a "7." He only has 6 cards; Larry has 8, and Will has 11. Larry must discard 4 cards, while Will discards 5 (rounding down).

3) The Robber Must Be Moved
The player who rolled the "7" immediately moves the Robber to the number token on any other terrain tile, or to the desert tile. The Robber must be moved and cannot remain in place.
Until the Robber is relocated, the tile it occupies cannot produce resources: if that tile's production number is rolled, owners of nearby settlements and cities receive no resources.

4) Randomly Steal 1 Resource Card
After discarding, you randomly steal 1 resource card from one player who has a settlement or city adjacent to the new tile. If two or more players have buildings next to that tile, you choose which player to steal from. The stolen card remains face-down in your hand, and you draw 1 card at random.

5) Round Continues
Once the Robber is moved, your turn continues into the trading phase.

Conditions and Exceptions

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How do you earn prestige points in Catan?

Clear Conclusion

In the basic rules of Catan, the first player to reach 10 or more victory points during their own turn wins. Victory points can be earned through villages, cities, the longest road special card, the largest army special card, and victory point cards in the development deck.

Sources of Victory Points (as stated in the rulebook)

The "Victory Points" section of the rulebook provides a clear summary:

> Players acquire victory points (VPs) for the following:
> 1 settlement = 1 VP
> 1 city = 2 VPs
> Longest Road special card = 2 VPs
> Largest Army special card = 2 VPs
> Victory point (VP) card = 1 VP

Corresponding Chinese meanings:

1. Each settlement: 1 VP
   Rulebook text: "Each settlement is worth 1 victory point."
   Villages are built at the intersections of terrain hexagons, requiring connections to your own roads and adherence to the "distance rule."

2. Each city: 2 VPs
   Rulebook text: "Each city is worth 2 victory points."
   Cities cannot be built directly; you must upgrade an existing village into a city, then remove the village and place the city.

3. Longest Road special card: 2 VPs
   The first player to build a continuous, unbroken road of at least 5 segments earns this special card. If another player builds an even longer continuous road, they immediately take the card and its 2 points.

4. Largest Army special card: 2 VPs
   The first player to play 3 knight cards in front of them receives this special card. If another player plays more knight cards, they immediately seize the card and its 2 points.

5. Victory Point Development Cards (orange-bordered): 1 VP each
   These cards belong to the development deck. After purchase, they must remain face-down and hidden—only revealed when you confirm you've reached 10 points and declare victory (or when the game ends because someone else has won).

Additional Notes

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Tips for placing your settlements at the start, and which resources should you prioritize grabbing during gameplay?

Conclusion first:
- Core principle for initial placement: Prioritize the first two settlements on brick (hill) and wood (forest), while also leaving enough room for expansion to avoid being surrounded by opponents.
- Resources to focus on later: The rulebook explicitly highlights brick + wood as key early-game priorities (needed for road building and settlement construction); in the mid-to-late game, pay attention to ore and grain (required for city upgrades). Resources associated with ports are also worth securing.

I. Tips for Placing Settlements at the Start (as clearly recommended in the "Tactics" section of the rulebook)

1. Brick and wood are most important at the outset. Since both are essential for building roads and settlements, it's advisable to place your first settlement on a good forest or hill.
2. Leave ample space for expansion. When placing your first two settlements, ensure there's room for future growth—check your opponents' settlements and roads beforehand to avoid getting trapped.
3. Be mindful of port locations if you plan to use ports. If you want to build toward a port, remember that the center of an island is often unsuitable as a starting point, as it can easily be cut off from the coast.
4. Don't underestimate ports. For example, if your settlement or city is near high-yield farmland, try to build another settlement at that "grain port" to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate.
5. Prioritize hexes with high‑probability numbers like 6 and 8. Higher‑numbered hexes produce more points and are rolled more frequently; red 6s and 8s appear especially often. Place settlements on hexes with strong production potential (6s and 8s are preferable to 2s and 12s). But beware: these high‑yielding tiles are often prime targets for bandits.
6. Aim to cover 2–3 terrain types per settlement. A single settlement typically borders 2–3 different terrains, allowing you to harvest multiple resources simultaneously; by contrast, a spot adjacent to only one terrain type yields very little (though such spots are often found near ports, where you can trade at favorable ratios).
   7.

