Where's Vesna?

 Rise of Fenris campaign of Scythe continues with not one, but two episodes. 

Last time around the empires of Europa chose to follow a path of strenuous peace. 

Episode 2 had Innovative Nordic Empire, Industrial Togawa, Agricultural Rusviet and Mechanical Saxons on the board. 

Nordics and Rusviet were the first to forge an alliance, soon followed by Togawa and Saxons. 

My Nordic Empire got a speedy start at least in terms of stars required for victory. I scored my first secret objective on the second round, and continued to churn out those stars from encounters, arriving at the factory et cetera. You know, the peaceful stuff. We were on the path of peace.

However, my second secret objective (control 3 tunnel spaces) didn't turn out so well as my forces were continuously either kicked off those tunnels by Saxons, or opponents had too strong occupying forces on them for me to challenge them or there were some wild cards in form of Togawa traps.

Because of this completely unjustified aggression, my progression and development was undermined. Both Togawa and Saxony controlled huge territories, and Rusviet, well, Rusviet controlled territories. 

Figuring I wouldn't be able to get a victory in this geopolitical climate, I decided to end the game and at least cut opponents' points short of their potential maximum.

Scoreboard was:

Industrial Togawa 72 points (purchased infrastructure mods: Spy, Automachines)
Innovative Nordic 57 points (purchased infrastructure mods: Recruitment Office, Machinery, Assembly Line)
Agricultural Rusviet 57 points (purchased infrastructure mods: Assembly Line, Recruitment Office)
Mechanical Saxony 44 points (purchased infrastructure mods: Cavalry, Machinery)

Episode 3

Second game we had Mechanical Nordic, Industrial Togawa, Patriotic Rusviet and Innovative Saxony. Objective was to find Vesna from factory.

I can't boast with having loads of experience on Scythe, but still I dare say this game was absurd.

Although my Nordics got a decent start thanks to my infrastructure mods, it was nothing compared to Saxony in this game. Those dungeon dwellers were spewing out stars to the score board like they were the Big Bang themselves. Within, like, first six rounds they had brought five of their six required victory stars. Three from secret objectives, one from mechs and one from won battles. 

That formed a sort of a protective shield around Saxony - no-one would dare to attack him, unless losing was impossible as that would have ended game prematurely had Saxoniy won. Saxony as well stomped hard on Togawas, which was important since they had already won two of the campaign episodes.

So, Saxony ends up farming the factory for Vesna with reckless abandon. He gets, what, five influence tokens, while other players got zero. 

After Vesna had been found, they just ended game with a random easy victory. 

In the end, Saxony turns into Vesna faction. Rusviet decided to change their faction to Albion.

Scenario is won by Nordic Empire thanks to tiebreaker.

Scores:

Mechanical Nordic 51 points (purchases Construction infrastructure mod)
Patriotic Rusviet 51 points (forgot to ask about infrastructure mods)
Innovative Saxony 47 points (forgot to ask about infrastructure mods, +3 starting popularity)
Industrial Togawa 34 points (forgot to ask which two infrastructure mods were purchased)