Characters – Stonemaier Games

Characters

factions and characters

Each player in Scythe controls a character from one of five factions seeking to secure control of the their territory and gain control of the unclaimed lands surrounding the Factory.

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anna_wojtekAnna & Wojtek (Polania Republic [white/red]): Anna was born into a long line of intellectuals and diplomats. After her parents died in the war, she moved in with her grandfather, a former soldier and avid hunter. He raised her and taught her how to shoot a gun. Over time, Anna became an expert marksman.

On a hunting excursion with her grandfather, Anna discovered a mother bear who had died in a trap. Huddled next to the bear was a young bear cub. Taking pity on the animal, Anna scooped him up in her arms and took him home, much to the dismay of her grandfather.

Anna and Wojtek, as she named the bear, quickly became inseparable. They even developed a form of communication using sign language.

When Anna grew up, she decided to use her marksmanship to aid her country. Wojtek joined her as she enlisted in the newly-formed reconnaissance troops in the Polania army. Together they traveled across the countryside becoming living legends as they distinguished themselves in battle and showed compassion for even the poorest farmer.

When the Factory shut down and rumors swirling about a growing Rusviet force, Anna and Wojtek accepted a mission to ensure the unity and independence of Polania by securing the eastern border and patroling the lands around the Factory.

***
german_character_01a_smallGunter von Duisburg with Nacht & Tag (Saxony Empire [black/gold]): Gunter grew up in a wealthy, aristocratic family known for the dire wolves they bred and sold across the country. As a young boy he traveled with his father across Africa, where he developed excellent hunting skills and an interest in archeology.

With a strong love of his country, Gunter enlisted in the Saxon army. He spent the first few years of service training soldiers to work with dire wolves, where he formed a kinship with two particular wolves: Nacht and Tag (Night and Day).

When the war began, Gunter and his wolves led elite mech squads across the forests and mountains of Saxony and Europe. His name was both feared and respected, and his jacket grew heavy with medals of honor.

After the war, the Saxon emperor sought an audience with Gunter, Nacht, and Tag. He asked them (well, he asked Gunter) to go on a special mission to the east, where he saw an opportunity to expand to the unclaimed lands surrounding the Factory. Gunter was never one to turn down an adventure, so off he went to the east.

***

tatar_chaarcter_conceptart_smallZehra & Kar (Crimean Khanate [yellow/green]): Princess Zehra was the firstborn daughter of the Khan of the Crimean Tatars. Despite her royal upbringing and against the will of her father, Zehra preferred to practice bow shooting and horseback riding rather than meekly drink tea with dignitaries. She found that she was able to see things before they happened, a skill that greatly aided her archery skills, especially for moving targets.

When Zehra turned 16, her father gave her a great steppe eagle for her birthday. Much to Zehra’s surprise, she found that she could see through the eagle’s eyes, and she had the sense that the eagle could see through hers. Zehra named her Kar.

Zehra traveled the land with Kar, representing her family’s interests and serving the people. Tales of her bravery were spread far and wide by Crimean caravans and traders.

Steeped in the tradition and culture of their people, Zehra’s father was reluctant to adapt the new mech technologies developed by the Factory. However, he realized that the world was changing whether or not he liked it, and he didn’t want his country to fall too far behind. So he asked Zehra and Kar to go on an expedition to the north for the purpose of learning modern technology and ensuring peace for their people.

***

animal_concept_02bsmall_logoBjorn & Mox (Nordic Kingdom [blue/white]): Bjorn, the descendant of a renowned Viking family, grew up in a small village in the north of the Nordic Kingdom. For centuries his tribe had bred and raised the massive musk ox seen on many farms across the arctic. From an early age, Bjorn found that he was able to tame and communicate with the huge animals.

