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Before you read this article, you will need to know the following terms and definitions: 

In this game, multiple development-card decks are used.  Shuffle the following decks separately, and place them in discrete piles alongside the game board:

Original Settlers of Catan Development Cards

There are three different kinds of these cards: Purple, Green, and Orange.  Each has the same backing, but each has a different effect.

19 Purple Frame Cards:

19 Knight Cards:

Although all of them have identical text and purpose, there are actually seven different designs:

If you play a knight card, you must immediately move the Robber (or Privateer?), as if you had resolved a Production Number of 7 (you may take a resource card, or draw a Favor Token).  You must move the Robber away from his current spot and onto any other land terrain hex (such as the desert). You may then steal 1 random resource card from a player who has a building adjacent to the Robber.  If there are 2 or more such players, you may choose your victim.  If the player you elect has no cards, you get nothing! (However, you can always ask players about the number of cards they hold).Of course, you may choose to move the Robber harmlessly and obtain a Favor Token.  Once played, knight cards remain face up in front of you, visible to other players.  The first player to have 3 Knight cards in front of himself receives the special card “Largest Army,” which is worth 2 Victory Points.  If another player has more face-up Knight cards in front of him than the current holder of the Largest Army card, he immediately takes the special card and its 2 Victory Points that go with it.

Example: See Illustration H.  On Niall’s turn, he plays a Knight card and moves the Robber from the Field hex to the Hill hex with “4.” Niall may now steal a random card from player A or player B.

Helper of Catan: Vincent

Vincent is a born merchant. Therefore, he loves the Longest Road, while knights seem kind of suspicious to him. He is game for all kinds of trades. He is said to have sold his grandmother for a sheep, but that’s sheer rumor. His greatest dream is to become a trade master one day. His greatest nightmare are monopolists, which he refers to with the phrase “Monopolists are worse than robbers, which at least don’t take away more than they can carry at one go.”

Sometimes, however, Vincent needs a creative break from his trading activities. This is why he particularly likes the Catan Dice Game.

Swords to Plowshares: Use this advantage only 1 time during your turn.  You may discard 1 knight card to reduce your building costs as follows:

• Either build 1 settlement for 1 lumber plus 1 brick
• Or upgrade a settlement to a town for 2 ore plus 1 grain.

The knight card that you discard can either be 1 that you have already played, or 1 directly from your storage board (what to call it?).

Friend of Catan: Wulf

Use Knight Card to Move Robber Twice: During your turn, if you reveal a Knight Card, you may use this card’s ability and immediately move the Robber twice in a row (once for the Knight Card, and once again for this card).  Each time you move the Robber, steal 1 random Resource/Commodity Card from an affected player (player with building(s) adjacent to the hex you moved the Robber to).

• Because you may only play Knight Cards during your own turn, you may only use this card’s ability on your own turn (not during other player’s turns or any Special Purchase Phase).
• Because you may play more than one Knight Card during your turn, you may use this card’s ability more than once per turn. In other words, you may use this card’s ability twice in the same turn.
• You may not use this card’s ability to select a Development Card. However, you may use this card’s ability to steal a Spice Card or a Commodity Card, if you randomly draw it from the other player’s hand.
• You may only steal from the same player twice if the player is affected both times by the movement of the Robber.
• If you move use this card’s ability to move the Robber to a “harmless” space (where no players are affected), you may not steal a Resource/Commodity Card from any players.
• You may not move the Robber onto the same space it started from.
• After using this card’s ability once, flip the card over to its “B” side. After using this card’s ability a second time, place the card in the discard pile.

9 Green Frame Cards:

If you play a green frame card, follow its instructions.  Then the card is removed from the game (i.e., toss it in the box).

3 Road Building Cards: (2 free trade routes)

When you play this card, you may immediately place two (2) trade routes (roads and boats only) on the board, for free. For example, you may “mix and match” trade routes by placing two (2) roads, two (2) boats, or one (1) boat and one (1) road. You must obey all normal rules of placement when building your free trade routes. If you cannot immediately place one of more of your trade routes on the board, you must forfeit those trade routes and return them to your supply. You may not “save” them for later.

