Rival
Otto
“Shuffle up. I am taking Longest Road, deal with it.” Otto is the loud one: competitive, sarcastic, gloats when he’s winning and rages when he’s robbed. He also has the shortest fuse at the table.
How Otto plays
Otto plays for tempo. He builds roads early, chases Longest Road, buys knights and uses the robber on whoever's leading, or on whoever annoyed him last. He trades less than the others, and when he does, he wants the better end of it.
What sets him off
Everything, a bit more than everyone else. Otto's temper is the highest at the table, so every refused trade, robbery and blocked road counts extra. Turn him down twice and you'll hear about it:
“Wow. Okay. Remember this moment.”
Then the robber starts drifting your way.
He bluffs
Ask Otto what he's holding and he's the rival most likely to lie. If he says he has no ore, he might just not want to give it to you.
How to beat Otto
- Don't fight him for Longest Road early unless you can win it outright. Taking it from him is one of the biggest grudges in the game.
- If you have to refuse him, sweeten something else. A generous deal later cools him down faster than waiting.
- Use promises. Promising to keep the robber off Otto for two rounds, and keeping that promise, is one of the cheapest ways to buy peace.
- Let him go after the leader. If someone else is ahead, Otto will spend his robber and his anger on them. Try not to be that person.
Questions people ask
Does Otto swear?
At an uncensored table, constantly. Set the table to clean or mild language and he keeps it to playful insults.
Is Otto the hardest rival?
He’s the most punishing to annoy. Juno is often the hardest to beat on points.
Otto’s already at the table. He says you look like a pushover.
Take a seat