Scythe (Stonemaier Games, 2016) occupies an honored area in my pantheon of boardgames. When attending CONNECTIONS 2017 I heard Uwe Eickert of Academy Games talking about innovation in boardgame design. He was extremely (and I mean extremely) positive on Scythe by designer Jamey Stegmaier. He was so positive I bought a copy of Scythe shortly thereafter and played it with the RockyMountainNavy Boys. We were totally blown away! We enjoyed playing it then, and still enjoy playing it to this day. So I was very excited when I saw the announcement for Scythe: Complete Rulebook.
I really enjoy the backstory of how Scythe: Complete Rulebook came to be:
Over the last few years, particularly as the number of Scythe expansions, accessories, and promos grew, a number of people asked me if I would consider printing a single book containing all of the rules. My response has been that it’s actually a big project if done well, and it wasn’t something I wanted to devote my graphic designer’s time to (we keep Christine very busy). A few people have even reached out to me to say they would compile the full rulebook, but then they realize how much work it is.
But then something unexpected happened. Not only did Scythe fans Matt and Brittany reach out to me last year to say they were interested in taking the time to compile, organize, and index a complete Scythe rulebook…they actually did it! I was amazed by what they pulled off. In addition to compiling all Scythe rules in one place (including, for example, all of the mech abilities on consecutive pages, while still providing spoiler warnings when applicable, as well as all Automa content), they also included frequently asked questions and answers on a card-by-card basis. This isn’t just a rulebook–it’s the internet of Scythe, all in one place.
My Scythe: Complete Rulebook is a wire-comb bound full-size booklet. Weighing in at 136 pages it is a bit heftier than I expected. Not that I am complaining; the book is printed on luxurious thick satin pages and makes extensive use of the library of Scythe artwork from Jacob Rozalski. I also appreciate how the spoilers for The Rise of Fenris Expansion are called out and separated to avoid, uh, spoiling that part of the game for you if you are not there yet.
Apparently though, one part of the Scythe: Complete Rulebook was lacking. I was not aware of it until I got an email from Stonemaier Games:
The massive undertaking of the Scythe Complete Rulebook, which combines all existing rules documents into one book, has resulted in an amazing resource for Scythe fans. To-date we have not found a single instance of a rules error impacting gameplay in the 136-page document.
Except in one section. The Automa rules need some work. I apologize for this and we take full responsibility. We believe these errors are large enough to justify a reprint.
The good news is that many of you don’t play using the Automa (solo mode), and may never reference this section of the rulebook. But if you use the Automa or plan to in the future, we will send you a new spiralbound Scythe Complete Rulebook for free.
Here’s what we’ll do. Simply fill out this form and we’ll send you another Scythe Complete Rulebook when it’s reprinted in a few months using the mailing address from your previous order. Just in case your address changes before we ship out the replacements, we’ll send an update with instructions on how to change your shipping address before we send out the reprinted rulebooks.
We’re currently running the Automa sections rulebook through some additional proofreading and will reprint it when we’re satisfied. We do not yet have an estimated date for when the reprint will be shipped, but we’re likely looking at early 2021.
How awesome is that?
I look forward to playing Scythe using the Complete Rulebook as an easy, all-encompassing reference. I am sure it will make my future plays of Scythe (event the solo ones, eventually) more enjoyable.
Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 