Settlers of Catan - Strategy Primer

[@Sean-mc4iq]

social engineering, and manipulation is key to Catan.

[@TheMork]

Just started playing with 3 friends and it's pretty safe to say we're OBSESSED - thanks for the video, I'm hoping it gives me an edge when we play this weekend!

[@FIFAfan1001]

Great tips. Thanks for posting this video. Settlers of Catan is much more of a social game then we often think. The best advice you gave is to remain friends with the other players. Early in the game I often put the robber on obscure numbers like 2's, 3's, 11's, and 12's because those numbers aren't rolled as often. Later in the game the robber is a great strategy to hamper someone's chances of winning. It is true that the bonuses are often needed to win but don't get it too early. I have lost way too many games because I got the longest road early and immediately became a target. Settlers of Catan is still one of the best games for mixing strategy with luck. Anyone can win, but by using good strategies like the ones in this video you will win a little more often.

[@QuangNguyen-dw9je]

I just purchased this game this past Boxing Day. Thanks for sharing your strategies!

[@duplessispl]

Great introduction to basic strategies for settlers of Catan. As a newbie to Catan this is what I needed.

[@sharonlawson8345]

Love your fortress. Very important part of Catan is our building skills! Great tips also. I will be using them!

[@sportsnut1473]

I know this is an old video but I've always run an adaptive strategy to how the game is flowing, generally trying to branch out and get resources from as many numbers as possible. Also setup yourself for the end game. I win about 90% of the games I play and had a win streak of like 28 at one point.

[@ExoticPants]

I can't believe he did the "oh, I didn't see you there" unironically..

[@292moo6]

@ExoticPants : *realizes this was 3+ years ago

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Good luck! It's great to hear about new people finding the joy of Catan. :) Caution... you're about to get hooked.

[@N0N5T0P]

Where is the dog??? I came for the dog :(

[@estehbahn]

This is EXTREMELY useful for beginners! Thank you

[@Luiguic01]

Wow, excellent video, wish me luck because I'm going to my first tournament tomorrow (and if I win there's an impressive prize)

[@jaminbones]

What was the prize?

[@EternalQuestion]

As someone who has played a lot of tabletop games (mostly warhammer) involving 2d6 rolls, I'm always surprised when others don't realise how much effect the probability distribution has on the result. There are a lot of people out there who believe that a 12 is just as likely as a 7. In fact there's a 1/6 chance of a 7 and only a 1/36 chance of a 12. That's why those knight cards are so important!

[@LKDisney]

Thanks for this. I've never played and am about to play with some friends who have also never played.

Hey man, is it cool if I translate the post about Catan in your website to Spanish and publish it in mi blog? Great video by the way!

[@keyz6380]

I always put my settlements on the 6s and 8s but they always roll 9 I DON'T GET IT

[@RatedRSuperstar301]

Dakyz Howard and 5's!!!!

[@JeffSayYes]

damn those 5s!

[@lucasxavier3564]

Dakyz Howard bad luck...but technically 7 is the most common roll

[@blueraspberrylemonade32]

I've mostly gotten 6's

[@hiimtom3972]

I believe the grain/wheat strategy (if possible get grain port) is the best but the cons are is that your opponents will tag team on you and just.. you’re pretty much the main target.. I’ve done this strat so many times before coming to any settlers guide or w/e, I’m always targeted doing this xD pretty funny I still haven’t lost with that strat. :3

[@AndreBarnett]

OMG I am definitely addicted to this game like everyone else, played my second game last weekend and I sort off unintentionally did most of these things. I also however went totally Game of Thrones on it, there's definitely a political side to it.

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Ha, yeah, the social part can be BIG. If you play with veterans though, they won't be very susceptible to it. I didn't talk about it much in the video, but I recommend pretty much never trading unless it's your turn. There are exceptions, but very few.

[@lucascabral6635]

0:48 2:12 3:40 5:03 5:53

[@zipbam39]

Honestly the best strategy is to be nice and get a wide distribution of numbers. The resources don't matter all that much as you can easily trade for them.

