by lostphd
I like most of the debate here, but I notice no-one has mentioned the "charcoal/business office" route around coke and steel. Especially in four and five-player games. I have seen games at this count NEVER get to Coke/Steel because of inefficient play among one or more players.This is why 4P and 5P Le Havre shine to me - the game gets so unpredictable that marginal actions (like shipping 3 cattle) can have large implications. In a 2P game, I'd never make such a small shipping move.
Mind you, I've only managed a dozen plays at these larger counts. Most of my plays have been solo (an enjoyable half a hour for me now after 100+ plays) or 2-player. And in the 2-player, as everyone has said, you are battling for coke and steel for most of the latter part of the game. But it's such a fun battle I won't be giving it up any time soon.