How to Play Inis: Drafting, Clans, Clashes & Seasons
Inis is a card-driven area-control game where almost every meaningful action comes from a drafted card. Players spread clans across territories and pursue three different victory conditions rather than a traditional point score.
Assembly phase: check victory and draft cards
At the start of each round, resolve the Assembly steps: determine chieftains/Brenn as required, check whether any player with a Pretender marker qualifies to win, then draft the Season’s Action cards.
Action cards drive the Season phase
Players alternate playing one eligible card or passing. Action cards can add clans, move clans, explore new territories, build Sanctuaries or Citadels and create other board effects.
Passing does not necessarily end your Season
You may pass while keeping cards in hand and can act again later if play returns to you, unless the Season ends under the pass sequence. This makes hidden hand strength an important threat.
Movement can trigger a clash
When clans enter a territory containing opponents, a clash can begin. Players may place clans into available Citadels, then exposed participants alternate clash maneuvers such as attacking, withdrawing or playing an eligible Epic Tale effect until the clash ends.
Chieftain status depends on clan majority
The player with more clans than every opponent in a territory is its chieftain. Chieftain status matters for one victory condition and for Advantage cards tied to territories.
Pretender markers make a victory claim visible
When you meet a victory condition during the Season under the rules, take a Pretender marker. At the next Assembly victory check, only players with Pretender markers are considered for victory.
There are three victory conditions
Be present in at least six territories; be chieftain over territories containing at least six opposing clans in total; or be present in territories containing at least six Sanctuaries in total. Deeds can modify these thresholds under the rules.