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Catan: Traders & Barbarians
Explore five scenarios, variants and additional ways to play Catan.
Five scenarios and flexible variants add variety to Catan.
Catan: Traders & Barbarians is the most modular of the major Catan expansions. Instead of one permanent rules system, it provides variants and a campaign of five scenarios that can be added separately.
What Traders & Barbarians adds
- Five linked scenarios
- Catan Event Cards
- Catan for Two
- Additional variants and scenario-specific pieces
- Official combination rules with other major expansions
The five scenarios
The official campaign progresses through The Fishermen of Catan, The Rivers of Catan, Merchant Train, Barbarian Attack, and Traders & Barbarians.
Each changes a different part of the base game rather than layering every new rule at once.
Fishermen of Catan
Fishing grounds create another way to gain tactical benefits and resources. Fishing changes the value of coastal positions, so coastlines are no longer mainly a port decision.
The Rivers of Catan
River hexes reward settlement and road placement near the river system. Wealth and poverty effects make route timing and access to river positions matter more than in the base game.
Merchant Train
Wagons travel between locations to trade goods. Players compete to make their settlements useful stops and to exploit the moving trade network.
Barbarian Attack
Barbarians invade the island and players use knights to fight them. Captured barbarians can contribute victory value, creating a shared threat with competitive rewards.
Traders & Barbarians scenario
The final scenario centers on transporting commodities such as marble, glass and tools between designated locations. Successful deliveries earn rewards while scattered barbarians interfere with routes.
Catan for Two
The expansion includes an official two-player variant that can be used with the base game and the Traders & Barbarians scenarios.
Can it combine with other expansions?
Yes. CATAN publishes combination rules for Seafarers, Cities & Knights and Explorers & Pirates, but combinations are scenario-specific rather than automatic. Use the official combination sheet for the exact modules you are mixing.
What do you need for 5–6 players?
You need the Catan base game, the base 5–6 player extension, Traders & Barbarians, and the Traders & Barbarians 5–6 player extension.
Related guides
Publisher source
Expansion details checked September 2026.