Honestly I find those videos far more engaging where u actually enter into a game n win(mostly). But this video is also quite beneficial for players as the first settlements r actually what decide the game. POST MORE OFTEN PLS.
Yeah I totally agree. Seeing the gameplay in actual games and decision. Making given real time issues when things do or don't go as planned helps a ton more.
I 100% would not have thought to take the 6/3/12 sheep brick brick on the second board. But that is by far the best pick. It’s little things like that that make this game and your content so good.
Your editing is constantly getting better and better. The small details of lighting up the board as you are speaking helps so much! Adore this type of content, especially coming from someone as skilled and knowledgeable as you.
Great content as usual D. You got me into more serious strategic analysis of this game. One thing I'd like to point out in terms of resource scarcity is the border tile positioning. When the tiles are on the border or next to the desert (the worst case is the map corner) the resource becomes less available even if it has decent numbers. This is especially true for brick and ore which are crucial and limited by game design.
I would select 8 grain, 5 wood, 10 sheep. Chosen to block one of two spots that player one will need to get grain and sheep. Also there are more available spots for getting brick and ore. The 5 is also the best wood and the 8 is the best grain.
Just started playing cantan less than 3 days ago! It was soo much fun and I picked it up quick. Your videos have helped me accelerate my knowledge! You have my sub!
(1st puzzle) 1st choice, on 2nd Settlement would likely be either: 8,5,10 for the option of gathering bricks and ore consistently, or 8,4,3 to gather Wheat + Ore in order to build cities much quicker. (2nd Puzzle) 1st choice on 1st Settlement, would definitely be 8,5,10. Has the highest probabilities and round off with 11,6,3 afterwards to have access to all 5 Resources, and have the best probabilities due to all the Brick being clumped up together. Edit: I got that one wrong, yikes xD
This is the video that got me hooked on your content, I love puzzles like these, and this revitalized my love for Catan ( especially since I didn't know about the online format)
On the second board, I was thinking the 3-4-5. I wouldn't be worried at all about getting sheep on this board. I can almost certainly get a very high producing sheep on my second settlement, and it guarantees decent production of the resources that have a major choke point, wheat, (and to a lesser extent) ore and wood. I'm not sure if I'd point the road left or right though, but I'm leaning towards right. I'd probably want to put my second settlement on the 6-3-12 bricks, but if that wasn't available, probably somewhere else in the brick cluster.
Another excellent presentation. This type of quiz is really useful. If I could boost my settlement placements, I might win more games. Of course, I still have to learn to beat the player who shan't be named, since he is a real shark.
First one: Should be the left 5-8-10, it's likely you get the 8-4-3 or another of the the wheat-wood-sheep options because fourth und third position aren't that likely to play a 3 resource game. That would be the best setup probably. Even if you wouldn't get one, I guess it would be fourth position then with the sheep port and the 8-4-3, you still get good wheat on the 9-4-11 probably, or one of the 6-3-11s, which wouldn't be as good as the other setups mentioned, but still fine since your opponents should have not the best setups then, I guess.
On the first board, I was thinking about the right 5-8-10 since u get the rare wood and could go for a road strategy, given that ore is low on the board and is probably gonna get pounded with the robber. It could pair well with 6-11-12 with intention to go to 9-12 ore-ore port or 6-3-11 as a backup. On the other setup i got the sensation that i was getting very little wood for roads and expansion and would probably be floating lots of useless sheep.
Great video! The 2nd board is tricky. I think the old me would take the 9-5-10 95% of the time. However, I personally think I take the 5-6-10 here as 1st pick. I think 5-6-10 is a million times stronger than 5-6-11 because you get the 8-10 as your 3rd settlement. There’s so much production here and there is a lot of value for having such a strong early game. Normally it’s scary to point to a 8 pt port spot as 1st pick but 8-10 doesn’t really pair well with much else for you to be aggressively extorted. Picking here first makes your ore triple shared and allows for strong outs anywhere on the right hand side of the board. #wheatisfornoobs Interested to hear your thoughts since 5-6-10 wasn’t in your top 2
For the second board I would go to the 9/10/5 at the top because its solid production and it extends to the sheep port. Yes it will be difficult to get to the port but since theres like zero bricks, its going to be difficult for everyone early game anyways. so because theres so much sheep and ore, its important for secure the best wheat. If all the ore is taken, I can get a good sheep/wood spot for my port, and if all those spots are taken, I can get a good ore spot to pair with the sheep/wheat
Awesome video, I have been waiting for you to make some kind of placement guide and it is great how you explain the thought process behind placements. More videos like this please
I enjoy these as a great way to practice starting. That said, I'd love to see even more games where you play it all the way through. Just an uncut/unedited would be ok so long as we can see more games make it to RUclips.
You're drawing me back to Catan with these vids, thanks for the content. This vid made me realise I am not as terrible or rusty as I thought, although you think much further ahead than I. (Although I usually played Cities and Knights as I liked the extra resource complexity) 1st board - I chose the Left 5-8-10 because of the Ore and space to expand plus the high availability of the Wheat 2nd board - I chose the Right 5-9-10 because best wheat, good port and options for both more sheep and Ore later (didn't consider the Left 3-5-8, you changed my mind here but I'd still go the 5-9-10) I also didn't consider monopolising the Brick, that is a much better choice than the Left port 10-8 for more sheep that I was considering. Although once you showed the other moves that space around the bricks is great.
I love your videos because they make me think. I just dive into theorizing and planning for games, mostly just taking to myself out loud what I wanna achieve in the game and enjoy the nail biting feeling it gives me. I feel like I've learned to do this through watching you speak passionately about Catan and teaching us the game for the last, hell, I dunno, three years? Thank you for all the content, man. You made me see and think about Catan so much mure and in a different way, I don't think I would've enjoyed it the same way without it. Bless your kind freaking soul, dude. :) Love feom Slovenia!
first board: I would go 8,5,10 for the rare ore and brick. and I think it probably leaves you with the 4,3,11 or 8,4,3 which matches quite well. second board: probably the 3,5,8. rare and valuable wheat along with decent ore given the other ore tiles are awkwardly placed. might also consider the 5.9.10 for better wheat and some nice expansion spots, maybe even the sheep port which will be highly valuable on this board. another weird option is the 11,6,3 as that gets both wheat and brick which will be in high demand. I think you can maybe hope to grab the 4,11 brick port or the 8,4.
