Catan Best Starting Spots: Pick Better Numbers

The best Catan starting spots combine frequent numbers, useful resources, legal road access, low robber risk, and room to expand. There is no single best intersection on every board.

That sounds less exciting than hunting for a magic 14 pip corner, but it is the truth at our table. I once made Alex add every number around an intersection, only to have the robber sit on his favorite ore hex for most of a game. The math was good. The placement was still incomplete.

The fix is simple. Score the pair, not one corner, then check the board around it.

What Makes a Catan Starting Spot Good?

A strong Catan opening uses frequent numbers and several useful resources, then leaves roads and future settlements available. Ports matter only when you can produce enough of the matching resource to trade.

Use these five checks in this order:

1. Production. Add the pips on every numbered resource hex that touches each candidate settlement.
2. Resources. Across both settlements, look for a workable mix rather than three copies of the same easy resource.
3. Geometry. Check the distance rule, your starting road, and the route between your two settlements.
4. Robber risk. Notice which good hexes opponents can cover after the robber moves.
5. Expansion. Picture your third settlement and at least one future city or port.

Pips are a starting filter, not a victory forecast. Our Catan pips guide explains the number token values, while the number token probability guide covers the dice odds behind them.

Correct Production Math for Catan Pips

Each Catan pip represents one of 36 possible two dice results. A 6 or 8 has 5 pips, a 5 or 9 has 4, and the 2 and 12 have 1 each.

Two fair dice have 36 possible results. The dots under each Catan number show how many results produce that resource. The desert has no token and contributes zero. A 7 produces nothing and activates the robber.

Catan number	Dice results	Chance per roll	Token pips
2 or 12	1	2.78%	1
3 or 11	2	5.56%	2
4 or 10	3	8.33%	3
5 or 9	4	11.11%	4
6 or 8	5	13.89%	5
7	6	16.67%	No production

A coastal intersection normally touches two resource hexes, while an inland intersection normally touches three. Add only the pips on the resource hexes that actually touch the settlement.

A 12 pip corner can be excellent, often from a 6, 5, and 4 combination or an 8, 5, and 4 combination. The standard board does not place the 6 and 8 next to each other, so a corner cannot collect both red numbers at once. A combined 14 pip total can be useful across two settlements, but it is not a requirement and does not guarantee better play.

There is another caveat. Pips estimate production across enough rolls, not the first turn. The robber can remove a resource from one player on a 7, and poor building order can leave useful cards in hand. Treat the total as a comparison tool.

How to Choose Your Two Catan Settlements

Plan both settlement locations before you place the first piece. Choose the stronger production corner first, then use the second to add missing resources, preserve expansion, and account for the draft.

Start With the Pair

Looking for the highest corner alone can pull both settlements into the same crowded part of the board. Mark your first choice, then find two or three matching second choices.

A useful pair should offer:

• At least one 6 or 8 when the board allows it
• Several 5, 9, 4, or 10 options across the two corners
• Four or five resource types, unless the missing resource is easy to reach
• One connected road route between the settlements
• Room for a third settlement beyond the first two
• A fallback if an opponent takes the obvious neighboring intersection

The Catan resource diversification guide covers why one excellent resource is less dependable than a productive mix.

Read the Board by Player Count

The base game supports three or four players, and the draft changes how a board feels.

• With three players, cover more resources across the two settlements. Fewer opponents means more room, but it also means fewer easy trading partners.
• With four players, protect at least one expansion lane and do not surrender every strong intersection to the later picks.
• As the last player in the first pass, you choose first in the return pass. Decide early whether to pair your two choices or cover a missing resource.
• As the first player, you choose last in the return pass. Preserve a backup location instead of assuming your first corner is secure.

Setup runs in one direction for the first settlement and road of each player, then reverses for the second. Starting resource cards come from the distinct resource hexes touched by your second settlement, under the official rules.

Check Ports Without Chasing Them

A port is an exchange option, not a production bonus. A 3 to 1 port gives flexibility, while a 2 to 1 port can be strong when the matching resource is abundant across your settlements.

