How to Play Inis: A Chieftain's Guide to Glory!

Welcome, future High King! Inis is a game of Celtic chieftains vying for power and prestige across a mystical land. Get ready to lead your clans, outwit your rivals, and claim your rightful place on the throne!

Objective of the Game

In Inis, you're not just moving figures around a board; you're forging a legend! Your ultimate goal is to become the High King by being the player who fulfills the most victory conditions. These conditions represent different paths to power, from dominating vast territories to controlling sacred sites. Prove your might, wisdom, or widespread influence to claim victory!

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, chieftains, let's get our lands ready for battle and glory! Here's how to set up your game of Inis:

1. First things first: if you're playing a 2 or 3 player game, set aside any action cards with a "4" in the corner – they're only for 4-player games.
2. Each player chooses a color and takes all 12 matching clan figures. These are your personal reserve.
3. Place the deed tokens, pretender tokens, and the festival marker where everyone can reach them.
4. Shuffle the epic tale cards and place them in a face-down pile.
5. Shuffle the territory tiles and stack them face-down. Then, draw a number of tiles equal to the number of players. Place these drawn tiles face-up in the center of the play area, making sure each tile is adjacent to at least two others.
6. Find the advantage cards that correspond to the territories currently in play and place them face-up near the play area so they're visible to all. The remaining advantage cards go into a face-down pile.
7. Randomly give the Brenn marker to one player. This player is the Brenn for the first round.
8. The Brenn then chooses one territory to be the capital. Place the plastic capital piece and one sanctuary in this territory.
9. The Brenn tosses the flock of crows token like a coin. The side facing up determines the initial direction of turn order.
10. Starting with the Brenn and following the determined turn order, each player places one of their clans in any territory. Continue this until every player has two clans on the board.

Remember: The player with the most clans in a territory is its chieftain. If there's a tie, that territory has no chieftain.

The Game Turn

A game of Inis unfolds over a series of rounds, each divided into two main phases:

PHASE 1: THE ASSEMBLY

This is where the political landscape shifts, and new plans are forged!

Chieftains’ Business

1. Assign Brenn: The player who is the chieftain of the capital territory becomes the new Brenn and takes the Brenn marker. If the capital has no chieftain, the Brenn remains unchanged.
2. Check for Victory: Now's the moment of truth! Check how many victory conditions each player with a pretender token currently meets. If a player meets the most conditions, they win! If there's no winner, all pretender tokens are returned to the supply, and the game continues.
3. Take Advantage Cards: The chieftain of each territory takes its matching advantage card. If a territory has no chieftain, its card stays face-up near the play area. Even if you lose chieftainship later, you keep the card until the end of the round.

The Oracles

4. Flip the Flock of Crows Token: Toss the flock of crows token again to determine the turn order for this round.

Season Preparation

This is where you get your hand of cards for the upcoming season!

5. Deal Action Cards: The Brenn collects all action cards, shuffles them, and secretly sets one aside face-down.
   • In a 3 or 4 player game, the Brenn deals 4 action cards face-down to each player.
   • In a 2 player game, the Brenn deals 3 action cards face-down to each player.
6. Action Card Draft: This is a crucial part of planning your season!
   • For 3-4 Players:
     1. Each player looks at their 4 action cards, chooses one to keep, and passes the remaining 3 to the next player in turn order.
     2. Each player adds the card they kept to the 3 cards they received. They now have 4 cards, choose 2 to keep, and pass the remaining 2 to the next player.
     3. Each player adds the 2 cards they kept to the 2 cards they received. They now have 4 cards, choose 3 to keep, and pass the final 1 to the next player.
     At the end of this draft, each player will have 4 action cards in hand (plus any advantage or epic tale cards).
   • For 2 Players:
     1. Each player looks at their 3 action cards, chooses 1 to keep, and passes the other 2 to their opponent.
     2. Each player looks at their 3 action cards, chooses 2 to keep, and passes the other 1 to their opponent.
     3. Each player places their kept cards face-down in front of them.
     4. The Brenn deals another 3 action cards face-down to each player.
     5. Players draft this new set of action cards using the same steps as above (choose 1, pass 2; then choose 2, pass 1).
     At the end of this draft, each player will have 6 action cards in hand.

PHASE 2: THE SEASON

This is where the action happens! Players take turns performing one of three options:

The Brenn starts the season by playing the first card, which must be a season card. Then, the next player in turn order chooses one of these options:

• Play a Season Card: A season card can be an action card, an advantage card, or an epic tale card. Play the card, resolve its effect, and then discard it.
  • Action cards are discarded face-down.
  • Played advantage cards are placed face-down with their back visible.
  • Epic tale cards are discarded face-up and can be viewed by anyone at any time.
• Pass: You simply pass your turn without playing any cards. You can still play cards later if your turn comes back around.
• Take a Pretender Token: You can only do this if you meet at least one victory condition and don't already have a pretender token. Take a pretender token from the supply and place it in front of you. This token stays with you until the next Assembly phase, even if you stop meeting victory conditions later.

