The nerf changes the card's primary job
Blade of Ink still adds two Inky Shivs to the hand. In v0.111, Inky no longer gives those cards additional damage; it continues to apply Weak.
That moves the card away from being evaluated as a burst package and toward a control-plus-synergy card. The two attacks still deal damage, still count as plays, and can still trigger Shiv or attack effects. The enchantment itself is now about reducing incoming damage.
Value both halves of the card
Blade of Ink is strongest when the deck wants both things it creates:
| Need | What the card contributes |
|---|---|
| Weak for a dangerous enemy turn | Inky helps reduce attack damage |
| Several cheap attacks | Two Shivs can trigger attack or Shiv payoffs |
| Flexible target cleanup | Small attacks can split across enemies |
| Hand space and clean cycles | Risk: two created cards can crowd the hand |
If only one half matters, compare it with a cleaner card. Neutralize can show the value of compact Weak application, while dedicated Shiv payoffs may prefer a card that creates more damage without adding a setup step.
Weak timing comes first
Weak is valuable when it covers a meaningful attack. The common mistake is playing the Inky Shivs late in a turn after spending Energy and card plays on damage, even though the enemy's dangerous turn is already showing.
Plan the hand in this order:
- Check whether Weak changes the incoming damage enough to matter.
- Identify which enemy should receive the first Inky hit.
- Preserve enough Block or control for the remaining intent.
- Use the second Shiv for damage, a second target, or an engine trigger.
Do not maximize Shiv triggers while taking a preventable large hit. The nerf makes the control job more important, not less.
When the two Shivs help
Two zero-cost attacks can be useful with effects that reward attack count, Shiv count, or many small plays. They can also finish low-HP enemies without spending another card's full damage.
But extra plays are not free in every deck. Time, hand space, reactive enemy mechanics, and draw order can turn generated cards into friction. If the deck already produces more Shivs than it can profitably convert, Blade of Ink may add animation and card count without solving a fight.
The Silent Shiv build guide explains the missing pieces: a payoff, enough defense, and a plan for enemies that punish a long sequence of small attacks.
Upgrade and reward priority
Evaluate the upgrade by its actual text in the v0.111 client. The patch note specifically changes Inky's bonus damage, so an older damage-based priority can be stale even if the rest of the card looks familiar.
At a reward screen, take Blade of Ink more readily when:
- Weak application is inconsistent;
- two small attacks cross a current damage threshold;
- the deck already converts Shivs into meaningful output; and
- the hand can absorb two created cards.
Pass when the deck needs one larger attack, immediate Block, draw, or scaling more than another cheap-card package.
The v0.111 verdict
Blade of Ink is not dead; its reason for being drafted is narrower and more honest. It now asks whether Weak plus two Shivs solves the next fights. If the answer is yes, the card still combines control with synergy. If the answer relies on damage that Inky no longer provides, update the calculation before taking it.