You already posted this one, so I'll just post my answer too. I think I looked on Instagram and you had mine in the second position if I remember correctly. Let's see if I'm right. Also great sponsor lol. I would place on the 5-9-10 and point right. I think there's a good chance you get the double ore or the 10-8 wheat ore which are both good for you. If you get neither of them you could also take 8-3 with 3:1 port or 8-10 with 3:1 port, would be a little weird, but I think you should be able to get some trades, also I think you will be able to build to the sheep port, which will be valuable. Also you could take one of the brick spots and effectively be the only good wood brick player which would be a safe win condition.
First placement: 8 5 10 ore brick sheep. In 2nd position, if I don't take this spot, chances are by the time it comes back around for me to place my 2md settlement, there will no longer be any good ore or brick spots left on the board. Picking this spot now allows me access to 2 resources that will likely be scarce during this game. 2nd placement 6 5 11 sheep ore wheat. Great development card starting spot and allows me to build a road down toward brick and wood.
2nd board: 8/3/5 and point down. You will have a strong development card game, access to wood and 3:1 port on the 8/10 with your third settlement, and you should be able to get more OWS on your second settlement.
First position can be really tough for me bc you’re likely to be forced into a coastal spot w/ non-ideal number coordination for your second settlement and it can be tricky to play. However, on the last board the 5/8/3 OWS setup is a definite eye grabber especially being near a 3-1 port. Which is why I’d take it over the 5/6/11. Usually my go to is to look for; •High producing spots •OWS combo •3-1 Port access / coordinated tiles w/ 2-1 port I did notice the brick port at the bottom with all the brick surrounding it, it was a tempting option for me but definitely not first placement worthy w/ the low numbers.
6/9/3 it's near a two ports, a chance for longest road, sheep and wood areas will be heavily contested so you force remaing players to take thoes other spots, and hopefully the 11/6/12 with double brick is left.
Some schools of thought regarding settlement placement: a) get the spot with the second highest yield percentage, b) get the spot that gives you the rarest resource, and c) get a spot with resources the other player will need, while creating a monopoly for yourself (i.e., eliminates opportunities for those resources for others). The first settlement was picked because it gets the most die rolls on average (13 out of 36), while having two other benefits: 1) it eliminates 3 other spots with high likelihood of results (each intersection to the South yields something 11 times out of 36, and the intersection to the north yields something 10 times out of 36). 2) it also eliminates two 3-way intersections for stone, the rarest resource in the game. It is difficult for the 2nd player to choose, because they must still wait for the 3rd (and possibly 4th) player to settle twice before they get to choose from the scraps left behind. While it is tempting to take one of the spots south of player 1's settlement that yields a resource 12 out of 36 times, it is too likely that you will get boxed in by player 3 (and/or 4) and have no shot at getting longest road. Additionally, those spots are only ideal for getting wheat (most abundant resource) and some sheep (2nd-most abundant) or wood. The best spot, for high yield, rarity of resources, and future expansion is the intersection of brick-5, stone-10, and wool-8 on the West side of the island. While not quite as plentiful in stone and brick as player 1's spot, it offers a lot of sheep (which a port would make valuable), but also cuts off 2 more stone intersections, while providing plenty of options for your 2nd settlement nearby. It also forces player 3 (and 4) to weigh those options south of player 1 (12/36 odds) vs anything right near you (10/36 at best). If you can't find an obvious advantage for yourself, force your opponent into making a more difficult decision.
Position 1. The obvious candidates are the 8/5/10 and the 5/10/8, both with 12 points of production and 3 resources, as well as the best output on at least one rare resource. Glancing at the possible outs, it seems pretty safe to say that I will get Wheat with my second settlement, meaning that the 8/5/10 sets me up for a strong OWS game, and Wood is secondary but I might also get 1 for good measure when it comes back to me. I point up for the 3:1.
0:23 - my first thought is the 5/8/10 with the rare wood because there is a good chance the 6/11/12 is left open to point to the 9 ore. Now lets get the big brain answer
well this is considering you play with good players, on the second board i can totally see someone place on the triple brick and try to go for the brick port not considering the fact the spot is a 5 points. I would also consider that someone might place their second settlement on the 9-12 wood brick combo for a free road. Now as for my placements i got both right, but i chose the second spot on the second board. For the first board i quickly saw that the outs are all over the place with wood and wheat always being adjacent. As for the second board it's not only the sheep port that reeled me but also the wheat port right next to the strongest wheat spot which might end up going uncontested although it might never come in use.
In the last question I don't think I'd consider the 6-3-12 open for an out. I think that generally people prize the 6's and 8's but with the 8 ore only the coast and blocked by desert, I think that just leaves 3 likely 6, 8 options. Further, I think people will still feel the need for brick and this is a VERY low brick board. For these reasons, I chose the 3-4-11 brick ore brick as the second settlement, this also completes all 5 resources. Actually, I debated even choosing that spot first because there are so many wood sheep wheat outs and brick is so scarce while wood is plentiful.
Good video. I am new to Catan, and while the maths side of things come natural, the strategy not so much. I would love to see more of these insightful videos walking us through the full thought process.
I would pick 963 for easy acess to sheep port and balance of reasoruces, or 6 3 11 for a longest road play (also that brick port is excellent to get.).
On the first board I went with the same spot, on the second board I picked your second choise because of the sheep port and the enormous amount of sheep everyone would be sitting on. I love your video's but I like the online games you play and comment on the most. The live tournaments mostly are a bit too static and not everything is clearly visible, it would help if you made an overlay with the player names, their color and the number of points thay are currently on. All in all, I hope you can keep making this top quality content, it's an instant click every time I see a new vid of you.