Before choosing a port corner, ask:

• Will I receive two copies of that resource often enough to trade?
• Can the free starting road lead toward a later coastal settlement?
• Does taking it force a weak first settlement?
• Is a better inland intersection available nearby?

The Catan port strategy guide explains how to use ports once the engine exists. A port can be a fine third or fourth settlement, but it rarely justifies abandoning clearly better production.

Robber, Desert, and Distance Rule Caveats

A good pip total does not cancel the robber, the desert, or the distance rule. Every proposed settlement must be legal, and valuable hexes still need a plan for the robber.

The robber starts on the desert in the standard base game, but it can move to a resource hex later. A strong number can disappear on a 7, so favor a pair that keeps working after losing one tile or one resource.

A coastal settlement next to the desert may still be excellent if it has good neighboring numbers, useful resources, and a port or road plan. Do not reject it simply because one touch is desert.

For every pair, confirm the official rules:

• Keep settlements at least two road edges apart.
• Build the starting road before placing the second settlement.
• Connect the two starting settlements with your own road.
• Remember that the robber steals only when a player with a settlement or city adjacent to the robber chooses one.
• Expect no resource production from the desert or from a 7.

The Catan robber placement guide covers how to use an early Knight and keep your productive hexes from becoming easy targets.

Three Practical Opening Patterns

The best Catan opening pattern depends on the board: favor strong mixed production for flexible play, road resources for expansion, or ore and wheat for city and development card tempo.

Flexible Production Pair

Choose a strong inland corner and a second settlement that adds missing resources. This is the safest general pattern for family play because it leaves several build options open.

Road Tempo Pair

Favor wood and brick when the board offers strong nearby numbers and an open third settlement location. This plan rewards early expansion, but avoid choosing weak road hexes only to complete the set.

City Tempo Pair

Favor ore and wheat when the numbers are reliable and the table is not aggressive around your build route. This supports early cities and development cards, but it still needs enough wood, brick, or trade flexibility to reach the first upgrade.

Our Catan road placement guide expands on the road tempo plan after setup.

A Thirty Second Catan Setup Checklist

Use this Catan setup checklist: total both settlements, compare resource coverage, verify roads and expansion, check robber targets, and value the port last.

1. Circle the 6s and 8s, then note the strongest 5s, 9s, 4s, and 10s nearby.
2. Add the pips for the first and second settlement as a pair.
3. Remove pairs that repeat too many numbers or miss too many needed resources.
4. Verify the starting road, the connecting road, and the distance rule.
5. Point both free roads toward useful open intersections, not empty coastline.
6. Check which opponents could put the robber on your best hex.
7. Treat a useful port as a bonus. Production and a working build plan come first.

If two choices remain close, I take the one with better resources and expansion. If the numbers are close and the resources are also close, I take the one less exposed to the robber. That is a family table judgment, not an official rule.

If you are still deciding whether Catan fits your table, our Settlers of Catan review covers the family experience, setup, and decision points beyond this opening guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Catan Starting Spots

What are the best Catan starting spots?

The best Catan starting spots combine frequent numbers, useful resources, legal roads, low robber risk, and room for expansion. Compare both settlements together instead of chasing one highest pip corner.

How many pips should a Catan settlement have?

There is no required pip total. A strong interior corner may reach 12 pips, while a useful coastal corner can score lower and still be excellent when its resources, port, and expansion options fit your plan.

Can a Catan settlement touch both a 6 and an 8?

No. The standard board does not place the 6 and 8 next to each other, so a legal corner cannot touch both. One settlement can touch one red number, and your other settlement may reach the other.

Is a Catan port better than a high pip corner?

Usually, take the better production first. A port becomes valuable when you can supply its matching resource, reach it with your roads, and have trades you need to make.

Should the first or second player take the best starting spot?

Neither seat should blindly take the highest pip corner. Plan both locations, account for the reversed setup order, protect an expansion route, and adapt when opponents block your preferred pair.