When he was 15, Bjorn was caught in a terrible snowstorm while trying to find a young musk ox that had wandered away from the herd. He found the musk ox, but there was no hope of making their way back to the village. Much to Bjorn’s surprised, the musk ox seemed to understand the dire situation, as it created a protective barrier to keep Bjorn safe from the blizzard. After surviving the ordeal, Bjorn took the creature as his mount and named him Mox.

As an adult, Bjorn had a yearning to see the world beyond his tiny village, so he and Mox embarked on a series of adventures across the land. They served as ambassadors to other tribes, went on war missions, and sought to find new oil reserves.

Stories of their courage and heroism eventually reached the king, who asked Bjorn and Mox to participate in a special mission to venture into the south. They seek to add new villages and farms to their kingdom by diplomacy or by force, as well as to explore the Factory to give them a technological advantage in future wars.

***

olga_concept_01smallOlga Romanova & Changa (Rusviet Union [red/gray]): Olga comes from an old aristocratic family that lost their money and position a long time ago. So she was raised on humble means and in harsh climates, surrounded by simple people and nature. From childhood Olga was taught to have great respect for the Siberian tigers that prowled the Rusviet tundra.

At 15, Olga was already turning into a beautiful woman of strong ambition and intelligence. She caught the eye of Viktor, the young commander of a squadron of mechs traveling through her village on the way to war, and they began to correspond via letter.

Viktor surprised her by showing up on Olga’s 16th birthday to present her with a Siberian tiger cub named Changa he had discovered on patrol. The three of them spent the next week together, and they talked of marrying.

Unfortunately, the great war began, and Viktor was called away to service. They continued to write, but one day Olga received word that Viktor had gone missing in enemy territory. She vowed to find him, so she joined the Rusviet military intelligence service with Changa at her side. With her intelligence and ambition, she quickly climbed the ranks, and she finally got the chance to search the western lands for her beloved Viktor with the full strength of the Rusviet military at her back.

Connor & Max (Clan Albion [green/gold]): Connor is a highlander, a native of the southern area of the island controlled by Clan Albion. He comes from a long line of military legends, a tradition he perpetuated by entrenching himself far behind enemy lines during the Great War. He owes his life to his faithful companion, a wild boar named Max, who saved him from a pack of dire wolves in the foothills of Saxony.

Clan Albion fears that the Factory could fall under permanent control of one of the more powerful factions, which might then encroach on the Albion homeland. With Max by his side, Connor is entrusted with the command of a special taskforce to build a strong line of defense against the other factions and destroy the Factory before it’s too late.

Akiko & Jiro (Togawa Shogunate [purple/white]): From an early age, Akiko, the niece of the shogun, read stories of warriors and adventurers in faraway lands. She was especially fascinated by the beauty and art of sword fighting. When she turned 16, Akiko begged her uncle to let her train at the most elite samurai war academy, and he agreed. She was a model student, practicing constantly until she excelled at fighting, shooting, strategy, and tactics. Bursting with pride, the shogun gave Akiko a special trained monkey named Jiro.

As Akiko was entering her second year of training, her brother, a prominent engineer, went missing during a mission to the mysterious Factory in Eastern Europa. The shogun’s advisors suspected that he had been captured by agents of the Rusviet Union. Trusting in his niece’s skills as a samurai, the shogun has empowered Akiko to lead a large military expedition to subvert the Rusviets, recover the Togawa engineers, and discover the truth of the Factory.

These characters and illustrations were created by Jakub Rozalski.

81 Comments on “Characters

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  1. I am a HUGE fan of this game and the world behind it. I do have a question about more of the lore behind the characters, are the ages of any of the characters at the time of the actual Scythe game known?

      1. This is fantastic! Do let me know if you happen to discover the ages of the other characters, I’m working on an unofficial story set in the alternate 1920’s world of Scythe that involves the main characters from the game, and their ages help give me a little bit more insight to how they would be.

        Thanks a ton, Jamey!

