The Box
When you first spotted that big beautiful box on the shelf at your local game store, I bet you just had to take it home and unbox it! I know you supported your local game store with its purchase, RIGHT?!?!? I kid, no judgment if you bought it from amazon…like me, this is probably my guilty conscience. OOOKKKK back to the point at hand. The box is big, covered in beautiful art, and has a weight to it that suggests there are cool things inside. Spoiler, there are many cool things inside!
When you take the lid off, it may make a fart sound, it’s ok to laugh. You know you want to. I don’t believe this is by design, rather a happy accident due to the quality materials used. The outside has a very nice canvas-like feel to it, I always feel like it was hand-painted just for me. The stunning theme of the exterior carries over into the pieces inside as well.
The Boards
I was honestly blown away by the gameboard and player/faction mats when I first unboxed them. The number of details put into the gameboard, its hexagonal pattern, and asymmetrical nature make it very unique. One can easily get lost in the details of the board, try to find Thor next time you play. He is one of many hidden secrets on the game board! The faction mats and player mats are equally as satisfying.
Characters and Mechs
The characters and mechs that come with Scythe are nothing spectacular, but not any less quality than other games miniatures. In fact, I’m sure they are left intentionally blank to allow for custom painting. They are sturdy, have a good texture, and feel good to play with, but they aren’t going to blow your hair back. The limited printing metal mechs are incredible, but I don’t know if they will be available again. If they do become available I highly recommend pulling the trigger on a full set if you are already a Scythe lover! Also, fingers crossed that Stonemaier Games will come out with metal characters eventually. Hint hint, nudge nudge.
Resources, Coins, and Cards
If there was any part of unboxing Scythe that could be disappointing, it would be at this point. I’m not saying that’s true! But some might think so. The painted wood and plastic resources are passable and have a nice tactile feel, but the cardboard coins are a bummer. Fear not though because the combat, encounter, and objective cards are yet another artistic masterpiece with lore built into every card! Also, there are available upgrades to the coins/resources, I’ll post later about them and other upgrades. Update, here is a link to that post. https://thedailyscythe.com/scythe-expansions-and-promo-items/
Closing the Box
After your Scythe unboxing, putting it away is a breeze with the provided bags. And it’s quite satisfying watching your recently defeated opponents put away all those pieces 1 by 1 as you dance around the table relishing your dominance. If you don’t do this, it is also highly recommended. Let me know in the comments how you celebrate your ascension to supremacy in Europa.
Basically, Scythe is awesome and you’ll have a blast unboxing it. If you’d like to buy the game online here is a link to Stonemaier Games. I don’t get paid for this, it’s just for your convenience. https://stonemaiergames.com/games/scythe/