Who goes first in CATAN?
CATAN Studio English base game · fifth-edition credits, copyright 2020
For the beginner setup, the oldest player starts. For variable setup, everyone rolls both dice; the highest roller starts setup and takes the first regular turn after setup.
Rule details
Beginner setup uses the manual’s fixed settlement and road positions. Each player takes three starting resource cards from the hexes beside their settlement marked with a white star, then the oldest player rolls.
Variable setup places one settlement and road per player clockwise, then reverses. For four players starting with A, the placement order is A-B-C-D, then D-C-B-A. A then takes the first regular turn.
In variable setup, collect starting resources immediately after placing your second settlement, from its adjacent terrain hexes. The original starter then rolls both dice again for resource production. Regular turns proceed clockwise; only the second placement round reverses.
Source & edition
- CATAN: Game Rules & AlmanacCATAN Studio / CATAN GmbH · Page 4, Turn Overview and clockwise regular turns; page 12, Set-Up Phase and second-settlement resources; page 13, Starting Set-Up for Beginners and white-star settlement resources; page 15, credits · Checked 2026-10-20Printed page references: 4, 12, 13, 15
Image: © CATAN GmbH and CATAN Studio · Wikipedia file page
Image: Photo by Yonghokim; resized and compressed from the Wikimedia Commons original · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (photograph)
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