About Settlers of Catan has been written so far, thousands of games are played online and offline, discovered multiple variants and extensions, and even its own Catan GmbH is founded. Therefore, there is now no x-thousand rule review or explanation, but a small report on a spontaneously carried Catan-themed evening, in Badisch brewery in Karlsruhe.

Participants:

• Janina actually Agricola fan who has never played Settlers of Catan.
• Jens, who played his last game in 1998, but only the basic game, but considers it important to owners of timber output from the basic game, cities and knights and sailors extension to be.
• Carsten, who knows the game very well, but has not played for a longer time.
• Tommy, real Catan veteran who played actively since 1995 and knows all the tricks and subtleties.

Tommy had offered to take over the role of the game Erklärmeisters and brings its own edition of Catan, Catan-packaged in a precious metal box from a special edition of Vedes ideas & games, as well as several sets wooden playing pieces, neatly sorted in a Schraubenbox with individually removable plastic bowl. Thus, already deleted once annoying color sorting of the tiles.

We decide to take a lot with basic play / Cities and Knights of the sailors and extension. In this version, it explains Tommy, Klaus Teuber game from the outset planned to bring it later but in some parts of extension on the market because the publisher had doubts whether the enormous complexity.

While Tommy us at Brauhaus beer and good food, explains the basics of the game and re-pointing and calls to mind a witty strategic point of view, we learn that he has met even the game at a Munich games afternoon about 15 years ago. A short time later he bought his first copy, and since then, together with his family belongs to the large crowd of Catan fans. When Damien and Thessi he and his wife for many years been very active in the Catan Online scene.

Before we begin, Tommy shows us an interesting table in which he has calculated the different probabilities, if one uses one instead of two dice W4-W6 and W8. Thus the 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, the probability of getting exactly the same as in normal 2W6 the 7 most frequently, the 6 and the 8 bit less often and the 5 and 9 in turn a touch more rare. Looking forward, the W4/W8-Variante However, the game takes a bit of spice and we play that night, of course, 2W6.

A rarity in Tommy's "Extras" is the set of tokens in Quietschrosa from a time when his daughter took this color "hip" (as it was not even 8, but played pretty well basis) with their parents.

Even when we deviate from the basic game design structure into a slightly modified, but rule-compliant version. Instead of the usual 37 hexagons Tommy lays out a game with 52 landscaping and water maps, us a large, randomly generated island landscape presents Catan. This more space for each player is and there is less competition. Will, together with some additional rules of fairness in dealing with the robber from the aggressive competitive struggle is a family-safe building game - such additional rules are hardcore gamers too disparagingly as "cuddle-called settlers."

Another special variant of rounds with Tommy for players who (still) can not lose so easily, and too fast for a slow forward preschenden lucky something: After each commodity distribution is seen, whether from between any two players a distance 4 points or more exists. If so, the player with the lowest score of the player with the higher score as many raw materials and merchandise to draw cards hidden until it has no more cards in his hand when he should have at a 7 (which is usually 7 plus 2 per wall ). Example: Player A has reached 8 points, player B and C each have 4 points. After each commodity distribution (and only if) B and C may take turns as many cards until A has only 7 on the hand. Tip with guaranteed success!

Back to Karlsruhe to Badisch Brauhaus Tommy's enlarged Schedule: There are also paying more chips, with one by an overweight of 5, 6, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in turn can give the game a bigger cuddle factor - if you like. This shows once again the enormous flexibility of Catan, which makes for experienced players for much of its charm.

We play with barbarian ship, pirates, robbers and dealers. Robbers / pirates only come after the first attack of the barbarians into the game - a "cuddly" version, incidentally, which was acquired by Teuber already as an official rule change.

During the game quickly becomes clear that 4 players the somewhat larger island landscape is far too large, as the coveted Siedelplätze are quickly sold out and other really good places are not really there. Tommy, however, said it was a coincidence.

A little bit of worry was the novice to the activation of the Knights and the settlement of the protected cities. Here, we have played a relatively cooperative and somewhat overprotective. Tommy told us that we can ensure this by skillfully maneuvering to ensure that a teammate during a surprise attack by the barbarian loses one city - then it has, however ausgekuschelt.

It was also calculated in our game every one of us good at dice rare numbers like 3, 4 or 11 very often. This meant that in some phase of play certain raw materials at all bad players were scarce. This demonstrated once again abundantly clear that despite all the strategic elements of Catan but is in no small part also gambling.

At least the robber did his duty and interfered with many of the long term build-up play. A Knight drive the robbers, while other players may not even dust materials, we learned a little late, but it would have to apply in any case is rarely effective. Especially at the beginning there was a lack of bad grain, which is needed urgently to enable the Knights after the robbers forced displacement.

Also late in the course of the game was our less experienced players realize how important the construction of cities on timber, sheep and ore to get as many commodities and to promote these in turn Stadtausbauten. The resulting Forschrittskarten here to help your game tremendously and speed up the development. Some cards also efficiently disrupt the opponent's structure and thereby bring time advantage. The advantage of experienced players is because above all to know the exact progress of all existing maps and their optimal use, there Tommy too open. He holds the Stadtausbauten for the most important element of Catan Cities & Knights, directly linked to an effective Knights defensive line not to lose in an assault ship of the barbarian cities and thus revenue sources for merchandise to. In addition, he advises, especially early in the game, maybe give it shape a round of exchange so that you can trade 4:1 with the bank and then invest in commodities and thus Stadtausbauten.

All in all, we introduce the game really interesting, showed us many of Catan subtleties and did wish for more. After a good 15 years of existence, the game has some fun and get repetitive and remains timeless.

At the end of an interesting evening Catan Tommy quoted earlier, unfortunately, still too early to late game reviewers of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Michael Knopf. The closed if the ever-growing empire Catan one of his reviews by saying: "We buy a bigger table, and never go out of the house." *

Tags: Cosmos