  2. The universe of Scythe is wonderful. I hope that a role-playing game will be created from this universe. I know there are already RPGs that can mirror the Scythe universe…but a TTRPG created specifically for the 1920+ universe would be wonderful. I’m crossing my fingers :-)

  3. I can see potential of this world story made in form of life action series or animation on steaming , the way of story can be about effect of war, politic , strategy warfare or you can add some event that you have on your event card as well. I am big fan of game of thrones and I can feel that this game have a very interesting background strory.

  4. I was wondering what came of England in the Scythe AU. Is Clan Albion is charge of all the isles or is there someone else in charge of what is traditional England?

    1. In the fictional 1920+ universe, England doesn’t exist. :) Albion is indeed representative of our equivalent to that part of the world.

  5. I just wanted to know if it’s normal that the rifle that is holding anna is bend (anna and wojtek miniature). It seems to be a normal issue by looking at different pictures but some seem normal. Is the rifle suppossed to be straight ?

    1. Hi Tanguy! If you’d like, you can hold the miniature in very hot water, then take it out, and bend the rifle a whichever angle looks best for you. :)

        1. Plastic miniatures naturally bend, that was a design choice. The mold that made the miniature has a straight rifle. Presumably rifles shoot better that way. ;)

  6. Hi! I just loved the game. The contrast of technology and tradition is so cool. But I wonder how the animal companions of the characters for each faction can battle humans with firearms and mechs. It seems unwise to take a bear into battle just to get it shot by heavy machine guns many meters away.

    I’ve seen the Iron Harvest RTS game and in it the animals have some abilities, but still they are not enhanced with exosuits or anything like it. Is there some lore in the Scythe/Iron Harvest that explains how the animals can be up to the challenge of fighting in battles with firearms? Maybe tougher hides, I don’t know.

    But I love the idea of each faction having an animal symbol as well! It seems so righteous when I see a faction with an animal symbol and using it in battle. I have a suggestion, as monitor lizards or crocs cannot cope with the battleground weather in the game, a hero could have a snake pet focused in damage over time to infantry, an assassin with some acidic ability to debuff mechs. Reptiles deserve some love too.

    Anyhow… I love the game lore and to see mechs and animal companions battle in such setting. Stay healthy out there.

    Sincerly,
    Fênix Porto Pontes.

    1. That’s a great question! This is an alternate history, so things are a little different in this world. However, the core concept stems from a real-life bear named Wojtek who served (I believe) in World War I with the Polish army.

      1. Hi Jamey. Wojtek served in the Polish Army in World War II, and took part in the campaign to take Monte Casino alongside the British forces advancing on Rome. After the war Wojtek and the Free Poles he served with were transferred to SE Scotland. Some of the Free Poles worked on the farms that my maternal grandfather and great-grandfather had in Midlothian, south of Edinburgh.
        Wojtek was de-mobbed from the Polish Army at the rank of Corporal, having been promoted after the Monte Casino campaign. He lived out his life in Edinburgh Zoo, where he was popular with local school-children and the Free Poles who settled in Scotland. There is a memorial statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh’s Princes St Gardens; highly recommended should you visit the city.
        I love Scythe – thanks for a such great game, and also including a soldier bear called Wojtek. That has a deep meaning for both Poles and Scots.

  7. Why are all the women so young. Where are the older women? Even in the expansions they don’t turn up. The men in this game get to have crooked noses, memorable characterised faces and be above the tender age of 30, some of them look possibly ancient.

    The Russian design is especially bad. In the words of the artist, “a sexy Russian girl”. One or two is fine. But if all the female characters look like they are 20 years old it makes it come across in a very male-gaze-esque only young women worth-while. It really takes me out of the universe being built.

    I always thought Stonemaier were at the forefront of board gaming’s voyage into modernity, this feels like a strange disparity between an immature Artist and the Company itself.

    I Hope I don’t come across too strong, there are definitely worse games in the industry, I was just disappointed I guess.

