Factory Cards

Welcome to our Factory Cards strategy! There have been some requests for this so we decided to put some ideas together. We then ran those ideas by some of Scythe’s top Digital Edition players. So, without further delay, we hope you find this article useful!

At the center of both the board and the story of Scythe is the Factory. Storywise, the Factory played a role in the Great War, supplying war machines and advanced technology for the time. It later stopped working for unknown reasons, and is now attracting the attention of surrounding power hungry nations.

As far as game play, the Factory expands the player’s mat with one additional action row option in the form of a Factory Card. This is obtained by moving a faction’s Hero to the Factory tile and choosing from the remaining cards. For the purposes of end game scoring, any faction that controls the Factory counts it as three hexes as opposed to one.

What are Factory Cards?

As mentioned before, Factory Cards can be drawn from on the first visit a player makes to the Factory. There a player can pick from a pool of random cards that add an additional series of actions to their player mats. Each card has a unique top row action or option of actions. Additionally, a special bottom row Factory Move action. This special Move action adds one additional hex to a single unit’s current move speed.

What Factory Cards are Generally Best?

As an addition to the player mat, all Factory Cards have some sort of value, even if just for the additional Move action. However; not all cards are equally as good or beneficial as the others. Almost always, this has to do with what your goals are in the game. For instance, what Stars you’re trying to achieve. In many cases, players prefer the cards that give them bottom row actions. Cards such as Card #2 which gives an Enlist or Upgrade as a trade for 1 Popularity. For the most part, these cards shave turns off a player’s game. But in a general sense, there are some overall better cards than others. These consistently help regardless of the time and situation of the game. So, here’s our thoughts on what the top options of cards are.

Third Best Card.

Third place technically would go to Card #6. However; right there with it are Cards #4 and #14. Though, just a bit less optimal as trading 1 Power is preferable to a Combat Card. These all give Coin gain in trade for things that won’t increase our end game score; as Combat Cards and Power are worthless once the game ends. In almost any scenario, these Cards will benefit a faction and player mat combination.

Second Best Card.

Second place is a two-way tie between Card #3 and #5, though #5 would be considered a bit better as it requires a single Power to trade instead of a Combat Card. Both of these trade for 2 Popularity, and though there are games where Popularity may not be as ideal to a player, using these cards 2-3 actions will jump a player up a Popularity tier for scoring, which is why we rank it so high.

Overall Best Card.

Finally, first place goes to Card #7, although Card #2 would almost be a tie with it. The reasoning here is that these cards directly give bottom row actions, and take Popularity instead of Coin as the cost. In competitive play, games tend toward rush combinations. What that means is most players will be looking to end the game in Tier-1 Popularity. 

As such, Card #7 takes the lead because it favors giving endgame edges. For instance, deploying a mech before your Factory Move action allows more flexibility in endgame spreading and combat. Additionally, the Build action allows a player to throw down a building to gain some Coin from a Structure Bonus. And lastly, most Factory Cards are gained mid to late game, and thus players typically will have their engines developed. That makes mechs and buildings generally more valuable in late game bottom row actions as Enlists and Upgrades are more effective in early game scenarios.

What Factory Cards are Generally Worst?

To go along with what our favorite cards are, we have to add what cards we’d rather not have at all. While almost any of the Factory Cards can be useful under certain conditions, the following cards are frequently difficult to use.

Third Worst Card.

The prize for the “least worst of” goes to Card #8. Now, we know what a lot of people might think on that, because 3 resources of our choice for a Combat Card seems like it would be helpful. But in this generalized world we have here, we’re trying to figure out what cards would give us the most advantages to win in the long haul. In that view, getting 3 resources is okay, but this also means we have to use these resources on an additional turn. Meaning; for every turn we use our Factory Card, we then have to follow it up with another turn to utilize those resources. In the end, this takes us more time to get our Stars and we lose ground against our opponents.

Second Worst Card.

