Quick winning principles
- Take Builder when you have three buildings ready and opponents cannot afford to follow.
- Choose corn as first good unless indigo plant comes free on turn one.
- Fill the ship only when it clears your warehouse at full price—never for one doubloon.
- Prospector when you need colonists more than opponents need gold.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Role selection: alternate between roles only you can exploit—Builder with discount buildings, Craftsman when you hold five coffee.
- 2
Corn vs indigo: corn funds early colonists; switch to coffee or tobacco before the builder engine peaks.
- 3
Builder timing: five buildings plus three quarries makes each Builder role worth 8+ VP over two turns.
- 4
Shipping denial: leave one space on a ship to trap opponents' goods in warehouse.
- 5
Colonist rush: Hacienda plus early Prospector yields three colonists before opponents fill production buildings.
- 6
Endgame: factory and large buildings score only if occupied—colonist placement is the hidden clock.