by Andreas Hett and Thomas Schmidt-Uhlig

Translation by Marc Schulz and Thomas Schmidt-Uhlig

This theme set is not an official set. Neither Klaus Teuber, nor Franz Vohwinkel, nor Kosmos have tested or authorized it.

IDEA:
Quite a lot of the ideas for new cards which could be found in the web seemed appropriate to populate Catan with shady characters and sedulous guards, to erect dubious taverns and secure prisons. The resulting Theme Set does not need any special prerequisites, only the Base Set is required.

GENERAL RULES:
The game is played just like the Basic game with a few exceptions. Those exceptions are:

THE CARDS IN DETAIL:
(The background image of the card explanation shows the card backside and therefore the corresponding card stack)

Low Tavern (2x)

At a successful attack with an Arsonist or a Black Knight your opponent must not return the corresponding card to his hand. He has to take it out of the game (discard pile). If your attack isn't successful you must return your card to your hand as usual.

Tithe Barn (1x)

You may pay any one Resource of your choice and contest the result of the Event Die Roll, i.e. the Event Die (not the Production Die) is rolled once again. However, you may contest the Event Die Roll only once a turn, the second result is valid in any case. In case of a "?" you may first turn around the top card of the Event Card Pile and then decide if you use the Tithe Barn or not.
Prerequisite: no Prefecture is built in your Principality.

Pirate Fleet (1x)

The Pirate Fleet is built on a free building site in your opponent's Principality.
Every time your opponent exchanges resources (with Trade Fleet 2:1, with Lighthouse 1:1, with Mint 1:1 or as usual 3:1) you receive one of the exchanged resources. This is not the case for trading by cards (e.g. Trader, Monopoly, Caravan, Spice Caravan, etc.).
The gray Commerce Point indicates that your number of Commerce Points is decreased by 1 when you build the Pirate Fleet. This negative Commerce Point can't be doubled by anything. The Pirate Fleet can be destroyed by Civil War and Pirateering Fleets. A Dockyard lessens the construction cost of the Pirate Fleet, too. It's a Fleet, but not a Trading Fleet.

Ordnance Depot (1x)

By paying any two resources of your choice you may rotate this card by 180°. What can be read on the left side of this card is valid.
Strength Points +1 : All of your own Knights receive one additional Strength Point (similar the Smithy).
Strength Points -1 : All of your opponent's Knights lose one Strength Point.

Border Rampart (1x)

The Border Rampart is built on a Road. The resources of both adjacent Region Cards are safe from all encroachments by your opponent, i.e. your opponent can't take away any resources from these Region Cards.

Kuno the Robber-Knight (1x)

In the first place Kuno is a wholly normal Knight with all advantages and disadvantages of a Knight. In addition every time the Robber Assault is rolled you receive any one resource of your choice.

Erik the Infamous (1x)

Erik has the same function as Kuno the Robber-Knight.

Courier Station (1x)

The Courier Station is built on a Road between two Cities. You may then hold as many cards in your hand as your opponent does (in case your hand limit is already larger than that of your opponent this card is not considered for your hand limit).
Prerequisite: Not to use in combination with People's Hall, i.e. if you build a People's Hall the advantage of the hand limit is abolished. However, the Commerce Points are preserved.

Oubliette (1x)

The Oubliette protects the Region Cards in its City from Resource losses caused by Brigand, Merchant, Spice Caravan and Advantageous Trade. Region Cards of other Settlements, Cities or Citadels are not protected.

King's Palace (2x)

This card removes foreign (built by your opponent) buildings and units (e.g. Envoy's Residence, Brothel, Pirate Fleet, Robber-Knight's Castle etc.) from this City and the both adjacent Settlements / Cities. Your opponent returns them to his hand (take care of the hand limit!). In addition, the King's Palace prevents building new blockading cards in these three Settlements / Cities.

Custom-House (2x)

Every time your opponent demands resources from you, you may decide which resources your opponent receives.
This card works on Advantageous Trade, effects of buildings and all Action Cards.

Thieves' Guild (1x)

Build this guild in your opponent's Principality. Both adjacent Region Cards may only take up at most 2 resources.

