Settlers game with Mark and Joan

On Monday night we went to supper with our friends Mark and Joan. We took our basic Settlers game, since they haven't played many times so we haven't yet introduced them to the expansions. Mark got to play first (white pieces), and took a good spot with a 4 on clay, 8 on ore, 10 on wheat. Richard went second and took another place I rather fancied... a couple of wheat hexes with 9 and 10, a 5 on ore, and good access to the wheat harbour. So I opted for a 9 on wood, 6 on wheat, and 3 on sheep... there weren't too many really good starting places at all in this game. With subsequent placements it was a question of 'least bad'.


Joan (playing blue) did really well at the start of the game. Before long, while most of us were on three or four points, she'd built two cities and an extra settlement, and also gained the longest street card.


At that point, Richard decided that rather than landing the robber on one of my hexes when he rolled a 7 (or played a knight), as is his usual strategy, he would go for Joan - and in particular her 8-ore hex which by that point was hosting a city. He also bought quite a few cards, since he wasn't getting the resources for too much building, once he'd built all his cities. So eventually he gained the largest army card, with three knights.


So, at that stage Mark had 7 points, I had 8 (although I also had a hidden victory point development card), Joan had 9, including the longest street, and Richard suddenly had 11 points. One away from winning.

However, my streets were such that I only needed one street to take the longest street card from Joan. Richard should probably have continued attacking my hexes with the robber, or at least alternating between the two of us. At this stage, he really should have been able to win the game. But it was my turn... and I had a huge handful of cards. Thankfully I didn't roll a 7. And on that last turn, I built the necessary street (plus a couple more - I had a street-building card which was rather useful), AND a city, AND a settlement. So I went directly from 8 points to 12, since I took the longest street card, and in fact won with 13 points since I also had the victory point card.


I really hadn't wanted to win. I would have liked my friend Joan to win the game.... but if I hadn't, Richard would have done on his next turn; all he needed was one more settlement, or a victory point card.

Then, while we were still chatting, Richard and Mark played with some of the red pieces...