<p>Player 4 shouldn't be playing Craftsman, knowing that player 5 will Captain.</p>

<p>Sure, if he player 4 uses Craftsman, players 4 and 5 get a 1-2 VP advantage over players 1-3, but they'd both be better off Prospecting this early in the game.</p>

<p>So the following is a good alternative:</p>

<p>Player 4: <strong>Prospector</strong></p>

<p>Player 5: <strong>Prospector</strong> or <strong>Craftsman</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2011-02-11T19:40:39.407Z
2011-02-11T19:50:30.350Z
2011-02-11T19:50:30.350Z
warbaker
<p>It seems like you may be asking for a variant.  </p>

<p>You can vary things in many ways</p>

<ol>
<li>Pre-seed roles with money.</li>
<li>Use a closed money auction mechanic instead of turn order.</li>
<li>Make a certain role unavailable first round</li>
<li>Draw roles randomly first round</li>
<li>Invert benefits first round.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2011-02-11T05:29:53.443Z
2011-02-11T05:29:53.443Z
Neal Tibrewala
<p>The first pull, barring extraordinary tile draws, should be Settler->Quarry.  I agree with Pat that Prospector is better than Craftsman for player 4.</p>

<p>A great strategy guide is <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/13812/the-039best039-puerto-rico-strategy-startegy-amp" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-22T16:04:58.480Z
2011-05-22T16:04:58.480Z
Lance Roberts
<p>In a 5 player game, if the 2nd player gets coffee, they may take prospector and then builder on the next round and build a coffee roaster as their first building. It can work out well for them, since the player will be able to trade coffee unblocked for several rounds.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-22T16:05:29.603Z
Coffee can be dangerous that early, since smart players will make you ship it, and it will always be shipbound.
Lance Roberts
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-27T00:05:12.913Z
@lance -- then they're clogging a boat with coffee and can't ship as well themselves, so I'm making as many shipping VPs as they are.
Chris Dodd
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-05-27T01:46:37.123Z
@Chris, yes, but in the beginning of the game, money is what's important, so it's usually best to bring up a second good to protect your coffee (or tabbaco), so you can ship other stuff, and sell your good trading commodity.  There's always exceptions to the rule of course.
Lance Roberts
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-29T21:07:57.930Z
@Lance, sure I do even better if they let me sell the coffee, but I'm still doing at least as well as others if I'm forced to ship it.  So its not really 'dangerous' to get the coffee, it just might not give me an immediate lock on winning.
Chris Dodd
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-02-10T02:33:43.303Z
2011-05-22T15:43:23.923Z
2011-05-22T15:43:23.923Z
FigBug
<p>I doubt there's a significantly different first round order.  Certainly at the beginning there are very few options that are of use.  We often see a prospector in fourth and fifth, the rational being:</p>

<ul>
<li>If the fourth player produces then the fifth player may take prospector (or trader in the unlikely event they managed to get a small market).</li>
<li>A player on corn wants to save up for a more profitable good.</li>
</ul>

<p>So in short the five player first round sequences that we tend to see are:</p>

<p>[Settler/Builder], [Builder/Settler], Mayor, [Craftsman/Prospector], [Captain/Craftsman/Prospector/Trader].</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-23T06:47:49.227Z
We always have Prospector for the 4th and 5th roles on the first round.
Lance Roberts
CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-23T06:19:44.380Z
2010-10-23T06:19:44.380Z
tttppp
<p>I'm a big fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_%28board_game%29" rel="noreferrer">Puerto Rico</a>.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WL1Ah.jpg" alt="Puerto Rico"></p>

<p>But one thing that bugs me a little bit in my (5 player) games is how stable the first round is, with regards to role choices.</p>

<p>It (almost) always goes:  </p>

<ol>
<li>Settler</li>
<li>Builder</li>
<li>Mayor</li>
<li>Craftsman</li>
<li>Captain</li>
</ol>

<p>The rationale is pretty straightforward:</p>

<ol>
<li>A quarry will be manned by round 2*, since Mayor will almost certain be chosen</li>
<li>Guaranteed to have highest purchasing power, and all buildings are available</li>
<li>Guaranteed to have an unmanned building (with a chance of a first round indigo)</li>
<li>Practically guaranteed to have a manned corn, and no other player can produce 2 goods</li>
<li>No-one can ship for more than 2 victory points</li>
</ol>

