Things You'll Need:
- Puerto Rico board game
- Puerto Rico expansion pieces (free download)
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Step 1
Draft towards what you like and away from what you don't. Sure, anyone can end up buying the buildings and it's hard to know what strategies you'll end up using. But if you know you like warehousing, you may as well draft warehouses into the game. And if you know you hate when other players abuse the library, it's worth drafting the other 8-point buildings to keep the library out of the game. Drafting is your opportunity to affect what type of game you play, so don't let it pass you by.
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Step 2
Identify synergies in the buildings that have been drafted. The Forest House may be well-nigh useless on its own, but with the Hacienda (and possibly Library) it gives you quick quarries that don't need to be manned. Filling your plantation with forests is also an easy way to score Cloister points.
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Step 3
Consider that Specialty Factory is another synergistic building. Combine it with Aqueduct or Library if you can get them along with some heavy production and the Craftsman bonus barrel and you'll soon be rolling in doubloons. Union Hall is expensive, but if paired with a warehouse, will allow you to keep most of the barrels out of the game while slowly gathering Victory Points
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Step 4
Consider that the Library is considered by many players to be too good. This means that if it's in your game and you can grab it before the game is about to end, you should do so. Library is the most versatile building in the game, providing bonuses to you no matter what your play style, strategy or role that you pick. It is the single most talked-about building in the entire expansion.
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Step 5
Be aware that the expansion also adds two new buildings that support sudden game-ending plays. The Guesthouse allows you to move colonists from it at any time, thereby populating a last minute big building purchase without needing to choose Mayor. Failing that, the Statue is a simple 8-point big building with no need to be populated, making it the perfect final building to buy in the final round.
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Step 6
Know that the Trading Post is often underrated because you cannot use markets with it. However, it allows you to trade goods without emptying the trading hut, which can be devastating if your opponents are only producing three types of goods. A mostly filled, never emptying trading hut definitely benefits you if you can continue using your Trading Post.
