A recent game of Settlers of Catan ended poorly. Everyone left the table angry after an arduously long game. I feel this all came down to improper use of the robber.
After initial placement the players all realized one player ruled the brick by being the only one on a 6 tile. No one else placed on that tile because of the neighbouring desert. The other brick spots were on the 2 and 12. Brick became a rarity in this particular game, so any time the 7 came up the brick guy became the target of the robber. Here we come to my first point.
Don’t block resources you need. Catan is a resource trading game. In this round people kept putting the robber on the 6 brick spot. The brick guy wasn’t able to collect brick so he wasn’t able to trade with anyone else. He wasn’t collecting it so stealing from him wouldn’t get anybody brick but players continued to be mad about not getting brick from him. Granted he was also on good numbers for wood which guaranteed him longest road. The problem for the brick guy was his access to the other resources was slim to none. He needed to trade or he would have had the longest road to nowhere. My point is: by blocking your best trading partner from collecting a resource you need you are blocking yourself from beneficial trading.
Block your trade competition. As i said already Catan is a resource trading game. The better position you have for trading the better off you will be. If there is another player with an equal or better access to a resource you intend to trade away that player will compete with you directly. For example in the brick guy game his access to resources like wheat and ore were non-existent. When it came to building cities or towns he needed to trade. Those with good access to these resources should have focused on blocking each other to be the brick guy's sole source for trade.
Don’t be too aggressive with the robber. Everyone in this particular game was automatically going after "the brick guy" with the robber. They kept blocking his 6 brick causing him to miss out on resource rolls. He became angry about it and just flat out refused to trade with anyone else because of it. He spent his brick as fast as he could whenever he actually did get it. He became extremely spiteful and childish, and held a grudge for the rest of the game. What can I say? That’s human nature. Players could have still robbed him if they placed the robber on another resource spot and could have collected what they needed. By letting another player get what he/she wants you might get what you want.
What cards do other players have? If you are watching which cards people are collecting and spending you will know where your odds are best for stealing cards. I noticed several players would end up trading 4:1 to the bank to get the brick they needed and end up with 2 to 3 cards in their hands at the end of their turn hoping to round out their cards before their next turn. The next player rolled a 7 and went after the brick guy to get brick. As usual the brick guy only had wood cards. By paying attention the robber player could have had a 33% to 50% chance of getting brick instead of a 0% chance.
Don’t automatically go after the current 1st place or best player. You are competing against all of the players not just the guy with the most points. I’ve had turns where I sweat watching a player roll a 7 for the robber because I’m sure they see what’s coming. But they go against the 1st place guy ignoring me. Then on my turn I play my cards and steal a spot we are both competing for essentially costing the robber player the game and placing me in the running to win. Keep a good watch on what all of your opponents are doing. Of course if in your situation it benefits you most to go after the player in the lead go right ahead.
More is not always better. Sometimes one or more players will have multiple settlements/cities on a single resource. It isn't always in your best interest to block this with the robber. At best there is a 13% chance of rolling that number with each roll of the dice. Will blocking this spot actually hinder your opponents? Would allowing multiple players to keep one spot devalue that resource in trading? Would that make your trade position better? Make sure to weigh all of the other points in your mind before placing on that spot. Of course if blocking that spot makes your position better over multiple opponents then rob away.
Trading over stealing. If you need a resource and there is a good chance of trading for it with a player think hard before attempting to steal it first. If you don't get the card with the robber you may have angered the player enough for them not to trade with you. Maybe robbing someone else will guarantee you a card the player is wanting to trade for.
Be flexible in your plans. I encounter players who obviously make rock solid decisions like “I’m building a city next!” and they focus on that no matter what. Meanwhile the cards in their hand and the cards they can steal would allow them to buy development cards or something else. They still focus on that one goal and steal from someone with a very slim chance of getting what they want. In Settlers of Catan points are points. You need to get to 10 points first not whenever. Get the points where you can. Allow yourself to change focus to what you can realistically achieve.
Prioritize. With most rolls for the robber you will see that multiple points listed here apply. For instance one player has the cards you want while another is building roads to the same spot you are and the last player is your trade competition. Figure out what will benefit you most at that point in the game. Eventually someone is going to move the robber, maybe the next roll. Ask yourself: What will help me most right now?
Remember it’s just a game. Again everyone left the "brick guy" game angry when they should have had fun. Moving the robber, blocking a resource tile and stealing a resource it’s all part of the game. With every roll of the dice there is a 17% chance of it being a 7. Sooner or later someone is going to use the robber on you just as surely as you are going to use the robber on someone else. The better you are doing in the game the more you will become the target of the robber. So if you find you are being "picked on" remember it's most likely because the other players are afraid of how well you are doing. So when you get targeted by the robber take it as a compliment and a challenge. Move on and enjoy the game.
Its lonely in the desert. I don't move the robber back to the desert and I don't place him on an unsettled tile. After all if you aren't going to use the robber as the game intended why play the game at all? It's part of the game, and you shouldn't feel bad about playing according to the rules. Remember my last point? It can be insulting when you are coddled by a player that doesn't want to hurt your feelings. If you truly feel that you need to avoid hurting feelings (to stay in good standing with trade partners) place the robber on a weaker number tile, like the 2 or 12, that way you are working within the rules of the game while being diplomatic towards other players.
I hope I made sense and this helps someone get a little more enjoyment out of a game I love.
Have fun!
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