Weston Poor is an editorial assistant in EDP and runs marathons but has no idea why.

All right, it has been a few months since we last spoke. This could have been avoided, but, let’s face it, I’m lazy. Since we last left off, a hunt for the most wins in 2013 was at its peak. Of course, Terry “the Bandit” Boldan won the title by a narrow margin but, nonetheless, with all the hardiness of a champion. Boldan wouldn’t improve on his eleven wins, but that wouldn’t matter because Shirley Thornton wouldn’t improve either. With only two games left after the Thanksgiving break, the only settlers to improve their win totals were Nathan Putens and Erica Corwin, leaving the 2013 season win totals at:

Terry “the Bandit” Boldan—11 (Winner winner, chicken dinner!)

Shirley “you must be joking” Thornton—9

Erica Corwin—5

Leif Milliken—5

Nathan Putens—5

And my wins are hardly worth mentioning . . . really.

It was a solid accomplishment for the well decorated veteran settler. The Bandit declined to comment on his season win title. He claimed that he didn’t want to give his opponents ammunition. Always thinking defensively, that Bandit. The only indication he would give was that he’s a snake (in terms of Chinese symbols) and it was the year of the snake.

This year marked my discovery of Settlers of Catan, and thus my introduction to life. I made a good start by winning my first two contests. However, I haven’t done much since those two wins. The main takeaway from my rookie year: ensure significant resource flow with initial settlements on frequently rolled numbers, and always, always keep an eye on the Bandit.

Now that 2013 is over, it’s time to get started on the 2014 season. There is no off season for settlers, not like those overpampered pro athletes in highly televised sports. They can have their off-season; we want to play.

Here are some pictures of all the games for the current season.

January 2, 2014: Erica Corwin opened the 2014 season with an impressive win. Her signature blue playing pieces are surrounded by some other settlers’ expansive developments. It might not look like she has much on the board, but trust me she won, note the presence of the proverbial sheep. Corwin utilized the smaller field of play by gaining footholds on some of the more useful resources. The two development cards she purchased (a victory point and a monopoly card) aided her victory. Point totals: Corwin—9(time expired), Milliken—8, Boldan—7, me—6.

Continue reading “Settlers of Catan: Beginning of 2014 Recap”