Scythe

My personal quick reference for the Scythe board game.
Other references are here.

Setup

  • Place encounter tokens and shuffled combat/encounter/objective decks
  • Place 1 random bonus tile card and nplayers + 1 factory cards
  • Characters on home base, 1 worker on each of the two adjacent hexes
  • Buildings, workers, cylinders, cubes go on player mat
  • Mechs, stars, coins go on faction mat, activation token wherever
  • Draw combat cards and place power token as shown on faction mat
  • Draw objective cards, coins, and place popularity token as per player mat
  • Start with lowest initiative (small number on player mat), then go around table

Turns and actions

  • Place activation token in a square, different from previous move
  • Resolve top and/or bottom actions in that order (all benefits are optional)
  • Resources stay on board, benefits and gains to/from any any hex you control
  • Produce move generates 1 resource per worker on chosen hexes (and mill)
  • Upgrade moves a cube from red (top) space to black/white bordered space on bottom
  • Deploy places a mech on any hex with your worker; char + all mechs gain revealed benefit
  • Enlist: Pay to move a recruit (cylinder) to one-time bonus on faction card
    • Henceforth, get the revealed bonus when you or neighbor takes that bottom action
    • Enlistment neighbor bonuses happen after turn ends, clockwise (for end of game purposes)
  • Build: place any structure on any controlled hex w/ worker (and no structures)
    • Mine: acts as tunnel
    • Mill: hex gets added to produce actions (mill acts as 1 worker)
    • Other two buildings give the revealed production benefit

Movement

  • Rivers/lakes are impassable, tunnel hexes are adjacent.
  • Home base hexes are exit only (typically)
  • All units can carry any number of resources, mechs can also carry workers
  • Combat units (player/mech) can enter enemy hexes, and can bring workers along
  • Lone workers attacked by enemy combat unit flee to home base (attacker loses 1 popularity/worker)
  • Units must stop moving when entering a hex with enemy units or an encounter token

Combat

  • Resolves at end of turn after all movement, order of multiple combats chosen by attacker
  • Combat mech abilities resolve, attacker’s first
  • Players set power dials, up to their own power rating (max 7)
  • Players may add as many combat cards as they have combat units involved
  • Reveal -> highest dial+cards wins, ties to attacker.
  • Deduct power (dial value only), discard cards, winner places star on combat slot
  • Losing units flee to home base (attacker loses 1 popularity/worker)
  • Loser draws a combat card if they played at least one power (dial + cards)

Special tiles

  • Factory
    • Triggers when character (only) ends turn on factory for the 1st time
    • Look at factory deck, choose one, goes face-up by player mat as new 5th action
    • Factory card bottom option is 1 unit moving 2 hexes, unlike regular movement
  • Encounters
    • If character (only) ends turn on hex with encounter token, remove it and draw encounter card
    • Choose option, received benefits go in that hex

Stars and end of game

  • When a 6th star is placed gameplay ends, nulling any pending combat or neighbor bonuses
  • If a combat is nulled, attacking units are returned where they moved from
  • Award extra coins per star, hex (factory=3), and 2 resources, according to popularity level
  • Award coins per the structure bonus card
  • Highest coin total wins, ties decided by list of comparisons in the rules

Misc

  • Deals/bribes are legal, but not binding and only coins can change hands
  • Coins / cards must be kept in view, but numbers need not be declared
  • Player’s cards are secret until played
  • When either objective is completed you may reveal it, discard both, and place a star

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