Order of Knighthood (1x)

The possession of the Knight token is now worth two Victory Points.
Prerequisite: You have at least two Knights, Dragons or Cannons in your Principality. If during the game you end up having less than two Knights, Dragons or Cannons, the Order of Knighthood remains as a City Upgrade Card, but the Knight token is only worth one Victory Point (as usual).

Chamber of Handicrafts (1x)

The Resource production of any two adjacent Region Cards is doubled. If there already is another Upgrade Card adjacent to one of these Region Cards that doubles the Resource production, the Resource production is not quadruplicated. More than doubling is not allowed.

Custom's Union (1x)

Build the Custom's Union in your opponent's Principality. Every City Upgrade Card with Commerce Points of your opponent loses one Commerce Point. Affected are all City Upgrade Cards in all Cities of your opponent.

Booth (1x)

You may exchange one card from your hand for any one resource of your choice. The card from your hand is slipped face-down under a Development stack.
Prerequisite: Marketplace or Great Bazaar.

Waylayer (1x)

If your opponent wants to replenish his hand at the end of his turn you may stop him. Your opponent may only replenish his hand at the end of his next turn. This card must be played before your opponent starts replenishing his hand.

Deserter (1x)

When your opponent plays an Arsonist, Brigand or Black Knight against you, you may take the card away and use it immediately against him. You may also put this card on the discard pile.
Prerequisite: You have one of the following buildings in your opponent's Principality: Envoy's Residence, Secret Society, Thieves' Guild or Custom's Union.

Leprosy (2x)

Play this card during your turn. It is placed face-up between the Principalities and removed when you start your next turn. Your opponent may not use any functions of his Upgrade Cards during his next turn.
Protection: Medico.

Compulsory Resettlement (2x)

Pay your opponent the resources for a building (not a unit) he has in his Principality and place this building in your Principality. Cards or Upgrades reducing the cost (Building Crane, Dockyard etc.) can be used, you pay your opponent correspondingly fewer resources. You may only use the Compulsory Resettlement if your opponent can accommodate your resources.
Pawned buildings (by Pawnbroker) may not be resettled.

Trade Route (2x)

For each Road in your Principality you receive any one resource of your choice. The Road between your first two Settlements and Roads covered by Road Upgrade Cards do also count. The Three Country Corner and Rivers from the Longer & Broader Theme-Set (L&B) are considered as Roads, too.

Black Market (1x)

You may immediately take two resources of your choice from the owner of the Commercial Advantage.

Road Building (2x)

The cost for building a new Road is reduced: You only have to pay 1 Timber or 1 Brick for it.
Prerequisites:
Both players have at least three Victory Points.
You have at least three Settlement Upgrade Cards in your Principality.

Seer (1x)

Take up to four cards from the top of the Event stack, read them and sort them at will. Put them back face-down on the Event stack in any order. The sequence of the remaining cards must not be altered.

Pillory (2x)

In case of losing resources caused by a Robber Assault you may play this card and keep these resources.

Juggler Troupe (1x)

The player having fewer Victory points may take as many resources from his opponent as his opponent has more Victory Points. If this player has not enough resources, his opponent receives only the available (fewer) resources.

Rush on the City Hall (1x)

Both players must immediately take back their City Halls from their Principalities. The hand limit has to be respected.

Elevation to Knighthood (2x)

Both players may immediately place one Knight from their hands in their Principalities without paying any resources for him.
Prerequisite: A free building site is available.

DOWNLOADS
The cards can be downloaded in 300dpi
as a ZIP-file. A rule book and a
box are provided as PDF-files.
For problems: Mail to Stephan & Thomas.

For the downloads we provide several pages.
Download
The contents of these pages are exclusively intended for private use and may not be used commercially under any circumstances.

Many thanks to the following people whose ideas were included in Scoundrels & Myrmidons:

Graphics for the cards were arranged by Thomas Schmidt-Uhlig und Andreas Hett with the following exceptions: Pirate Fleet, Courier Station, King's Palace, Custom-House, Deserter, Road Building (all by Stephan Leinhäuser).

Some of the graphics were taken from original Settlers Cards by Franz Vohwinkel and from the computer games Microsoft Age of Empires I+II and Sunflowers Anno1602. Unfortunately we don't know the sources of the other graphics.

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