Second place for worst card we give to Card #15. Why? Because though it may seem like a Combat Card and 2 Power are worthwhile, it’s unlikely we’d need that boost. Unless, everything in the game has gone well for us except combat, most other cards would be of far more benefit. However; to be fair, it’s still better than …

Overall Worst Card.

The absolute worst card in our collective opinion is Card #16. Here’s the deal, what circumstances do we actually benefit from 1 Power, 1 Popularity, and 1 Coin? Really, only if we depleted our Power, Popularity, and/or Coin and need another Produce action. For every one of the benefits to this card, there are other cards that would be better. Now, we’ll relent and say there just may be a fringe case here or there where a player needs one or two more Popularity or Power to gain next tier scoring or the Power Star. And if no other card boosting that is available, sure, #16 can help. But again, given the choice between any other card for those specific situations, Card #16 will likely never be picked, and thus it is considered the worst.

Considerations for Factory Cards.

Picking the right Factory Card for our individual situations takes some attention to detail. The upside to Factory Cards is how much they give you, but that is also the downside. Just like Encounters, Factory Cards can cause a player to spiral away from the goals they need to win, and thus requires some very specific insight on when they’re useful.

Stars.

First, and most importantly, it’s going to depend on what Stars we’re currently in pursuit of getting. Say we need to complete our Enlist Star and are three Enlist actions away from it. Well, with cards like #’s 2, 12, or 18, we can complete that Star in three turns: Factory Card, Enlist action, and Factory Card. In these instances, Factory Cards are extremely powerful and allow us to gain a fantastic advantage from something that would’ve taken us five or more turns to complete.

Faction & Mat.

Second, optimal cards are going to depend on faction and player mat combination. This of course, goes in line with what we said above, but it’s also a bit more detailed. For instance, Polania might favor resources to fill in the gaps of what they get on Encounters while Saxony might favor Power or Combat Card gains. Even deeper, the Industrial Player Mat might favor Enlists while the Engineering Mat might favor Deploying. These tend to fill in the weaker rows of mats as well as fulfil the greater goals of faction abilities.

Strategy.

Third, it’s going to depend on your playstyle or strategy. For players or combinations that favor early rushes, we want a card that covers the weakness in our economy. For instance, for Polania to get to the Factory by turn 7 or earlier, the player has to abandon everything else besides deploying mechs. But once they get to the Factory, they need bottom row action options to complete while moving to Encounters.

Meanwhile, for players who build up an economy first, we’re getting to the Factory later in the game. As such, we probably have a decent engine of turns built and instead may prefer something that builds up Popularity or Coin for our end game scoring.

When to get Factory Cards.

Despite the benefits, Factory Cards aren’t essential to victory in any way. What they add to a strategy can be a gambit, as each game’s cards are totally randomized. But assuming a player wants to grab themselves a Factory Card, there are several options for times of game that may be of the most benefit. Just as mentioned before, those times also depend a great deal on playstyle, factions, mats, and Stars a player is going for.

Early Game.

The term early game really refers to the time players are still developing their turn engines to optimize mid to late game advances. Generally, this timeframe can last the first 1 – 7 rounds. As such, the first player to the Factory gets first choice and picks from all available cards for the game. As other players make their first move there, the card pool grows smaller as they take their own cards. Needless to say, getting to the Factory first gives the best advantage for getting the choicest pick of the available Factory Cards in a game.

This option is typically referred to as a rush strategy, and though it gets us to the Factory fast, it forces us to abandon building our economy and turn engine in the early game. Rushing is more ideal for factions and or mat combinations that benefit from mobility (early combat and/or Encounters). Certain faction and mat combinations may also prioritize this to gain an early game advantage over the weaknesses inherent in their faction or mat. For example, the Invaders from Afar factions benefit from the additional mobility the Factory Cards provide.

Mid Game.

Once the game has progressed beyond players optimizing their turn actions, we consider play to have moved into the mid game. This is usually somewhere between rounds 7 – 12 and will vary based on the players. Not getting to the Factory first doesn’t mean getting a bad card, it just means someone has already taken what might be the most optimal card for us.

