How to win Scythe
Today we are going to go over another favorite game. I’m going to teach you how to win Scythe, so everyone can hate you.
This game can seem like a beast if it’s your first time playing it, but it’s actually not too bad. And it actually didn’t take too long to crack it’s code on how to get a good rhythm going.
I am not going to talk about how to play Scythe. So if you do not understand this game, please go read the rules, play it a few times, and then come back.
Ok let’s get into it. I first want you to get a mindset on how to think from the beginning. So no matter what faction or board you get, you can think your way through your first 4 turns before anyone even starts.
The very first “ah ha!” moment most people get is when they realize that you need to get yourself in a position where you can do the top action, and the bottom action, on the same turn. This is a very crucial point, but not the whole of it.
What I mean by that is you need to think further ahead than just “oh look! I can do both actions next turn!” But rather, think about how your bottom action is going to help your next top action to get you another bottom action. These chains can last for many turns if you do it right, and that’s how you need to think.
So let’s pull up a random faction and board and talk about what first 4 actions could get you a great start.
Republic of Polania with the engineering board.
Here’s my first thought: I see building gives me the most money and I start on a wood, I’m getting the building star and trying to accomodate for the end of the game building points for that particular game.
1st turn Ill do: Top action: Trade for 2 wood
2nd turn: Top action: Produce 1 wood and 1 food
3rd turn: Top action: bolster 2 / Bottom action: build my mill on my food because I know my enlist will only cost me 2 food once I upgrade it.
4th turn: With my mill I can produce to get 2 more food to grab my first enlist (mech enlist is crucial for beginning of the game)
So this is how I’m thinking the entire time, trying to plot out 3 to 4 turns ahead. Optimizing top actions with bottom actions.
Here’s something else I noticed that I think is important to note. Each board has a limit to the amount of coins it can produce. Here’s a chart as an example.
These are all the coins each board can produce if you do all the bottom actions.
Industrial: 34
Engineering: 33
Agricultural: 33
Patriotic: 32
Mechanical: 30
By this logic you would assume that Industrial is the best board, but notice where most of it’s coins come from. If you think you’ll be upgrading everything, then you’ve already lost. You don’t want to be wasting turns on upgrading things you wont be using. Best upgrades are Move, Bolster, Popularity or Produce. So you really only need to be upgrading 3 times per game.
My favorite overall board is Agriculture.
The best bottom action is going to be your Enlist. This gives the most reward. Make sure you are enlisting for coins first. Everyone should be building mechs, so this enlist is good to get early like I mentioned before.
Let’s see how the chart changes if we do 3 upgrades, but still complete the other actions.
Industrial: 25
Engineering: 27
Agricultural: 30
Patriotic: 29
Mechanical: 30
With agriculture being the most relevant coin producer, it makes it the best. Mechanical ties with agriculture in total numbers, but agriculture gets more money from enlist: The most powerful bottom action.
Ok let’s move on to frequently asked questions:
Can you win in 15 turns? Yes, you can go google it, you need the right faction with the right board. Pretty sure it’s Rusviet with Industrial.
What’s the best faction? Easy, the russians. Next.
Should I rush to get to the factory first? No, In fact you should be the last one to the factory. One of the most satisfying ways to win is by camping around the factory and then ending the game by taking it over. Having at the end is what matters most.
Which mech should I deploy first? Usually that’s going to be your speed mech, movement is very important in an area control game
Which building should I build first? The mine, or the mill for situations that you want extra resources now for a certain bottom action coming up next. Mine with speed mech can do more than a monument with a river walk mech.
Should I get all my workers? Maybe, definitely not early game. You’ll want to get enough before you have to start paying popularity to produce. So 5 workers is the best spot to be in. If not 5, then go all the way to 8 and finish it for a star. If you only have 2 workers the whole game, you’re going to lose in a competitive match.
Should I always get my objective done? Don’t waste your time to go out of your way to get an objective if it stalls your other plans for the rest of the stars. But if you’re lucky and get an easy one, that raises your chances of winning. So I do always try to see if i can fit it in. but I don’t always go for it.
What are the best stars to get? Enlist should always be there. Then think of a military. Mechs and buildings are up there somewhere. Power is almost always done. The last one can be the objective, workers, or another battle depending on your game. Going for upgrades and popularity are just too time consuming in my opinion.
Alright that’s it. I know I’m not the best player, not in any competitions or anything. But from playing it a ton and watching others, these strategies get a lot of wins. Let me know what you guys have done differently to win. And don’t forget to like and subscribe for more videos on how to win board games.