Catan: Cities & Knights

1 Overview

Catan: Cities and Knights is the most popular expansion for Catan, adding significant depth and complexity. It introduces Commodities (Paper, Cloth, Coin), a city improvement track (three metropolis paths), Knights that defend Catan from periodic Barbarian attacks, and Progress Cards replacing the base game's Development Cards.

Cities and Knights extends game length to 90 to 150 minutes and is recommended for experienced Catan players. It is widely considered the best Catan expansion -- it transforms Catan from a relatively light game into a genuinely deep strategic experience.

For 3 to 4 players (requires base Catan). Ages 12+.

2 New Components

• Commodity cards (Paper, Cloth, Coin)
• City improvements board (3 tracks x 5 levels)
• Metropolis pieces (4 special city buildings)
• Knight pieces (3 per player)
• Progress cards (36 cards across 3 decks)
• Event die (rolled alongside the regular dice)
• Barbarian ship track

3 Commodities

Cities (not settlements) now produce two types of output:

• A city on Forest produces 1 Lumber + 1 Paper
• A city on Pasture produces 1 Wool + 1 Cloth
• A city on Mountain produces 1 Ore + 1 Coin

Commodities (Paper, Cloth, Coin) are used to advance along the city improvement tracks. They are separate from resources and cannot be traded.

4 City Improvements

Three city improvement tracks -- Science (Paper), Trade (Cloth), and Politics (Coin) -- each have 5 levels. Advancing costs 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Commodities respectively per level. Benefits:

• Each track at level 3+: access to that track's Progress Cards
• First player to reach level 5 on any track: takes the Metropolis piece for that track (worth 2 VP, can be stolen if another player surpasses your level)

5 Knights and the Barbarians

The Event die (rolled every turn) occasionally advances the Barbarian ship. When the ship reaches Catan, an attack occurs. The total strength of all active Knights across all players is compared to the number of cities in Catan. If Knights are outnumbered, the player with the fewest active Knights loses a city (downgraded to a settlement). If Knights win, the player with the most Knights gets a Progress Card.

Knights are activated by playing them (costs 1 Grain + 1 Ore). Activated Knights can also move, displace the Robber, or displace another player's knight.

6 Progress Cards

Progress Cards replace Development Cards. They come in three decks (Science, Trade, Politics) and are earned through city improvements. Much more varied and powerful than base game Development Cards. Examples: Inventor (swap two number tokens), Spy (steal a Knight), Engineer (build a wall for 1 Brick).

7 Winning

First to 13 Victory Points wins (vs. 10 in base game). Additional VP sources: each Metropolis piece is worth 2 VP. Knights grant the Defender of Catan bonus (1 VP) to whoever contributed most during the Barbarian attack victory.

8 Strategy

• Upgrade cities fast. Cities produce Commodities; settlements don't. Getting to 3+ cities early gives a massive Commodity advantage.
• Pick one improvement track and go deep. Spreading across all three tracks is slower than reaching level 5 on one track and claiming a Metropolis.
• Keep at least 2 active Knights. Being the weakest defender during a Barbarian attack loses a city -- devastating. Maintain defensive parity.

9 FAQ