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