The Catan Cities & Knights Expansion adds exciting new elements to the classic Settlers of Catan game. The two key features are creating knights to safeguard the land from barbarian invasions and constructing city improvements that offer benefits to the city's owner. This expansion brings tactical depth and extends the game length. It belongs to the Catan Series. The game modifies the base game in three significant ways. Firstly, there are 3 new commodities - paper, cloth, and coins, different from regular resources. You can get them from Forest, Meadow, and Mountain spaces respectively. Cities that usually produce two of a resource now yield 1 resource and 1 corresponding commodity. Each player starts with 1 city and 1 settlement to make commodities easier to obtain. These commodities let players build city improvements for various advantages and points. Secondly, the development card deck is replaced with three decks, each linked to a commodity. Building city improvements gives players a chance to draw these cards when rolling the dice. More improvements increase the chances, but cards can't be bought directly. These cards have a wider range of effects than the base - game development cards. Finally, players can build knights on the island along their roads. Knights can claim intersections, move the Robber, and defend the island from barbarian attacks. Successful defense rewards the players with the most knights, while a failed defense downgrades the cities of players with the fewest knights to settlements.
How to use: First, set up the base game of Settlers of Catan as usual. Then add the components from this expansion. Each player starts with 1 city and 1 settlement on the board. When you roll the dice, try to get the new commodities - paper, cloth, and coins from the designated spaces. Use these commodities to build city improvements. Whenever you build a city improvement, you get a chance to draw a card from the corresponding deck. You can also build knights on your roads to claim intersections, move the Robber, and defend against barbarians. Notice: Remember that you can't buy the new cards directly. The Resource Monopoly card can take no more than 2 of the named resource from any one player. Maintenance: Keep the cards and game pieces in a dry and clean place. If they get dirty, you can gently wipe them with a soft cloth. Avoid bending the cards or scratching the pieces to keep them in good condition.
