The official website for The Settlers of Catan

Barbarians & Traders

• Merchant Outpost - Is the resource I receive taken from my opponent?

  No.

• Merchant Outpost - Where does my Merchant Outpost go if my opponent plays the Arsonist to burn it down?

  To your hand of cards.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - Can I really build the Residences for free?

  Yes. You only have to meet the requirements for building them.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - Do I have to rotate the commodities back to “zero” after the special action is performed?

  No.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - Do the ore, lumber, and wool for trading have to come from regions adjacent to the Residences, in order for these regions to become activated?

  No.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - In case a Residence is burnt down, are its commodities (coins, etc.) lost too?

  Yes.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - Is a city required for building a Residence?

  Yes, because a city is required for building the Harbor you must own.

• Merchants’ Residences (general) - What is meant by “activation”?

  “Activation” always means a 90 degree rotation.

• Old Wisdom - If I play the Old Wisdom, which cards can I take from the discard pile?

  Any but Building Cards.

• Paper Merchant’s Residence - Do I receive the additional resource for the Paper Merchant’s Residence before or after the dice roll?

  After the dice roll and after distribution of the production resources and, if applicable, of the event resources – and only if you are the active player.

• Scribes Offices - Can I draw a card on each turn or only once, when building the Scribes Offices?

  You can do so on each of your turns, including the one during which you built the Scribes Offices.

• Scribes Offices - Let’s assume that after playing, for example, an Alchemist I have 2 cards left in my hand, and after activating the Scribes Offices I have 3 cards again. Can I perform another card exchange at the end of the turn?

  Yes.

• Sigmund the Sea Hero - Can I play Sigmund if there is no Fleet in the discard pile?

  No.

• Sigmund the Sea Hero - Can I use Sigmund to later get back a Trade Fleet captured by a Pirate Fleet if both players combined haven’t reached 7 victory points yet?

  Yes.

• Superstition - Who gets the resources I lose?

  Nobody. They are removed from the game.