The creature cards inInscryptionare divided into Tribes, and any player who wishes to triumph in this complicated and mysterious card game must understand the unique strengths and weaknesses of each. Whether using squirrels, magpies, or wolves, the player has a host of diverse creatures to choose from on the battlefield.
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One of the most fascinating aspects ofInscryptionis its deep and varied deckbuilding, and the differences between the Tribes play a major part. Whether the player’s strategy revolves around a cycle of infinite bees or flying wolves, the choice of which Tribe to focus on can make as much of a difference as which items and Boons one uses. Here’s where every Tribe stands.
Updated August 07, 2025 by Patrick Armstrong:Whereas other deck-building games feature angels, golems, dragons, and other majestic creatures, Inscryption keeps things more grounded when it comes to creatures. That doesn’t mean its animal Tribes are any less complex, however. There’s a ton of strategic depth to these Tribes, especially when it comes to mixing and matching Tribes for greater success, which makes discovering new techniques and combos all the more exciting.
6Squirrel
The Squirrel Tribe is unique in that (other than the Amalgam, which belongs to all Tribes) the Tribe has only one member: the Squirrel itself. The Squirrel has no cost, 0 Power, and 1 Health, making it incredibly weak. Due to its lack of cost,its primary value is as a sacrifice to bring forth other, costlier cards.The player always has the option of drawing Squirrels, regardless of what else is in their main deck, which makes the Squirrel Tribe the most reliable if nothing else.
This reliability is fantastic and an essential part of supporting the player’s Tribe, but Squirrels nonetheless tend to be relegated to a backseat role as the playeradvances through matches and puzzles. The only time Squirrels become particularly useful during normal gameplay is if the player can find the Squirrel Head totem piece, which grants Sigils to this otherwise underwhelming Tribe.
When playing in the Kaycee’s Mod mode, the player has the opportunity to use Aquasquirrels by enabling the Aquasquirrel Challenge. These cards are identical to the original Squirrel except they have the Waterborne Sigil. Though there are situations in which this can be strategically useful, it’s often detrimental to beginners, since the Waterborne Sigil prevents the player from using the Aquasquirrels to block.
5Avian
The Avian’s major strength is Airborne Sigil, which allows creatures to bypass defenders, striking the opponent directly. Creatures with Mighty Leap can still block Airborne cards, but a deck built around this Sigil will wear them down and punch through the defenses eventually. The Turkey Vulture is powerful, sporting 3 Power, 3 Health, and a cost of 8 bones, making it one of the strongest Avian cards.
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Even better, however, isthe Magpie, which allows the player to search their deck for a card of their choicethanks to the Hoarder Sigil. With this, the Magpie can give the player exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. This combination of card-fetching and direct damage through Airborne cards can bring matches to a swift end if the player knows what they’re doing and has invested early in a strong card or two.
Even players who aren’t trying to build mono-Avian decks can benefit from the inclusion of the Magpie, as this card-fetching creature has a place in most deck builds. If the player is relying on the Hooved or Reptile Tribe and happens to get a Magpie, it’s often worth incorporating, as this card gives the player an easy way to find their heaviest hitters.
4Canine
The Canine Tribe is all about strength, featuring a variety of cards with high Power and the opportunity to grow even more powerful over time.The Wolf is basic but a staple of Canine decks. Better yet is the Alpha, which has 1 Power, 2 Health, and the ability to strengthen the creatures adjacent to it.
The true heavy hitters are cards like the Dire Wolf, which has 2 Power, 5 Health, and the Double Strike Sigil, giving it both survivability andthe ability to punish anything that remains in the space opposite it. While the Canine Tribe is strong, it lacks overall versatility compared to some of the other Tribes, holding it back from true greatness. Brute strength has its place inInscryption’sstrategies, but, in itself, will rarely be enough to carry the player to the end.
The Canine Tribe is one of the best for creating hybrid decks, as its high strength allows the player to dish out large amounts of damage while using another Tribe or two to make up for the Canine Tribe’s weaknesses. For this reason, Canine cards are a staple in most decks, especially amongst new players, given how easy it is to build around high Power cards.
3Hooved
The diversity of the Hooved Tribe is one of its greatest strengths. Black Goat is one of the best sacrificial cards in the game, providing 3 Blood for a cost of only one, letting the player field other strong cards much more quickly than normal. The Moose Buck has 3 Power and 7 Health making it an incredible defender, despite its 3 Blood cost.Child 13, the Long Elk, and the Wild Bull all bring unique and unusual powers to the table.
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Unfortunately, due to the same diversity of abilities that lends it strength, the Hooved Tribe can be difficult to get consistent results and solid synergies without relying heavily on another Tribe to reinforce it. The Hooved Tribe relies upon movement Sigils more than any other Tribe: a type of Sigil that can be quite difficult to strategize around, thus making them tricky to play.
Movement Sigils can throw glass cannons and important sacrificial cards into harm’s way if the player isn’t careful, and though the unique strengths of the Hooved Tribe become more evident with time, several of the cards are simply better avoided at first. The Black Goat is the most obvious exception, finding a comfortable place in most decks, regardless of their Tribal composition.
2Reptile
The Reptile Tribe is arguably the most difficult, with a variety of powerful niche cards that can be hard to orchestrate and get maximum value from. While the same is true of the Hooved Tribe, the Reptile Tribe arguably has better individual cards. The Geck has 1 Power and 1 Health and can be played for free.Ouroboros is one of the best cards in the game,gaining Power and Health whenever it dies by any means.
Cards of the Reptile Tribe are typically low-cost and defensive, and while low-cost is undeniably helpful,Inscryptionoften doesn’t reward defensiveness. The Adder, Skink, and other cards from this Tribe rely heavily on the movement of Sigils or other upgrades in order to make them viable, which is why the Reptile Tribe - as powerful as it is - remains second-best.
TheOuroboros is one of the most powerful and sought-after cardsin the game, and its presence in the Reptile Tribe is almost enough to recommend this Tribe by itself. That said, many of the best strategies inInscryptionrely on hybrid decks, and many players will find themselves scooping up Ouroboros and the Geck while paying the rest of the Reptile Tribe’s roster no mind.
1Insect
There are several arguments for Insect being the best Tribe inInscryption. First, its creatures synergize well with one another, removing the need to rely heavily on other Tribes for support. Second, the Insect Tribe has one of the most well-rounded rosters in the game, and even its common cards can be extremely effective when played well. Last but not least,cards like the Ant Queen, Cockroach, and Mantis God provide extraordinary valueby themselves and only get better when combined with other cards.
Bees and Bee Hives can provide a flood of cheap creatures, as can Ants and the Ant Queen, giving the player multiple paths forward if they want to pursue a strategy based on a surge of small units. The Mantis and Mantis God, meanwhile, use Bifurcated Strike and Trifurcated Strike to dispense damage across multiple spaces, either damaging multiple creatures at once or doing significant damage to the opposing player.
Given that it’s one of the easiest Tribes to build mono-decks with (and one of the first Tribes unlocked in Kaycee’s Mod), most players will quickly familiarize themselves with the Insect Tribe. The Mantis and Mantis God can also be used in hybrid decks to massively expand the damage-dealing potential of cards like the Wolf, further solidifying Insect’s position as the best Tribe in Inscryption.
Inscryptionis available on PC, PS4, PS5, macOS, and Linux.
