Cities and Knights

Cities And Knights is an expansion of the base game Catan that introduces new systems involving defense, city development, and advanced resource management. Unlike the original game, where players race to ten points, this version raises the victory threshold to thirteen and shifts focus toward protecting cities from external threats. Players must now deal with additional resource types and coordinate more complex strategies involving both economic growth and military defense. The core mechanics are expanded, but the foundation of building, trading, and resource collection remains central.

City Improvements and Commodities

In this version, cities no longer just produce regular resources. Depending on the tile they are adjacent to, they can generate commodities—paper, cloth, and coin. These commodities are used to purchase improvements across three categories: science, trade, and politics. Each category offers benefits as players move up its track, eventually unlocking the right to build a metropolis. A metropolis replaces a city and grants four victory points. Only one player can hold a metropolis in each category, creating competition to upgrade before others do.

Defending Against Barbarians

A key addition in Cities And Knights is the threat of barbarian invasions. A third die, the event die, determines whether the barbarians advance. Once they reach Catan, players compare the total strength of all active knights to the total number of cities and metropolises. If the knights are strong enough, the island is safe, and the most helpful player earns a reward. If not, the player with the weakest defense loses one of their cities. This mechanic forces players to invest in military strength instead of focusing only on building.

Key Gameplay Features

Cities And Knights adds several new elements to manage during each game:

•  Commodities for purchasing city upgrades

•  Progress cards that replace development cards and offer more varied effects

•  Knight units that must be placed, activated, and upgraded

•  Barbarian tracking and cooperative defense requirements

•  Metropolises that give permanent advantages and cannot be destroyed

These features make the game more layered and tactical compared to the base version.

Balance Between Growth and Defense

With multiple systems in play, each decision affects more than just personal score. Ignoring knights may lead to losing cities, while neglecting city improvements can cost players the opportunity to gain metropolises. Cities And Knights demands constant adjustment to changing conditions on the board. Players must watch both their opponents’ actions and the progress of the barbarians. Every round brings new choices that affect the stability of the island and the path to victory.

Cities And Knights offers a more detailed structure that emphasizes long-term planning and inter-player dynamics. While it builds on the mechanics of the base game, it adds enough complexity to appeal to players who prefer deeper strategy and more involvement with every turn.