    1. I think you make some great points here! The world and characters in Scythe are created by Jakub Rozalski, not Stonemaier Games. I had creative control over the next game we made, Charterstone, in which you can see a diversity of ages and races among the main characters.

        1. I’ve tried to learn as I go, and in hindsight I could have pushed Jakub to include at least one older female character (though I also want to respect his worldbuilding and IP). I think it’s good that you brought this to my attention–thank you!

          1. I love all the character designs and I don’t believe making artistic choices strictly for the sake of diversity equals an intrinsically better final product. Sometimes women are 20, and sometimes they’re not; in this game they happen to be 20 and I think that’s okay.

          2. It’s a fair point. I do like that the game and its expansions have maintained a strict majority of female characters. That’s something I always notice, as it tends to be so rare.

  8. You might want to include the faction symbol or the color of the faction next to each name in the character description. I am new to the game and had to keep scrolling up to the figurines to see what faction color + symbol they belonged to.

  9. One little thing i noticed. On Gunter’s description, it says the emperor asked “them” to go east. If I was describing me talking to a person and their pets, I wouldn’t say “I asked them”–it seems more proper to say he asked him (Gunter), then maybe mention that he took the dire wolves with them. Love your game :) I am cosplaying as Gunter tomorrow and plan to stay in character during the game.

  10. Just to note, I’ve already read comments made regarding the cost of molds and do appreciate the difficulty and marketing of using them. So I understand a simple no, for the sake of marketing. Business first.

    First, myself and a few friends have started putting together an RPG system for the world of Scythe and of course, the board game miniatures will be being used. We can get Husssar minatures elsewhere, however would you consider creating an official Hussar / Soldier type miniature expansion considering how prominent they are in the art? Obviously in reality Giant Mech beats Horse every day of the week, then again in my last game Anna and Wotjek stomped through a fair few through some serious bluffing in combat.

    Second, as the board can of course be flipped for much larger hexes, would there be any consideration for larger Mech models? Simply to capture their gargantuan size or even just as collectors items outside the game itself, or is Scythe beginning to wrap up?

    Finally, with Fenris incoming later this year, if the box includes werewolves inspired from Jakub’s art (both silly and incredible if that actually happens) can promises be made for a Gnome expansion? The people have spoken, and the people want Mechs Vs Gnomes.

    1. That’s really neat that you and your friends are working on an RPG system for Scythe (or is it more of a tactical combat wargame you’re making? It kind of sounds like that). While we’re not making more miniatures for Scythe, we’re always happy to see fan creations.

      The Rise of Fenris is the final expansion for Scythe, followed by two accessories (modular board and metal mechs), then we’re done.

      I’m curious for Jakub to further explore his werewolf and gnome worlds, but they’re each set in their own universes–there is no overlap with Scythe.

    2. Hey Matt, are you planning on putting this man-made RPG system on boardgamegeek or somewhere similar?

  11. You really should expand on the lore of this game however more you could. This is such a great setup and an interesting time period, and it seems like there could be so much done with this world to make it more interesting. COULD WE GET MORE LORE PLEASE?! So many questions too, like,

    Where is the USA in this alt-timeline?
    Are the animals familiars?
    What is that futuristic-looking sci-fi tech we see in the art?
    What exactly is the factory?

    1. Thanks for sharing your opinions and suggestions! For Scythe, the lore transcends text–it’s built into the art of the game. Feel free to check out the art book so you can see all of the art in the Scythe world.

  12. This world is large and very captivating to think about. I really wish there were more alternative eastern factions in it like Austro-Hungary; Romania; Finland, maybe even Turkey or balkan nations.
    I even have ideas for the names: Habsburgyar Empire (or Habsburgo-Magyar Empire); Rumanian Principality; Finnobaltic Commonwealth; Balkanic Federation and Turk Sultanate.
    I really hope to see the incredible alternative univers expand this way or at least to know more about the lore of it.

