Scythe and Kris Kringle Part 2

Played Scythe for the first time last night.

I didn't read the rules or watch any online gameplay videos, instead  letting the others (Ara, Jack and Liam) explain the gameplay to me... more than once as I learnt what the symbols meant.

Everyone's player mats change each game and your faction bestows different abilities. It took a little while for me to determine the strengths and weaknesses of my particular combination. But the steep learning curve was worth it - and like everyone else I agree it is a beautiful game.

This complexity starts off with a slow pace, that gets noticeably faster about mid-game. It makes you realise you didn’t plan at all. And gets you to compare all the strategies everyone was working on (Ara was speeding through the tunnels to pick all the Encounter Cards and avoiding combat).

As the Rusviet Union (Soviet) and a new player, my strategy was very basic - create workers, then work towards building mechs, then expanding out. A better strategy is to be working on several goals concurrently - and leveraging the synergies off that.

With all that our final placings was relatively closely grouped together - but Liam still managed to win again (the third times the others had played, and the third time he'd won). I would play Scythe again - but it's definitely not a game for a group that doesn't play a lot of board games.

Nic dropped in to see a little of the game and exchange Kris Krigle presents. Ara got a Necromunda fighter from Liam (the photo doesn't do justice of the detailed camo Liam painted on the pants), Ara painted some wild west gunslingers for Jack, who in turn painted the Salute 2019 (Mother Eureka) miniature for Nic (I didn't get a photo), Nic got me a hilarious-looking German game (translates as "which butt is where?") and an updated 28mm deer that will go well with my Scots Montrose project. Jack also gifted my some zombies from Mantic's The Walking Dead: All Out War game - almost all being sculpts I didn't have.

This year definitely ended better than I thought - Merry Christmas to you and your family, may 2021 be bigger and better!