How to Use the Catan Trading Post and Hexadocks Base Set

Quick answer

Use the Catan Trading Post to hold all your cards during play, and the Hexadocks Base Set to keep player pieces organized and ready to grab.

Step-by-step setup and use

1. 1. Prepare the Trading Post: Place the Trading Post in the center of the table or near the bank area. Slide the upper level fully forward so the lower compartments are closed. Insert resource cards (brick, lumber, wool, grain, ore) into the five lower compartments, one resource type per slot. Place development cards in the sixth compartment. Keep the top level closed until a player needs to draw or return cards. Common mistake: overfilling compartments. The Trading Post holds sleeved cards comfortably, but cramming more than 25 sleeved cards per slot makes sliding the top level difficult.
2. 2. Access cards during play: When a player needs to draw a resource, slide the upper level backward to reveal the appropriate compartment. Use the small notch at the bottom to lift the last card easily. After the draw, slide the top level forward again to keep cards secure and prevent accidental spills. Checkpoint: make sure the upper level slides freely before the game starts. If it sticks, reduce the number of cards per compartment.
3. 3. Set up the Hexadocks Base Set: Give each player their color-coded Hexadock. Each dock has dedicated slots: place roads in the long slots, settlements in the medium slots, and cities in the large slots. Players can place their dock beside their board area for quick access during building phases. Common mistake: mixing pieces between slots. Keep roads, settlements, and cities in their designated slots so you can grab the right piece without looking.
4. 4. Use the Hexadock during the game: When building a road, settlement, or city, simply remove the piece from its slot. The open design lets you see how many of each piece you have left at a glance. After the game, store pieces back in the same slots for next time. Checkpoint: after each game, verify that all pieces are returned to the correct dock. This saves setup time for your next session.

What you get

• CATAN® TRADING POST: The Trading Post has 6 card compartments that accommodate sleeved cards, and the upper level slides backward for easy access to all cards. You can keep resource, development, and special cards separated and still reach every card quickly, even the last one in a compartment.

  

• CATAN® HEXADOCKSBASE SET: The Hexadocks Base Set has slots organized for easy access to roads, settlements, and cities, matching the Catan color scheme. No more counting pieces or digging through a bag — each player grabs their color-coded dock and everything they need is right there.