Random Tricks to Help You Defeat Catan Players (16 items)

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  (#5) Monopolize

  When using the monopoly development card, it's good to trade away all of one type of resource before using it - then you can ask for that type of resource and get all your cards back, and more! It's a very effective way to get a bunch of different resources essentially for free. Be prepared for a few upset friends, however.

  Besides being a development card in the game, monopolizing resources can be a good way to increase the value of your own goods compared to those of your neighbors. Generally speaking, if everyone else lacks access to a resource you produce, you can get a much better exchange on that resource.
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  (#13) When to Raise an Army

  The short answer is: when you are winning. The more victory points you have, the bigger a target you become. Beyond this, though, cities are really the prime targets of robbers. Therefore, if your strategy depends heavily on cities, you are definitely going to want to get some knights to protect them.

  The largest army bonus is another factor to consider, but make sure that having a large army meshes well with your larger strategy. If you are pursuing the largest army, buy knights early and often. You can only play one at a time, so it takes a while to get them all on the board.
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  (#12) Count Cards

  This is a difficult task to pull off, but it's possible to keep track of every single resource each player has at any given time. Whenever the dice are rolled, keep account of what each player receives. Then keep a running total in your mind. Remember to update this total any time a trade occurs. If you aren't some kind of memory genius, you can still keep a general accounting of the resources of each player. From this you can deduce what strategies are being used, and when a player is close to building something.
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  (#10) Beware of the Sheep Glut

  During almost every game, there will be an excess of sheep at some point. Everyone will have sheep, and everyone will be trying to unload them. A person with a well situated sheep port can turn this into an advantage, but this route is only worth pursuing if it's convenient within a player's larger strategy. Above all, don't focus too heavily on acquiring sheep early in the game. They will come. They always come. 
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  (#15) Unless You Want Knights, Stay Away from Development Cards

  Ah, victory points. Near the end of the game, you may think, "I only need one victory point, so I'll just get development cards until I get a victory point card." This is a bad idea.

  In the standard development deck, 48% of the cards are knights. That means you can be relatively confident that you will get a knight every other draw. So if you need a knight, or are going for the largest army, the odds are pretty good you'll get there.

  On the other hand, only 16% of the cards give victory points. That means going through six development cards before finding that elusive victory point is well within the normal probability. And that counts on your luck being normal, not bad.
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  (#11) Bricks Mean Business

  Bricks are the most important resource in the game. On a standard Settlers board, there are three brick and three ore spaces. Brick is necessary for both roads and new settlements, meaning that this resource is in high demand. This is especially true at the beginning of the game, where most players need a few roads and a settlement just to get off the ground. As the game goes on, the focus starts to switch toward ore and wheat, but brick retains value as people strive for the longest road card. Basically, a brick space with a good number on it's going to be a much sought after space.

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