1) Ore is super scarce but wheat and sheep are really common so ore should be extra valuable. Given that, put the first settlement on the 10,8,5 O,S,B and point the road towards the 3:1 port. We should be able to pick up a good wheat spot on our 2nd placement because there are a minimum of 4 options and it seems unlikely they will all be blocked by the exactly 4 settlements between our placements. 2) This one is much harder, but due to brick being so bad we probably need to be playing a OWS game. I'd take the 5,3,8 OWS and point the road up and to the left towards the 3:1 port. The production is slightly low but wood just isn't as useful a resource as wheat this game because it is so over-abundant compared to the brick. As for trying to monopolize the scarce resource the 3,11,4 BBO spot is just too bad. Edit: Missed the 5,9,10 towards the sheep port option which is a fairly cool play as well.
I just have to say it that I guessed the two spots correctly on 2nd board. Started playing on Colonist just today. Actually celebrated when you said I was right, although my reasoning wasn't completely like yours. Keep it going man!
I agree with first board of 8 5 10. Easy first pick. For the second board i agree i went 8 3 5, however i believe the better road is the one pointing down with the aim of getting to the 3:1 port there. Reason being, you get more wood if you produce there, but biggest is there is no combo in which you will not get that port, by this I mean someone isnt going to get an instant road and have a settlement spot close by. plus more sheep production to port for missing wheat. And since wheat is the king resource in this board, it will discourage the players to put the robber on the 3 wheat and more on the 8 sheep, plus more wood to port with other tiles you likely to get will cover and wheat and sheep production missing from robber etc. Curious to know your thoughts on the road placement for that one
Me agreeing with the choices, mindlessly relaxing. Wait when’s he gonna talk about the double brick out. Kept me there like am I missing smt. (Love your content btw)
I got the same starting posisitons from both cases, thinking of the placement outs I wasn't doing so hot but that must be the lack of experience. I started to panic just from watching this even tho there was no one waiting for their turn to place xD
8/5/10 with ore on the first board because ore is not in massive production, no good uncontested spots on the 9 so may as well take the 10, which also gives high sheep and decent brick. on the second board 8/5/10 because it has good numbers, next to a 3-1, good expansion and multiple decent secondary position areas. I can target wheat at all costs with my second position as well
Board 1: I havent listened to your reasoning or solution yet, but I would take the 8/5/10 (with brick and ore) and place the road pointing to the 3:1 port. I don't see any real possibility of playing a longest road strategy on this board due to the general lack of wood. The other option I see is to take the other 8/5/10 with road pointing to the ports and plan to take the 9/12 later. However, if the 9/12 gets taken, I don't really see a way to salvage the position. Board 2: Once again, I like the 5/8/10. The low wheat is concerning to me, but in my experience since everyone needs wheat, you can largely ignore wheat on low wheat boards and stay on par with the other players. Additionally, it seems extremely likely that either the 5/10 or 10/8 will be available, and while that is atrocious number diversity, it may still be worth it. EDIT: Actually I take it back. if the 9/12 is taken then the 6/3/11 almost certainly will be open which looks very playable. I still think I stick with my original answer, but I like both. In hindsight, I do agree that the 8/5/3 is just better. I should have given that spot more consideration.
Great exercise. I got the fist two right, but didn’t see the 6-3-12 spot for second settlement. I thought about going for the 8-10 sheep/wood, but i can see how the spot you said is better.
For the first board, the 8/5/10 brick/ore/sheep is the right call for me because there are 3-4 solid outs with wood and wheat for this spot and also because there's no chance of getting decent ore on a three hex spot without it
I think I would go for the 8-5-10 with Sheep/Brick/Ore because Ore would have a greater value at the endgame, and with that 8 i can keep producing sheep that can give me potential use of the 3:1 port
I know this is a couple of days late, but keep posting things like this to Instagram. Short puzzles with a little practical use is a lot of fun, keeps the brain going, and reminds people of your brand and of the game.
I think 3-4-11 on the second board is a lot stronger than you're giving it credit for - there's virtually no brick on the board other than what you have, plus you get solid ore on a low-ore board and the brick port. There are a ton of places to get wheat and sheep with your second settlement, too.
I thought the 5 8 10 on the left, and then likely the 11 5 4 after that as I suspect all the higher yield positions would get taken and it'd full resources with decent yield.
1: 10/9/11. Ore is super rare on this board, and you are guaranteed a good Wheat spot. Player 1's going for Road, so this stuffs players 3 and 4. You're not gonna land decent Wood, so that Brick is gonna clog your hand pretty badly, and the 8-sheep is a robber magnet that the 9/11 avoids. 2: This is as close to a Brickless board as you can possibly get, so the proximity of them to the brick port is a trap. 5/3/8 gets you close to two different 3-ports, which will be absolutely crucial to making up this Clay gap, even if you wind up losing a race to one. There are plenty of second-settlements that will be theoretically beneficial in that case - ranging from whatever Wheat spot is left to you to the potential to actually grab some clay in your opening hand.
For the first one, I correctly chose the left 5,8,10; I recognized that grabbing wheat later would be pretty easy. I also considered the 584 (wood, wheat, wheat) mostly because of the limited wood on this board. #2 - I'll take the left 5,8,10 again. There is so little brick on the board in this game, but I don't want to limit my production with those little numbers early on. The 6,9,12 was considered as it is still relatively high production, but also gives a bit of access for brick. I figure I'll have access to grab a little wheat somewhere when it comes back around. BUT, looking at your commentary, I like grabbing the wheat over the wood on that side. I love the idea of being the only brick producer as well. If I had seen your analysis, I'd probably go for your second choice, just to attempt it!
i am thinking 8/10/3 Sheep ore wood. Ore will be a rare resource and i thin you can grab a decent wheat on the second settlement to play a pretty good ore wheat sheep set up.
