6:00 - Placements Finish
42:20 - Match Analysis
Ore wins games. Without ore you lack the ability to reach the timing for exponential growth, you lack options, and will surely find yourself outpaced in the late game. Two points or more of ore should always be a high priority in 95% of scenarios. This is amplified when you are playing on a low ore board. Everyone needs ore, and the best spots will go fast.
In this game, not only is ore scarce but it is also bundled together. This usually means the first and second player will secure the best ore with solid resource synergies lined up. To pass up these opportunities is to throw the game. Orange took the high production 10-5-9 location but had no ore and had gone first. By the time he gets to place his second settlement, he has nowhere to get ore or anything to synergize with his high production placement. Two other inferior production locations existed and they would have been better choices as they each included ore and future synergies for a second settlement. Thus, high production resource tiles are not always the correct choice, sometimes, the low resource is the only choice to make.
For this game, the ore allowed flexible options through the use of development cards. To lack this ore and not get development cards would make the game impossible to win. Ore allows you to get the final victory points you need to close out the game. It also highlights how important dev cards are when you go for longest road.
The series Journey to 1500 ELO is my attempt at sharing interesting games I come across as I learn more about Catan. 1500 ELO isn't really attainable in the current matchmaking system but it is a fun goal to have as one improves!
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