The game of Catan is something you either KNOW or you have never heard of. It says in the description that it will take you around one hour to play… I would highly disagree. This game has taken roughly an hour and a half every time I have played it with a few exceptions going over because of the great strategy that goes along with it. But, I have been curious since my loved ones and I have started playing this game, what is the best strategy to winning this game?
- Trade Relations
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In my experience, winning has always been based on how you play with your opponents. If I am being generous, when people ask me to trade, (even if I need what they ask for) they are more likely to trade me when I ask for something in the future. It seems counterintuitive sometimes because if you give them something they need, can’t they get closer to winning? The answer is yes, but how much you trust that this person will reciprocate is the more important question. Focusing on who you can count on for particular resources (based on where their settlements are) can change the way you play the game.
- Place Your Settlement on Particular Resources
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At the beginning of the game you have the opportunity to place two settlements down, and the second one will give you the two to three resources that you are on. One way to look at this is to immediately place a settlement on an intersection of wood and brick, and if that is not possible (because others have taken this place) to place it on wheat. Wheat is the only resource that you need for settlements, development cards, and cities, which is exactly why putting your second settlement on an intersection with wheat is great. This will allow you to trade wheat with others or even sometimes control who gets how much.
- It’s a Numbers Game Baby!
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Number chips change the game. The numbers that are more likely to be rolled have more dots underneath them on the chips. Because they are randomized every time, you cannot know what resource the numbers will be on but you can focus on the numbers themselves. Throw caution to resource type to the wind and instead place your settlements on intersections that have the numbers eight and nine. Keep going down the list by using the dots underneath the numbers to see what others are more likely to be rolled; this will almost guarantee that whatever that resource is, you will probably have the most of it. This can also allow you to trade with other players and build more of whatever your resource corresponds with.
- Spend Those Resource Cards
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Resource cards come and go but if you keep them, you better hope someone doesn’t roll a seven. When a seven is rolled by someone else, apart from the normal robber rules, you can lose half of your cards if you have eight or more. In short, if you don’t want to lose them to the robber or to the knight card (if someone else plays it), maybe you should trade them in and get something each turn, even if you don’t think you need it yet. For example, if you have one stone, one wheat, and one brick in hopes to eventually get a city, maybe try to trade the brick for a sheep and get a development card instead this round. It seems like this might not be the smartest move, but it can win you the game if you aren’t getting your resources taken.
If you have never played Catan, please give it a try. Everyone can have fun because intellectual thought and luck are both huge parts of the game. It also brings your group of friends closer together by spending around two hours together and seeing how everyone else thinks. Good luck and I hope you get all of the wheat you need in your next game.
P.S. If you want to make Catan a drinking game, take a shot every time someone rolls a seven!