Place the Random Hexes Alongside the Boardgame Frame!
Before you read this article, you will need to know the following terms and definitions:
| Hex(-es): | Noun. Singular or Plural. A six-sided cardboard game piece that is placed with the frame as part of the larger game board in a honey-comb pattern. Comes in a variety of different designs, and has a variety of roles. Usually double-sided, with “land” on one side and “sea” on the other. |
| Expansion(-s): | Noun. Singular or Plural. An Catan game that cannot be played by itself. It must be used in conjunction with a standalone (base) game. The 5 & 6-player expansions are a good example of this. |
| Scenario(-s): | Noun. Singular or Plural. A small set of playing pieces and instructions that can be added to normal Catan gameplay. It cannot be played by itself--it must be used in conjunction with a standalone (base) game. The "Oil Springs" scenario is a good example of this. |
| Variant(-s): | Noun. Singular or Plural. A set of instructions for using the pieces from a Catan game or expansion in a new way. Most variants are fan-generated and require printing and cutting out new pieces. |
Separate the remaining hexes into two stacks, according to the orange or green icon on the back. There should be 20 hexes with a yellow sun printed on their bottom, and 20 hexes with a green moon printed on their bottom. Once they have been separated, turn each pile of hexes upside down and randomly shuffle them, icon side up. Finally, stack each pile of shuffled hexes according to the icon on their back, and place the stack icon side up next to the frame, matching the picture below. DO NOT place any of the green-moon or orange-sun hexes into the frame. Leave them in stacks next to the board. This will make it much easier to “discover” hexes, without having to flip them over once they are snugly nestled in the frame.
In the pictures above, these hexes are shown facing downwards in the frame. This is so that you can orient the islands correctly. It is much easier to take a random tile from the top of the pile and place it in the frame as you “discover” it, than to flip it over once it is already in the frame.
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