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Catan: Cities & Knights (Expansion)

Catan: Cities & Knights (Expansion)

€35,90 EUR
€35,90 EUR
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3 to 4 players 120 min Ages 10+

Catan – Cities & Knights is the most strategic and comprehensive expansion in the entire Catan range, designed by Klaus Teuber and published by Kosmos. It completely transforms the base game by adding three new resources, a knight recruitment system, urban progression trees, and a collective barbarian threat to repel together. The victory threshold increases from 10 to 13 points, games gain 45 minutes to 1 hour of additional depth, and every decision takes on a new dimension. This is the Catan community's favorite expansion, praised by all experienced players.

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How to play Catan – Cities & Knights?

Game Setup

  • Set up the base game boardas usual, then add the Barbarian Fleet progress trackto the side, with the Barbarian Ship pawn on the first space.
  • Replace the usual die with the red dieand the Event die(which replaces the Development cards).
  • Give each player their City Improvement board, their 6 knights(levels 1 to 3), their 6 helmets, their 3 city walls, and their 3 metropolises.
  • Place the common 3 Metropolis pawns(Science, Trade, Politics) on their starting spaces.
  • Shuffle the 54 Progress cards(18 per color: Politics/yellow, Trade/green, Science/blue) and form three separate decks.
  • The initial setup is done as usual, with the 2 initial settlements and 2 roads.

Gameplay outline

Each round, 3 new mechanicsare added to the classic rules:

Trade Articles:

  • Cities built on Wool, Forest, or Ore now produce 1 resource + 1 trade article(Cloth, Paper, or Coins) when their number is rolled.
  • These articles are used to improve your cityon your player sheet in 3 areas: Science (blue), Trade (green), and Politics (yellow).
  • Each level unlocks a Progress cardof the corresponding color via the red die.

Knights:

  • Recruit knights (1 Grain + 1 Ore) and activate them(1 additional Grain) to make them operational.
  • Active knights defend against barbarians, can chase the Robber, move an opponent's knight, or take control of an enemy intersection.
  • Three levels of knights exist — level 3 (Mighty Knight) only becomes available with level 3 in Politics.

Barbarians and Metropolises:

  • Each time the Event die shows the Ship symbol, the barbarian fleet advancesone space. When it reaches Catan, it attacks.
  • The barbarian strength= total number of cities in play. The defender strength= sum of all players' active knights.
  • If the barbarians win: the player(s) with the fewest active knights see one of their cities downgraded to a settlement.
  • If the defenders win: the player who contributed the most to the defense becomes Savior of Catan(+1 victory point).
  • Reach level 4in an improvement area to erect a Metropolis(4 victory points, indestructible). Only 3 Metropolises are possible on the island — the race is on.

Win/Loss Condition

The first player to reach 13 victory pointson their turn wins the game. Points sources are: settlements (1 VP), cities (2 VP), metropolises (4 VP), Savior of Catan (1 VP), victory point progress cards, and longest road/largest army.

Our Tips for Winning

  • Build your cities on a single resource type initially

    The temptation is to diversify. This is a mistake. By focusing several cities on the same trade resource(e.g., Wool → Cloth), you accumulate trade goods much faster and quickly climb in your chosen field. Specialization beats diversification in the first 10 turns.

  • Prioritize the Science tree for a regular Progress card

    The Science (blue) domain offers the most versatile Progress cards, and its level 3 — the Aqueduct — allows you to draw a resource of your choice when your number is not rolled. This is one of the most powerful abilities in the game: prioritize upgrading to it.

  • Don't neglect the knights before the first attack

    Many players ignore knights until the first barbarian attack. This is risky: losing a city early in the gameis catastrophic. Invest in at least 2 active knights from the first few turns to ensure a minimum contribution to your defense.

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FAQ – All about Catan Cities & Knights

Is Cities & Knights compatible with Seafarers?

Yes, and their combination is officially recommended. The victory threshold then rises to 15 points, and the game lasts approximately 2h30 to 3h. This is the most complete Catan experience possible, reserved for very experienced groups.

Do Development cards from the base game disappear?

Yes, they are completely replaced by the tricolor Progresscards from the expansion. Progress cards are more varied, more targeted, and often more powerful—notably Alchemist, Engineer, or Diplomat.

Is the game becoming too long and too complex?

The duration increases significantly: allow 1.5 to 2 hoursfor a game with 3-4 experienced players. The complexity is real but progressive: after an introductory game, the mechanics naturally integrate with the base game's automatisms. It's not a game for beginners, but it's also not inaccessible to intermediate players.

Can you play as the Thief in this expansion?

The Robber is still present, but with one important restriction: it cannot be moved before the first barbarian attack. Players must still discard normally if they have more than 7 cards when a 7 is rolled.