Scythe Faction Tier List: Which Faction Is Best?
Ranking all 5 base game factions by strength, ease of play, and optimal strategy.
Scythe's 5 base factions play very differently. Some reward aggression, others reward engine building. Here's how they stack up — and what matters more than the faction itself.
Crimea and Rusviet are generally the strongest base factions. Nordic is the easiest for beginners. But your player mat matters more than your faction — the faction/mat combination determines your game, not the faction alone.
Rusviet Union
Faction Ability: RelentlessCan repeat the same action space on consecutive turns — an enormous tempo advantage. While other factions zigzag between actions, Rusviet can hammer one strategy relentlessly. Central starting position gives easy access to the Factory.
Crimean Khanate
Faction Ability: CoercionCan use combat cards as any resource once per turn. This flexibility means you never get stuck without the right resource. Strong combat potential thanks to mech abilities and good starting position near the Factory.
Saxony Empire
Faction Ability: DominateNo limit on combat victory stars (other factions cap at 2). Can also achieve unlimited objective stars. This means Saxony can rush to 6 stars through fighting — but it requires careful power and popularity management.
Polania Republic
Faction Ability: MeanderPicks from 2 options (instead of 1) on encounter cards. This gives consistently better encounter rewards. Great at accumulating resources and popularity through encounters. Requires good movement planning to maximize encounters early.
Nordic Kingdoms
Faction Ability: SwimWorkers can swim across rivers without mechs. Simple to play and great for learning the game, but the ability becomes less impactful as you get better at planning mech deployment. Isolated starting position limits early Factory access.