Strategy guide

1. Setup decides a lot

Your first two settlements will produce for the whole game, so choose them carefully. Add up the dots under the numbers of the tiles they touch: an intersection touching a 6, an 8 and a 5 yields far more than one touching a 2, a 12 and a 3.

Look for variety as much as quantity. Wood and brick build roads and settlements; grain and ore build cities and cards. A highly productive first settlement, completed by a second one that brings the missing resources, is an excellent start.

Your second settlement gives you one card per tile it touches right away: place it so you can quickly build another road or settlement.

2. Two main strategies

Expansion (wood and brick): lots of roads and settlements, often the Longest Road. It needs space: once the good spots are taken, it runs out of steam.

Development (grain and ore): early cities, then plenty of development cards, the Largest Army and a few hidden points. Slower at first, it speeds up sharply late in the game.

The best players adapt their plan to the resources actually available on the island and to what their opponents are doing.

3. Managing your hand

With more than 7 cards, a 7 will cost you half your hand. It comes up about once every six rolls: spend your cards before ending your turn, even on a road or a bank trade.

Keep an eye on the bank: when a resource runs low it becomes more valuable, and if the bank can't serve everyone, nobody receives it.

4. Trading well

Trading with players is almost always better than 4 for 1. Offer balanced trades that help both sides: they get accepted more often.

Avoid helping the leader. An offer that lets them build their city may hand them the win.

A harbor for a resource you produce a lot turns your surplus into currency: a well-placed 2:1 harbor is often worth an extra settlement.

AIs have personalities: the Trader deals happily, the Aggressor hoards cards and targets the leader. Adjust your offers accordingly.

5. Using the robber

Put the robber on the leading player's most productive tile, ideally a 6 or 8 where they own a city. Prefer stealing from the player holding the most cards.

Conversely, protect yourself with knights: each one lets you move the robber off your land, and three knights bring you close to the Largest Army.

6. Development cards

They are cheap and often pay off: knights for the army, hidden points, and progress cards that unlock a turn. Monopoly is deadly right after your opponents collect a big batch of one resource.

Consider them when you produce grain, ore and wool but settlement spots are running out.

7. Closing out the game

Count everyone's visible points, and beware of bought development cards: they may hide points. When an opponent nears the goal, stop trading with them and keep the robber on their best tiles.

For yourself, stay one move ahead: a city ready to build, a victory point card or the Longest Road within reach can deliver the last two points at once.