[@keyz6380]

Oh being nice isn't a sentence in my family my sister ALLWAYS targets me stupid robber 😑

[@JeffSayYes]

Not easily trade them if you have more than 7

[@NXeta]

Hey nice vid! I have a question. For the largest army strategy, in the beginning, do you suggest we save up for citying our intial spots or just start buying cards right away? For example these scenarios in your hand: 1 log, 3 sheep, 1 wheat, 2 rock 3 sheep, 3 wheat, 1 rock 1 brick, 2 sheep, 1 wheat, 3 rock All the above situations have 7 cards in your hand and would be dangerous to end your turn with 7. If i were to buy a dev card my beginning would be super slow if i just draw knights or victory points

[@douglasgilbert9977]

That was excellent, much appreciated!

[@SpottedSharks]

Nice video. And you sold a plastic game board, too!

[@beichen32]

I think you should give more advice on how to "make people like you"! Somehow always end up being the public enemy, haha.

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Ha, good point. Compliment your opponents on their shoes or their haircut or just give them periodic hugs throughout the game. It might be a little awkward, but it will pay off when they're deciding where the robber should go.

[@blueraspberrylemonade32]

Don't interrupt or change the subject of the conversation for starters. Point out hints and advice to the other players if they're making some confusing moves. Offer snacks and drinks when it isn't your turn and ask everyone to collect any cards for you while you're in the kitchen

[@LennoxLewis86]

Isn't a brick monopoly strategy more effective? There's only three brick hexes so there's a better chance you're going to successfully cut them off. And although wheat is a very important resource, without brick you simply can't do anything. You can't even build to a port to trade for brick with the bank. If you manage to monopolize brick the other players aren't able to expand. They can only upgrade to cities and then 4:1 with the bank but that takes a while. They can also buy development cards and hope to get a special card but that's not optimal. Meanwhile, you're taking the best spots for additional settlements and you're building the longest road. It also gives you the best chance of combining the monopoly and 2:1 port strategy because you're the player with the best chance of expanding to the 2:1 brick port.

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Good question! A brick monopoly can be good and gets your opponents off to slow start. But without ANY brick from the dice, I can still get Development Cards to pick up Road Building, Monopoly, and Year of Plenty to get all the bricks and roads I need to get to 10 points. However without wheat, your opponents cannot get ANY Settlements, Cities, or Development Cards, which are the sources of victory points. They will just have to build roads all over the place, which individually gives them 0 points, leaving them with only the 2 VP for Longest Road, but nowhere near the 10 VP they need to win. "No Wheat Means Defeat"

[@LennoxLewis86]

TheForbiddenLimb Thanks for your response. I agree that a successful wheat monopoly is almost always better than a successful brick monopoly. I do feel like a slow start often equals to a game loss, especially in more competitive settings. I've played elite players that are so quick to expand that I feel I'm out of the game by turn 5 or 6. If I'm wasting my turns saving up for development cards hoping to hit special cards, I'm not doing anything meaningful. Flexible strategies are always better than desperate strategies. If you're backed into a corner NEEDING to collect special cards to even stand a chance you've lost already. That said you will probably have better chances monopolizing wheat or ore because without it you simply can't win the game.

[@AugustusFloop]

LennoxLewis86 You both have some great ideas. I think it also depends on the rolls you get. Your strategy can really be ground to a halt if you aren't picking up resource cards. But in regards in the scenario of being backed into a corner, I was in that same scenario a few months ago and ended up winning. I wasn't seen a target, all I could really do was buy dev cards and make my way up turn by turn. Eventually I was holding 9 dev cards, 3 of them were victory points, and I also had largest army. No one saw it coming....everyone was so mad! lol

[@JeffSayYes]

i wish i was there

[@rachelhuddleston5735]

Loves ittttt!!!! Thanks sm lovlie 💋

[@Tom-it6gi]

Mostly good, except for how he said to avoid doubling up on certain numbers. If the numbers have a decent amount of pips, they tend to work very well. If you get everything all at once, rather than slowly, I'd say that reduces your odds of getting hit with a seven, and having to ditch half your cards. As opposed to having things trickle in.

