Mega Catan!

So we have Mega Catan available. In theory--if we can fit around my table--we can handle up to ten players.

I bought another Catan set because it was cheaper than buying parts separately.

Mega Catan board

I made two extra small pieces for the border--one 3:1 port and one blank. So there will be alternating port and blank extensions. This allows for a Catan of 4 hexes on each side, totaling 37 hexes.

Place a 3:1 small border piece between section 1 links; a blank piece between section 2 links; a 2:1 sheep piece between the 3 links; a blank piece between the 4 links; a 3:1 piece between section 5 links; and a blank piece between section 6 links.

I added hexes by type in consideration of the original small map that has more wood, wheat, and sheep. But I could only make two of those three have two hexes so I demoted sheep to the one hex category. And no new desert. So Mega Catan adds 1 sheep, rock, and brick; and 2 wood and wheat.

One 3:1 harbor piece is also needed.

 

Mega Catan circular resource distribution chits

I added 7 new circular chits marked Zd throuh Zj. Because the expansion pack adds 10 chits with a total point value of 31, I made the 7 new chits equal 22 points. But I arbitrarily assigned them numbers. From Zd as a 12, with subsequent chits 5, 3, 6, 2, 9, and 8.

 

Mega Catan buildings and roads

One day I may spray paint the buildings and roads, but for now the extra sets have roofs painted black; and the ends of the road segments painted black.

The Trade and Build Phase

For any Mega Catan game of 7-10 players I modified the revised special building phase that now has a Trade and Build Phase with a Settler1 phase and a Settler 2--who is three players to the left of Settler 1--special building phase.

The Mega Catan Trade and Build Phase will have a Settler 1 and a Settler 2 who is four players to the left of Settler 1. 

In addition, your hand is safe from the robber with 9 cards instead of 7. So the robber takes half (rounded down) when you have 10 cards in your hand instead of the 8 in the basic and expansion games.

Victory points

For victory point levels I looked at the maximum theoretical points per player, using 13 points for building per player, plus 5 victory point cards and 6 points with the harbormaster, largest army, and longest road bonuses. This ran from an average of 16.75 points per player with 3 players to 14.8 points per player at 6 players. I set a rounded 15 as the threshold for 10 victory points for a regular game and 11 victory points for harbormaster variant.

Calculating theoretical points per player from 7 to 10 players, I was looking at 14.6, 14.4, 14.2, and 14 points. So I established the victory points needed for victory at 10 and 11 for 3-7 players; and 9 and 10 points for 8-10 players.

I hold open the option of going to 8 and 9 for 10 players because I did not factor in players to space.

 

Additional pieces

Playing Mega Catan requires the basic game, plus the expansion kit pieces, plus the following additions:

One small blank frame and one small 3:1 harbor frame (which I had to make using my copier and cardboard).

One 3:1 harbor piece.

Six knights, and one each of year of plenty, monopoly, road building, and victory point cards.

Six each of bricks, rocks, sheep, wheat, and wood.

Seven circular numbered chits Zd (12), Ze (5), Zf (3), Zg (6), Zh (2), Zi (9), and Zj (8).

Four sets of building pieces and building cost cards.

/NOTHING FOLLOWS/

So that's it! I have 9 small chairs, 4 patio chairs, plus some stools. But food and drinks may compete for table space. I'll have to make sure their are flat surfaces around for setting cans and plates.

Although honestly, if we use Mega Catan I suspect it will "just" be at 7 or 8 people. But who knows? Thank God I have a car again despite the dread chip shortage. Because if we go to 10 I'll need to run our for more beer and food!