Enjoyed this one! On the 2nd board I had considered the 5-9-10 but discounted it pretty quickly thinking I'd struggle to get either brick or ore for my 2nd pick. Planning it out like that has probably changed my mind and I'd favour it over the 8-5-3 now!
I'd still go 5/9/10 on my first placement. The board is awash in sheep and you would only need one road for a third settlement on the 2:1 sheep port. You could trade sheep for scarce ore and brick all day!
2nd board, as an out to the 5-9-10, I would also consider the 3-4-11 brick-ore-brick spot. It is not strong but you will be the only person with Brick mots likely so they are very valuable and it gets you some ore.
1st board I'd go 5,10,8 on the east of the board with road heading east to get good wood, in the hope that I could get the 11,12,6 with road heading east to get brick and build towards good ore. If that slot is gone maybe I could get good brick and ore from the West. I thought about going 5,4,8 to lock out the wood and get double wheat, then going 5,2 wheat port building South towards the wheat on 6 but that would leave me heavily dependent on the 5 coming up (which would give a road every time).
1:48 "Can you see highest producing spots?" me, who can't even see the pips and still wondering why aren't they themselves in big visible numbers: "...what?"
Bit late to the party, but just would like to help with the algorithm by patting myself on the back with solving all the puzzles correctly. Good luck on the vids!
I haven't played in a while but I predicted correctly in the first board. In the second I went to the 9 5 10 mainly because of the wheat. Glad to see you uploading videos again, keep the coming :)
5-4-8 is another good second placement, as we get all 5 resources, and our first placement was close enough to a wheat port to trade away our excess wheat. The wood is also the strongest wood hex in the game
I would take the 5/8 /10 with wood sheep and wheat because wood is rare on this board and it is helpful for early game. I think second best would be the 5/8/10 (oar) because oar is scarce in the game.
For the 2nd map, it would be quite tempting to take the intersection of the 3 bricks, especially since they are such a rare resource (only productive 5 times out of 36!). However, as a first move, that cuts out other MUCH more productive spots (three places with 12/36 odds and three more with 11/36 odds), especially near ports. That said, wheat is the 2nd-rarest resource this game (only 8 pips total), so having a high-productivity spot with wheat and/or brick would be ideal. The intersection of stone-5/wheat-11/wool-6 not only yields a resource 11/36 times, but also has all 3 resources for development cards. Additionally, it is close to the bricks (if spots are still available after others build settlements), and cuts off one of the three 12/36 intersections. Final benefit (a bit advanced): this also gives you one of only two intersections that have stone that do NOT include the desert or coast (i.e., non-productive hexes). So even though there is not a lot of wheat, it is a myth to believe there is a lot of readily available stone on this map. Stone comes at a cost. (In fact, that might make the brick/brick/stone intersection particularly valuable as a 2nd settlement site, since you would also get those valuable resources immediately!)
For the first one, right 5 8 10 is superior to the left 5 8 10. At the worst case you can get the wheat port and go for the 9 ore. This is also a high brick low wood board. It's just not well thought to take left 5810. For the second board, 5910 is superior IMO.
2nd board I would chose 6-11-3 first, then something with decent production 2nd turn. This is a weird setup where brick and wheat are good for trading.
As a Catan noob I'd say both the 5 10 8 and the 5 8 10 look good bc of production points, the first one having good wood production which is scarce on this map and both having access to the 3:1 port
1st: 5 8 10, but I'm just starting to play (actually meant the one with ore 10) 2nd: 5 10 8 or 5 10 6 but it's low wheat so maybe top right 5 9 10 By the way, I love this type of videos!
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Thanks to Keeps for supporting the channel! Here’s the site if you want to check them out! Keeps.com/DYLIGHTED.
Honestly I find those videos far more engaging where u actually enter into a game n win(mostly). But this video is also quite beneficial for players as the first settlements r actually what decide the game. POST MORE OFTEN PLS.
Will do! Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah I totally agree. Seeing the gameplay in actual games and decision. Making given real time issues when things do or don't go as planned helps a ton more.
@Kabir Ladha true....even i find those videos more informative in which @DyLighted - Catan enters a game
These types of videos are so engaging and fun just to see how my thought process can be improved. You should definitely make this a series
Thanks! Will do! I also really like reading what other people have to say in the comments below.
I 100% would not have thought to take the 6/3/12 sheep brick brick on the second board. But that is by far the best pick. It’s little things like that that make this game and your content so good.
Thanks - this actually wasn’t my find, a friend helped me find this out!
Your editing is constantly getting better and better.
The small details of lighting up the board as you are speaking helps so much!
Adore this type of content, especially coming from someone as skilled and knowledgeable as you.
Yeah I agree the lighting up the board as he’s speaking makes things so much clearer. Would love to see this in the gameplay videos as well!
In the second board, I would take the 5-9-10. High production plus the best wheat. I would point towards the sheep port
dont know why he didnt mention it but 4 3 11 is also another out if the 5 6 10 happens (all 5 resources, best brick, 3:1)
Don’t stop putting the effort! I watch as many vids as I can with this content 🙌🏽
Gotcha! I won’t.
Speaking as someone who has second guessed themselves into losing many times, this is just what I need.
Great content as usual D. You got me into more serious strategic analysis of this game. One thing I'd like to point out in terms of resource scarcity is the border tile positioning. When the tiles are on the border or next to the desert (the worst case is the map corner) the resource becomes less available even if it has decent numbers. This is especially true for brick and ore which are crucial and limited by game design.
I would select 8 grain, 5 wood, 10 sheep. Chosen to block one of two spots that player one will need to get grain and sheep. Also there are more available spots for getting brick and ore. The 5 is also the best wood and the 8 is the best grain.
Would do the same
Which board? 1st, 2nd or 3hd?
I like the very casual style of this video and I do think it’s better on YT than Instagram. Great vid!
Just started playing cantan less than 3 days ago! It was soo much fun and I picked it up quick. Your videos have helped me accelerate my knowledge! You have my sub!
