Scenario: The Catan Landing Game Rules

Imagine a game scenario inspired by the novel “The Settlers of Catan.” In this scenario, you and your friends will embark on an exciting adventure to colonize a new island.

Getting Started

The game board is all set up, just like you see here on the right.

At the start of the game, each player gets a die and three walls in their own colors from the Cities and Knights expansion, along with one ship from the seafaring expansion.

There are 5 special ports, 5 ports with a 3-to-1 trade ratio, and 24 churches/temples.

Foundation Phase

We’re skipping the usual start-up phase where players build settlements. No settlements are built this time.

Instead, each player places one ship on a hex edge at the northern edge of the scenario. The ship should point away from one of the intersections shared with the rectangular frame. Remember, no other ships will be built during the game.

Game Play

How Vessels Move

Now, let’s talk about moving the ships. Until a player’s ship reaches the coast of Catan, here’s how they’ll move:

The active player rolls one die and adds 1 to the result. All the other players roll their own dice too.

When it’s my turn to play, I roll the dice. If I get the highest number, I move my ship forward by one space. If there are other players who also rolled the highest number, they get to move their ships too. Then, it’s the next player’s turn.

If I roll a 6 and my total is 7, it means there’s a strong wind blowing. I can use this opportunity to move all the ships one space in any direction I choose.

Each edge can only have one ship on it at a time.

Once the first ship reaches the coast of Catan, which is when it lands on an edge of a land hex, we roll two dice like usual. From now on, at the end of each player’s turn, they can move their ship one space forward. But remember, ships cannot move across intersections that have settlements, whether they belong to me or someone else.

Arriving at the Coast

When I think about the edges where the land meets the sea, I imagine fjords. Fjords are like borders between two landscapes, and they’re considered part of the coast. It’s interesting to think that ships can sail through these edges, but people like you and me can’t cross from one fjord to another. For example, if you look at the map, you won’t be able to move from the gold 4 or the wood 10 hex, because they’re both fjords.

Speaking of ships, when they’re on the coast of Catan, they can actually help generate resources from the surrounding hex fields. If a ship is in a fjord, it generates 2 resources, while if it’s between a sea and a land hex, it generates 1 resource.

Now let’s talk about the first settlement.

Did you know that settlements can be built on the intersections that a ship touches? It’s pretty cool! But before you can build any roads, you’ll need to have at least one settlement already built.

And guess what? The first settlement is actually built for free! You can think of it as being built with the resources that were brought to Catan. Once the first settlement is built, you can explore new spots and build more settlements with your ship.

But what about clearing land?

When you first arrive on the island, it’s covered in a dense forest. There are no fields where you can grow grain, so the first step is to clear the land. By giving up two wood and a brick, you can transform a forest into a fertile grainfield.

Trading at Ports

When the dice roll results in a 2 or 12, it’s your lucky day! You can claim a 3:1 port (as long as there are still some available) and attach it to one of your cities or settlements.

Special ports can also be purchased. These are immediately placed on an existing coastal settlement or city, without going into the storage. A special port costs three cards of one type of resource, but not necessarily the same kind as the port you’re buying.

Example: Let’s say you want to buy a wood port. You can spend three bricks to obtain it, and place it right away on one of your coastal settlements.

Temples and Churches

When you establish a settlement, you have the option to construct a temple or a church. You can have two churches, but never both a temple and a church in the same city. To build a temple or a church, you need 1 wool and 1 wood, and it must be placed at a settlement or a city.

Once you’ve built your first church or temple, you will receive a special card. If you built a church, the card is called “To the Glory of God,” and if you built a temple, it is called “In Honor of Odin.” This card is worth one victory point.

If there is an equal number of churches and temples on the board, all “Glory” or “Honor” cards must be returned to the bank.

However, if there are more churches than temples, the “To the Glory of God” cards will be distributed to the two players who have built the most churches on the board.

If there are three or four players who have churches and we can’t determine who has the most because of ties, then none of us get “Glory” cards. The same goes for the “to the honor of Odin” cards if there are more temples than churches on the game board.

Here’s an example: I have three churches, and you, along with another player, have two churches. Another player has four temples. In this case, I would only receive one Card “To the glory of God”.

Here’s another example: Let’s say you, along with two other players, have two churches. Another player has four temples. Then none of us receive a card.

And finally, here’s one more example: Two players have built three temples. Another player has four churches, and someone else has built a temple and a church. In this case, both players with the temples each get a card “To the glory of Odin”.

The Robber, Stockades, and City Walls

In this story, we have a grumpy character named “Olaf” who lives in a cozy castle located in the desert.

You and I have the ability to safeguard our villages and cities from Olaf by constructing either a city wall or a stockade. The city wall requires 2 bricks to build and offers the same advantages as the Cities and Knights expansion (you can hold up to 9 cards without worrying about discarding).

To add an extra layer of protection, walled cities cannot be attacked by Olaf, and he is prohibited from entering the surrounding fields. On the other hand, a stockade is a smaller version of a city wall that is built around a settlement. It only shields the settlement itself and not the entire area.

If a settlement is upgraded, the stockade automatically transforms into a city wall.

Now, let’s talk about winning the game. The player who attains 12 victory points during their turn is declared the winner. Good luck!