Since you may not use this card to build a free bridge, you may not spend an extra brick when playing this development card to place a bridge.

3 Resource Monopoly

Name one, get all from players

If you use a Monopoly card to monopolize oil, you still cannot pass the limit for oil in your supply. To determine whose oil you take (when not all oil can be taken), collect one from each player, starting with the next player to play and going clockwise around the board until your limit is reached.

This Monopoly cannot be used for commodities, but can be used for spices (a specific type of spice must be mentioned)!

3 Year of Plenty (take 2 resources from bank)

5 Orange Frame Cards:

If you play an orange frame card, place it face-up in front of you.  Each one is worth 1 Victory Point, but it is not necessary to take a Victory Point Chit when played. You do not need to keep Orange Frame Cards hidden in your personal supply until you are sure that if you reveal them during your turn, you will have the necessary number of Victory Points to win the game.  Of course, you can reveal them after the game is someone else wins.  You may play any number of Victory Point Cards during your turn, even during the turn you purchase them.  In short, you may choose to reveal Victory Point cards at any time: Now, later, or when the game is over—once you or an opponent reaches the winning number of Victory Points and declares victory.

1 VP library

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP university

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP market

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP Great Hall

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP Chapel

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

Traders & Barbarians Development Cards

Remove the top “Intro Card” from the deck, shuffle thoroughly, and place beside the board on the reference sheet below (wagons and barbarians):

Brown:

6 Road Building

2 free trade routes

6 Swift Journey

Move wagon again.

The Swift Journey Development card resets your Wagon’s Movement Points. Therefore, by playing this Development card, you may move your Wagon the number of movement points indicated by your top Baggage Train Card, then you may pay 1 Grain to move it two more movement points.

22 Knight

Place in front of you, same as other knight card, relocate 1 barbarian, take resource card from adjacent player  (see the descriptions of Helper of Catan: Vincent and Friend of Catan: Wulf under the Original Knight Card description above)

1 VP Quarry

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP Glassmaking

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

1 VP Toolmaking

Unlike the Constitution or Printer Progress cards, this card does count toward your personal supply limit of 4 Progress Cards. Because it cannot be played in front of you until you can win with it, this card may be stolen by the Spy Progress Card.

Barbarian Attack Development Cards

Remove the top “Intro Card” from the deck, shuffle thoroughly, and place beside the board on the reference sheet below (wagons and barbarians):

If you purchase a Barbarian Attack Development Card, you must play it immediately, then discard it to the bottom of the Barbarian Attack Development Card Deck.

Grey:

4 Swift Knight

Place one Strong Knight on any eligible path.

This card does not count as a “Knight” card in the traditional sense, as with the Helper of Catan “Vincent,” or when counting “Largest Army” Award.

4 Treason

When you play this card, you must immediately take 2 gold from the supply. Then, you must remove two (2) barbarians from two (2) different hexes and relocate them to two (2) other unconquered hexes with production number tokens (neither of these hexes may be ones from which either of the two [2] barbarians was taken). If there are not enough barbarians on the board to relocate, you may take two (2) barbarians from the supply and place them on separate hexes.

A barbarian may not be moved to a hex that already contains 3 barbarians.  If you remove the last barbarian from a conquered hex (with the production number token flipped over), you may turn the affected hex’s production number token face up, and turn upright any adjacent conquered buildings, if applicable. The hex can once again produce resources and commodities, and those building are once again fully functional.

4 Intrigue

When you play this card, you may immediately remove one (1) barbarian from the board and add it to your personal supply of barbarian prisoners. If you have two (2) barbarians in your supply, you must immediately exchange them for 1 Victory Point Chit. If you remove the last barbarian from a conquered hex (with the production number token flipped over), you may turn the affected hex’s production number token face up, and turn upright any adjacent conquered buildings, if applicable. The hex can once again produce resources and commodities, and those building are once again fully functional.

14 Knighthood

Place 1 Strong Knight on eligible castle hex path.

This card does not count as a “Knight” card in the traditional sense, as with the Helper of Catan “Vincent,” or when counting “Largest Army” Award.

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