Second Settlement Strategies

Why the Second Settlement Is So Important

Most beginners agonize over their first settlement placement and then quickly drop their second settlement wherever seems decent. That's backwards. Your first settlement usually picks itself — you take the highest-pip, most-contested spot. Your second settlement is where real strategy begins, because it determines which resources you'll have access to and which you'll have to trade for throughout the entire game.

Think of it this way: your first settlement is your engine. Your second settlement is your steering wheel. The engine gives you power, but the steering wheel determines where you actually go.

Complementing Your First Placement

Before placing your second settlement, list what your first settlement gives you. Then identify the gaps:

Filling Resource Gaps

First settlement has Brick + Lumber? → Your second needs Ore, Grain, or Wool. Without these, you can build roads but not settlements or cities.
First settlement has Ore + Grain? → Your second needs Brick + Lumber. Without these, you can upgrade cities but can't expand.
First settlement has three of a kind? → Your second absolutely must diversify. Three lumber hexes on your first settlement means you need everything else from your second.

Filling Probability Gaps

Resource type isn't enough — you also need production volume. If your first settlement is on a 6, 8, and 5 (13 pips), your second settlement can afford to be on slightly lower numbers like 9, 10, and 4 (10 pips) because your total production is still solid. But if your first settlement was forced onto a 3, 11, and 4 (7 pips), your second settlement desperately needs high pips to compensate.

Target: Aim for 20+ combined pips across both settlements. Below 18 and you'll frequently have turns where you collect nothing, which feels terrible and puts you behind on tempo.

Second Settlement Archetypes

Depending on your first settlement, your second settlement typically falls into one of these archetypes:

The Balancer

Covers the resources your first settlement lacks. If your first is brick/lumber/wool, your balancing second is ore/grain/anything. This is the most common and safest archetype. It gives you access to every building type from the start with no trade dependency.

The Balancer: Settlement 1 (Brick/Lumber/Ore), Settlement 2 (Ore/Grain/Wool) — fully diversified.

The Doubler

Doubles down on your first settlement's resources. If your first is ore/grain, your second is also ore/grain. This creates a powerful specialized engine but leaves you completely dependent on trades for other resources. Use this when the specialty resources are on dominant numbers (6, 8) and you have a port or willing trade partners.

The Port Connector

Settles near a port that converts the resource you produce most. This is a mid-game investment — your second settlement might produce less initially, but the port discount compounds over time. Best when your first settlement has a strong surplus of one resource.

The Blocker

Placed to cut off an opponent's expansion path. Sometimes the best spot for your second settlement isn't the highest-pip option — it's the one that blocks a strong opponent from reaching a key area. This is advanced and situational, but devastating when executed correctly.

How Draft Position Affects Your Second Settlement

Positions 1 and 2 (Second Settlement Last)

You placed first but pick second last. By the time your second settlement rolls around, 6-7 settlements are already on the board. Many good spots are taken or blocked. Your strategy: prioritize resource gaps over pip count. Take whatever gives you the missing resources, even if the numbers are mediocre.

Positions 3 and 4 (Second Settlement Early)

You pick your second settlement sooner, meaning better options are still available. You can afford to be pickier about numbers and location. Position 4 is particularly strong here — you place both settlements back-to-back and can optimize the pair together without worrying about interference between picks.

Initial Road Direction

Your second settlement's initial road matters just as much as the settlement itself. The road signals your expansion direction and puts you one step closer to your third settlement site. Think about:

Point toward your next target — Where will your third settlement go? Build the road in that direction.
Connect toward your first settlement — A connected road network is eventually important for Longest Road. If possible, build your second settlement's road toward your first settlement's network.
Don't point into no-man's-land — A road pointing away from all other hexes has no expansion value. Always road toward resource hexes, not away from them.

Pro tip: In a 4-player game, your second settlement collects resources from the start of the game — including from the remaining setup placements. This means your second settlement's resources are what you'll have in hand when the main game begins. Choose resources that let you build immediately on turn 1 (a road costs only 1 brick + 1 lumber).

Common Second Settlement Mistakes

Duplicating your first settlement — If both settlements produce the same three resources, you have zero diversity. Trade dependency will cripple you.
Chasing the "best" spot blindly — The highest-pip remaining intersection might give you resources you already produce heavily. The complementary spot with 2 fewer pips is usually better.
Placing too close to your first — Settlements 1 road apart can't expand because there's no room for new settlements between them. Space them at least 3-4 edges apart.
Forgetting about initial resources — Your second settlement gives you starting resources from adjacent hexes. These resources determine your first turn. Don't place on hexes where the starting resources are useless to you.