The Helpers of Catan™ scenario introduces a cast of characters to add to your Catan® games. You begin each game by selecting one of these helpers depending on your player order. Each character provides you with a special, unique advantage. The advantages of each of the helper characters are detailed in GTM #206.

The Early Game

The starting helpers are designed to help you build roads. The first player will start with Louis, who allows you to move an unconnected road. You can use Louis to change the direction of a road that was blocked in starting placement, or even to reach an intersection that you can build on by moving one of your starting roads.

As the second player, you start with Marianna. While she does not directly help you build a road, her ability guarantees that you’ll get a resource on the first two turns with any production roll other than a 7.

The third player can use William to build a road using any resource card along with a brick or a lumber, making him incredibly useful in the early game. As the fourth player, you’ll likely have 5 or 6 resources when you start your first turn. Use Nassir to force another player to trade with you to increase your chance to build on your first turn.

When swapping out your helper, take Marianne or Sean if available. They have the potential to be used every turn.

Candamir & Marianne

Candamir helps you build development cards more efficiently, and depending on your strategy, can be your single most important helper. Savvy players might consider taking Candamir and not playing him to deny their opponents his unique advantages. Marianne’s power is much more obvious—her player gets a resource when the dice don’t result in production. You should consider delaying playing her a second time if the delay will make her more likely to be available on your next turn.

Tips for the End Game

As the game progresses, the strengths and weaknesses of the player positions will become clearer, and certain helpers will become more or less useful.

With Jean, you can trade one type of resource at 2:1. Once your supply chains are established, Jean can be your go-to character. Combined with a Monopoly development card, Jean can be a game maker.

Lin allows you to move the robber to the desert and then nets a resource. As the leader, you can expect to be targeted by the robber at every opportunity. Lin can help minimize the damage.

Be careful when taking Marianne in late game as your clan spreads and most numbers will result in resources.

Sean can generate a lot of extra resources for you, and not having to discard when a 7 is rolled can be incredibly helpful. However, Sean’s ability can be hampered by the dice and you may find yourself unable to trade him in for several turns.

Vincent’s ability is often situational and dependent on how the game is progressing. While his ability can be powerful, the discount for building a settlement or city may not be enough to balance the victory points for Largest Army you might lose.