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Help me organize all the cards and functions of the Catan development cards?

Catan Basic Edition has a total of 25 Development Cards, divided into three main categories: Knight Cards (14), Progress Cards (6), and Victory Point Cards (5).

The purchase cost is uniformly: 1 Ore + 1 Wool + 1 Grain.

I. General Usage Rules
- In each round, you may play only one Development Card (either one Knight Card or one Progress Card), at any point during your turn, even before rolling the dice.
- You cannot play the card you just bought in that same round (except for Victory Point Cards—see below).
- Development Cards cannot be traded or gifted; once purchased, they are not returned to the supply pile, and if the supply pile runs out, you can no longer buy more.
- After purchasing, keep the card hidden in your hand until you choose to use it.

II. Knight Cards (Knight, purple border) — 14 cards
- Upon playing, you must immediately move the Robber to any other terrain or desert—you cannot leave it where it was played.
- After moving, randomly draw one resource card from an opponent adjacent to the new location of the Robber; if multiple opponents are adjacent, you may choose which one to rob. If an opponent has no cards, you receive nothing.
- Once played, place the card face-up in front of you on the table.
- Largest Army: The first player to accumulate three Knight Cards gains the "Largest Army" special card, worth 2 points. If another player subsequently holds more Knight Cards than the current holder, they immediately seize that card and its 2 points.

III. Progress Cards (Progress, green border) — 6 cards (2 of each type)
1. Road Building: Immediately place two roads for free (following standard building rules).
2. Year of Plenty: Instantly draw any two resource cards from the supply pile, which you can use for building in the same round.
3. Monopoly: Declare one type of resource; all other players must hand over every card of that resource type they hold to you. If someone does not have that resource, they need not comply.
- After resolving, Progress Cards are removed from the game (returned to the box) and do not go back into the deck.

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Don't know how to trade resources with the other player?

Conclusion

In Catan, trading doesn't rely on seeing your opponent's resource cards. Resource cards remain hidden in your hand, and all trades are conducted through verbal negotiation: you state what you're missing and what you're willing to offer; other players make their own offers, and you decide whose terms to accept. Not being able to see your opponent's hand is entirely normal.

How it works in detail

1. The current player announces their needs
After rolling the dice to produce resources during your turn, you can simply state your requirements—for example, "I need 1 brick and am willing to trade 1 ore." Your resource cards stay in your hand and are not revealed.

2. Other players counteroffer or propose alternative trades
Upon hearing your offer, other players may present their own conditions or even reverse the trade proposal. For instance, Pete might say, "Who'll give me 1 brick? I'll trade 1 ore," Beth counters, "You'd have to give me 3 ore for that," while Cooper proposes, "Give me 1 wood plus 1 ore, and I'll give you 1 brick." Ultimately, Pete accepts Cooper's terms.

3. You can ask how many cards someone has in hand
The rules permit you to inquire about the number of cards in another player's hand, and they must answer truthfully. However, you may only ask about quantity—the specific types remain confidential (just as when robbing, the victim keeps their cards face-down, and you randomly draw one). Thus, you gauge whether your opponent has surplus based on the number of cards, and finalize the trade through negotiation.

4. Trades can involve multiple cards at once or occur repeatedly
You can trade a single card for several, swap multiple cards for multiple ones, or engage in repeated exchanges within the same round.

Restrictions and exceptions (what's not allowed)

• You can only trade with the current player's turn; other players cannot trade directly with each other.
• You cannot gift cards.
• Development cards are off-limits for trading.
• You cannot trade "like for like" (e.g., 3 ore for 1 ore).
• If the current player chooses not to trade, no one else can make a trade during that round.

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How do you upgrade a settlement to a city on Catan? Can you build a city directly?

Conclusion: Cities cannot be built directly; they can only be obtained by "upgrading" your existing settlements. You cannot place a city directly on an empty intersection, nor can you upgrade someone else's settlement—you can only upgrade your own, and the location remains unchanged.

