Card Stacks - If I have to slide a card under a stack, can it also be a stack containing zero cards?

General Questions

Yes. According to the Catanian set of rules, a stack is a place where Resource Cards are (or were) stored. Therefore, the stack remains a stack even if you have taken all cards from a stack as the game progresses.

Card stacks - In the Tournament Game, on whose discard pile do I place the cards I have taken from my opponent and then played myself?

General Questions

On your discard pile.

Card Stacks - When exchanging or drawing cards, I’m allowed to sift through an Expansion Card stack if I pay resources. Do I have to draw from the chosen stack even if I don’t like what I see?

General Questions

Yes. Once you have chosen and viewed a stack, you must take a card from it.

Center Cards - What are Center Cards?

General Questions

What most Center Cards have in common is that once they are placed in a principality, you can't move them until the game ends; at best, you can place other Center Cards on top of them (Citadels and cities on settlements, and Metropolises on cities). The Public Feeling in its capacity as an abstract Counting Card is an exception to this: it can be moved at any time during the game if a player wants to make different use of the building site it is placed on.

Note: The Citadels belong to the theme set "Wizards & Dragons", the Public Feeling belongs to the Artisans & Benefactors Expansion Set. All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

City Expansions - Can I place four City Expansions in a city, or only two City Expansions and two Region Expansions?

General Questions

You can combine City Expansions and Region Expansions at will.

Event Trade Advantage - If I have no room for a resource, does my opponent also lose a resource?

General Questions

No.

Foreign Cards - Can I place the Pawnbroker also on Foreign Cards that I placed in my opponent’s principality?

General Questions

Yes.

Note: Foreign Cards and the Pawnbroker are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Foreign Cards - Can I remove a Foreign Card that I placed in my game partner’s principality?

General Questions

Yes.

Note: Foreign Cards are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Foreign Cards - Can I remove Foreign Cards that my game partner placed in my principality?

General Questions

No.

Note: Foreign Cards are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Foreign Cards - What are Foreign Cards?

General Questions

Foreign Cards are cards that a player places in his game partner’s principality but that do not become his game partner’s property.

Note: Foreign Cards are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Game turn and game round - What's the difference between a game round and a game turn?

General Questions

A game turn is the time during which one of the players performs actions within the scope of the game rules and actively intervenes in the game. A game round is the immediate succession of two game turns, where each of the two players is once the active and once the passive player.

Hand Limit - What needs to be considered in terms of the hand limit when players take cards back into their hand? Do I have to observe my hand limit only at the end of my turn?

General Questions
  • The active player must observe his hand limit only at the end of his turn.

 

  • The passive player, however, must observe his hand limit at any time, meaning that he might have to discard cards in between.

Hand Limit - When I’m allowed to draw cards during my turn, how does this affect the hand limit?

General Questions

It doesn’t affect it at all.

Hand of Cards and Drawing Cards - How is my hand limit affected if I can draw cards on my turn?

General Questions

It is not affected at all. The active player – that is, the player whose turn it is – has to observe the hand limit only at the end of his turn.

Hand of Cards and Drawing Cards - What do both players have to take into consideration regarding the hand limit?

General Questions

It is important for both the active and passive player to observe the hand limit at all times. If the passive player receives cards through events or actions performed by his opponent and thus exceeds his hand limit, he immediately must reduce the number of cards in his hand to the number allowed. Only then can the active player continue with his turn.

Note: This rule is valid for the old Catan Card game. The rule for the Rivals for Catan is different.

Knights (convertible) - After activating Knights that can be converted into Action Card - in what capacity do they go to the discard pile: as Knights or as Action Cards?

General Questions

As Knights.

Knights (convertible) - Can I immediately activate a Knight that can be converted into an Action Card if I have acquired him with the help of Bribery?

General Questions

No. You may do so one round after his acquisition at the earliest.

Note: The Bribery belongs to the theme set "Politics & Intrigue". All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

Knights (convertible) - Can I immediately reactivate a convertible Knight after a Countermagic prevented me from using him?

General Questions

No. Only on your next turn.

Note: The Countermagic belongs to the theme set "Wizards & Dragons". All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

Knights (convertible) - In the case of Knights that can be converted into an Action Card: can the protective action that counteracts the respective Attack Action also be used against them?

General Questions

Yes.

Knights (convertible) - Is it possible to displace convertible Knights with The Black Knight, make them switch sides with Bribery, or remove them with Lady Imelda?

