There are two more strategies that are a bit more situational.
There are two more strategies that are a bit more situational. The first is the “Monopoly” or “Cartel” strategy, in which a single player (or subset of players) try to control the production of a particular resource. This strategy can be tricky to pull off, but can be effective in rare situations. If you are trying to monopolize a resource you should pick a resource that is difficult to get – this usually means brick or ore, since there are only 3 hexes of each. Ideally there would be two well-numbered tiles of this resource somewhat close together, so that you can gain a strong foothold with your initial settlements – this is easiest when you are the fourth player and can place your settlements back to back. It also helps if the remaining tile (that you don’t control) has bad numbers. By controlling the production of that particular resource you put yourself in a strong bargaining position with the other players and can make advantageous trades to gain the resources you are missing.