Tips scythe

Pre-Game

Pick 6 stars you want to achieve:

• Generally you always want worker star, objective star, and 1-2 combat stars.

If picking factions:

• Tier 1 = Crimea/Rusviet

• Tier 2 = Polania/Saxony/Nordic (in that order)

When bidding for faction/player mats, the lowest order number on the player mats is the starting player, but these numbers are not shown on BGA. The numbers are as follows:

1. Industrial
2. Engineering
3. Patriotic
4. Mechanical
5. Agricultural

Plan to abuse your faction’s power:

• Crimea = enlist a lot

• Rusviet = Get stars and factory fast

• Polania = move a lot and gain encounters

• Saxony = tons of fighting and objectives

• Nordic = hide and accumulate resources, usually

Abuse lake retreat.

Early Game

Beginning of the game until midgame

• Get workers on village

• Get workers on tiles that match the bottom row stars you want to pursue

• Get 1-2 mechs

• Quick factory card if you don’t have the resources you want nearby

• 1-2 early upgrades can be helpful for smoothing out later production

Mid-Game

Mid-game begins once most players start to have access to the middle of the board and can hit other people’s resources.

• Make sure to start hammering out your stars (don’t let a game end when you have 3 mechs/buildings/enlists).

• Watch who has lots of stars and try to track how quickly they will end the game

• Track who can attack you and who you can attack (riverwalk and lakewalk abilities can be complicated here).

• Take advantageous combats as long as it won’t mess up your other star plans.

• Interfere with opponents who are winning.

Endgame

Triggered once someone is 1-3 turns away from winning.

• Focus on spreading out your troops as much as you can without giving away easy combats

• Finish final stars even if you might not get 6 stars.

– If you are rushing the game, end it quickly.

– If you are playing slowly, delay these turns as long as possible (2+ extra endgame turns usually destroys the rush players).