General Questions

Yes.

Note: Lady Imelda belongs to the theme set "Knights & Merchants", the Bribery belongs to the theme set "Politics & Intrigue". All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

Knights (convertible) - What happens if the Countermagic is used to prevent a Knight from being converted into an Action Card?

General Questions

The Knight is put back onto his place in the principality.

Note: The Countermagic belongs to the theme set "Wizards & Dragons". All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

Knights - How do you calculate the simultaneous effect of Magic Potion and Bordello on a Knight?

General Questions

The factors affecting the strength of Knights are calculated in the chronological order in which they become effective. Each time the Magic Potion loses its effect the strength is calculated again.

Note: Magic Potion and Bordello belong to the theme sets "Wizards & Dragons" and "Politics & Intrigue". All expansions of the CATAN Card Game can be found in the Ludography.

Knights - What are Knights?

General Questions

Knights are individuals that have a name, belong to the human race, and possess strength points and/or tournament points.

Placed Cards - At what moment does removing certain Building s affect the number of resources and victory points received?

General Questions

In most cases, immediately. Exceptions are expressly stated on the cards or in the game instructions.

Placed Cards - Can I interchange the expansions within a city?

General Questions

You may interchange only the two upper expansions among each other and the two lower ones among each other. You can’t interchange an upper and a lower expansion.

Placed Cards - How often can I make use of an expansion during one and the same turn?

General Questions

During your turn, you can use most of the expansions as often as it seems reasonable to you and as long as you can pay for it if necessary. Some expansions of the theme sets can only be used once per turn, which is expressly stated on the respective cards.

Placed Cards - Some of the displayed cards are effective only if a certain other card is also present. What happens to such cards if the required other card is removed?

General Questions

These cards stay in place and continue to be effective. Requirements must be met only at the moment the cards are played; later they are irrelevant.

Playing and Displaying Cards - Can I perform each of the actions “Expansions,” “Play Action Cards,” and “Trade” several times during the main phase of the game, or just one time?

General Questions

You may perform all actions as often as you like and as long as you are able to pay for them if necessary, provided that the rules for the expansions used do not contradict it.

Playing and Displaying Cards - Some Buildings are available several times. Can I also build them several times?

General Questions

In principle, yes. There are exceptions in the expanded Base Game with theme sets; they are mentioned in the corresponding rules.

Playing Cards - Can I play Action Cards as often as I want?

General Questions

Played Action Cards go to the discard pile. There are several possibilities for you to get them back into your hand, and each time you succeed you may play the card again.

Playing Cards - Can I play Action Cards that do not have any effect?

General Questions

No. If you know that an Action Card can’t have any effect, then you are not allowed to play it.

Region Improvement - Can I build Region Improvements adjacent to a settlement or Citadel?

General Questions

Yes.

Note: Region Improvements and Citadels are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

 

Region Improvements - Can I attack Region Improvements with an Arsonist?

General Questions

Yes.

Note: Region Improvements are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Region Improvements - How much does it cost to build Region Improvements?

General Questions

Region Improvements are free of charge, but there are conditions attached. You may place them as soon as you meet those conditions.

Note: Region Improvements are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Region Improvements - What is a Region Improvement?

General Questions

They are cards that are placed adjacent to regions; they feature (since 2006) a brown text box.

Road Improvements - Can I play an Arsonist to burn down Road Improvements?

General Questions

Yes, provided that they are Buildings.

Note: Road Improvements are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Road Improvements - Can I protect Road Improvements with the help of a Fire Brigade?

General Questions

No.

Note: Road Improvements and Fire Brigade are part of the CATAN Card Game, which can be found in the Ludography.

Trade with the Bank - What is a trade with the bank?

General Questions

A trade with the bank is defined as any trade of resources that doesn’t involve the opponent, where the following may be used: Trade FleetsChristopher the Great Explorer, the Mint, and the “normal” 3:1 exchange rate.

Note: Christopher the Great Explorer belongs to the "Barbarians & Traders" theme set, which is part of the Catan Card Game – Expansion Set. More information on the games can be found in the Ludography.

Windmill Token - Do I get the resource for the Trade Advantage card only if the Windmill Token is physically sitting on one of my settlements?

General Questions

You are entitled to receive the resource if you meet the requirements for the “Trade Advantage.” The Windmill Token serves as a reminder of this. The same applies to the Knight Token.