Number never rolled? Got blocked? General playing tips.

Hello people, given the discussion I see here on the geek I think a few of you might be missing a few good tactics and strategies for Settlers.

Is your number never rolled?

Don’t change the rules! This game gives you a way out if you prepare for uneven dice rolls at the beginning of the game. Do not try to get any specific resources when placing your starting settlements, instead try to get diversity of numbers. If you are on the maximum of six different numbers at the start of the game even if they are not the best numbers or not the resources you need you will have a much better time just simply getting cards and cards are a good thing because with trade harbors and trading with other players you can usually get what you need. Any resource on hand is better than one you need but don’t have.

Is it a crowded board and you have no place to expand?

Don’t fret the game is far from over. So long as you are able to get at least three settlements you are in the running (this is just one more than you start with), this is a position that I have won many games from. The development deck holds total control of 7 points (5 points and two points for largest army) if you have three settlements you can score a total of six points on the board. Meaning you have to get 4 points from the deck. If you can get road building cards from the deck then you could try to get those points as well. Your board position may be week however you will almost never worry about the robber and you will gain bonus powers from the deck.

Tips for boards that are really unbalanced

Take a trade early

If the board is really unbalanced so that one resource is grouped together it may be a good idea to start right in the middle of the clump with one settlement and then use your other settlement to get the harbor trade of that type. This may seam a bit odd as you will place a settlement starting on the edge of the board but it can prove useful. Only try this if you are seated last or third so there is less of a chance that someone can foil your plan by taking the trade from you.

Sick of the robber? show them some of what they don’t want.

There are no rules against showing the other players what cards you have in your hand, if there is a resource that is unwanted in the game you are playing then it may be a good idea to leave as many of those cards as you have face up on the table in front of you. This will act as a deterrent for people to take a card of yours with the robber as they don’t need any more of that resource. This can back fire with the use of the monopoly card but it’s unlikely that they will call the resource that is most plentiful.

General rant about settlers and how it is being viewed these days.

Settlers is an amazing game, it can provide a wide variety of unique and complex situations that each require a different strategy to work through. The game provides a way for each random combination the board to have many different good paths to victory. I would argue that the dice used in this game have the smallest effect on the unique situations that can be created. The things that determine how to win (listed in descending order) are your initial placement on the board, the other players placements, and the board it’s self are the keys to victory. That said I have played more games of settlers than any other game, I tire of it because few of my opponents really give me a competition but it is probably the most repayable game ever made. Its ability to change and retain balance constantly astounds me.

Sorry if I’m repeating tips people already know, but if fallowed I think these basic strategies would clear up a lot of peoples misconceptions about settlers and help them enjoy it more. I hope I have been of some help.

super... (#55484),


This was a very good article and probably the most well written defence of Settlers I've seen in a long time. I agree with you on most parts, and I still have a feeling that peoples biggest complaint about settlers is simply that they played it so much they have become bored with it.
I must say, that if I sit in 4th spot then I often take a trade port as my first choise to make sure I get 3 goods out of my second settlement...
And I've lost at least one game specifically to a person that was behind, couldn't build any more roads and thus settlements and instead bought every development card he could until he won the game

super... wrote:
Sick of the robber? show them some of what they don’t want.

There are no rules against showing the other players what cards you have in your hand, if there is a resource that is unwanted in the game you are playing then it may be a good idea to leave as many of those cards as you have face up on the table in front of you.


Actually there is a rule against this.
Almanac pg. 10
Players keep resource cards concealed in their hand.

This came up when one group mistakenly played with their cards open and discussed it online.
However...you can lie about your cards. You could lie about your resource cards, never having good resources during trade. But even better is lying about your development cards. Buy a quick development card. If anyone seem to want to send the robber your way, tap your "1 VP" or whatever card and say "I will send it right back at you"

When someone is about to move the robber, it's usually a matter of "who has the most cards?" but sometimes someone will flip their hand and say "I have nothing but sheep!" or something. Development cards, on the other hand, can be nasty.

"Do you have any ore?"

"Yes, but I need them."

"I'll trade you sheep for ore."

"I said I needed them."

"I just figured I'd give you a chance before I used my Monopoly card..."

"GAH! Okay, fine..."

The monopoly card makes a far better threat card than anything. It almost guarantees someone will trade with you, since they'd at least get a card in return. However, this tactic has backfired, and caused us to be more careful about saying what cards we have. And can get twisted, saying you have something and forcing the person to use the monopoly card, when you really don't have what they want. Bluffing.. yes..

God, I love this game.

(oh, and if anyone has Das Buch, the balloon has helped IMMENSELY when getting trapped by someone.)


Chris

thundershot wrote:
The monopoly card makes a far better threat card than anything. It almost guarantees someone will trade with you, since they'd at least get a card in return.
I'd never give in to this. It's extortion, and the best way to deal with extortion in the game is the same as in real life - turn the guy down flat. If you give him what he wants, he'll pull the same stunt the next turn, and the turn after that, over and over, and then in the end he'll play the monopoly card anyway, at some stage when he gets better value out of playing it than threatening with it. (Often, that time will be when playing it lets him win the game.) Better to force him to play it now and be rid of it.

Although, there might be some rare occassions when I want to delay the play of the monopoly briefly, and what I'm giving away isn't that valuable for me.

Wraith (#56122),

Besides, we all know that the best use of the Monopoly card is to first trade away all of the resources that you have of the type that you intend to call in.

-MMM

Commenting on your "crowded board":
I will agree with you. We played 3 player the other day and everyone had around 10 roads, making the board seem very cramped. I was losing by about 3 VPs, and in the end came back and won 10-9-9 (as close as it gets). It all comes down to how you play the early game IMO, if you expand around the board and get cities you are way better off, by the end of the game I was making 4+ resources per turn!