How to Play the Traders & Barbarians Board Game

Hey there! So you want to learn how to play the Traders & Barbarians board game? Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’m here to explain all the game rules to you in a way that’s easy to understand. Let’s get started!

In the Traders & Barbarians board game, your goal is to build settlements, collect resources, and trade with other players. The game is played on a board that is divided into hexagonal tiles, each representing a different type of resource such as wood, brick, sheep, wheat, and ore. These resources are used to build roads, settlements, and cities.

On your turn, you roll two dice to determine which hexagonal tiles produce resources. If you have a settlement or a city adjacent to one of these tiles, you receive resources according to the type of tile. For example, if you have a settlement next to a wood tile and the dice roll shows that wood is produced, you receive a wood resource card.

Once you have collected enough resources, you can use them to build roads, settlements, or cities. Roads allow you to expand your territory and connect your settlements. Settlements provide you with more resources and are worth victory points. Cities are even more valuable, as they produce resources and victory points at an increased rate.

You can also trade with other players by offering them resources in exchange for resources that you need. Negotiation and strategic trading are key elements of the game, as you try to gather the resources you need to build and expand your empire.

But be careful! There are barbarians on the board that can attack your settlements and cities. If you don’t have enough knights to defend against their attacks, you lose resources and victory points. So, it’s important to balance your resource production and defense.

The game continues until a certain number of victory points have been reached, or until the barbarians have destroyed enough settlements and cities. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner!

So there you have it – the rules of the Traders & Barbarians board game! I hope you’re excited to gather resources, trade with other players, and build your empire. Have fun playing!

Let me tell you about this awesome game called Catan. I’m sure you’ll love it!

In Catan, you’ll find all sorts of cool things to play with. We’re talking about 98 game pieces, 120 cards, 17 terrain tiles, fishing ground tiles, and sea frame pieces, 40 gold coin counters (25 small, 15 large), 3 Special Cards/Tiles, 21 Catan chits, 36 commodity tokens, 30 fish tokens, and a variants & scenarios rules booklet. Pretty neat, right?

Now, let me tell you how the game works. It’s all about building and trading. You and other players will take turns collecting resources, which you’ll use to build settlements, roads, and cities. The goal is to be the first player to reach 10 victory points. You’ll earn these points by building things and by having the longest road or the biggest army. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

Oh, I forgot to mention that there’s also a robber in the game. This mischievous character can steal your resources if you’re not careful. So be on the lookout and use your strategic skills to outsmart your opponents!

Catan is a game that’s easy to learn but difficult to master. It’s all about strategy, negotiation, and a bit of luck. Every game is different, so you’ll never get bored. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with friends and family. Trust me, you’ll have a blast!

So, if you’re looking for a fun and challenging game, Catan is the way to go. Give it a try and see for yourself why it’s loved by so many people around the world. Happy gaming!

The barbarians have been defeated, and peace is gradually being restored. We’re working diligently to repair the damage they caused.

The castle, where the Council of Catan convenes, suffered extensive destruction. However, progress is being made in restoring it.

Now, we need the craftsmen to complete the stained glass windows and the new marble statues. We have to transport marble from the quarry, bring sand to the glassworks, deliver glass to the Castle, and acquire necessary tools.

The roads of Catan are bustling with activity. And guess what? You have a role to play! The Council offers solid gold as payment for transporting these materials. The only thing delaying the process is a handful of barbarians. They’re standing in your way. It’s up to you!

I’m excited to tell you about the remarkable restoration project happening at the Castle! The goal is to make it shine brilliantly once again. To make this happen, we need your help in acquiring some essential materials like glass panes for the beautiful leaded windows. Additionally, we need marble for the statues and interior decorations. These elements will truly elevate the castle’s splendor and bring it back to life.

In this exciting game, there are three brand new terrain hexes known as “trade hexes.” These hexes serve as pathways for transporting valuable commodities.

Now, let me explain the objective of the game. As a player, your task is to transport the glass and marble to the castle hex. In addition to that, you need to supply the glassworks with sand and provide the marble quarry with tools. It’s a lot to juggle, but I believe in you!