  13. The 2 new faction minis, from the expansion, are absolutely fantastic! The detail is unbelievable & of a really good plastic. Nothing wrong with the original minis but these ones almost seem to be of a higher quality . . . is that possible? Or does it just seem that way because I was so excited to get them. :)

    1. Thanks Dan! We had a new sculptor work on those miniatures, and Panda is always improving their techniques, so there is a small different in detail and quality. :)

  14. “Connor is a highlander, a native of the southern area of the island controlled by Clan Albion”

    Is the game also alt-Geography? ;)

  15. Jamey, Is there a way you can provide larger, higher quality images. I am working on painting my figures and that would really help. The ones above blur at higher image size.
    If they are already out here somewhere could you guide me to the right location?

  16. I assume that Wojtek is named after the Polish II Corp bear. Do any of the other characters/animals have a similar historical precedent?

  17. Love the art of the characters! I just wish I loved their back stories as much. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time connecting to what seem to me as one-dimensional characters. Take Bjorn for example, besides “a yearning to see the world beyond his tiny village,” we don’t know anything about his personality or motivations. Or Olga, who I could see having a sinister, power-hungry side (perhaps stereo-typically from her whip and posture), but is consigned to bland, generic adjectives like “intelligent” and “ambitious,” and an even blander romantic motivator. The art has a lot more flavor than the stories!

    Minor criticisms aside, the game looks great and I will definitely get it once a store nearby can get hold of it! ;)

    1. Actually, I think the problem isn’t with Tabletop Simulator (TS) it’s with the icon art on that card. If you used the same art on the physical version, it could be confusing but nothing a FAQ couldn’t fix.

      I almost ONLY play Scythe now on Tabletop Simulator! Fantastic solo variant. I have created a group in Steam for Scythe players to find each other and play. This game is really good.

  18. The Tabletop Simulator version of Scythe is fantastic. I would like to point out though, that the automa reference cards are misprinted for Automa Move Character. It doesn’t match the text for your automa rule book.

  19. Adrian: Thanks for your idea! Jakub is considering factions inspired by all sorts of real-life countries. :)

    1. What about a Latin-culture based faction? I think is a better solution than an Italian, French or other specific South Europe country, much like the Nordic faction is a “cultural union”. Perhpaps trade skilled, like a Merchant Republic. Just don’t know how the name of the government coul be, as all the seven factions have different forms and names of State.

  20. Really interested in this game! How about a Dutch faction? I find it interesting that the farming aspect is very important. My name “van der Ploeg” means of the plough. How about a farmer turned hero for a Dutch faction?

  21. I heard that it’s common for a game to only have one to two battles, I was curious if that is true. If so, how much of this game is like/influenced from kemet? I understand resources are rough, but it’d be cool if battles could be more common or less self defeating in a sense

    1. It’s actually that it’s common for a game to have one or two battles *per player.* Kemet influenced it in terms of how you have control over what you input into each combat and that losing combat is only a minor setback.

  22. Jamey, I’be been making my way through the numerous interviews, podcasts, and articles. These heroes and heroines are all beautifully rendered in pictures, along with their well written histories. It’s a first class looking game and I commend you for the energy you’be put into this project.

    1. Joe: Thanks for checking out the various pieces of Scythe-related media! I’m glad you like the characters and the backstories Jakub created for them.

  23. I have been following Jakub’s art for a long while now and am incredibly excited about Scythe. These miniatures and their stories are wonderful and give great depth to the game. I can’t wait for the Kickstarter and the game release – you guys are doing fantastic work and we all thank you for it! :)

  24. These look (and read, and feel) fantastic. I wonder about the name “Tag” for the wolf. You seem to be suggesting daytime, but I think the word “tag” in German may mean a period of 24 hours, rather than the time that the sun is visible in the sky. I don’t speak German, though, so I may be wrong. And it may not matter; I got the point. Just a thought.

