In a previous guide, we introduced you to the world of Scythe, its setting, factions, and components. Now, we’ll delve into the core gameplay mechanics, strategies, and tips that will help you become a more skilled Scythe player. We’ll explore action selection, resource management, combat, and more.

Scythe Core Gameplay Mechanics

Action Selection

At the heart of Scythe’s gameplay is its unique action selection mechanism. On your turn, you choose one section of your player mat to perform actions. Each section offers a top-row action (Move, Produce, Trade, or Bolster) and a bottom-row action (Upgrade, Deploy, Build, or Recruit). You can perform the top action and, if you have the resources, the bottom action as well.

This system requires careful planning and strategy. You must think ahead, envisioning how your current move will set up your next one. Creating synergy between your top and bottom actions is crucial. For instance, if you’re planning to upgrade (a bottom-row action), it’s beneficial to produce (a top-row action) in the preceding turn to ensure you have the necessary resources.

Remember, Scythe is not a solitaire game. Always watch what your opponents are doing and be ready to adapt your plans based on their actions. This flexibility can often be the difference between victory and defeat.

Resource Management

In Scythe, you’ll be managing four types of resources: food, wood, metal, and oil. These resources are essential for building structures, deploying mechs, recruiting characters, and upgrading actions. However, resource management in Scythe comes with a unique twist – resources remain on the board, making them susceptible to theft by other players.

To protect your resources:

• Use your mechs and character to guard them. An opponent cannot control a territory (and thus steal resources) if your mech or character is present.
• Place your workers strategically to both produce resources and deter opponents. A high concentration of workers can discourage attacks.
• Spend resources in a timely manner. Accumulating resources can be risky, so consider using them when you have enough for a bottom-row action.

Balancing the accumulation of resources with protecting them from your opponents is key to your strategy. Always be aware of the resources you need for your next moves and how vulnerable they are to theft.

Combat System

While Scythe is not primarily a combat-focused game, the combat system is crucial to its strategic depth. Combat may occur at the end of a player’s Move action if their character and/or mechs share a territory with an opponent’s units.

Key points about the Scythe combat system:

• Combat is possible even if you have 0 power and/or 0 popularity.
• The attacking player has a slight advantage. If they have a mech ability that impacts combat, they use it first. Also, if combat results in a tie, the attacker wins.
• Other players may try influencing the combating players by bribing them with coins.

Combat in Scythe involves a mix of bluffing, strategy, and power resource management. It’s not just about having the most power – it’s about using it wisely and knowing when to engage in combat.

Balancing power and popularity is crucial. High power can intimidate opponents, deterring them from attacking you. However, gaining power often requires spending popularity, so manage this trade-off wisely. On the other hand, high popularity can yield more points at the end of the game, which is beneficial if you’re planning a more peaceful, building-focused strategy.

Strategy Tips for Scythe Beginners

As a new player, the game’s complexity might feel overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Balancing Engine Building and Expansion

• Focus on early resource production: In your first few turns, try to set up a solid resource-generating engine by spreading your workers across different resource-producing hexes.
• Don’t neglect popularity: While it’s tempting to focus solely on resources and expansion, popularity plays a crucial role in end-game scoring. Aim to be just over the cusp of tier 3 on the popularity track, or at least in tier 2 for a faster strategy.
• Plan your actions: Create synergy between your top and bottom-row actions. For example, if you’re planning to upgrade (a bottom-row action), produce resources (a top-row action) in the turn before.
  

Effective Use of Mechs

• Deploy mechs strategically: Each faction has unique mech abilities. Use them to your advantage for both defence and mobility.
• Use mechs for deterrence: The presence of mechs can discourage opponents from attacking your territories.
• Explore the map: Use your mechs to reach encounter tokens and the Factory, which can provide valuable bonuses and resources.
  

Managing Popularity

• Understand the trade-offs: Gaining popularity often means forgoing other advantages. Consider carefully whether the boost in popularity is worth it.
• Aim for the right tier: Being just over the cusp of tier 3 in popularity is often ideal. If you’re going for a faster strategy, aim for being in tier 2.
• Balance popularity with other goals: High popularity alone won’t win you the game. You need to balance it with acquiring territories, stars, and resources.

