Guide To Catan, Fish For Catan

“Fish for Catan” is a mini-expansion for Explorers and Pirates, an expansion of Catan. This expansion adds fishing as a new mechanic to the game, allowing players to acquire resources through fishing in addition to the traditional methods of trading and collecting resources from land-based hexes.

The expansion includes several new components such as fish tiles, fishing boats, and a fishery building. Fishing boats can be placed on water hexes and used to catch fish, which are represented by fish cards. The fishery building allows players to build additional fishing boats at a lower cost.

Fish for Catan adds a new strategic element to the game, as players must balance their efforts between building settlements and roads on land and fishing for resources on the sea. The expansion also introduces new ways to interact with other players, such as trading fish for resources or using fishing boats to block your opponents from accessing high-value fishing spots.

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Table of Contents

Guide To Catan Explorers And Pirates, Fish For Catan

What Comes With The Scenario

15 fish tokens: These tokens represent the new resource, fish, which can be used to trade with other players or to purchase new development cards.
1 “old boot” token: This token represents the “junk” that can be pulled up when fishing. It has no value in the game and is purely decorative.
1 special scenario: The expansion includes a new scenario for the game, which introduces fishing mechanics to the gameplay. The scenario comes with its own set of rules and objectives.
6 coastal frame pieces: These are special border pieces that can be added to the edges of the game board to expand the playable area of the game.

It’s worth noting that “Fish for Catan” is not a standalone game and requires the base game “Settlers of Catan” to play.

How To Set Up Fish For Catan

Set up the Game Board: Assemble the game board according to the instructions in the rulebook. The “Fish for Catan” scenario uses a modified game board with new fishing grounds and shoals hexes.
Set up the Fishing Grounds: Shuffle the fishing grounds tiles and place them on the board as indicated in the rulebook. Each fishing ground shows a number and a resource type. Players can fish for these resources by rolling a die and matching the number with the fishing ground’s number.
Set up the Shoals: Shuffle the shoals tiles and place them on the board as indicated in the rulebook. Shoals are unproductive hexes that players can explore to discover new fishing grounds.
Place the Fish Tokens: Place the fish tokens on the fishing grounds as indicated in the rulebook. The tokens represent the fish that players can catch.
Distribute the Fishing Boats: Each player receives two fishing boats at the beginning of the game. The boats can be placed on any coast hex adjacent to a player’s settlements or ships.
Set up the Robber: Place the robber pawn on any desert hex on the board.
Start the Game: The player who rolls the highest number goes first.

How To Play Fish For Catan

Fish tiles

The expansion comes with several fish tiles. These which are shuffled and placed face down on the board in a separate pile next to the resource tiles. These tiles represent fishing spots where players can fish for resources.

Fishing boats

Each player starts with a fishing boat, which they can place on a water hex on the board. The fishing boat is placed on the edge of the hex, facing the water, and can be moved to a different hex with water during the player’s turn.

Fishing for resource

At the beginning of each turn, the player can choose to fish for resources instead of rolling the dice. To do this, they move their fishing boat to a hex with a fish tile and draw a card from the fish deck. The card will indicate the type and quantity of resources the player has caught.

Trading fish

Players can also trade fish with other players for any resource they need. The fish can be traded at a 2:1 ratio or at any mutually agreed upon ratio.

Building fishing fleets

Players can also build additional fishing boats using a special harbor building called a “fishery”. The fishery can be built on any coastal hex and requires 1 sheep, 1 wheat, and 1 ore. Once built, it allows the player to build additional fishing boats at a cost of 1 wood and 1 wool.

How To Win Fish For Catan

Fish for Catan is a mini-expansion for the classic board game Settlers of Catan that introduces fishing as a new way to acquire resources. Winning this expansion requires a combination of strategic planning and resource management. Here are some tips that may help you win Fish for Catan:

Build fishing boats early. In Fish for Catan, fishing boats are essential for catching fish and acquiring resources. Try to build fishing boats as early as possible to get a head start on acquiring resources.
Balance your efforts between fishing and land development. While fishing is an important part of the game, it’s important not to neglect your land development efforts. Try to balance your efforts between building settlements and roads on land and fishing for resources on the sea.
Focus on high-value fish. Some fish cards are worth more resources than others. Try to focus on fishing in areas with high-value fish to maximize your resource acquisition.
Use fish as a trading commodity. Fish can be traded with other players for any resource they need. Try to use fish as a trading commodity to acquire the resources you need and deny your opponents the resources they need.
Build fisheries to expand your fishing fleet. Fisheries allow you to build additional fishing boats at a lower cost. Try to build fisheries in strategic locations to expand your fishing fleet and increase your resource acquisition.
Play defensively. Since other players can also fish for resources, it’s important to play defensively and protect your fishing boats from being blocked or attacked by your opponents. Try to build your fishing boats in strategic locations and use them to block your opponents from accessing high-value fishing spots.

How To Get Victory Point In Fish For Catan

In the “Catan: Explorers and Pirates” expansion, the “Fish for Catan” scenario provides a unique way to earn victory points by fishing for food to sustain settlements and ships. Here are the steps to earn victory points in this scenario:

Catch Fish: Players can catch fish by rolling the die and matching the number with a fishing ground’s number. The fish tokens represent the fish caught.
Trade Fish: Players can trade their fish with other players or with the central game board in exchange for a resource card. Each fish traded earns the player one victory point.
Build Improvements: Players can spend fish to build improvements such as fishing boats, harbors, and fisheries, which can generate more fish or provide other benefits. Building certain improvements can also 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 catching a certain number of fish or building specific structures.
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 completing other tasks. However, fishing 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 Fish for Catan. Remember to balance your efforts between land development and fishing, and use fish as a trading commodity to acquire the resources you need. Good luck!

Overall, Fish for Catan adds an interesting twist to the classic game of Settlers of Catan by introducing fishing as a new way to acquire resources. It also adds a new strategic element to the game as players must balance their efforts between building settlements and roads on land and fishing for resources on the sea.