This was very helpful and fun please post more vids like this!
Loved the vid, actually got them correct. Gave me more confidence and my progress
(1st puzzle) 1st choice, on 2nd Settlement would likely be either: 8,5,10 for the option of gathering bricks and ore consistently, or 8,4,3 to gather Wheat + Ore in order to build cities much quicker.
(2nd Puzzle) 1st choice on 1st Settlement, would definitely be 8,5,10. Has the highest probabilities and round off with 11,6,3 afterwards to have access to all 5 Resources, and have the best probabilities due to all the Brick being clumped up together. Edit: I got that one wrong, yikes xD
This is the video that got me hooked on your content, I love puzzles like these, and this revitalized my love for Catan ( especially since I didn't know about the online format)
On the second board, I was thinking the 3-4-5.
I wouldn't be worried at all about getting sheep on this board. I can almost certainly get a very high producing sheep on my second settlement, and it guarantees decent production of the resources that have a major choke point, wheat, (and to a lesser extent) ore and wood.
I'm not sure if I'd point the road left or right though, but I'm leaning towards right. I'd probably want to put my second settlement on the 6-3-12 bricks, but if that wasn't available, probably somewhere else in the brick cluster.
Another excellent presentation. This type of quiz is really useful. If I could boost my settlement placements, I might win more games. Of course, I still have to learn to beat the player who shan't be named, since he is a real shark.
Great video DyLighted. Agreed with your placements. On the first one, I'd point to the wheat port though instead of 3:1. Cheers my friend
This was super helpful. Would love to see more of this content
These types of videos where we discuss where to place is among your best and most important ones tbh
First one:
Should be the left 5-8-10, it's likely you get the 8-4-3 or another of the the wheat-wood-sheep options because fourth und third position aren't that likely to play a 3 resource game. That would be the best setup probably. Even if you wouldn't get one, I guess it would be fourth position then with the sheep port and the 8-4-3, you still get good wheat on the 9-4-11 probably, or one of the 6-3-11s, which wouldn't be as good as the other setups mentioned, but still fine since your opponents should have not the best setups then, I guess.
Oops didn't see 5-4-11,yeah, that makes it just more clear, it's way better than 9-11-4
On the first board, I was thinking about the right 5-8-10 since u get the rare wood and could go for a road strategy, given that ore is low on the board and is probably gonna get pounded with the robber. It could pair well with 6-11-12 with intention to go to 9-12 ore-ore port or 6-3-11 as a backup. On the other setup i got the sensation that i was getting very little wood for roads and expansion and would probably be floating lots of useless sheep.
Great video!
The 2nd board is tricky. I think the old me would take the 9-5-10 95% of the time. However, I personally think I take the 5-6-10 here as 1st pick. I think 5-6-10 is a million times stronger than 5-6-11 because you get the 8-10 as your 3rd settlement. There’s so much production here and there is a lot of value for having such a strong early game.
Normally it’s scary to point to a 8 pt port spot as 1st pick but 8-10 doesn’t really pair well with much else for you to be aggressively extorted. Picking here first makes your ore triple shared and allows for strong outs anywhere on the right hand side of the board. #wheatisfornoobs
Interested to hear your thoughts since 5-6-10 wasn’t in your top 2
second spot sheep port in this scenario i guess?
@@kloklon Sure that can be an out, but really most thing work with it. 5-2, 8-10, 8-4, 4-3-11, 6-3-12
@@kloklon lots of outs! 5-2, 8-4, 8-10, 4-3-11, 6-3-12. :D depends bcuz there are lots of combos the other players can make
For the second board I would go to the 9/10/5 at the top because its solid production and it extends to the sheep port. Yes it will be difficult to get to the port but since theres like zero bricks, its going to be difficult for everyone early game anyways. so because theres so much sheep and ore, its important for secure the best wheat. If all the ore is taken, I can get a good sheep/wood spot for my port, and if all those spots are taken, I can get a good ore spot to pair with the sheep/wheat
Awesome video, I have been waiting for you to make some kind of placement guide and it is great how you explain the thought process behind placements.
More videos like this please
I enjoy these as a great way to practice starting. That said, I'd love to see even more games where you play it all the way through. Just an uncut/unedited would be ok so long as we can see more games make it to RUclips.
You're drawing me back to Catan with these vids, thanks for the content. This vid made me realise I am not as terrible or rusty as I thought, although you think much further ahead than I. (Although I usually played Cities and Knights as I liked the extra resource complexity)
1st board - I chose the Left 5-8-10 because of the Ore and space to expand plus the high availability of the Wheat
2nd board - I chose the Right 5-9-10 because best wheat, good port and options for both more sheep and Ore later
(didn't consider the Left 3-5-8, you changed my mind here but I'd still go the 5-9-10)
I also didn't consider monopolising the Brick, that is a much better choice than the Left port 10-8 for more sheep that I was considering. Although once you showed the other moves that space around the bricks is great.
This must be an every week series ! It's the most educational way and I think much easier production for you. Keep it up!
I love your videos because they make me think. I just dive into theorizing and planning for games, mostly just taking to myself out loud what I wanna achieve in the game and enjoy the nail biting feeling it gives me. I feel like I've learned to do this through watching you speak passionately about Catan and teaching us the game for the last, hell, I dunno, three years?
Thank you for all the content, man. You made me see and think about Catan so much mure and in a different way, I don't think I would've enjoyed it the same way without it. Bless your kind freaking soul, dude. :)
Love feom Slovenia!
i'm actively fighting the algorithm. I love your videos so much, I strive to be as technically sound as you are when playing this game. Thank you
first board: I would go 8,5,10 for the rare ore and brick. and I think it probably leaves you with the 4,3,11 or 8,4,3 which matches quite well.
second board: probably the 3,5,8. rare and valuable wheat along with decent ore given the other ore tiles are awkwardly placed. might also consider the 5.9.10 for better wheat and some nice expansion spots, maybe even the sheep port which will be highly valuable on this board. another weird option is the 11,6,3 as that gets both wheat and brick which will be in high demand. I think you can maybe hope to grab the 4,11 brick port or the 8,4.
