Catan Robber Variations
01/08/2005
Some of the most interesting variations involve the robber. You can play a game without the robber. This often leads to the "bank" running out of a particular resource. This, in turn, leads to lots of "trading" between players which is not a bad thing.
Here are some ways to keep the robber in the game but not as much as in normal play.
1. Lazy robber. He starts out on the desert, but lying down. The first "seven" that is rolled "wakes him up". He stands up, but does not move. On the next roll of seven, he is moved by the player who rolled seven as in normal play. On the third roll of seven, he lays down on the desert again and will not move until the bank gets low (three or four cards) on a particular resource.
2. Mobile robber, this one is really devious. Don't use this on first time players. Don't use this in groups where one or more players have short tempers or are on parole for violent crimes. In this modification, the robber can land on any resource hex as in normal play. He can also land off the board in front of a player and that player is then out of the game until he/she can roll a seven on their turn.
The Mobile Robber can also land on the bank on one of the piles of resource cards. That resource is then dead to ALL players until the robber is moved again.
3. Dishonest Robber - this one can be bribed. For a price, agreed upon by all players before the game starts, the robber, if he lands on one of your hexes, can be bribed to move to the desert instead. The bribe money goes into the bank. The robber stays on the desert hex until the next seven is rolled.
3. Double Dishonest Robber - This one is like #3 with a twist. The robber can be bribed to land on ANY hex. Not only that, if he is "bribed" to land on a hex you need to win, you can immediately bribe him again even if it is not your turn! He keeps bouncing around the board until somebody cannot affored to bribe him or until everybody is satisfied with his location, such as a hex that has no settlement or city on it or the desert.
More next time. Feel free to share your favorites with us, just leave a comment. You are also welcome to link to this blog.
Some of the most interesting variations involve the robber. You can play a game without the robber. This often leads to the "bank" running out of a particular resource. This, in turn, leads to lots of "trading" between players which is not a bad thing.
Here are some ways to keep the robber in the game but not as much as in normal play.
1. Lazy robber. He starts out on the desert, but lying down. The first "seven" that is rolled "wakes him up". He stands up, but does not move. On the next roll of seven, he is moved by the player who rolled seven as in normal play. On the third roll of seven, he lays down on the desert again and will not move until the bank gets low (three or four cards) on a particular resource.
2. Mobile robber, this one is really devious. Don't use this on first time players. Don't use this in groups where one or more players have short tempers or are on parole for violent crimes. In this modification, the robber can land on any resource hex as in normal play. He can also land off the board in front of a player and that player is then out of the game until he/she can roll a seven on their turn.
The Mobile Robber can also land on the bank on one of the piles of resource cards. That resource is then dead to ALL players until the robber is moved again.
3. Dishonest Robber - this one can be bribed. For a price, agreed upon by all players before the game starts, the robber, if he lands on one of your hexes, can be bribed to move to the desert instead. The bribe money goes into the bank. The robber stays on the desert hex until the next seven is rolled.
3. Double Dishonest Robber - This one is like #3 with a twist. The robber can be bribed to land on ANY hex. Not only that, if he is "bribed" to land on a hex you need to win, you can immediately bribe him again even if it is not your turn! He keeps bouncing around the board until somebody cannot affored to bribe him or until everybody is satisfied with his location, such as a hex that has no settlement or city on it or the desert.
More next time. Feel free to share your favorites with us, just leave a comment. You are also welcome to link to this blog.
posted by Ebayer at 10:39 PM
1 Comments:
very nice variations
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