How to upgrade specifically:
1. Prerequisite: The spot must already be one of your settlements.
2. Pay the cost: 3 ore + 2 food (return these resources to their respective supply piles).
3. Replace the piece: Take that settlement (house-shaped) back into your supply pool, and replace it with a city (church-shaped) piece on the same intersection.

Differences between cities and settlements:
| | Settlement | City |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 1 point | 2 points |
| Resource production | Produces 1 resource per adjacent terrain type | Produces 2 resources per adjacent terrain type |

Several related points and exceptions:
- Settlements remain usable after upgrading: When building a city, the replaced settlement returns to your supply pool and can later be used again to build another settlement. Once you've used all 5 of your settlements, you must upgrade one of them into a city and reclaim that settlement before you can build new ones.
- Quantity limit: Each player may have at most 4 cities.
- City pieces stay on the board: Roads and cities, once built, remain on the board until the end of the game—unlike settlements, which are reclaimed when upgraded.
- Coastal locations allowed: You can upgrade a settlement into a city on a coastal intersection; however, coastal intersections typically have fewer adjacent tiles (1–2), resulting in lower resource output.
- Why upgrading is necessary: According to the rules, relying solely on building settlements tops out at 5 points (since each player starts with only 5 settlements). To win, you almost always need to upgrade some of your settlements into cities.

Regarding the rule that "cities must be built on the same spot as a settlement," the official wording states clearly: You can only create a city by upgrading one of your own settlements; you cannot build a city directly.

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When playing Catan with four players, how many settlements and roads should each player place?

Conclusion: When playing with 4 players, each player starts the game by placing only 2 settlements and 2 roads on the board.

I. Total number of components each player receives (neither too many nor too few)
- Settlements (houses): 5
- Cities (churches): 4
- Roads (long strips): 15

II. What is actually placed on the board at the start
- During the initial phase, each player places 2 settlements + 2 roads on the board.
- The remaining settlements, cities, and roads are set aside in front of the player as reserves.

III. How to place pieces during the starting phase (in 2 rounds)
The starting phase consists of 2 rounds, with each player placing 1 settlement and 1 adjacent road per round:
- Round 1: Each player rolls two dice; the highest roll determines the starting player, who goes first. Players then take turns placing their pieces in clockwise order.
- Round 2: Starting from the last player in Round 1, pieces are placed in counterclockwise order (with the starting player going last in this round).
- After placing their second settlement, each player immediately collects their starting resources: one resource card of each type corresponding to the terrain adjacent to that settlement.
- The starting player (the last person to place a settlement in Round 2) begins the game by rolling dice to generate resources.

IV. Key placement restrictions
- Settlements and cities may only be placed on the intersection points of hexagonal tiles—not on the edges. Roads can only be placed along the paths (edges), with only one road allowed per path.
- Distance rule: The three adjacent intersection points of a new settlement must all be empty (including the player's own).
- For the second settlement, it can be placed on any available intersection point (not necessarily connected to the first), but its adjacent road must connect to that second settlement.
- A settlement must be connected to at least one of the player's own roads.

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Can the Knight card on Catan still be used after rolling a 7?

Conclusion: Yes, it's allowed. You can play a Knight card after rolling a 7.

Why:
- Development cards (Knight cards or Progression cards) can be played at any time during your own turn—even before you roll the dice. Rolling a 7 does not end your turn; after the bandits move, your turn continues (with trading and building). Therefore, as long as your turn hasn't ended, you can still play a Knight card.
- There's only one timing restriction for Knight cards: you cannot play the very card you just bought in that round—it becomes available only in the next round.

Specific actions after playing a Knight card:
- You must immediately move the bandit; it cannot stay where it was placed. It can be moved to any adjacent terrain or desert.
- From an opponent adjacent to the bandit's new location, randomly draw 1 resource card. If multiple opponents are adjacent, you may choose which one to rob; if an opponent has no cards, you get nothing.
- Once played, the Knight card is placed face-up in front of you. The first player to accumulate 3 Knight cards receives the "Largest Army" special card (worth 2 prestige points). If another player has more Knight cards than you do, you can immediately seize that card along with its 2 prestige points.

A few important limitations to note:
- You can play only 1 development card per turn—either 1 Knight or 1 Progression card. So if you've already played one this round, you can't play another Knight.
- During the discard phase, if your hand exceeds 7 cards due to rolling a 7, you must first discard half of them (rounding down), then decide whether to play a Knight.
- When playing a Knight card, you must also move the bandit, even if you've just moved it because of a 7. In other words, a Knight card allows the bandit to be moved a second time within the same turn—and robbed again.

(The only exception is Victory Point cards: they can be revealed and claimed in the turn they're purchased, which differs from how Knight cards are used.)

This information is for reference only; in case of conflict, please refer to the rulebook and consult experienced players.

Roll a 7, and you happen to have exactly 7 cards in your hand?

Conclusion: When a 7 is rolled, if you have exactly 7 cards in hand, you do not need to discard. Discarding only applies to players whose hand exceeds 7 cards.

Conditions and Procedures:

• Discard Threshold: After rolling a 7, each player counts their resource cards. Players with more than 7 cards (i.e., 8 or more) must discard half of them, returning the discarded cards to the supply pile. If you have exactly 7 cards, no cards need to be discarded.
• Rounding Down for Odd Numbers: For example, if you have 9 cards, discard 4 (not 5); if you have 8 cards, discard 4; if you have 11 cards, discard 5.
• No Resource Production This Round: Rolling a 7 does not trigger resource production.
• Must Move the Robber: You must then move the robber to the number token on another terrain hex (or the desert), and it cannot remain where it was. The terrain where the robber was located will not produce resources until the robber is moved.
• Robbery: From among opponents adjacent to the robber's new location who have either a settlement or a city, randomly draw one resource card. If two or more eligible opponents exist, you choose whom to rob. The opponent's hand remains hidden, and you draw one card at random. If the robbed player has no resource cards, you receive nothing. You may ask other players about the number of cards in their hands at any time, and they must answer truthfully.
• Round Continues: After completing discarding, moving the robber, and executing the robbery, your turn proceeds to the trading phase, followed by normal building activities.

Exceptional Note: The rules do not stipulate that "cards must be discarded at the end of the round"—the hand limit only takes effect when a 7 is rolled (or when a Knight card is played, triggering the robber mechanism). The discard rule upon rolling a 7 is identical to the process triggered by the Knight card, which also immediately moves the robber and randomly robs one card.

This information is for reference only; in case of conflict, refer to the official rulebook and consult experienced players.

How do you trade resources with other players in Catan?

In Catan, there are two ways to trade resources, both occurring during your own turn when you enter the "Trading Phase"; you can only trade during your turn.

1. Trading with Other Players (Player-to-Player Trade)
- The type, quantity, and ratio of trades are negotiated freely between the parties involved.
- Restrictions: You may only trade with players currently on their turn; players not on turn cannot trade with each other.
- Restrictions: You cannot give away cards, trade development cards, or exchange identical resources (e.g., trading 2 wool for 1 wool is not allowed).
- There are no limits on order or frequency—you can negotiate freely and repeat as often as you like.

2. Trading with the Bank (Maritime Trade)
No other players are required—simply return cards to the bank in exchange for resources:
- Default 4:1: 4 of the same resource → 1 of any resource; always available, no port needed.
- General Port 3:1: 3 of the same resource → 1 of any resource.
- Special Resource Port 2:1: 2 of the resource symbol designated by that port → 1 of any resource; this special rate applies only to the specific resource indicated by the port, while other resources still follow the default ratio.
- To qualify for these preferential rates, you must have a settlement or city at the intersection of that port.

How It Works: When it's your turn, enter the Trading Phase—either verbally negotiate and swap resource cards with the current player, or return resource cards to the bank at the 4:1/3:1/2:1 ratios and collect the resources you want. After completing the trade, proceed directly to the Building Phase. There is no fixed order between trading and building—you can alternate between them as you see fit.

This information is provided for reference only; in case of conflict, please refer to the rulebook and consult experienced players.