On the 2nd board I also like the 6/11/3 on this low brick board & can longest road OR largest army based on what's open
First board 5-8-10 brick sheep ore. The wheat outs are plentiful, you have the nice 3 for 1 port on the 10 sheep. High chance to get coordinated 5s
You already posted this one, so I'll just post my answer too. I think I looked on Instagram and you had mine in the second position if I remember correctly. Let's see if I'm right.
Also great sponsor lol.
I would place on the 5-9-10 and point right. I think there's a good chance you get the double ore or the 10-8 wheat ore which are both good for you. If you get neither of them you could also take 8-3 with 3:1 port or 8-10 with 3:1 port, would be a little weird, but I think you should be able to get some trades, also I think you will be able to build to the sheep port, which will be valuable. Also you could take one of the brick spots and effectively be the only good wood brick player which would be a safe win condition.
Well obviously you posted them all as you said lol, just didn't see the first one so thought you didn't post it oops.
First placement: 8 5 10 ore brick sheep. In 2nd position, if I don't take this spot, chances are by the time it comes back around for me to place my 2md settlement, there will no longer be any good ore or brick spots left on the board. Picking this spot now allows me access to 2 resources that will likely be scarce during this game. 2nd placement 6 5 11 sheep ore wheat. Great development card starting spot and allows me to build a road down toward brick and wood.
Hey Dylan, I really liked this format and I think it's very instructive. The editing was on point as well! Keep posting
2nd board: 8/3/5 and point down. You will have a strong development card game, access to wood and 3:1 port on the 8/10 with your third settlement, and you should be able to get more OWS on your second settlement.
I've been having trouble with figuring out starting placement, and this is really helpful!
First position can be really tough for me bc you’re likely to be forced into a coastal spot w/ non-ideal number coordination for your second settlement and it can be tricky to play. However, on the last board the 5/8/3 OWS setup is a definite eye grabber especially being near a 3-1 port. Which is why I’d take it over the 5/6/11.
Usually my go to is to look for;
•High producing spots
•OWS combo
•3-1 Port access / coordinated tiles w/ 2-1 port
I did notice the brick port at the bottom with all the brick surrounding it, it was a tempting option for me but definitely not first placement worthy w/ the low numbers.
I like these videos. Got into Catan because of your channel and I still struggle with rationalizing and predicting where others go. GL in nationals
6/9/3 it's near a two ports, a chance for longest road, sheep and wood areas will be heavily contested so you force remaing players to take thoes other spots, and hopefully the 11/6/12 with double brick is left.
Some schools of thought regarding settlement placement: a) get the spot with the second highest yield percentage, b) get the spot that gives you the rarest resource, and c) get a spot with resources the other player will need, while creating a monopoly for yourself (i.e., eliminates opportunities for those resources for others).
The first settlement was picked because it gets the most die rolls on average (13 out of 36), while having two other benefits:
1) it eliminates 3 other spots with high likelihood of results (each intersection to the South yields something 11 times out of 36, and the intersection to the north yields something 10 times out of 36).
2) it also eliminates two 3-way intersections for stone, the rarest resource in the game.
It is difficult for the 2nd player to choose, because they must still wait for the 3rd (and possibly 4th) player to settle twice before they get to choose from the scraps left behind.
While it is tempting to take one of the spots south of player 1's settlement that yields a resource 12 out of 36 times, it is too likely that you will get boxed in by player 3 (and/or 4) and have no shot at getting longest road. Additionally, those spots are only ideal for getting wheat (most abundant resource) and some sheep (2nd-most abundant) or wood.
The best spot, for high yield, rarity of resources, and future expansion is the intersection of brick-5, stone-10, and wool-8 on the West side of the island. While not quite as plentiful in stone and brick as player 1's spot, it offers a lot of sheep (which a port would make valuable), but also cuts off 2 more stone intersections, while providing plenty of options for your 2nd settlement nearby. It also forces player 3 (and 4) to weigh those options south of player 1 (12/36 odds) vs anything right near you (10/36 at best). If you can't find an obvious advantage for yourself, force your opponent into making a more difficult decision.
Love these videos, helping me become a better player. Got the first board I am between 8-3-10 sheep wood ore,
Or 6-9-3 wheat sheep wood
Position 1.
The obvious candidates are the 8/5/10 and the 5/10/8, both with 12 points of production and 3 resources, as well as the best output on at least one rare resource.
Glancing at the possible outs, it seems pretty safe to say that I will get Wheat with my second settlement, meaning that the 8/5/10 sets me up for a strong OWS game, and Wood is secondary but I might also get 1 for good measure when it comes back to me.
I point up for the 3:1.
Probably one of the first videos where I got the questions right but also, all of the correct reasons as well :)
0:23 - my first thought is the 5/8/10 with the rare wood because there is a good chance the 6/11/12 is left open to point to the 9 ore. Now lets get the big brain answer
well this is considering you play with good players, on the second board i can totally see someone place on the triple brick and try to go for the brick port not considering the fact the spot is a 5 points.
I would also consider that someone might place their second settlement on the 9-12 wood brick combo for a free road.
Now as for my placements i got both right, but i chose the second spot on the second board. For the first board i quickly saw that the outs are all over the place with wood and wheat always being adjacent. As for the second board it's not only the sheep port that reeled me but also the wheat port right next to the strongest wheat spot which might end up going uncontested although it might never come in use.
In the last question I don't think I'd consider the 6-3-12 open for an out. I think that generally people prize the 6's and 8's but with the 8 ore only the coast and blocked by desert, I think that just leaves 3 likely 6, 8 options. Further, I think people will still feel the need for brick and this is a VERY low brick board. For these reasons, I chose the 3-4-11 brick ore brick as the second settlement, this also completes all 5 resources. Actually, I debated even choosing that spot first because there are so many wood sheep wheat outs and brick is so scarce while wood is plentiful.
