In Catan it continues

The newest addition to the male and female friends Catan's "explorers & pirates", the basic game must as always be present. At first glance, the whole thing is reminiscent of the seafaring expansion: The gold river landscape is back and pirate settlements are not new (but the approach to both). And of course: With boats new regions need to be developed. The first major difference, however, lies in the fact that the ships here no fixed "waterways" form, but actually moves between the islands back and forth.

The game is played according to the rules of the main game. A new feature, however: settlements can not be upgraded to cities, instead they are expanded waterfront harbor settlements - but still only bring a commodity card. (The procurement of raw materials is not as dramatic as all that come from the cubes empty, just get gold and thus can buy raw materials.)

Draws her out of the game completely, there are three missions that can be played in parallel. It must be discovered and destroyed pirate camp, it must fish are caught and delivered to the "Council of Catan" and can pick up spices the settlers and settlers as well. Although mission sounds fairly linear, actually the missions will be sounded in parallel, since first the corresponding mission fields have been discovered and can not be planned.

The individual missions are designed so that the settlement round they can play as well in isolation from each other, as combined. The pitch is then just larger and the number of victory points to ergatternden is adjusted. The maximum tactics fun you have, of course, if you play all three simultaneously. I am also of the opinion that the settlement round experienced quiet should get started with the full version of the same, instead, as suggested in the instructions, step by step. The rules are extensive, but then takes the first game just a bit longer.

Basically, you have a harbor settlement, you can there ships, build settlers and units. Settler need two places (in the ship or the port, both of which have two places), units need one. A ship and a settler form a new port settlement on a new coast. Units are moved via boat, not on roads. In addition, all have a pirate ship, which replaces the robbers and now comes with a 7 to use. The scenery on the Start island are visible (or be revealed before the game), which can be discovered landscapes shall remain reversed until they are researched, each discoverer gets for a new landscape the corresponding commodity, for spices, gold or water fields there two gold coins. These are also the mission fields, of which there are six.

Over time, you walk with a Markierstein in suit always higher on a separate bar for each mission, depending on the success. How many victory points (1-3) that is worth, you can read next to his Markierstein, who is closest to the front, gets an extra victory point. Even if that is not entirely clear from the instructions, I understand this additional point as a traveling point, ie it can be of crucial strategic importance.

The missions in detail look like this (where the I anreiße roughly, which is otherwise still confusing):

MISSION pirate camp:

If a Gold riverscape uncovered while exploring, they must be provided with a pirate camp chip. Three units can be embarked now, the camp is conquered (the units of different players come).

MISSION FOR FISH CATAN:

If a Meerfeld uncovered with Fish on, each player may in the course of a movement phase trying to Cams Categories Fish figures on those fields, so it's not self-evident that a fish box also home to a school of fish. Catching the fish can subsequently every empty vessel that turn delivers them to the Council of Catan. The pirate ships can catch fish. While this does not bring points, but sometimes it may be tactically useful, a Mitsiedler thwart the point profit.

MISSION spices for CATAN:

The landscapes to be explored are additionally mixed spice fields. I discover a box, spice bags are placed on top. Now everyone can end up with a squat of a ship unit there, and trade them in the spice bag. The spice is delivered to the Council of Catan, the unit on the field assures the players for the remainder of the game (as it remains standing there) one of three different bonuses, which are explained by symbols on the cards and it during the game benefits bring.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, a very extensive expansion. Actually, almost a new game based on the old rules. Tactically must also be fairly new range addressed: Through the use of movable game pieces, the game is no longer static. The road loses enormously in importance (the longest trade route can theoretically take over from the base game, virtually the Parties on the narrow islands but much too fast in the way) and the raw materials are by the gold mining no longer quite so crucial. The development of cards flying out, and there is no 3: 1-ports more, the rate shall apply from the start to trade with the bank. This naturally has advantages (there are finally in each round, the lucky or unlucky moment and any commodity is always in short supply). On the other hand by this degradation also some of the original settlers Feeling lost. Possible combinations with older extensions (except "navigators"), there is also that are beautifully stated on catan.de. But here eh any settlement round will again have their own rules and possibilities.

So all in all a nice game with many new opportunities, but for purists, perhaps something much change at once.

COMPATIBILITY:

Shortly Compatibility: Due to the size of the playing field, a framework is needed that keeps the individual fields in the form. This framework is only partially in the game get it the six frame parts of the base game are also required from generation 2. And without the frame the game is barely playable, because you constantly engages the pitch to turn to new landscapes. In addition, the frame is part of the possible sea route.

Why it has held at Kosmos no appropriate, not even draufzupacken in mass of individual parts of the new expansion the few parts and to make the frame completely, is beyond me. With 12 cardboard sheets one or two more, the budget would now not blown. So you need in any case a new framework (the one but apparently gets in kosmos.de for a stamped envelope), the scope of the Knights extension of the first generation does not fit the way.