Each time you successfully transport a commodity, you’ll be rewarded with gold and earn a victory point. The first player to accumulate a total of 13 victory points during their turn will triumph and win the game!

To get started, let’s set up the game board. Begin by assembling the frame. You’ll need to replace two frame pieces from the basic Settlers game, specifically the ones labeled 1-2 and 5-6, with the corresponding frame pieces provided in this expansion.

Now, we’re ready to embark on this restoration journey together. Let’s make the Castle shine with a renewed splendor!

Ok, let me walk you through the process of setting up the board game. First, we need to place the 3 trade hexes in the designated spots, making sure that the sea sides of each hex match up with the sea sides of the frame. But here’s the catch: we shouldn’t use the desert hex, 1 pasture hex, and 1 fields hex from the basic Settlers game. So, we remove those 3 hexes from play.

Now, let’s talk about number tokens. We don’t want any number tokens on the trade hexes, so we remove the “2” and the “12” tokens from play. As for the remaining number tokens, we follow the instructions for the basic Settlers game setup, except we leave out token “2” (B) and token “12” (H). Oh, and don’t forget to skip the trade hexes when placing the number tokens.

Last but not least, we have the commodity tokens. We arrange them into 3 stacks, and make sure to sort each stack by the pictures on their backs (castle, quarry, glassworks). Then, we shuffle each stack and place them with the backs facing up (showing the building picture) beside the corresponding trade hex. And that’s it! The board game is all set up and ready to go.

When you play this game, you get a set of 5 Baggage Train Cards. Each card has a color that matches your own. Arrange the cards face down, so that the backs are in numerical order from 1 to 5. Take the top card (1) from your stack and place it face up next to the stack. This card is now your active Baggage Train Card.

Put the 3 barbarians on the paths where you see black crosses. For this scenario, use the new 25 Development Cards that are included in this expansion. You won’t be using any of the regular Settlers game Development Cards.

As part of the game, you’ll also receive 5 gold. Remember, you won’t be able to use the Special Card called “Longest Road”. And don’t worry, the robber won’t be used in this game either.

When you play the basic Settlers game, there’s a slight twist – instead of a second settlement, you get a city. Just like before, you only get 1 resource for each terrain hex near your city. Once you’ve built your city, you put your wagon right next to it, on the intersection.

Now, let’s go over the game rules. The normal rules for The Settlers of Catan still apply, but there are a few changes we need to discuss.

First, let’s talk about the trade hexes. Each of the 3 trade hexes has a “central plaza” intersection with a building. There are four “interior” paths that lead to this central plaza. Here’s what you need to know about building on trade hexes:

– You can build roads on interior paths, just like usual.

– However, you can’t build a settlement on the central plaza intersection of a trade hex (A).

– You also can’t build roads on the three paths of a trade hex (B) that border on the sea.

When you’re playing, you have the ability to construct settlements or cities on the four corners of a trade hex.

For instance: Let’s say that the blue player and the red player have built roads on three of the four paths around the trade hex. However, it’s important to note that you cannot build a settlement on the central intersection (A), and you also cannot build a road on the three paths (B) that are part of the coast of the trade hex.

Movement: Get Your Wagon Rolling!

Once you’re done with all the trading and building, it’s time to hit the road and move your trusty wagon. Let me break it down for you:

Step I: Moving Your Wagon

You can move your wagon along paths that connect one intersection to another. But remember, moving isn’t free! It costs you some “movement points” (MPs) to get from point A to point B.

Keep in mind that multiple wagons can be at the same intersection. It’s a busy place!

At the start of the game, your wagon has 4 MPs to spend on each turn. But don’t worry, you can boost this number by upgrading your baggage train.

Now let’s talk about the cost of moving along a path, which depends on whether it’s occupied by a road and/or a barbarian:

• If the path has no road, it will cost you 2 MPs to traverse.
• If the path has one of your own roads, it becomes cheaper at just 1 MP.
• If the path is infested with barbarians, it adds another layer of challenge. But let’s worry about that once you’ve mastered the basics!

