Settlers of Catan is a board game that has grown in popularity over the years due to its combination of strategy and luck. It can be played with three to six people and the games can grow quite heated as players rush to earn the necessary victory points. Several expansions also exist so the fun can continue even after players have grown bored of the base game.

Players should be aware of some strategies before jumping into this game as it could propel them to victory. It is best to start with one strategy, but it is also important to be flexible based on the flow of the game. Keep reading to learn about a few strategies for players to consider when playing Settlers of Catan!

10 Expand Production

The one strategy many players choose is to focus on expanding their production of certain commodities. This could mean they place themselves on ore and wheat to build cities, or they focus on placing several settlements around a specific hex.

The goal of this strategy is to obtain several resource cards so it is easier to trade-in for resources a player might need.

9 Focus On Brick And Wood

Players who plan to build settlements first before moving onto placing their cities should put themselves on at least one brick and wood hex. This will allow them to build the extra roads necessary to place these settlements, as well as give them the opportunity to create the longest road.

The ability to build this many roads could come in handy near the end when those two extra points could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

8 Plan Your Points Ahead Of Time

No matter what a player’s initial strategy is they should be planning out their points ahead of time. This should apply to a player’s next three victory points, but it should be noted that these plans could change along the way based on the flow of the game. This becomes especially important in the endgame when it is neck-and-neck as a less prepared player will lose because of their lack of next moves.

7 May The Odds Be In Your Favor

The various numbers on each of the hexes have greater probabilities of coming up more than others. The 6 and 8 obviously have the best chance of being rolled, but other numbers like a 5 or 9 are not bad picks either.

One strategy most players choose to follow is to attempt to place on the best numbers on the board. This is in hopes that they will be able to obtain a large number of cards that will allow them to follow the other strategies they have in place.

6 Ports Could Mean A Win

One aspect of the game that many players forget about is the use of ports to decrease the number of cards needed to trade for a different resource card. Some players choose to build-up on a single resource tile then build at a port of the same resource for a 2-to-1 trade.

It is something to consider when making original placements as this could become their strategy based on the numbers available to them.

5 Learn When To Trade

Trading between players is an integral part of the game that is some players don’t understand how to use.

A friendly trade is a 1-to-1 which usually happens early on in the game, while later it could turn into a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 for a single resource. The strategy here is to keep an eye on what other players need and try to avoid trading to the person in the lead as it could give them a win.

4 Development Cards Are Useful

Development Cards are often underestimated in this game as many players see them as a useless addition. They have so many different uses as they can give players the resources they need, help them achieve the largest army, or even provide them with their last victory point.

The Knight cards can help as well if a player needs the robber to move off their biggest producing resource. The players who neglect to buy these can sometimes pay for it in the end when their victory is taken because these Development Cards allowed someone else to pull ahead.

3 Use The Robber To Your Benefit

The Robber is a powerful weapon in this board game as it can be used to halt someone’s progress, especially if they have chosen to build upon one resource. It is sometimes used multiple times in a few turns, while other instances have it sitting in the same spot for the majority of a game.

It is also a good idea to keep the Robber in mind when building on higher numbers or choosing to build around a single resource as its placement on these hexes could end in a loss.

2 Look For Rare Commodities When Placing

The number placements on the various hexes are not always even, and some commodities find themselves with better numbers than others. One strategy is to look for the commodity with the worst numbers and place on the best of them to prevent other players from having a chance at any. This is always based on luck as some numbers don’t always hit, but it is one way for a player to try and set themselves up for victory.

1 Monopolize A Resource

The final strategy on this list that is proven to work in the business world is to monopolize. This game refers to choosing a certain resource and preventing other players from taking it, which can often force them into a costly trade.

Players who go with this strategy should also look to the ports as a 2:1 trade could allow them to blow the competition out of the water.

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