Afternoon game of Settlers

Our young friends Jacob and Marie have played Settlers with me a few times, but really wanted a game with Richard. So we arranged for them, and their mother, to come over for a game this afternoon. In last night's game, Josh had commented that he'd like to play more often so we suggested he come over too. Tim said he would happily be in a team with Josh again, but would take more of a back seat this time, advising rather than playing, or 'dreaming' (as we call it in mah-jong).

So it was a six-player game. We'd set it out about twenty minutes before we actually started, as Tim was explaining more strategy to Josh, so we'd had a chance to look at the layout. I could see several possible starting points, and was undecided which to opt for. My usual strategy has been to take a clay and a wood if I can, but I could see that ore was likely to be in short supply. So when - to my surprise - I rolled the highest and started, I placed my initial settlement on the spot near the top left of the photo, with 9 on ore, 6 on wood, 10 on wheat.


By the time I had to place my final settlement, most of the good spots were gone. There was no way for me to get good supplies of both clay and sheep; so, when in doubt, I do without sheep. I could see they would be fairly well available anyway, so I hoped to trade for them. I placed my second settlement on the spot by the sea where there were two clay hexes - an 8 and a 4. If possible I like to get a good range of numbers, although I was missing a 5.

Building went fairly slowly at first - several settlements, few cities. Jacob (green) quickly got the longest street, a strategy Richard used to use, but which means more resources are needed for other buildings. At one point I hoped I might take the longest street card, but Jacob blocked that. There was quite a long stretch where both Sheila (brown) and I had built all our settlements, so could do nothing more until we had cities. I forgot, for a couple of rounds, that I had the wood harbour; once I realised, I traded wood for what I needed - and accepted it from others in return for other resources, once it was no longer needed in the game. It looked as if Jacob might win; had had ten points, and two face-down development cards, of which one might well have been a victory point. So nobody would trade with him.

One of my strategies is to be fairly quiet about my own position, particularly when it doesn't look strong early in the game. Since Jacob was in the lead for most of the game, the robber kept being placed on one of his two ore hexes, one of which was my only source or ore. I was behind at first, so not, apparently, in any danger of winning. But I bought cards, after trading for sheep, and built up the 'largest army' with three knights, and I also had a victory point.

Then five was rolled. For once, the robber was not on an ore hex. Jacob had seven ore cards in his hands, as he told us. Nobody would trade with him, since he was - apparently - in the lead. If he had a victory point, and built just one more city, he would have won.

Six was rolled, so I collected five wood tiles. I traded one of them for wheat, on someone else's turn. I already had one wheat in my hand. I hoped 9 might be rolled, giving me a couple of ore cards, but it wasn't. I could exchange my four wood for two ore, but that wasn't enough for a city. Jacob wasn't going to trade two ore for two wood. I did think about exchanging for ore and sheep, so I could buy another card. But what I've learned over the months is that one has to keep thinking about all the possibilities, making use of every opportunity, re-juggling available resources in one's mind constantly rather than being focused on just one strategy.

I had a knight. Usually, I only play knight cards when the robber is on a hex where I have a settlement. But of course it can be played at any point in one's turn. I rolled the dice, and didn't collect anything. So I played the knight, moving it to Jacob's main ore hex, and - knowing he had almost all ore - took one of his cards. It was ore, meaning I could build my final city and produce my victory point to win. Again.

I'm trying to figure out what it is that makes this game so enjoyable, and I think part of it is that it uses all four 'intelligences' defined by David Keirsey, related to different temperaments: diplomacy, strategy, logistics and tactics. I'm good at diplomacy; I don't tend to steal other people's building spots unless I have to, and while I naturally place the robber on a hex that blocks whoever's in the lead (and more than one person, if possible) I don't do it deliberately to be mean. Nor do I necessarily block anyone who's blocked me; I don't take it personally. There are many possible strategies, and it's important to consider them, but not to be tied into any single one. Best use of resources is an exercise in logistics, and tactics is about taking advantage of the present moment, adapting and adjusting on the spur of the moment. That's my weakest suit, but playing this game is - I think - helping me to strengthen it.

We have another game tonight - all adults - which will make the sixth game in five days. Even I'm beginning to feel a little 'Settlered out' so we've agreed that we won't be playing any Catan tomorrow.