Klin Zha battles are conducted between combatants who move their warriors alternately on a triangular battlefield called a Klin Zha board, or Grand Triangle.

Each Combatant starts the battle with a squad of nine warriors, a Goal, and a spindle. The spindle is a six sided object with each side numbered. In the standard battle, the combatant casts a spindle at the start of the battle to determine first placement; otherwise they are not used. The warriors and goal are represented by tokens.

Combatants control their squads by taking turns issuing one command to one of their warriors. In game terms, issuing a command means selecting one warrior and moving it according to its movement rules. A Combatant has command- the right to move - once their opponent has completed their move. Command then passes back and forth between the two Combatants until the game ends.

The goal of each combatant is to capture the enemy Goal, or to force the enemy into a position where they have command but nothing they can execute.