    1. Thanks Even! I ran it by Jakub, and he seemed to indicate that the two wolf names–Nacht and Tag–were good. Plus, even if Tag isn’t an exact translation, it’s also a play on the childhood game “tag.” :)

      1. Jamey + Jakub are correct: “Tag” in German is perfectly fine for saying “daytime”. Yes, it’s also the unit: 1 Tag = 1 day = 24h. But “am Tag” means “on the day” or better “at daytime”.

        The thing that makes me, as a native German speaker, cringe a little is the order: “Nacht & Tag” is pretty uncommon and sounds odd to us compared to “Tag & Nacht”.

        A quick Google research:

        “day and night” vs. “night and day”
        52 Mio. search results vs. 29 Mio. (so *roughly* 2:1)
        -> Both sound fine.

        While in German:

        “Tag und Nacht” vs. “Nacht und Tag”
        5 Mio. vs. 100.000 (50:1!!)
        -> One sounds much more familiar than the other.

        Compare “heaven and hell” to “hell and heaven” which have a similar odd ratio in English.

        1. -> One sounds much more familiar than the other.

          Ha! *Familiar…not sure if you caught your own pun (An attendant spirit, often in animal form).

  25. WOW these look amazing! I am loving the world you seem to have created here. I really hope that other characters, from different nations, become available.

  26. Hi Jamey,

    it was a great decision to go miniatures! Regarding the saxonian pickelhaube charakter:
    If he leads the saxony empire, it would make sense to name him after a city or dukedom in the eastern regions, (e.g. hartenstein in sachsen (hardstone) or blankenburg in sachsen-anhalt (freecastle) would me historically appropriate (pre18.th century) and namewise intersting – please not duisburg- which is totally close to the dutch/ oranien nassau boarder of the germanian regions in the west. Stylewise he also represents a prussian infanterist which would support the regional emphasis of brandenburg – sachsen.
    As a German lover of your games i would really appreciate your consideration.
    Thanks in advance – cheers sascha

    1. Hi Sascha, thanks for your input. Jakub has done a lot of research to create these characters, though we’ve adapted them for this alternate reality (it’s not real-life Europe, so true historical accuracy isn’t necessary). Gunter isn’t the leader of the Saxon faction–he’s merely a character who is sent on a quest by the Saxon king.

      1. As a German speaker, I mostly think the design decisions for the saxon faction were fine but also found decision for the name “Duisburg” odd.

  27. Have you considered the possibility of working with a indie studio and developing this into a PC RTS? I think there would be a great demand for it, the RTS genre has become very stale recently.

    Great work, and whenever your kick starter launches I will be the first to help you guys out. Very hyped.

    1. Jakub has gotten some interest from people who do that sort of thing. We just own the board game rights, but I look forward to seeing what else Jakub does to expand the world of Scythe. :)

  28. @Jamey – Great to read. In addition to Scythe likely being an incredible and beautiful game, having the minis at that scale might allow us to mix them into other miniature games like Dust. If I wasn’t on my cell phone I would insert the obligatory Futurama “take my money now” meme. Thank you for the response and please keep up the good work.

    1. Cool, thanks! While it’s not our focus for the miniatures to be used as miniatures for other games (I want to make sure Scythe isn’t misconstrued as a miniatures game), backers are certainly able to use them for that purpose if they wish. :)

  29. These miniatures look gorgeous. What scale are they? Also, is the plan to now have mostly miniatures for pieces as opposed to mostly card board pieces for at least one version of the game? As a Euphoria backer I can attest to the higher quality components making a difference. I’ll back either way, but would be happy to pay more for more minis.

    1. The figurines are 28mm tall, with a few more millimeters for the base. Yes, the original plan of using cardboard standees is completely gone. The characters and mechs are now plastic miniatures and the other tokens in the game (resources, structures, workers, tech tokens, etc) are wood.

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