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Scythe: The Rise of Fenris Review

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The Rise of Fenris is a campaign expansion for Scythe that seamlessly weaves a captivating story into the gameplay. But it’s not just limited to the campaign or its story – it also features modular elements that can enhance and diversify your Scythe experience. You have the option to play through the campaign and discover these modules as they are unlocked, or jump ahead and incorporate them into your games right away.

Read our review of Scythe (the base game) here.

The Campaign

The Rise of Fenris transforms Scythe into a dynamic and story-driven campaign. As you progress, you’ll witness the evolution of your faction and record your achievements in a campaign log. Each episode introduces new elements, such as rule changes, characters, and factions, that alter the gameplay in a meaningful way. The first time we played this expansion, our group was so captivated by the campaign that we played all 8 episodes in just two days, although we felt a bit burnt out afterwards (take this as a cautionary note against binge-playing!).

The campaign encourages players to rethink their usual strategies with a given faction and embrace diversification, which is rewarded in the campaign log. Additionally, the engaging story adds a layer of immersion to the gameplay. As avid Scythe players, we usually prioritize mechanics over backstory in this game, but The Rise of Fenris seamlessly combines both elements to create a memorable gaming experience.

Mech and Infrastructure Mods

One of the standout features of The Rise of Fenris is the introduction of Mech and Infrastructure Mods. After each episode, you’ll accumulate wealth in the campaign log, which can be spent later to purchase mods that carry over from game to game. Mech mods replace your default mech abilities, while infrastructure mods grant powerful once-per-game abilities. These mods are easily one of the best aspects of this expansion, enhancing replayability with an added layer of decision-making.

New Factions

The Rise of Fenris also introduces two unique and distinct factions – Fenris and Vesna. Vesna, in particular, stands out with its highly variable mech abilities and a rich set of 18 exclusive mech mods. At the start of each game with Vesna, you have the opportunity to customize your mech abilities, adding a layer of strategic decision-making. On the other hand, Fenris is all about combat and unconventional movement abilities that make for a thrilling and challenging gameplay experience. And let’s not forget about the impressive giant mechs of Fenris, which tower over other playing pieces and add a stunning visual element to the game!

New Triumph Tracks

The Rise of Fenris introduces two new triumph tracks – one centered around peace and the other focused on war. Additionally, provided triumph tiles allow you to further customize the tracks to suit your preferences, enhancing the variability and replayability of the game. It’s a valuable addition that enriches the overall gameplay experience.

Final Thoughts

The Rise of Fenris is a must-have expansion for fans of Scythe. Even if you’re not particularly drawn to the campaign or story elements, the diverse and engaging modules in the box elevate the game to new heights. With its unique factions, customizable triumph tracks, and additional gameplay variants, The Rise of Fenris adds depth, replayability, and variety to Scythe, making it a worthy addition to any board game collection.

What are your thoughts? Have you played this expansion?

Disclaimer: We received a review copy of this expansion. Also, there may be an affiliate link in the links included at the end of this article.


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