Though this may sound like a disadvantage, most players opt for a mid game Factory arrival as it’s less of a risk. Instead, they want to start moving the gears of their economy in the right direction and adding one of the Factory Cards to their mat then becomes more of a boost to what they’re already doing. In these instances, factions are less likely to derail their games if the cards available to them aren’t optimal.

End Game. 

When players are seeking their final Stars, we’ve reached the end game. This period of time can start as early as Round 12 and depending on the game length might last only until Round 14 or as long as Round 20 in less competitive games. Regardless, getting to the Factory in the end game is most likely about control over the Factory hex. 

In some cases, the advantage of getting to the Factory in the end game is more about players not wanting to derail their turn engines for a boost they don’t immediately need. Rusviet and Crimea are notable for this as typically they can generate their own substantial growth, and going to the Factory may only slow that growth down. 

On the other hand, some players may find an advantage in getting to the Factory in the final rounds of the game to gain a fast boost. Usually this is for the benefit of the Factory Move action; however, late game Popularity or Coin gains could also be an edge tactic that allows that player to win.

Fringe Conditions. 

Sometimes the game just throws us into making a sudden decision to get to the Factory. Other times there’s an opportunity there that we can’t pass up. Whatever the case may be, there are plenty of instances where players suddenly have to decide to go to the Factory or not. And in case you weren’t reading prior to this, going to the Factory for the first time lets you pick from the Factory Cards in the game.

Objectives.

Objectives are a big one. Off hand there are five Objectives that directly involve the Factory, and some of them force you to rush to the Factory in order to complete. Take Technological Breakthrough as an example. In order to complete it we must have a Factory Card and zero Upgrades. Similarly, Machine Over Muscle telling us we need a Factory Card, at least one mech, and no more than three workers to complete. These force us to get to the Factory quickly before building our turn engine too much, or else we risk missing out on the Objective.

Similarly, the Objectives that force us to stall getting to the Factory too early. Ones like Divide and Conquer that require we have no Factory Card and control two adjacent territories to the Factory. Additionally, King of the Hill, which may not be directly forcing us to wait, but generally making it a late game strategy if our opponents are Bolstering for Power.

Combat.

Aside from Objectives, combats are a big motivator. A lot of players tend to park themselves on the Factory after getting their card(s). Whether this is to try to hold it down for the bonus points of end game scoring, or because they’re working on other aspects of their game. Regardless, a lot of times it’s only the Hero or Heroine of a faction holding it down which makes for a very easy combat. In such cases, a player may have had no intentions of getting a Factory Card, and yet through the necessity of needing a Combat Star, find themselves at the Factory none-the-less.

Delays.

Along with that line of thinking, other players occupying the Factory can oftentimes delay other factions from reaching it when they intended. Especially when held by a couple combat units, players may be forced to have to stall their plans to get a Factory Card until more opportune times or until the opposing Faction moves off.

Factions and Factory Cards.

Well, we’ve gone this far, so the question remains: are there factions that benefit more or less from Factory Cards? 

To spoil any further reading (which is a travesty to engaging blog writing), the most direct answer is no faction really benefits more or less from Factory Cards. However; all games are on a unique case by case basis. A player mat may end up strengthening or weakening a faction. An early Encounter may not give us what we need. Other factions may derail our early economy by attacking. Or we might make a few early mistakes that are hard to climb up from.

The point being, Scythe is an exponential game and every previous round of the game will have rippling effects on us. So, to outright say yes or no to any faction thriving more on Factory Cards than others would be quite an oversimplification to this very in depth game. Because of that, we’d like to offer a guide of sorts that may work more as a general map for this question. This isn’t to say these recommendations are always the case, as overall, if a player thinks they need a card, they should go get one!

Factory Cards – Meh. 

These factions synergize well with most player mats and typically don’t need a Factory Card in a game. If they get one at all, it’s typically late game.