Let’s talk about the Movement Point (MP) system in the game. It’s essential to understand how different factors can affect the cost of moving along a path. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. If the path has another player’s road, the MP cost is 1. However, you must also pay 1 gold to that player.

2. If there is a barbarian on the path, the MP cost is increased by an additional +2.

Let me give you an example to illustrate how this works. Imagine you have a red wagon with 4 movement points. You want to move to the castle. Here are your options:

(A) You can use 4 red roads to move directly to the castle. This would cost you all 4 Mps.

(B) Alternatively, you can take a roadless path, which costs 2 Mps, and then use 2 blue roads to reach the castle. However, because you’re using another player’s road, you would owe them 2 gold coins.

(C) Lastly, you could choose to move to the red settlement using 2 red roads. Since there is a barbarian on the path, the MP cost is increased by +2, making it a total of 4 Mps.

Remember, when deciding your path, consider the MP cost and any additional factors that may affect it. By keeping these things in mind, you can plan your moves strategically and make the most out of your resources.

When it’s my turn, I can spend 1 grain to give my wagon an extra 2 movement points for that turn. This can happen even if I’ve already used some or all of my movement points.

My wagon can stop and end its movement at any intersection it moves to. If I have any unused movement points, they will be lost.

If my wagon moves onto the central plaza of a trade hex, it has to stop and end its movement.

If I don’t have enough movement points to move along a path, I can’t partially move along it. My wagon must stop and end its movement at an intersection.

II. Choosing where to go first

When I start moving my wagon, I should pick one of the 3 trade hexes to move towards. This will be my wagon’s initial destination. I can change the destination whenever I want.

When you arrive at the main square of the trade hex in your wagon, you won’t get any gold because you don’t have a commodity token to exchange.

But don’t worry, you’ll still receive a commodity token from the stack that corresponds to the trade hex. Flip it over to see the commodity shown on the front of the token. There are four different commodities:

Did you know that each trade hex has the power to produce not just one, but two different types of commodities? It’s true! I find it fascinating how these hexes hold such potential for creating valuable goods.

When it’s my turn, I have to move my wagon to the trade hex where I can deliver the goods. I need to bring glass and marble to the castle hex, tools to the quarry hex, and sand to the glassworks hex.

Let’s say my wagon is on the glassworks hex and I have a glass commodity token. I have to move my wagon to the castle trade hex. I can only make one delivery at a time. Once I finish a delivery, I can draw another commodity token.

III. Making Deliveries

When my wagon stops at the central plaza of the trade hex for my commodity token, I have to make the delivery:

• I turn the commodity token face down (with the picture of a building). This token is worth 1 victory point.

\\ Depending on your baggage train (I’ll explain what this is later), you can get anywhere from 1 to 5 gold.\\ Take and reveal another token like the ones I mentioned before, and this token will determine where you’re going next.\\ That’s pretty much how it works.\\ Now, let’s talk about upgrading your baggage train.\\ Your baggage train is basically a group of people who carry your stuff for you.\\ The better your baggage train, the more stuff they can carry.\\ And the more stuff they carry, the more gold you can make.\\ It’s a pretty sweet deal.\\ To upgrade your baggage train, you’ll need to spend some gold.\\ The quality of your baggage train is represented by a number.\\ The higher the number, the better the baggage train.\\ So, if you want to make more gold, you’ll need to spend some gold to upgrade your baggage train.\\ It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.\\ On one hand, you have to spend gold to upgrade your baggage train.\\ But on the other hand, once you upgrade it, you’ll be able to make even more gold.\\ So it’s definitely worth it in the long run.\\ Plus, having a better baggage train also makes you look more impressive.\\ People will be more likely to trade with you if they see that you’ve got a high-quality baggage train.\\ So it’s definitely something to consider.\\ And that’s pretty much everything you need to know about upgrading your baggage train.\\ If you have any other questions, just let me know!

Your wagon is like the place where you keep all your stuff. It’s important to know what your wagon can do, and that information is on your Baggage Train Card. Let me break it down for you:

– First, your wagon has a certain number of movement points. These points tell you how far your wagon can go each turn.

