

Port Placement: 9 loose port tiles are used- Five “2:1” Port for each of the 5 Resources, plus Four “? 3:1” Port. Place all number tiles using the “Variable Set-Up” method as per the standard Rules, remembering that the Red number tokens (the 6’s and the 8’s) CANNOT be next to each other. NOTE: Using the 2 and 12 token combination on one resource gives the same odds as rolling a 3 or 11. All other number tokens are used on the remaining individual Resource hexes (Desert Tiles and Water tiles do NOT get numbered). In this game, combine the 2 and 12 number tokens and use them in tandem on one Resource hex. Number Tokens: Remove one each of the 3, 4, 10 and 11 number tokens.

Start placing tiles using the “Variable Set-Up” method as per the standard Rules, but randomize the Resource and Water cards by rolling a single die:

Place the Water tiles (the 6 unused Resource Tiles, upside down) in another pile. Placing Resource Tiles on the Game Board: Take the 13 resource tiles and the desert tile, shuffle well, and place them in one pile, face up.

“Settlers of Catan” is designed for 3 or 4 players. Take a look at my YouTube video for a great 2 Player Settlers of Catan version: We've played dozens of games with these rules and the games are fairly balanced thanks to the Robber Equalizer rule, though the rule does lead to not being so afraid about having to discard half your hand later in the game as the 7 may not stick, which can be an advantage to the player in the lead. If the robber does not stick, then then the dice must be rerolled, and only a number other than 7 will count. Each time a 7 is rolled by the player who is ahead, reroll the dice and the 7 sticks if the roll is high enough according to the chart - for example if you're ahead by 1 and 2/3, you need to roll 6 or higher for the robber to stick: Point Minimum Then add 1/3 for each played soldier, each road link, and each unplayed development card.Ī 7 rolled by someone who is behind always counts. First determine how far behind you are by counting up victory points in the normal manner for settlements and cities (but don't include longest road or largest army). The Robber Equalizer rule is our slow-the-leader mechanism, and it works by making rolls of 7 less and less likely to stick the further behind you are. 7's get rerolled for the first 6 rounds of play (we call this.A set of randomized numbers on either side of barbell (set 1:.3 of each resource hex (ores always placed as shown with 3-8-11,.Change hex setup to barbell shape (see picture).We've played many enjoyable games with the following system that does nothing to deal with the loss of trading, but handles the other issues raised above quite well:
