Settlement

A settlement is a type of building in The Settlers of Catan and all expansions, scenarios, and variants.

Basic function

Following the basic rules of the game, a settlement is built using 1 Lumber , 1 Brick, 1 Wool, and 1 Grain, and can only be placed on an unoccupied intersection that is at least two intersections away from another settlement, city, or metropolis. This restriction is known as the distance rule. It provides the player that builds it with 1 Victory Point.

Settlements allow a player to collect resource cards from adjacent resource hexes. You receive one resource per settlement adjacent to a resource hex whenever the number on that hex is rolled.

A settlement may be upgraded to a city during a player's turn for the cost of 2 Grain and 3 Ore. The settlement is then returned to the player's supply and may be reused in a different location.

Each player has 5 settlements. If they have built all 5 settlements they have to build a city to build another settlement. This means it is very hard to win the base game with only settlements.

Unlike a city which may be pillaged by barbarians in cities and knights to a settlement, a settlement can never be pillaged.