Catan Explorers and Pirates is an expansion to the popular board game Settlers of Catan (now known as Catan). The expansion adds new scenarios, mechanics, and components to the base game, including the Pirate Lairs scenario.
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Guide To Catan Explorers’ Pirates, Pirates Lairs
“Pirates Lairs” is a scenario within the “Catan Explorers & Pirates” expansion for the popular board game “Settlers of Catan.” In this scenario, players take on the role of pirates who are exploring the sea, discovering new territories, and looting hidden pirate lairs for treasure.
The scenario includes pirate ship pieces and pirate lair tiles that are randomly placed on the board at the beginning of the game. Players roll a special pirate die to determine the movement of the pirate ship and any attacks on the players’ ships. When a player’s ship lands on a pirate lair tile, they can choose to loot the lair for treasure. The treasure can be used to purchase development cards or traded with other players.
In addition to the pirate theme, the “Catan Explorers & Pirates” expansion adds new gameplay mechanics to the base game, such as sea exploration, fishing, and mission cards. The expansion also includes new frame pieces to expand the board and provide more space for exploration.
It’s worth noting that the “Catan Explorers & Pirates” expansion is not a standalone game and requires the base game “Settlers of Catan” to play. The “Pirates Lairs” scenario is just one of several scenarios included in the expansion such as Fish For Catan, each with its own unique gameplay mechanics and objectives.
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The “Pirates Lairs” Scenario Includes The Following Components
- 16 pirate lair tiles: These tiles represent hidden pirate lairs scattered across the sea, which can be discovered by players and looted for treasure.
- 2 pirate ships: These ships are used by the players to explore the sea and discover new territories. They can also be used to attack other players or defend against pirate attacks.
- 1 pirate die: This is a special six-sided die that is used to determine pirate movements and attacks.
- 1 scenario rules booklet: This booklet contains the rules for the “Pirates Lairs” scenario within the “Catan Explorers & Pirates” expansion.
It’s worth noting that the “Pirates Lairs” scenario is not a standalone game and requires the base game “Settlers of Catan” and the “Catan Explorers & Pirates” expansion to play. The scenario adds a new thematic element to the game, introducing pirates and hidden treasure that players can discover and loot.
How To Set Up The Pirates Lair Scenario
- Set Up the Game Board: Place the main game board in the center of the table. Shuffle the terrain hexes and randomly place them on the board, as you would for a regular game of Catan.
- Set Up the Pirate Lairs: Shuffle the pirate lair tiles and randomly place them face down on the board. The number of lairs used depends on the number of players. For example, in a 3-player game, use 9 lair tiles.
- Place the Starting Ships: Each player places two ships on the board, as they would in a regular game of Catan.
- Place the Harbor Tokens: Shuffle the harbor tokens and randomly place them on the board, with the exception of the 3:1 harbor, which should not be used in this scenario.
- Choose Mission Cards: Each player is dealt two mission cards and must choose one to keep.
- Set Up Resource Production: Place the production number tokens on the terrain hexes as you would in a regular game of Catan.
- Place the Development Cards: Shuffle the development cards and place them in a face-down deck.
- Distribute Starting Resources: Each player receives 2 gold and the resources indicated on the terrain hexes adjacent to their starting ships.
- Begin Play: The player with the longest road on the main game board goes first.
It’s worth noting that in this scenario, players can trade resources and gold with other players and with the central game board. The first player to reach the target number of victory points (which varies based on the number of players) wins the game.
How To Discover A Pirate Lair?
To discover a pirate lair, a player must land a ship on the sea hex containing the token and spend a turn exploring the lair. Exploring a pirate lair can yield various rewards, including gold, victory points, and resources. However, pirate lairs are also guarded by pirate ships, which can attack and destroy a player’s ships.
How To Defend Against A Pirate Attack
To defend against pirate attacks, players can build new ships and improve their existing ships with upgrades like cannons and crew. Players can also trade with other players or hire pirate mercenaries to attack their opponents.
How To Win Catan Pirates Lairs?
Winning this scenario requires a combination of strategic planning, resource management, and some luck. Here are some tips that may help you win the game:
- Build a strong fleet of ships. Since the game involves exploring the seas and competing with other players for pirate lairs. It’s important to have enough ships to transport your settlers and protect your ships from pirate attacks. Try to build a mix of fast ships for exploration and armed ships to defend against pirate attacks.
- Focus on discovering and exploring new pirate lairs. The more pirate lairs you discover and explore, the more treasures and resources you can acquire. Try to focus on areas of the board where pirate lairs are likely to be located, such as near the edges of the board or near unexplored areas of the sea.
- Keep an eye on your opponents’ movements. Since players are competing to claim pirate lairs, it’s important to keep an eye on your opponents’ movements and try to block them from accessing the lairs you are interested in. Try to build your ships and explore the seas in a way that keeps your opponents guessing about your next move.
- Upgrade your ships and hire mercenaries. Upgrading your ships with cannons and hiring mercenaries can help you defend against pirate attacks and attack your opponents’ ships. Try to invest in these upgrades and mercenaries early in the game to gain an advantage over your opponents.
- Trade resources with other players. Since each player is trying to acquire as many resources as possible, trading with other players can help you acquire the resources you need and deny your opponents the resources they need. Try to negotiate favorable trade deals that give you an advantage over your opponents.
How To Win Victory Points In Pirates Lairs
In the “Catan: Explorers and Pirates” expansion, the “Pirates Lairs” scenario provides a unique way to earn victory points by exploring and raiding pirate lairs. Here are the steps to earn victory points in this scenario:
- Explore and Discover Pirate Lairs: Players can move their ships to unexplored hexes to discover pirate lairs. Players can also trade resources with other players or the central game board to obtain maps that reveal the location of pirate lairs.
- Raid Pirate Lairs: Players can raid pirate lairs by moving their ships to the hex containing the lair and rolling the die. The die roll determines the outcome of the raid, which can result in the player gaining resources or victory points, or losing resources.
- Build Improvements: Players can spend resources to build improvements such as cannon emplacements, ships, and harbors, which can provide various benefits such as increased resource production or protection against pirates.
- Defend Against Pirates: Pirates can raid players’ ships and settlements, causing damage and stealing resources. Players can defend against pirates by building cannon emplacements and upgrading their ships. Successfully defending against pirates can earn the player victory points.
- Complete Missions: The scenario includes mission cards that players can complete to earn victory points. Each card has different requirements, such as raiding a certain number of pirate lairs or building a certain number of improvements.
- Be the First to Reach the Target Number of Victory Points: The number of victory points required to win the game depends on the number of players. The first player to reach the target number of victory points wins the game.
It’s worth noting that in this scenario, players can also earn victory points by building settlements and cities, upgrading ships, and trading with other players and the central game board. However, raiding pirate lairs is the main way to earn victory points.
In Conclusion
By following these tips and being flexible in your strategy, you may be able to emerge victorious in the Catan Pirates Lairs scenario. Remember to balance your efforts between building settlements and roads on land and exploring the seas for pirate lairs and treasures. Good luck!
The Pirate Lairs scenario adds an exciting new element of risk and reward to Catan. Especially as players must weigh the potential rewards of exploring pirate lairs against the risk of losing their ships to pirate attacks. It also adds new strategic considerations, as players must balance their efforts between building settlements and roads on land and exploring the seas for pirate lairs.
Overall, the Pirate Lairs scenario is a fun and engaging addition to the Catan Explorers and Pirates expansion. Thus offering players new challenges and opportunities for adventure on the high seas.
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