By keeping these strategies in mind, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of Scythe. The key to success lies in balancing various aspects of the game – resource management, territorial expansion, combat, and popularity.

Conclusion

Mastering Scythe requires a balance of engine-building, territorial expansion, resource management, and strategic use of combat. By understanding the game’s mechanics and planning your actions carefully, you can develop effective strategies tailored to your faction’s strengths. Each game of Scythe presents new challenges, ensuring a fresh and engaging experience every time you play.

With these tips and a deeper understanding of the gameplay mechanics, you’re now equipped to explore the complexities of Scythe. Whether you’re seeking to dominate through combat or achieve victory through careful resource management, Scythe offers a rewarding journey for players willing to engage in its strategic depth.

Frequently asked questions about Scythe

How is the starting player determined in Scythe?

In Scythe, the starting player is chosen based on the number on the bottom left of each player’s faction mat. The player with the lowest number goes first. Here’s how it works:

1. Faction Mat Number: Each faction mat has a unique number ranging from 1 to 7, depending on which factions are in play. These numbers help determine the turn order.
2. Lowest Number Goes First: The player with the lowest number on their faction mat starts the game.
3. Clockwise Order: After the first player is decided, the play continues clockwise around the table.

This method adds a layer of strategy since the choice of faction not only affects abilities and starting locations but also influences turn order.

What is the typical duration of a Scythe game?

A game of Scythe usually lasts around 90 to 120 minutes. The duration can vary depending on the number of players and how familiar they are with the game mechanics.

Is Scythe a hard board game?

Yes, Scythe is generally considered challenging, especially for beginners or those not used to medium to heavy-weight strategy games. Here’s why:

1. Complexity of Rules and Mechanics:
   • Scythe combines various mechanics like resource management, area control, combat, engine-building, and unique player powers. Understanding how these interconnect is crucial to forming an effective strategy.
   • The game involves numerous actions, each with its own rules. Learning how to optimise these actions can be challenging.
2. Strategic Depth:
   • Players must plan several moves ahead, balancing the need to gather resources, expand territory, and engage in combat. Poor management can lead to long-term consequences.
   • Faction abilities, random objectives, and encounters add further complexity, requiring players to adapt their strategies.
3. Multiple Paths to Victory:
   • Players can win in various ways, such as gaining popularity, winning combats, achieving objectives, or building structures. Choosing a strategy based on faction strengths and game state is key.
4. Combat and Player Interaction:
   • Though not the main focus, the threat of combat is always present. Managing military forces and resources for both deterrence and offence is necessary, requiring careful balance.
5. Resource and Territory Management:
   • Effective resource management is crucial. Building structures, deploying mechs, and upgrading abilities all rely on gathering and using resources strategically.
6. Learning Curve:
   • New players may take time to learn the rules and grasp the interplay between various mechanics. A few games are often needed to fully understand and develop effective strategies.
7. Player Decision-Making:
   • Every decision can have significant consequences. Knowing when to expand, engage in combat, or upgrade requires thoughtful planning.

Scythe rewards strategic planning and adaptability. While challenging, it offers a rich experience for those who enjoy deep strategy games with multiple layers of decision-making.

What are the encounter cards used for in Scythe?

Encounter cards represent narrative moments when a player’s character moves to a territory containing an encounter token. These cards add a thematic element by offering choices that impact strategy. Here’s how they work:

1. Triggering an Encounter:
   • When a character enters a territory with an encounter token, movement stops, and the player draws an encounter card.
   • The encounter token is removed from the board, and the card is resolved.
2. Choices on the Card:
   • Each card offers three options, often including benefits or trade-offs involving resources, popularity, power, or other elements.
   • The options provide narrative flavour, making each decision feel immersive. For example, you might help local villagers for a popularity boost, bribe them for resources, or exploit them for a temporary advantage.
3. Types of Rewards or Costs:
   • Resources: Gain wood, metal, food, or oil.
   • Popularity: Increase or decrease your popularity level.
   • Combat Power: Gain power or combat cards.
   • Movement/Combat Bonuses: Some encounters may allow additional movement or affect nearby enemies.
4. Strategic Importance:
   • Encounter cards can significantly affect strategy. The rewards are helpful, but players must weigh the consequences carefully.
   • They can provide resources, boost popularity, or give a quick advantage in an area where you might be falling behind.
5. Narrative Flair:
   • Encounter cards add storytelling to the game, giving players thematic choices in the alternate-history world of 1920s Europa.