<p>Every now and then we'll get <em>crazy</em> and swap the order on Builder and Settler.</p>

<p>My question is, <strong>are there any significantly different first round role orders that are just as viable?</strong></p>

<p><sub>*Which is great efficiency for a quarry.</sub></p>

<puerto-rico><turn-order>
Viable, alternative, first round role orders in 5-player Puerto Rico
Kevin Montrose
# Viable, alternative, first round role orders in 5-player Puerto Rico

(Asked by: username_0 on 2010-10-23)

I'm a big fan of [Puerto Rico](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_%28board_game%29).

![Puerto Rico](https://i.sstatic.net/WL1Ah.jpg)

But one thing that bugs me a little bit in my (5 player) games is how stable the first round is, with regards to role choices.

It (almost) always goes:

1. Settler
2. Builder
3. Mayor
4. Craftsman
5. Captain

The rationale is pretty straightforward:

1. A quarry will be manned by round 2\*, since Mayor will almost certain be chosen
2. Guaranteed to have highest purchasing power, and all buildings are available
3. Guaranteed to have an unmanned building (with a chance of a first round indigo)
4. Practically guaranteed to have a manned corn, and no other player can produce 2 goods
5. No-one can ship for more than 2 victory points

Every now and then we'll get *crazy* and swap the order on Builder and Settler.

My question is, **are there any significantly different first round role orders that are just as viable?**

\*Which is great efficiency for a quarry.

**Tags:** puerto-rico, turn-order


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2010-10-23. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

I doubt there's a significantly different first round order. Certainly at the beginning there are very few options that are of use. We often see a prospector in fourth and fifth, the rational being:

* If the fourth player produces then the fifth player may take prospector (or trader in the unlikely event they managed to get a small market).
* A player on corn wants to save up for a more profitable good.

So in short the five player first round sequences that we tend to see are:

[Settler/Builder], [Builder/Settler], Mayor, [Craftsman/Prospector], [Captain/Craftsman/Prospector/Trader].

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: We always have Prospector for the 4th and 5th roles on the first round.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-02-11. Score: 5

Player 4 shouldn't be playing Craftsman, knowing that player 5 will Captain.

Sure, if he player 4 uses Craftsman, players 4 and 5 get a 1-2 VP advantage over players 1-3, but they'd both be better off Prospecting this early in the game.

So the following is a good alternative:

Player 4: **Prospector**

Player 5: **Prospector** or **Craftsman**


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2011-02-11. Score: 2

It seems like you may be asking for a variant.

You can vary things in many ways

1. Pre-seed roles with money.
2. Use a closed money auction mechanic instead of turn order.
3. Make a certain role unavailable first round
4. Draw roles randomly first round
5. Invert benefits first round.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2011-05-22. Score: 1

The first pull, barring extraordinary tile draws, should be Settler->Quarry. I agree with Pat that Prospector is better than Craftsman for player 4.

A great strategy guide is [here](http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/13812/the-039best039-puerto-rico-strategy-startegy-amp).


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2011-02-10. Score: 1

In a 5 player game, if the 2nd player gets coffee, they may take prospector and then builder on the next round and build a coffee roaster as their first building. It can work out well for them, since the player will be able to trade coffee unblocked for several rounds.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Coffee can be dangerous that early, since smart players will make you ship it, and it will always be shipbound.  
> **username_5**: @lance -- then they're clogging a boat with coffee and can't ship as well themselves, so I'm making as many shipping VPs as they are.  
> **username_3**: @Chris, yes, but in the beginning of the game, money is what's important, so it's usually best to bring up a second good to protect your coffee (or tabbaco), so you can ship other stuff, and sell your good trading commodity.  There's always exceptions to the rule of course.  
> **username_5**: @Lance, sure I do even better if they let me sell the coffee, but I'm still doing at least as well as others if I'm forced to ship it.  So its not really 'dangerous' to get the coffee, it just might not give me an immediate lock on winning.  

---