• Rusviet almost has a Factory Card built into its Relentless faction ability. Because of this, a Rusviet player can streamline actions by repeating them and optimizing turns. Generally, by the time Rusviet players are done with this they’re ready to get combats and Objectives to win the game. In fact, most Rusviet player mat combinations only favor moving when it ties into their bottom row action. Therefore, it’s of more benefit to Rusviet to develop their turn engine than to get a Factory Card.

• Crimea has some similarities. Their Coercion faction ability is almost as if they have a built-in Factory Card that allows them to trade one Combat Card for a resource. Because of this, Crimea can start the game at an early advantage if they prioritize Enlists. That being the case, spending their turns to move to get Factory Cards is a bit of a waste of their already strong affinity to build early turn engines. If Crimea goes for a Factory Card, it’s usually in the end game and more of a fringe option to their Move action. Like, while going into combat, they have their Heroine go to the Factory.

Factory Cards – Maybe.

These factions either have the ability to rush the game, or don’t usually gain a definitive advantage from Factory Cards enough to push their strategies to always go for one. These would be the factions that getting a Factory Card is generally more of a convenience.

• Nordic Kingdoms are one of those factions on the fence. While a lot of times, the northmen are perfectly content to build up their early game economy, they also have an uncanny ability to get to the Factory quickly. With their Seaworthy and Speed Mechs deployed, the Nord’s Hero can traverse from their base to the Factory in two Move actions. Granted, there’s no overarching reason for them to need to do so, but combinations like the Industrial player mat, make it where it isn’t to their detriment to rush.

• Saxony generally doesn’t need a Factory Card, but with how much movement benefits them and their Dominate faction ability, getting one can help. With all the opportunities of unlimited Combat Stars and up to two Objective Stars, Saxony might favor Factory Cards a bit more than Nordic. Of course, there are only a couple player mats that allow Saxony to rush to the Factory without taking a huge economic hit, so though it may be of benefit, it’s an additional risk vs. reward scenario.

Factory Cards – Yes.

These factions almost always do better with a Factory Card. Can they still do well without, yes. But, there’s rarely a time a Factory Card wouldn’t up their game tremendously.

• Albion is perpetually stuck in the realm of single hex movement. Though they can utilize their Rally Mech to basically slingshot their units additional hexes, without the Speed Mech, their movement is less than optimal. For that reason alone, getting a Factory Card for Albion is always a big gain. However, because of how slow they are, getting to the Factory is usually a mid to end game event. 

• Polania is possibly the only faction that can consistently benefit from Factory Cards and consistently get to the Factory in the early to mid game. Because of their faction ability Meander, Polania gets a big edge with the additional Move action Factory Cards provide. Combine that with ability to rush to the Factory by Rounds 5 – 7 and most players would say Polania getting Factory Cards is a must.

• Togawa has similar issues to Albion in the movement department. Both of them being the expansion Invaders from Afar factions, their movement limitations seem to balance their other abilities with laying tokens. However, it still makes mobility really tough and because of that alone, Togawa always benefits from getting Factory Cards. 

Factory Cards Overview.

We hope this guide has helped you develop some strategy surrounding getting Factory Cards. Because Scythe is such an asymmetric style of game, there’s no general template or overall answer to many of these questions. That being the case, it comes down to how we as players can incorporate what we know of Factory Cards into our own play styles and strategies.

If you’re a newer player and want to know more about the amazing world of the tabletop game Scythe, check out our Quick Tips overview or our general Strategy Category to find more detailed strategies. Additionally, if you’re interested in purchasing the physical Scythe tabletop game, visit Stonemaier Games. For those who prefer PC gaming, Scythe is also available as a Digital Edition on Steam for a lot less money. Either way, this game is well worth whatever you spend!

As always, feel free to comment on any thoughts or critiques you may have, and let us know any success stories you may have in regard to our Factory Cards strategy!

Happy Gaming!

• Norman – Writer / Editor
• Ali – Guest writer
• AxlPrototype – Additional Strategist