[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":229},["Reactive",2],{"post-/blog/the-inking-decision":3},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"date":10,"tags":11,"author":15,"body":16,"_type":223,"_id":224,"_source":225,"_file":226,"_stem":227,"_extension":228},"/blog/the-inking-decision","blog",false,"","The Inking Decision: How Much to Ink Each Turn","Inking is free ramp — until it isn't. A guide to deciding which card to ink, when to skip your ink for the turn, and how the inkwell shapes the whole game.","2026-03-25",[12,13,14],"strategy","inkwell","theory","FloodBorn",{"type":17,"children":18,"toc":216},"root",[19,28,50,57,78,84,96,131,143,149,161,185,190,196],{"type":20,"tag":21,"props":22,"children":24},"element","h1",{"id":23},"the-inking-decision",[25],{"type":26,"value":27},"text","The Inking Decision",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":30,"children":31},"p",{},[32,34,40,42,48],{"type":26,"value":33},"Once per turn you may put one inkable card face down into your inkwell as ink. It\nsounds automatic — and early on it nearly is — but ",{"type":20,"tag":35,"props":36,"children":37},"em",{},[38],{"type":26,"value":39},"which",{"type":26,"value":41}," card you ink, and the rare\nturns you ",{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":44,"children":45},"strong",{},[46],{"type":26,"value":47},"don't",{"type":26,"value":49}," ink at all, add up to a real skill.",{"type":20,"tag":51,"props":52,"children":54},"h2",{"id":53},"early-game-almost-always-ink",[55],{"type":26,"value":56},"Early game: almost always ink",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":58,"children":59},{},[60,62,67,69,76],{"type":26,"value":61},"In the opening turns, ramp is king. More ink means more options and a faster deck.\n",{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":63,"children":64},{},[65],{"type":26,"value":66},"Ink on turns 1 and 2 essentially every game",{"type":26,"value":68},", even if it costs you a card you\nlike — being short on ink in the early game is a far bigger problem than being short\none card. This is exactly why your ",{"type":20,"tag":70,"props":71,"children":73},"a",{"href":72},"/blog/inkable-vs-uninkable-cards",[74],{"type":26,"value":75},"inkable count",{"type":26,"value":77},"\nmatters so much.",{"type":20,"tag":51,"props":79,"children":81},{"id":80},"which-card-to-ink",[82],{"type":26,"value":83},"Which card to ink",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":85,"children":86},{},[87,89,94],{"type":26,"value":88},"When you have a choice, ink the card you're ",{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":90,"children":91},{},[92],{"type":26,"value":93},"least likely to want to play.",{"type":26,"value":95}," A good\npriority order:",{"type":20,"tag":97,"props":98,"children":99},"ol",{},[100,111,121],{"type":20,"tag":101,"props":102,"children":103},"li",{},[104,109],{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":105,"children":106},{},[107],{"type":26,"value":108},"Extra copies",{"type":26,"value":110}," of cards you already have enough of.",{"type":20,"tag":101,"props":112,"children":113},{},[114,119],{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":115,"children":116},{},[117],{"type":26,"value":118},"Situational cards",{"type":26,"value":120}," that are dead in this matchup.",{"type":20,"tag":101,"props":122,"children":123},{},[124,129],{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":125,"children":126},{},[127],{"type":26,"value":128},"Expensive cards",{"type":26,"value":130}," you won't reach for several turns (if your hand is otherwise\nfine).",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":132,"children":133},{},[134,136,141],{"type":26,"value":135},"Never reflexively ink your cheapest card — sometimes that 1-drop is exactly the early\nplay you need. Ink by ",{"type":20,"tag":35,"props":137,"children":138},{},[139],{"type":26,"value":140},"usefulness",{"type":26,"value":142},", not by cost.",{"type":20,"tag":51,"props":144,"children":146},{"id":145},"when-to-skip-inking",[147],{"type":26,"value":148},"When to skip inking",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":150,"children":151},{},[152,154,159],{"type":26,"value":153},"Yes, sometimes you should ",{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":155,"children":156},{},[157],{"type":26,"value":158},"not",{"type":26,"value":160}," ink:",{"type":20,"tag":162,"props":163,"children":164},"ul",{},[165,175],{"type":20,"tag":101,"props":166,"children":167},{},[168,173],{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":169,"children":170},{},[171],{"type":26,"value":172},"You're flooded on ink.",{"type":26,"value":174}," Once you have enough to do everything you want, an extra\nink does nothing — keep the card in hand to play it instead.",{"type":20,"tag":101,"props":176,"children":177},{},[178,183],{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":179,"children":180},{},[181],{"type":26,"value":182},"Every card in hand is live.",{"type":26,"value":184}," If inking would mean burying a card you genuinely\nwant to cast, and you don't need the ramp, hold.",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":186,"children":187},{},[188],{"type":26,"value":189},"These turns are the minority, but recognizing them is what separates a tight player\nfrom an autopilot one.",{"type":20,"tag":51,"props":191,"children":193},{"id":192},"the-mid-game-flip",[194],{"type":26,"value":195},"The mid-game flip",{"type":20,"tag":29,"props":197,"children":198},{},[199,201,206,208,214],{"type":26,"value":200},"There's a moment in most games where ",{"type":20,"tag":43,"props":202,"children":203},{},[204],{"type":26,"value":205},"ramp stops mattering and deployment takes\nover.",{"type":26,"value":207}," Before it, you ink to grow; after it, you spend every card to pressure the\nboard. Spotting that turn — and switching from \"ink something\" to \"play everything\"\n— is one of the most important reads in Lorcana. Tie it together with smart\n",{"type":20,"tag":70,"props":209,"children":211},{"href":210},"/blog/turn-sequencing",[212],{"type":26,"value":213},"turn sequencing",{"type":26,"value":215}," and you'll waste far fewer resources.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":217,"depth":217,"links":218},2,[219,220,221,222],{"id":53,"depth":217,"text":56},{"id":80,"depth":217,"text":83},{"id":145,"depth":217,"text":148},{"id":192,"depth":217,"text":195},"markdown","content:blog:the-inking-decision.md","content","blog/the-inking-decision.md","blog/the-inking-decision","md",1782391356734]