What Is The Settlers of Catan
These are some fundamental principles to assist you to determine the best way to settle Catan.The first and foremost strategy principle is: Resource production is everything, and (different than what your initial view of Catan might be) resource variety is secondary, possibly even trivial.
When selecting your starting location or which in what way to expand, your main priority is to select a location that can generate the most resources. Advice to newcomers must be how to place their beginning settlements, and to look for the intersection that has the most dots. It works for newbies, and the strategy for advanced players isn’t too very different.
A lot of players believe that having access to all five resources is what they should do. But if you have suboptimal resource probabilities, it’s not going to help. What you really need to focus on is having number variety, not resource variety. By number variety, what I mean is having production on the widest range of possible die rolls. Naturally, focus on the highest probability numbers first.
In my starting placement, the best case scenario is to have production on a 6, 8, 9, and 5. It doesn’t matter what the resources are. It’s kind of unique to be able to find placement that gives you that, so I usually settle for 3 out of 4 of the aforementioned highest producing numbers. Having a variety of the top numbers ensure consistent resource production, regardless if the dice trend goes one way or another. It shouldn’t concern you if all of those hexes are sheep, I’d rather have quantity over quality. The surplus resources can always be traded and turned into the thing you want in some way. There’s no such thing as a worthless resource.
The second priority after number variety is to optimize your production through ports. I seek positions with two high producing hexes of the same resource near its matching port. Do not start on the port or else the lack of resource production early in the game will cripple you. Instead, give it priority to build to the port later.Having a port helps make you independent. Being independent is a greater degree better than having to trade to acquire what you require. Other players will only trade if the deal helps them in some way, making trades win-win. I’d much rather have me win instead of being in a win-win, so I look to the ports to assist me to become self-sufficient. Once you have acquired diversity in production numbers, then it’s time to see what resources you might have in your possession. There are two primary strategies that flow depending on what resources you are strong in:
Settlements and roads: If you’re strong in wood and brick, this will make settlement production simple and road production natural. Having the longest road will be a key part of your winning strategy.
Cities and development cards: If you’re stronger in ore and grain, this is the way to go. All things being equal, if your choice is between focusing on a new settlement or upgrading a city, then upgrade into a city. Generally, spots where you already have a settlement are better than spots with no settlements; otherwise you would have not placed your settlements there. It is more beneficial to ramp up on good production than to expand into mediocre production. Ultimately, be flexible and go where the resources lead you. Set a goal in each turn to build something. Each turn try and get something on the board. Even if it is only a road, it’s at least something. It’s better to get a good thing on the board now than the best thing on the board on a later turn.
When trading, whether you are trying to get a city or a settlement, do whatever is required to get what you want during your turn, even if it is an unfavorable trade for you. It is more beneficial to have an expensive settlement now than an incomplete settlement later. If you miss the chance to build on a ten, then nothing but tens will be rolled and you’ll have missed your opportunity.
It is my desire that these tips are helpful to you. May all your Catan settling be prosperous. And remember to game with honor!
You want more? Check out The Settlers of Catan
Processing your request, Please wait....