This continues with each player in turn order until all players have consecutively passed. When that happens, the season ends, and a new round begins with the Assembly phase.

What if you have no clans on the board?

If you find yourself without any clans in any territories at the start of your turn, you must discard a deed token if you have one. Then, you place two of your clans in any territories on the board. After that, you can take your turn as normal.

End of the Season

When everyone has passed:

• Players keep all epic tale cards in their hands.
• All action cards must be discarded.
• If a player has an advantage card in hand but is no longer the chieftain of that territory, they place that advantage card face-up near the play area.
• If the festival marker is in a territory, remove it and place it near the play area.

CLASHES

Clashes are the heart of Inis's conflict! A clash occurs when one or more clans are moved into a territory where opposing clans are already present. Note that simply "placing" a clan in a territory does not initiate a clash. Cards with a special symbol in the top-right corner can initiate clashes.

When a clash is initiated, the owner of the incoming clan is the instigator. If a card initiates a clash, the card will tell you who the instigator is. Clashes are resolved immediately before continuing the round.

If the festival marker is in the clashing territory, the instigator immediately loses one of their clans before the Citadels step!

Clashes are resolved in two steps:

1. Citadels:
   • Starting with the player after the instigator and going in turn order, each player (except the instigator) can place one of their clans from the clashing territory into an unoccupied citadel in that territory.
   • Each citadel protects only one clan. The capital's citadel works just like any other.
   • Clans in citadels are protected and don't participate in the clash. Any clans not in a citadel are considered exposed.
   • Once all citadels are occupied or no more players want to occupy them, move to the Resolution step.
2. Resolution:
   • Starting with the instigator and proceeding in turn order, each player with one or more exposed clans must perform one maneuver.
   • Before each maneuver, players with exposed clans can agree to end the clash immediately.
   • If the clash hasn't ended, the current player must choose one of three maneuvers:
     1. Attack: Choose an opponent with one or more exposed clans in the clashing territory. The attacked player must then choose one option:
        • Discard an action card: Choose an action card from their hand and discard it without effect.
        • Remove an exposed clan: Take one of their exposed clans and return it to their reserve.
        (If an attacked player has no action cards, they must remove an exposed clan.)
     2. Withdraw: Move one or more of your exposed clans to adjacent territories where you are the chieftain. This maneuver does not initiate another clash. If you're not the chieftain of any adjacent territories, you can't choose to withdraw.
     3. Epic Tale Maneuver: Some epic tale cards with the triskel symbol can be played "as a maneuver" during a clash, following their specific timing and conditions.
   • After each maneuver (and any triskel cards played in response), if there are no exposed clans left in the territory, the clash ends. Otherwise, the clash continues with the next player who has exposed clans.
3. End of the Clash:
   • A clash ends when all involved players agree to end it, or when no exposed clans remain in the territory.
   • Even if only one player has exposed clans left, they decide whether to end the clash or perform another maneuver (likely withdraw). If they withdraw some but not all clans, it becomes their turn again, and they should really end the clash at this point.
   • When the clash ends, all clans that were occupying citadels are taken out and placed back into their territory.

Removing a Clan: When a clan is removed, it goes from the territory back to its owner's reserve and can be used again later in the game.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends during the "Check for victory" step of the Assembly phase. The player who has fulfilled the most victory conditions is crowned the High King and wins the game!

Victory Conditions

There are three ways to claim victory:

1. Chieftain over 6 or more opposing clans: Count the total number of opposing clans in territories where you are the chieftain. If it's 6 or more, you meet this condition.
2. Present in territories with 6 or more total sanctuaries: Count the total number of sanctuaries in territories where you have at least one clan present (even if you're not the chieftain). If it's 6 or more, you meet this condition.
3. Present in 6 or more territories: Count the total number of territories where you have at least one clan present (even if you're not the chieftain). If it's 6 or more, you meet this condition.

Deeds: Your deed tokens are like wild cards! Each deed token can add 1 to the count for any single victory condition. For example, if you have 5 opposing clans as chieftain and a deed token, you can use the deed to count as 6 and meet that condition. Each deed can only be used once per game to complete a single victory condition.

Tie-breaker: If multiple players are tied for meeting the most victory conditions, the Brenn wins! If the Brenn is not among the tied players, then there is no winner, and the game continues for another round.

Tips for Winning

1. Master the Draft: The action card draft is your primary tool for planning. Pay attention not only to what cards you need but also what cards your opponents might be trying to get. Denying a key movement card to an opponent can be as powerful as gaining one for yourself!
2. Don't Fear the Clash (But Be Prepared): Clashes are inevitable. Learn when to initiate them to gain control or remove rival clans, and always keep an action card or two in hand for defense. Sometimes, a tactical withdrawal is the smartest move to preserve your forces.
3. Adapt Your Strategy to Victory Conditions: Don't tunnel vision on just one victory condition. Be flexible! If opponents are heavily contesting sanctuaries, perhaps focus on spreading your clans across many territories or becoming chieftain over many opposing clans. And don't forget your deed tokens – they can be crucial for a last-minute victory push!