Extra Automa Deck for Scythe: What It Adds and When to Buy

Quick answer

Buy the Extra Automa Deck for Scythe only if you already play Scythe solo and want to face two Automa opponents in the same game. Your core Scythe box already includes one full 31-card Automa deck, so a first-time solo player gains nothing from a second copy. At USD 3.20 it's a cheap experiment, but it's an expansion of your solo options, not a requirement for scythe solo mode.

What the second deck actually changes at the table

The core game ships with one 31-card Automa deck. That single deck is what drives the standard solo experience: one AI opponent moving, fighting, and scoring against you. The Extra Automa Deck supplies one more full deck of the same cards, which is what makes a two-Automa game possible — two separate AI players acting on the board at once, each with its own deck to draw from.

That's the whole functional difference. You are not unlocking new rules, new factions, or a new scenario. You are adding a second opponent that behaves like the first one, which raises the pressure, splits your attention, and makes the board feel crowded in the way multiplayer Scythe does. If you've played solo Scythe enough that a single Automa no longer threatens you, this is the cheapest way to change that.

The objective cards in the box — read this before you buy

The deck may also include 23 objective cards. Those are redundant: you already have objective cards from the core game, and the extra copies aren't needed to run two Automa. They're sometimes shrinkwrapped together with the Automa cards, so don't be surprised or concerned if they show up in the package. Treat them as spares and store them with your other duplicate components.

One honest limitation: the catalog listing for this product doesn't specify available option types, so there's no alternate version, color, or bundle to choose between. What you order is the deck. That also means you can't buy a partial set — if you only want the Automa cards, the objectives come along anyway.

Two Automa games take longer than you think

Running two AI opponents roughly doubles the bookkeeping between your turns. You'll be resolving two Automa turns, tracking two positions, and managing two sets of combat decisions. For some solo players that's the appeal — it feels less like a puzzle and more like a real table. For others it turns a 60-minute solo session into a long one.

Before spending anything, try a proxy game: shuffle your existing Automa deck and deal two hands, or simply run the single Automa twice per round and see whether the added management is fun or tedious. If it's tedious, a second deck won't fix that. If it's fun, USD 3.20 is a very low price for a permanent upgrade to your solo nights.

Where this fits next to other Scythe and Wingspan pickups

If you're already placing an order, it's worth thinking about what else your group actually needs. The Extra Automa Deck is a solo-only purchase — it does nothing for a group that plays Scythe competitively. By contrast, Viticulture: Bordeaux Expansion changes a multiplayer game substantially with a new 4-season board, a starting boost, a wake-up chart full of benefits, an expert action that permanently upgrades an action for you, revisions to existing actions, a trade market, and face-up vine and wine order cards to choose from when drawing. That's a different kind of buy: it alters how everyone at the table plays, not just how many opponents you face.

Accessibility upgrades are the other category worth considering. The Wingspan Vision-Friendly Cards packs redesign existing bird cards with darker icons, larger text, higher contrast, and black text on a white background in the power area. If someone in your group struggles to read standard cards, that's a far more impactful purchase than a second Automa deck. Match the purchase to the actual problem you're solving.

Decision rules: should you add a second Automa?

• You've never played Scythe solo: Your core box already contains a full 31-card Automa deck. Learn that first — it's the complete solo mode, and a second deck adds nothing until you've mastered one opponent. Skip it for now.
• You play solo regularly and win comfortably: A single Automa has stopped challenging you. A second deck lets two AI opponents pressure the board at once, which is the intended use case for this product. Buy it — this is exactly what it's for.
• You only ever play Scythe with other people: The extra deck is a solo tool. In a multiplayer game it stays in the box, so the money is better spent on something your group will actually use. Skip it and look at multiplayer-facing expansions instead.
• You want more solo content, not more opponents: This deck doesn't add new scenarios, factions, or rules — it duplicates an existing opponent type. If you want variety rather than difficulty, this isn't the product. Reconsider before buying.

Product facts

• Extra Automa Deck for Scythe: One full deck of Automa cards designed to simulate an AI opponent, aimed at solo gamers who want to play against more than one Automa; the core game already includes one deck of 31 cards. This is the only reason to buy it: a second AI opponent. If you haven't worn out the single Automa, the deck sits unused.
• Extra Automa Deck for Scythe: The deck may also include 23 objective cards, which are redundant but are sometimes shrinkwrapped together with the Automa cards. Don't count the objective cards as added value or worry that they signal a different product — they're spares.
• Viticulture: Bordeaux Expansion: The Bordeaux alternative board for Viticulture offers a starting boost, 4 full worker placement seasons, a wake-up chart full of benefits, a major expert action that permanently upgrades an action for you, revisions to existing actions, a trade market, and face-up vine and wine order cards to choose from when drawing. A multiplayer-facing expansion that changes everyone's game, unlike the solo-only Automa deck. Pick based on whether your table plays together or you play alone.
• Wingspan Vision-Friendly Cards: Asia Expansion: A pack of 90 bird cards from the Asia Expansion of Wingspan, graphically redesigned for visual accessibility by removing unnecessary clutter, darkening icons, and reformatting the power area with larger text, higher contrast, and black text on a white background. If readability is the real problem at your table, this solves it directly — a second Automa deck does not.

Is the Extra Automa Deck right for you?

Best for

• Solo players who already own Scythe and have played the standard Automa enough to want a harder, busier board
• Players who enjoy managing two AI opponents and don't mind roughly doubling the between-turn bookkeeping
• Anyone who wants a low-cost way to extend solo replayability without buying a full expansion

Not for

• New solo players who haven't used the Automa deck already included in the core game
• Groups that play Scythe only with other humans
• Players looking for new rules, factions, or scenarios rather than an additional AI opponent