| The Settlers of Catan has been the
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| | blocking off your expansion. All too
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| flagship for German Style Designer Games
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| | often a player at the endgame will find
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| for many reasons, some of the main ones
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| | themselves with the maximum of four
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| being its elegant simplicity and its
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| | cities and zero settlements for eight
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| depth of strategy. Your choice of
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| | victory points, and not being able to get
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| strategies will influence your initial
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| | another two settlements (and
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| setup and overall game play. The
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| | corresponding victory points) because
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| separation of strategies that are
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| | they are boxed in. In the basic game this
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| outlined in this series is a bit
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| | is not as much as a dilemma as you can
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| artificial, but it is useful to
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| | get another two points with the largest
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| understand the concepts behind them. In
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| | army or by victory point cards; in games
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| practice, players will use a combination
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| | where you need more victory points this
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| of these strategies during gameplay.
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| | can be more problematic. When playing
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| This article, the first in this series,
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| | with (or against) this strategy, you must
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| will discuss the Ore-Grain Strategy.
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| | keep in mind its greatest weakness is
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| The Ore-Grain Strategy seems to be the
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| | this lack of expansion potential.
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| most popular strategy, at least in the
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| | The Ore-Grain Strategy can be good for
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| basic game. This strategy attempts to get
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| | Seafarers, as it is harder to get boxed
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| a lot of ore and grain early in the game,
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| | in (simply build to an island). Getting
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| in order to produce cities as quickly as
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| | an ore or grain port is great for this
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| possible. You should focus more on ore
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| | strategy, as after you build four cities
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| than grain, as you will need three ores
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| | you won't have as much a need for these
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| to build a city, versus two grains (and
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| | resources, and it can make the endgame a
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| in the basic game, there is usually less
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| | lot easier.
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| ore available then grain, as there are
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| | Remember that by building cities, you are
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| only three ore hexes compared to four
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| | concentrating production in fewer
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| grain hexes).
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| | locations. As you are putting more of
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| This strategy is often so powerful
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| | your eggs in fewer baskets, make sure you
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| because the first cities you produce will
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| | don't leave any vulnerable. Make sure
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| probably be on your initial settlements,
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| | that you don't place your cities at an
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| which should have high production values.
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| | intersection with one good number and two
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| Other people going for settlements right
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| | bad numbers, or the robber can make your
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| off will probably be left with lower
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| | very expensive city worthless. This will
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| production-value intersections.
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| | be much less of a problem to players who
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| This strategy lends itself to getting the
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| | are concentrating on (many) settlements
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| largest army, as after you build your
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| | rather than on (fewer) cities. For this
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| cities you will have lots of ore and
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| | same reason, those variants that use
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| grain left over to buy cards, of which
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| | multiple robbers/pirates can hurt people
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| the majority will be knights. For a game
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| | who concentrate on cities more.
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| that needs ten victory points (like the
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| | Near the end of the game you will be the
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| basic game), four cities and the largest
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| | constant target of the robber, as ore and
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| army means a win.
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| | grain become valuable to the other
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| In general, the more congested the board,
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| | players. You need to have been saving
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| the harder this strategy becomes. Other
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| | knights so that you can get the robber
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| players (especially wood-brick players,
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| | off your production units. Also, since
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| as described below) will have a greater
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| | you have cities, your production spaces
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| expansion potential as they can pump out
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| | will naturally look like better places
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| roads and settlements faster, thereby
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| | for the others to put the robber.
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