Good video. I am new to Catan, and while the maths side of things come natural, the strategy not so much. I would love to see more of these insightful videos walking us through the full thought process.
I would pick 963 for easy acess to sheep port and balance of reasoruces, or 6 3 11 for a longest road play (also that brick port is excellent to get.).
On the first board I went with the same spot, on the second board I picked your second choise because of the sheep port and the enormous amount of sheep everyone would be sitting on.
I love your video's but I like the online games you play and comment on the most. The live tournaments mostly are a bit too static and not everything is clearly visible, it would help if you made an overlay with the player names, their color and the number of points thay are currently on.
All in all, I hope you can keep making this top quality content, it's an instant click every time I see a new vid of you.
1) Ore is super scarce but wheat and sheep are really common so ore should be extra valuable. Given that, put the first settlement on the 10,8,5 O,S,B and point the road towards the 3:1 port. We should be able to pick up a good wheat spot on our 2nd placement because there are a minimum of 4 options and it seems unlikely they will all be blocked by the exactly 4 settlements between our placements.
2) This one is much harder, but due to brick being so bad we probably need to be playing a OWS game. I'd take the 5,3,8 OWS and point the road up and to the left towards the 3:1 port. The production is slightly low but wood just isn't as useful a resource as wheat this game because it is so over-abundant compared to the brick. As for trying to monopolize the scarce resource the 3,11,4 BBO spot is just too bad.
Edit: Missed the 5,9,10 towards the sheep port option which is a fairly cool play as well.
these videos are wonderful! I hope you make more of these quizzes
I just have to say it that I guessed the two spots correctly on 2nd board. Started playing on Colonist just today. Actually celebrated when you said I was right, although my reasoning wasn't completely like yours. Keep it going man!
I agree with first board of 8 5 10. Easy first pick. For the second board i agree i went 8 3 5, however i believe the better road is the one pointing down with the aim of getting to the 3:1 port there. Reason being, you get more wood if you produce there, but biggest is there is no combo in which you will not get that port, by this I mean someone isnt going to get an instant road and have a settlement spot close by. plus more sheep production to port for missing wheat. And since wheat is the king resource in this board, it will discourage the players to put the robber on the 3 wheat and more on the 8 sheep, plus more wood to port with other tiles you likely to get will cover and wheat and sheep production missing from robber etc. Curious to know your thoughts on the road placement for that one
Me agreeing with the choices, mindlessly relaxing. Wait when’s he gonna talk about the double brick out. Kept me there like am I missing smt. (Love your content btw)
I got the same starting posisitons from both cases, thinking of the placement outs I wasn't doing so hot but that must be the lack of experience. I started to panic just from watching this even tho there was no one waiting for their turn to place xD
Wow mate,
This was like next-level strategy, great stuff yo
On the second board, I went with 10/8. Because no wheat spells defeat! Funny expansion to brick, or 9/5/2 to connect
I love you DyLight! Yes these videos are awesome, me and my friends enjoy them a lot.
so very educational..... thanks alot... also for the webpage reccomandation for colonist. Love ya
8/5/10 with ore on the first board because ore is not in massive production, no good uncontested spots on the 9 so may as well take the 10, which also gives high sheep and decent brick.
on the second board 8/5/10 because it has good numbers, next to a 3-1, good expansion and multiple decent secondary position areas. I can target wheat at all costs with my second position as well
Board 1: I havent listened to your reasoning or solution yet, but I would take the 8/5/10 (with brick and ore) and place the road pointing to the 3:1 port. I don't see any real possibility of playing a longest road strategy on this board due to the general lack of wood. The other option I see is to take the other 8/5/10 with road pointing to the ports and plan to take the 9/12 later. However, if the 9/12 gets taken, I don't really see a way to salvage the position.
Board 2: Once again, I like the 5/8/10. The low wheat is concerning to me, but in my experience since everyone needs wheat, you can largely ignore wheat on low wheat boards and stay on par with the other players. Additionally, it seems extremely likely that either the 5/10 or 10/8 will be available, and while that is atrocious number diversity, it may still be worth it.
EDIT: Actually I take it back. if the 9/12 is taken then the 6/3/11 almost certainly will be open which looks very playable. I still think I stick with my original answer, but I like both.
In hindsight, I do agree that the 8/5/3 is just better. I should have given that spot more consideration.
Great exercise. I got the fist two right, but didn’t see the 6-3-12 spot for second settlement. I thought about going for the 8-10 sheep/wood, but i can see how the spot you said is better.
Thanks, Dylighted.
I am a brand new player thanks to your channel, and I think this video will help me improve.
I just won my first game!
Thanks, Dylighted.
these videos are great and helpful. I'd love to continue to see more.
For the first board, the 8/5/10 brick/ore/sheep is the right call for me because there are 3-4 solid outs with wood and wheat for this spot and also because there's no chance of getting decent ore on a three hex spot without it
I think I would go for the 8-5-10 with Sheep/Brick/Ore because Ore would have a greater value at the endgame, and with that 8 i can keep producing sheep that can give me potential use of the 3:1 port
Really great explanation! Picked a couple right, but I didn’t know about settlement outs. Thanks for the help!
I know this is a couple of days late, but keep posting things like this to Instagram. Short puzzles with a little practical use is a lot of fun, keeps the brain going, and reminds people of your brand and of the game.
Very helpful. I would like to see more of this content.
I think 3-4-11 on the second board is a lot stronger than you're giving it credit for - there's virtually no brick on the board other than what you have, plus you get solid ore on a low-ore board and the brick port. There are a ton of places to get wheat and sheep with your second settlement, too.
That’s what i thought too. I was hoping he would analyze it pros and cons
I thought the 5 8 10 on the left, and then likely the 11 5 4 after that as I suspect all the higher yield positions would get taken and it'd full resources with decent yield.
nice video mate
I really did learn a lot
5/8/10 because it's the best ore spot available and the spot has strong production. There are enough wheat spots on the board.
