Interactive tool
Catan Pip Calculator
Last updated: June 2026
Enter the three hex numbers adjacent to a candidate settlement intersection. The calculator returns the pip total, expected resources per 36 rolls, and a quality rating. Use it during placement to compare candidate corners.
Enter hex numbers (2-12, excluding 7)
Leave a hex blank if the intersection borders a desert or a coastal edge.
Pip total
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Per 36 rolls
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Quality
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What pip values mean
The pip system is Catan's visual probability shortcut. Each number token has a "pip" dot count printed underneath, proportional to its dice probability per 36 rolls:
| Number | Pips | Probability per roll | Expected per 36 rolls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 13.9% | 5 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 11.1% | 4 |
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 8.3% | 3 |
| 3 or 11 | 2 | 5.6% | 2 |
| 2 or 12 | 1 | 2.8% | 1 |
Quality ratings
- Outstanding (13+ pips): Top 5% of openings. Usually requires a double-red corner.
- Strong (11-12 pips): Tournament-balanced openings. Aim for this.
- Above average (9-10 pips): Decent. Most casual openings.
- Average (7-8 pips): Playable but not exceptional.
- Below average (5-6 pips): Hard to win from this position.
- Weak (1-4 pips): Avoid unless no alternative exists.
How to use this for placement
During initial settlement placement: identify your top 3-5 candidate intersections. Use the calculator to compute pip totals for each. Pick the highest. If two intersections tie on pips, choose the one with better resource diversification — usually preferring 5-resource coverage across both your settlements.
For your second settlement, the calculator helps confirm which remaining intersection still hits the highest pip count after your first settlement is placed.
The math behind the pip values
Two dice produce 36 ordered outcomes. The sums collapse into a triangular distribution: 2 and 12 occur once each (singleton pairs), while 6 and 8 occur five times each (combinations like 1+5, 2+4, 3+3, 4+2, 5+1 for 6). Pip values are simply the count of outcomes per sum — no abstract probability math needed.
Full math reference: Catan probability reference.
Limitations
This calculator handles raw pip totals. It does not account for:
- Port proximity — coastal corners with 2:1 ports add effective pip value.
- Robber risk — high-pip corners get robbed more often, reducing effective output.
- Resource diversification — pip count says nothing about resource type.
Use the calculator as one input among several. For full placement analysis, read opening placements and pip counting tactics.
Practising on a generated board
Test the calculator on a real layout: generate a Catan board, identify 3 candidate intersections for your first settlement, and use this tool to compare pip totals. The placement winner is usually obvious once you see the numbers.