Which catan expansion should i get

They can be paired with the base game in any combination. However the base game is still required to play any expansion. Of course, Player Extensions are available for each of these expansions as well. The second expansion for Catan adds a bit more complexity and substance than Seafarers. Soldiers and Knights also matter more, guarding roads from robbers and barbarians. The third expansion is actually a compilation of smaller expansions all rolled into one box.

Players get to pick from 5 scenarios and 4 variants to add new twists to the Catan formula, including a full-on barbarian invasion. Using this Catan Expansions Buying Guide, you can figure out what the best next step for your Catan adventure.

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Starting Off Easy The main thing that board game expansions do is add pieces and rules to introduce new and interesting twists to the base game.

Older Post Newer Post. Catan Event Cards: These cards replace the dice. They are statistically correct, which makes resource production less random but comes at the cost of random events that both help and hinder. Additionally, the expansion includes five scenarios that provide new rules and things to focus on.

These scenarios can be used in conjunction with the variants or on their own, and they bring larger rule changes. Fisherman of Catan: Fish are collected like other resources in the game but can only be gained by building settlements on the edge of the board or around the new lake tile.

Fish allow you to remove the robber, gain resources, steal resources and even build roads and development cards. The Rivers of Catan: New river tiles are strewn about the island of Catan. Building along these rivers gives you coins.

Coins can be cashed in for resources, but there are bonus points for the wealthiest player and negative points for the poorest, so spend wisely. The Caravans: Attempt to have your roads and settlements become part of the caravans that slowly spread across Catan.

Each time a settlement is built, players bid resources to determine where camels are placed. If you can surround your settlements with camels they are worth more points. Barbarian Attack: Barbarians begin to attack Catan by conquering resource hexes and settlements, rendering them useless. Train knights to ward off the invaders and take them prisoner.

Connect your roads to these locations to make travel quicker and easier. There are new mechanics as well, but most of them will feel familiar. Using a development flipchart, players can improve their cities in trade, politics and science using commodities.

Each area of improvement has five levels of increasing cost. As you reach higher levels of improvement, you will unlock special abilities and will be able to earn progress cards that give you all sorts of powerful benefits. Traders and Barbarians contains 5 small expansions and 4 small additions to the game.

In the Fishermen of Catan a new lake tile and some fishing areas are placed on the grid. Settlements next to a fishing area can catch fish. Fish are an extra resource that can be used to buy certain things, such as move the robber or build a road.

This new addition to the game fits in really well, but is not super exciting. That said, having a new resource in the game, changes the dynamic somewhat and makes the game slightly more balanced. In the Rivers of Catan seven new river hexes are introduced that are placed somewhere on the grid.

To cross the rivers you need to use bridges. But aside from rivers, new tokens are introduced: coins. Building bridges alongside a river yields the player coins. Coins can be used to purchase resources or trade, but can also be stacked to get an additional victory point.

The coins can play a big role in the game and leads away from the essence of Settlers of Catan: collecting resources to build roads and settlements. In the Caravans the original deserts are replaced by oasis , from which caravans can arise. Whenever a player builds a settlement or city, a camel can be placed at the end of one of the three caravans.

The players bid grain or wool to buy votes that determine where to place the camel. Camels adjacent to cities or settlements give the player an additional victory point. I would recommend playing that expansion instead of Caravans. In the Barbarian Attack tiles can be disabled by barbarians and no longer produce resources. Whever a settlement or city is built, three barbarians are placed somewhere on the grid.

If there are three barbarians on one hex, that hex is considered conquered and does not produce resources. The players can capture the barbarians by using knights. Captured barbarians are worth victory points. This expansion is a nice addition to the game.

The placement of barbarians can almost feel like Pandemic. A downside to this expansion is that if you get hit hard by the barbarians, it is sometimes hard to recover.

In Traders and Barbarians three new trade hexes are introduced. Also wagons are introduced, with these wagons players deliver commodities from one trade hex to another. Successful deliveries yield victory points and gold.

Delivering commodities is made difficult by barbarians that occupy the road and a limited and costly amount of movements for the wagons. This expansion really adds to the game. The wagons and commodities are a new element to gain victory points, which I really enjoy. The number on the Event Card determines which hexes produces resources, much like when rolling the dice, but additionally the card can have an event. These events are quite similar to some of the development cards.

The player with the most settlements bordering a harbor gets the Harbormaster card. The Harbormaster is a nice extra incentive to build a settlement in a harbor, but not super interesting in itself.

Catan for Two introduces a new neutral third player. Whenever a player builds a road or a settlement, he must also place a road or settlement for the neutral player. I really like this variant. Through the neutral player you have a chance to exert more influence on your opponent.

Although Traders and Barbarians is not a full blown expansion, it is a nice addition to the base game. We would, however, recommend you to buy other expansion first, before buying this one. Traders and Barbarians make the game more fun, while other expansions take the game to a whole new level. But if you already have the other expansions and are in some nice variations, we think you will enjoy the nice little details in this expansion.

Do you want to play Traders and Barbarians with more than 4 players? Than you should buy the Traders and Barbarians expansion and the Traders and Barbarians for players expansion. Note that in order to play the Traders and Barbarians expansion for players, you also needs the players Base game expansion.

Although the players expansion does not itself contributes extra elements to Catan, it is most certainly one of the best expansions you can have. If you have a large family or game group, and want to play Catan with more than just four players, this expansion is the way to go. That said, adding extra players to a game changes a lot regarding to strategy and player interaction.

The only feature that the players expansion adds it the extra building phase. At the end of each turn, before the next player starts his turn, all players all allowed to build something with the resources at hand. Note that this expansion is only for the base game. For each extra expansion you need the players expansion of that particular game as well, to play it with players. If our ranking leaves any of your questions unanswered, please let us know through our contact form.

Skip to content. Explorers and Pirates Explorers and Pirates is by far the most elaborate expansion. With many new scenario's it's a must-have for the experienced Catan fan. Cities and Knights Cities and Knights adds a lot of strategy to Catan , without making it too complex. That's why it's the best overall expansion. Catan Seafarers Seafarers is the simplest expansion.

It doesn't require you to learn many new rules, but the new map with its focus on waters is still refreshing. Our Top 5 Catan Expansions. Best Overall. Catan: Starfarers 2ND Ed.

Best Price. Check It Now. Best Overall Expansion. Quick Links. Many new strategies Balance between strategy and simplicity. New commodities. New progress cards.