1: 10/9/11. Ore is super rare on this board, and you are guaranteed a good Wheat spot. Player 1's going for Road, so this stuffs players 3 and 4. You're not gonna land decent Wood, so that Brick is gonna clog your hand pretty badly, and the 8-sheep is a robber magnet that the 9/11 avoids.
2: This is as close to a Brickless board as you can possibly get, so the proximity of them to the brick port is a trap. 5/3/8 gets you close to two different 3-ports, which will be absolutely crucial to making up this Clay gap, even if you wind up losing a race to one. There are plenty of second-settlements that will be theoretically beneficial in that case - ranging from whatever Wheat spot is left to you to the potential to actually grab some clay in your opening hand.
This is simple - 5-8-10 ore should be the first pick. A lot of wheat. Very little ore and a decent chance to place on the 5 wood if you get lucky
Yep - I wanted to keep start off this video series more simple. Well done!
Love these types of videos. Since so much of the game is about placement
I really like quizzes with initial settlements. So useful. Thanks
For the first one, I correctly chose the left 5,8,10; I recognized that grabbing wheat later would be pretty easy. I also considered the 584 (wood, wheat, wheat) mostly because of the limited wood on this board.
#2 - I'll take the left 5,8,10 again. There is so little brick on the board in this game, but I don't want to limit my production with those little numbers early on. The 6,9,12 was considered as it is still relatively high production, but also gives a bit of access for brick. I figure I'll have access to grab a little wheat somewhere when it comes back around. BUT, looking at your commentary, I like grabbing the wheat over the wood on that side.
I love the idea of being the only brick producer as well. If I had seen your analysis, I'd probably go for your second choice, just to attempt it!
I love this content, works my brain, especially when I only have little time to watch a video
on the 2nd board I would be very tempted to start on the 8-10-desert spot. I know it's not optimal, but it will be fun to play.
i am thinking 8/10/3 Sheep ore wood. Ore will be a rare resource and i thin you can grab a decent wheat on the second settlement to play a pretty good ore wheat sheep set up.
Thanks for the video. I like the format where you explain the basics of the game. Just continue as friendly and kind as you are. :)
Enjoyed this one! On the 2nd board I had considered the 5-9-10 but discounted it pretty quickly thinking I'd struggle to get either brick or ore for my 2nd pick. Planning it out like that has probably changed my mind and I'd favour it over the 8-5-3 now!
I'd still go 5/9/10 on my first placement. The board is awash in sheep and you would only need one road for a third settlement on the 2:1 sheep port. You could trade sheep for scarce ore and brick all day!
2nd board, as an out to the 5-9-10, I would also consider the 3-4-11 brick-ore-brick spot. It is not strong but you will be the only person with Brick mots likely so they are very valuable and it gets you some ore.
1st board I'd go 5,10,8 on the east of the board with road heading east to get good wood, in the hope that I could get the 11,12,6 with road heading east to get brick and build towards good ore. If that slot is gone maybe I could get good brick and ore from the West. I thought about going 5,4,8 to lock out the wood and get double wheat, then going 5,2 wheat port building South towards the wheat on 6 but that would leave me heavily dependent on the 5 coming up (which would give a road every time).
1:48 "Can you see highest producing spots?"
me, who can't even see the pips and still wondering why aren't they themselves in big visible numbers:
"...what?"
Bit late to the party, but just would like to help with the algorithm by patting myself on the back with solving all the puzzles correctly. Good luck on the vids!
I haven't played in a while but I predicted correctly in the first board. In the second I went to the 9 5 10 mainly because of the wheat.
Glad to see you uploading videos again, keep the coming :)
I would place on the 6/9/3 and point toward the sheep port. It's a good sheep port game, you will have valuable wheat to trade, and some rare wood.
5-4-8 is another good second placement, as we get all 5 resources, and our first placement was close enough to a wheat port to trade away our excess wheat. The wood is also the strongest wood hex in the game
I would take the 5/8 /10 with wood sheep and wheat because wood is rare on this board and it is helpful for early game. I think second best would be the 5/8/10 (oar) because oar is scarce in the game.
For the 2nd map, it would be quite tempting to take the intersection of the 3 bricks, especially since they are such a rare resource (only productive 5 times out of 36!).
However, as a first move, that cuts out other MUCH more productive spots (three places with 12/36 odds and three more with 11/36 odds), especially near ports. That said, wheat is the 2nd-rarest resource this game (only 8 pips total), so having a high-productivity spot with wheat and/or brick would be ideal.
The intersection of stone-5/wheat-11/wool-6 not only yields a resource 11/36 times, but also has all 3 resources for development cards. Additionally, it is close to the bricks (if spots are still available after others build settlements), and cuts off one of the three 12/36 intersections. Final benefit (a bit advanced): this also gives you one of only two intersections that have stone that do NOT include the desert or coast (i.e., non-productive hexes). So even though there is not a lot of wheat, it is a myth to believe there is a lot of readily available stone on this map. Stone comes at a cost. (In fact, that might make the brick/brick/stone intersection particularly valuable as a 2nd settlement site, since you would also get those valuable resources immediately!)
Just came across your channel, and I really like your videos! Keep up the good work 💪
For the first one, right 5 8 10 is superior to the left 5 8 10. At the worst case you can get the wheat port and go for the 9 ore.
This is also a high brick low wood board. It's just not well thought to take left 5810.
For the second board, 5910 is superior IMO.
2nd board I would chose 6-11-3 first, then something with decent production 2nd turn. This is a weird setup where brick and wheat are good for trading.
As a Catan noob I'd say both the 5 10 8 and the 5 8 10 look good bc of production points, the first one having good wood production which is scarce on this map and both having access to the 3:1 port
Oh seems like I was on the right track!
1st: 5 8 10, but I'm just starting to play (actually meant the one with ore 10)
2nd: 5 10 8 or 5 10 6 but it's low wheat so maybe top right 5 9 10
By the way, I love this type of videos!