– Second, your wagon can earn you gold. Every time you deliver a commodity, you get some gold in return.

– And finally, your wagon can defend against barbarians. You’ll have to roll a specific number on a die to drive them away.

For example, let’s say your active Baggage Train Card is like the one shown below. This means your wagon has 5 movement points (A), you earn 2 gold when delivering a commodity (B), and you can drive off a barbarian by rolling a “6” (C).

Now, during your turn, you have the option to upgrade your Baggage Train Card. This means you can spend some resources to get a better card from the top of your Baggage Train stack. Just pay attention to the resources shown on the card.

So remember, your wagon is important because it determines how far you can go, how much gold you earn, and how well you can defend against barbarians. Upgrade your Baggage Train Card to make it even better!

• Turn over the top card from the stack and place it on top of your active Baggage Train Card. Now that card is your active Baggage Train Card.
• Getting the last Baggage Train Card in your stack is worth 1 victory point, as shown on that card.

V. The Barbarians

The paths have Barbarians. You can’t build a road on a path that has a Barbarian. Each path can have only one Barbarian.

A) Moving Past Barbarians

When you move your wagon along a path (with or without a road) that has a Barbarian, it takes 2 more movement points (MPs) than usual (for example, a roadless path + Barbarian = 4 MPs; a path with a road + Barbarian = 3 MPs).

If you don’t have enough movement points to pass a Barbarian, you either stop at the intersection before the Barbarian and lose any unused MPs, or move in a different direction.

B) Dealing with Barbarians

If you upgrade your Baggage Train Card, you have the ability to drive off barbarians. Here’s how:

• Journey your wagon to a crossing next to a barbarian and pause.
• Roll a die.
• If the result matches one of the numbers on your active Baggage Train Card, you are permitted to move the barbarian to an unoccupied path.
• Regardless of success, you can continue moving your wagon normally with any remaining movement points. Remember, driving off a barbarian does not entitle you to steal a Resource Card from another player.
• Each turn, you can only attempt to drive off a specific barbarian once.

VI. Rolling a “7”

Hey there! Let’s talk about rolling a “7” as your production roll. It’s a pretty interesting rule in the game. So, when you happen to roll a “7”, you’ve got to shake things up a bit. It’s time to move one of the 3 barbarians to any path that doesn’t already have a barbarian on it. Now, if you decide to move a barbarian to a path that has a road on it, something cool happens – you get to draw a Resource Card (not gold) from the owner of that road. Pretty neat, right?

But wait, there’s more! If you happen to have more than 7 Resource Cards in your stash, you’ve got to do some spring cleaning. You need to choose half of your Resource Cards (but be sure to round down) and return them to the bank. Gotta keep things fair and balanced.

VII. A “2” or a “12” is rolled

Now let’s move on to rolling a “2” or a “12” as your production roll. When this happens, you don’t just settle for what you got. Nope! You get to re-roll the dice and see what fate has in store for you. Talk about a second chance!

VIII. The Gold

And finally, let’s talk about the gold. In this game, the large gold coins are worth 5 points, while the smaller ones are only worth 1 point. So keep your eyes on those shiny coins and make sure to collect as many as you can!

Gold is really important. It’s used to pay for moving along other players’ roads. And you know what? During your turn, you can even buy a resource of your choice using gold. You can do this up to two times! The cost for each resource is just 2 gold. How cool is that? Oh, and here’s another cool thing – you can trade your gold coins as if they were resources. You can trade with other players or with the bank. Normally, the exchange rate is 4 gold coins for 1 resource. But with certain harbors, you can get an even better rate of 3:1 or 2:1.

But here’s something to keep in mind: gold doesn’t count as a resource. So, when a “7” is rolled, you don’t have to worry about losing your precious gold. No one can take it away using a “Monopoly” Development Card. Phew!

When the Fun Ends

The game comes to an end when a player, during their turn, reaches a total of 13 or more victory points. That’s when the excitement is over and someone emerges as the winner!

Some Handy Tips