Example of an Encounter Card:

• “You find a group of villagers with surplus food.”
  • Option 1: Share your food to gain their trust (+1 popularity).
  • Option 2: Trade supplies (gain 2 oil and 1 wood).
  • Option 3: Use your mechs to seize resources (gain 4 metals but lose 1 popularity).

Encounter cards not only offer tactical benefits but also introduce role-playing and immersion.

What are monstrous mechs used for in Scythe?

Mechs are essential for movement, combat, and territory control. They provide additional benefits through abilities unlocked when deployed. Here’s how they are used:

1. Combat:
   • Mechs play a central role in combat, helping you defend territories or attack opponents. They carry workers and engage in combat, with strength determined by your combat cards and power.
   • Combat in Scythe is partly deterministic, as players choose how much power to spend, adding strategic depth.
2. Movement:
   • Mechs facilitate movement across rivers and various terrains, often using special abilities based on faction upgrades. For example, the “Riverwalk” ability allows mechs and characters to cross rivers, bypassing natural barriers.
3. Protecting Workers:
   • Mechs protect workers from combat. If a worker is alone in a territory and an enemy enters, that worker must retreat, losing resources. With a mech, the worker is defended, preventing retreat.
4. Mech Abilities:
   • Each faction has four unique abilities unlocked as mechs are deployed. These abilities can include combat bonuses, mobility boosts, or defensive options.
   • Examples:
     • “Speed”: Increases movement range.
     • “Submerge” (Nordic faction): Allows movement between lakes.
     • “Underpass” (Crimean faction): Move between tunnels as if adjacent.
5. Control Territories and Resources:
   • Mechs are crucial for controlling key territories, especially resource-rich areas or strategic locations like the Factory. More controlled territories boost influence and end-game scoring.
6. Deterrence:
   • The presence of mechs deters opponents from invading, as they risk combat losses and the associated costs, such as popularity and resources.

Summary of Mech Uses:

• Combat Power: Engage in battles and defend.
• Enhanced Mobility: Move across difficult terrain.
• Worker Protection: Shield workers from the retreat.
• Unlockable Abilities: Gain bonuses for movement and combat.
• Territory Control: Secure areas for end-game scoring.

Knowing when to deploy and use mechs effectively is key to mastering Scythe.

What is the mysterious Factory in Scythe?

The Factory is a central, valuable location on the board, representing the technological and industrial power in 1920s Europa. Here’s its significance:

1. Strategic Location:
   • Located at the centre of the board, the Factory is a priority for players to control. Reaching it allows a player to draw Factory cards – powerful action cards providing a special fourth action on their mat.
2. Controlling the Factory:
   • Controlling the Factory is crucial as it counts as three territories during end-game scoring, offering a significant point boost. This makes it one of the most contested spaces on the board.
3. Movement Towards the Factory:
   • Players often prioritise reaching the Factory early. However, once a character reaches it, they must stop, requiring planning and timing.

Thematic and Narrative Importance:

1. The Factory’s History:
   • In Scythe’s lore, the Factory was a city-state that fueled the first great war by producing powerful mechs. Its closure sparked interest from surrounding nations seeking its technology and resources.
2. Technological Superiority:
   • The Factory’s advanced technology offers players a significant advantage, representing the key to future power in Europa.

The Factory is both a narrative and strategic centrepiece of Scythe. It provides a powerful advantage through Factory cards, boosts end-game scoring, and is a hotspot for competition. It represents the remnants of technological superiority, offering access to advanced capabilities for those who control it.