Welcome to the Icelandic Catan Game!

Did you know that the game “Settlers of Catan” was actually inspired by the settlement of Iceland? That’s right! And it’s no wonder why sheep is one of the resources in the game. In fact, I found the theme so intriguing that I decided to create a Viking Age inspired scenario just for you.

Get ready for an exciting adventure that will transport you back in time to the Viking Age. In this scenario, you will have the chance to experience the thrill and challenges of building settlements, trading resources, and expanding your territory, just like the early settlers of Iceland.

Are you ready to dive in and embark on this epic journey? Grab your friends, gather around the table, and let the games begin!

But before we start, let me give you an idea of what to expect. The average playtime for this scenario is about 90 minutes, so make sure you have enough time set aside for this immersive experience.

Now, it’s time to unleash your inner Viking and conquer the lands of Catan. May the gods favor your endeavors, and may you emerge victorious!

In Iceland, there are two settlements to start with. I made them pretty common numbers to make the game go faster. The other islands don’t have any numbers yet. At the beginning of the game, you’ll get resources from both settlements and a knight. If a number is rolled that isn’t on the board, we roll the dice again. The smaller islands have numbers in a bag, but we don’t include 2s and 12s.

When it comes to building and moving ships, as well as the Longest Road card, we follow the normal seafarer extension rules. To win, you’ll need 12 points.

We have gold coins in the game, which you can get from gold fields hexes or by rolling a 7. They can be traded like any other resource.

You’re only allowed to hold 10 resource cards, not including knights or gold. And remember, we don’t deal out resources to players who have reached the hand limit.

Hey there! Just wanted to let you in on a little secret – you can only have a maximum of 2 development cards. Pretty neat, huh?

So, check this out: the knights are a big deal now. They’re like a resource that you can use, but they come at a cost. You gotta pay one sheep, one grain, and one ore. (Sounds a lot like a development card in the base game, right?) As for the other development cards, you’ll need 3 gold to get your hands on them.

Now, let’s talk about trading, raiding, and settling.

These are the key changes that Vikings made in their day. They were pretty clever, always evaluating the situation at hand. Depending on what seemed best, they would either trade with the locals, raid them for goods, or even settle in the countries they ventured to. It was all about making smart decisions and adapting to the circumstances.

When you arrive at a hex on one of the smaller islands that has a shipping lane or a road, you can begin trading. Here’s how it works: you trade two of the same resource for one of the resources available in that hex. It’s like a reversed version of the 2-for-1 port.

For instance, let’s say you have two sheep (or ore, brick, or wood), and you come across a hex on the shipping lane that has corn. You can trade those two sheep for one corn.

When you go on a raid in the game, you send one of your knights to a hex and randomly pick a number from a bag. Each knight can only raid one hex. Your knights are then kept, and the Largest Army card is used as it was before. As long as your shipping lane ends on the raided hex, you will receive the resource of that hex whenever that number is rolled. If another player’s shipping lane also ends on the raided hex, they will also receive a resource when that number is rolled.

For example, let’s say you’re playing as the Orange player. If you position your shipping lane on this hex, whenever an 11 is rolled, you will always receive wood as a resource. You can still trade for ore on the hex above.

When it comes to building new settlements on small islands, there’s a rule you need to keep in mind. Settlements can only be built on intersections of two or more hexes, as long as all of those hexes have numbers. Once a hex has a settlement, it can no longer be raided.

Let’s look at an example: White just placed a settlement on the wheat and mud hexes. Unfortunately for orange, it can no longer raid the mud hex.

Once all the extra numbers are used up from the bag, the remaining hexes will have 2s and 12s placed on them. From that point on, raiding is no longer possible in the game; only settling.

What Happens When You Roll a 7?

The outcome of rolling a 7 depends on the combination of the dice:

• 1 and 6: Volcanic eruption. So, here’s the deal – you lose a sheep. Yeah, it’s a bummer, but that’s how the game goes. Now, pay attention because things are about to get interesting. The person who rolled a 7? Well, they’re in luck. They get one gold and get to pick a spot on the map of Iceland where a volcanic eruption occurs. And get this – the number on that spot gets flipped over. Pretty cool, huh? But here’s the catch – that spot won’t produce any resources until another volcanic eruption happens or one of the players decides to be a hero and use 2 mud to stop the lava flow. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Roll of the Dice in Catan

When I play the game of Catan, the roll of the dice can have a significant impact on the gameplay and strategy. There are various outcomes depending on the numbers rolled, and each has its own consequences.

One possible outcome is rolling a 2 or 5, which presents a weather challenge. If someone rolls a 7, they receive one gold and can take away a road or ship from another player. However, the road or ship must be connected to Iceland. This action can heavily disrupt the affected player’s ability to trade or build settlements.

Then, there are the dice results of 3 and 4, which lead to a feud among Vikings. If a player rolls a 7, they earn one gold and have the power to “kill” one of the other players’ knights—sending them back to the deck. It’s worth considering whether this affects the player’s possession of the Largest Army card.

In some game variations, gold is not involved in these events, adding an extra layer of complexity to the game. Regardless, properly interpreting and responding to the roll of the dice is crucial in Catan. By paying attention to the outcome and adjusting our strategies accordingly, we can improve our chances of success.