Catan: The Scarcity Strategy | Mastering Brick and Ore Rarity
Master Catan: The Scarcity Strategy by understanding the math behind brick and ore rarity. Learn how resource scarcity and supply and demand impact your game.
Best quote from Catan: The Scarcity Strategy | Mastering Brick and Ore Rarity
Initial placement accounts for about 60 percent of the total strategy in Catan. You want to maximize your income by touching as many pips as possible, shifting from just getting resources to securing the supply chain.
This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member
Settlers of catan
Frequently Asked Questions
In Catan, resource scarcity is built into the game's physical math. While wood, sheep, and wheat each have four hexes on the map, there are only three brick hexes and three ore hexes available. This natural imbalance means there is literally less of these materials on the board, making them harder to acquire and more valuable for players to secure during the initial setup phase.
Brick is a vital early game fuel required for building every road and settlement. Because there are fewer brick hexes compared to wood, it often becomes a bottleneck that prevents players from expanding their territory. If you fail to secure a reliable brick source early on, you may find yourself trapped by supply and demand issues, forced to pay high trading prices to your opponents.
The supply and demand trap occurs when a player lacks access to rare resources like brick or ore. Since these resources are naturally scarcer on the board, players who do not grab a good spot during setup become dependent on others. This puts them at the mercy of the market, where they must negotiate difficult trading prices just to get the basic materials needed for expansion and development.
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