[@SiblingsSpillingTea]

1:23 wait so somebody can just jump into your road like that? I thought building the road cuts off people from placing their settlement there?

[@MrsKinsey]

I can't wait to do this next time we play.

[@dcourtn1]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@gav7497]

One game, the three brick sources were an 8, a 2 and a 12, I got a monopoly on the 8..I'm so evil

[@davidelrod7865]

For those of you looking for something more in depth, here's a more robust Catan Strategy Guide: www.amazon.com/Winning-Settlers-Catan-strategy-guide-ebook/dp/B078SZ6VVT

[@CathyLarkinWebSavvyPR]

Great strategy guide

[@EarthBoundRules]

What's your opinion on the expansions (Seafarers, Cities & Knights, Traders & Barbarians, Explorers & Pirates)? I like Traders & Barbarians the best, although I haven't tried Explorers & Pirates.

[@ZaCkOX900]

Great video.

[@wilfred580]

Great video, thank you!!

[@dmc9870]

Hey, where did you get your game board? It's really cool

[@andrewmorehead3704]

I think it's from a Kickstarter.

[@cole1072]

"If you get really good dice rolls"

[@420SpeeMan]

quite informative. thank you, good sir! ;)

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

They're all good in their own way, but often times, I'm cool just playing the base game. Why mess with such a beautiful design, ya know?

[@spkrause]

Why is wheat the only viable monopoly strategy? What if, say brick is rare and you monopolize that? Is that not beneficial?

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Definitely. It's just that wheat is needed for everything except roads so it's so hard to get anywhere without it. You can manage without something like brick with 4-1s and 3-1s, but yeah, it's still a GREAT idea to monopolize any rare resource.

[@SimonWilliamsTutor]

Great video. Cute dog!

[@kayleelomas5598]

Studying for family board game night today

[@VictorZz_OPCG]

Are you still doing strategy video?

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

+TransformerPanda I haven't been able to get around to doing one in a while but I'd like to start making them again. All of my time is going towards designing and publishing games with Overworld Games now.

[@cradleofdeath123]

Can you do one for seven wonders??

[@TheForbiddenLimb]

Yep! I analyzed 7 Wonders right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTHgauFh8mtnrs

[@PowderedToastMan5]

This was very educational. Thank you for the tips, it's going to be very useful when I SMASH my opponents.

[@wyatte5.9l63]

I just subbed cuz I want to kick my friends ass at this

[@moshecohen658]

Useful tips! Thanks! I’m gonna win next time ;)

[@taylordavis9163]

This was very helpful. thank you

[@vinny5085]

Great!

[@ocital4892]

I play with friends and games last under 5 min every time cuzz we are all very good and get to 10 points supper fast wile trying to stop eachother

[@JeffSayYes]

Didn't like this video because I don't want others to see it.

[@tower_battlesgamingteam3632]

The other players said “Go for the throat win at all costs” I was nice and got good resources, besides that one person oh that one person was a big rival, Who Won? (Just in Case) 1. That One Rival 2. Person tied with Ally 3. Meh

[@naimmiralles]

Like for the doggo

[@carson11100]

I cant win.... i always play my best friend and his girlfriend.... strategies are meaningless cause they team up and will do whatever it takes to ensure the other wins

[@oo0O0oo]

Not a fan of this as well. I have a friend who's girlfriend always whinge when someone puts the robber on her tile or no one wants to trade with her till the boyfriend caves in and accepts a crap deal. No fun playing like this.

[@mobus1603]

I wouldn't call these strategies, so much as basic concepts for noobs.

[@boulderarchitect]

He's kind of cute.

[@mjbug1435]

Nice games of catan are boring. I like the cut throat games much more.