Q&A for How to Play Settlers of Catan

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Question

We had a situation where a player had 8 points on the board and two victory point cards. Can she use both to make her 10 points?

Community Answer

Yes, she can. Victory point cards are the only development cards that more than one can be played on each turn.

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Question

If it states that if a player has more than seven cards, he/she discards half, does that mean the player needs to have eight cards - or is it seven or more cards?

Community Answer

You need to have eight cards to have to discard half. You are safe if you have seven.

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Question

Can you buy a settlement before buying a road?

Community Answer

You need to have roads in between any settlements in the game, so it depends on the situation. In the beginning of the game, you will need to place another road right next to one of your starting roads to be able to build the settlement, or you can use the road building development card to build roads.

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Question

Can I trade future resources in Settlers of Catan?

Community Answer

Since there is no guarantee that you will get these resources, no. Trading on the promise of resources in the future is not allowed.

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Question

When I roll a seven or play a knight card, can I choose to place the robber in the same hex?

Community Answer

The latest rules state that you can put it anywhere, even back to the desert!

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Question

What are victory points?

Community Answer

Victory points are the points you need to win the game in Catan. You need 10 points to win, generally.

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Question

What is the use of the Catan hexes in Settlers of Catan?

Community Answer

Each hex gives a different resource. Also, players can only build settlements and cities on the corners of them, and can only build roads on the edges.

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Question

Does the player moving the robber get a resource card from the hex the robber is moved onto?

Ruah

Community Answer

Yes! When the robber is moved, the player who moved the robber steals one resource card from the players built around the hex.

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Question

Am I supposed to discard half of the cards over seven or half of all cards in my hand?

Community Answer

If a robber comes when you have 8 or more cards, discard half of all the cards in your hand.

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Question

Can I place a road through an established settlement or city if the other side is available?

Community Answer

Yes. you can always place a road on an edge so long as: A. There isn't a road currently there, and B. You have a settlement/road on one of the adjacent corners.

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Question

Can I add another settlement and road?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Settlements cost 1 wood, 1 sheep, 1 brick, and 1 wheat. Roads only take 1 brick and 1 wood.

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Question

What happens if I win the game?

Community Answer

It's over and you rule Catan!

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Question

How old should I be to play this?

Community Answer

The game is designed for players aged 10 and up.

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Question

Can the robber be moved once it has been placed on a hex and the card taken from another player?

Community Answer

No, you can't move the robber unless you roll the dice and receive a number that lets you move it again.

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Question

Do the numbers around the board matter? If so, what is the purpose?

Community Answer

Yes, they matter. For example, if you have a settlement on the spot with the six on it and you roll a six, that spot will give you resources.

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Question

What does the word "Catan" mean?

Community Answer

From what I can tell, it doesn't have a meaning. It's just a made up place name.

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Question

Can I build a settlement in a place where other players' roads are and not my own?

Community Answer

No. A settlement may be placed only an intersection next to your own road.

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Question

Does the person who rolls the seven have to discard half of their cards if they have more than seven?

Community Answer

Yes, as disappointing as it is, they still have to obey the seven cards in a hand rule.

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Question

How many "Longest Road" and "Largest Army" cards do I need?

Community Answer

You only need 1 each of Longest Road and Largest Army cards. They are rewards that can only be assigned to one player at any time.

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Question

Can I win if the robber is on one of my numbers?

Community Answer

If you have all ten victory points, then yes you can! All the robber does is the hex barren, which means he steals all the resources produced by the hex.

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Question

Can you play a development card in the same turn that you bought it?

Community Answer

Yes, you can play it at the beginning or the end of your turn. It states this in the development card section.

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Question

Can a Longest Road card be awarded if the road runs through your own settlements and cities?

Community Answer

Your settlements and cities break up the road. For example, let's say your opponent has seven road segments, normally that would give him the Longest Road card, but let's say that you build a settlement on his road, maybe on the spot between 3 of the road segments and 4 of the other road segments. Then the road counts as two roads, one 3 road segments long, and the other one 4 road segments long. I used this concept to keep an opponent from winning once.

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Question

If I forgot to pick up my resource cards, can I pick them up later?

Community Answer

There isn't really a rule about this, but you can try to decide it among those of you playing before you start. It also helps for everyone to be paying attention and making sure people pick up their resources. You could choose one person to be in charge of all the resources and hand them out to the right people every round - that way you are less likely to forget.

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Question

Can you build a third settlement and road away from the first two settlements?

TheXboxGamer2002

Community Answer

No. You have to build towards that area first by placing roads.

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Question

If I have a settlement and then add 4 roads off of it, can anybody place a settlement in the middle of the 4 roads so it will have 2 roads on each side?

Community Answer

Sure, but only if they have roads of their own color connecting to that spot.

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Question

After you roll a 7 in Catan, can you trade and buy afterward?

Community Answer

Yes, the only thing that a 7 affects is the production phase. It does not affect trading or building.

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Question

Do you need 12 points to win if you are playing with only 3 people?

Community Answer

The number of players doesn't matter. You need 10 points to win. If you want a longer game, you could go to 12 points.

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Question

If I play a play a knight card does everyone with 8 or more cards have to dispose of half. Does that also apply to me?

Community Answer

No, you only discard cards if someone rolls 7, not playing a knight card. Though if you do roll a 7 and have more than 8 cards, you do discard half.

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Question

If I have enough resources, can I build a road and settlement anywhere on the board or am I limited to just extending where I already have roads and settlements?

Community Answer

You can build your settlements any time provided you have the resources and still have a settlement left to build. With roads, it is the same, but roads work best when connected.

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Question

Do you hold your resource cards in your hand, so others can't see them, or are they display face up in front of you?

Joyce Chen

Community Answer

You can just hold them like any set of playing cards.

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