All 19 Inkling Cards in Magic Ranked

Blot Out the Sky | Illustration by Olena Richards

Hello planeswalkers! It’s time to go back to school! Are you getting sick of that line yet? The introduction of the Secrets of Strixhaven set has led us to dive back into the dual-color schools and their mascots, including one of my favorites, Silverquill. This eloquent college focuses on the use of powerful words, including in the creation of their mascot, inklings.

These inky black mascots haven’t played a big part in the MTG universe, but they were always a nice flavor to the Silverquill brand from the Strixhaven school. SOS’s release gives us even more Inkling tokens and now even some creatures.

So, whether you’re just fascinated by the lore and style of the inklings or want to see if you should consider cards that can make Inkling tokens, you’ve come to the right place.

What Are Inklings in MTG?

Inkling | Illustration by Scott Murphy

Inkling is a creature subtype that represents the embodiment of the powerful Silverquill's lyrical and poetic abilities. Inklings are in the Orzhov color pair, and the vast majority of them are present through token creation.

These mascots can be found at the Silverquill College of Strixhaven on the plane of Arcavios. Inklings are black amorphous beings with some human-like features that act as helpers, pets, and sometimes deadly attackers. The main tactic is to make many of them and use them as evasive flying attackers.

There are now two actual creature cards with the subtype inkling, Inkling Mascot and Scriv, the Obligator. These rankings include these creature cards and all cards that can make Inkling tokens.

#19. Inkling Summoning

Let’s start with the simplest inkling creator, Inkling Summoning. That’s all this lesson does: It create one one flying Inkling creature token. The nice part is that it doesn't sink a hole in your hand if you grab it from outside the game with the learn mechanic. Other than that, we can move on to better cards.

#18. Eternal Student

Similarly to Eager Glyphmage, Eternal Student can give you two bodies from one card, even if it isn’t at the same time. Eternal Student provides a high-power creature for a curve in Limited formats and an Inkling token back-up after this creature dies.

#17. Eager Glyphmage

Eager Glyphmage is a two-body card for the price of one, a classic Limited card to use. It’s nice to get the Inkling token when you play this card, but the cost and lack of other interactions make this card forgettable.

#16. Umbral Juke

Three mana for a choice of untargeted removal or a small flying inkling token isn’t exciting. Umbral Juke is a black instant best left for Limited play only. But can you imagine the ESPN highlight reel with an inkling involved?

#15. Inkling Mascot

The less impactful of the two inkling creatures, Inkling Mascot is a small creature that provides a modest surveil trigger. This inkling probably just sticks to being a filler card for Limited formats, but it probably has the coolest inkling art.

#14. Mascot Exhibition

One of the most expensive lessons in MTG, Mascot Exhibition provides you with three creature tokens in one spell. The casting cost pushes it out of the competitive zone, even factoring in lesson/learn, but it can work with commanders like Iroh, Grand Lotus or Zhulodok, Void Gorger.

#13. Informed Inkwright

Informed Inkwright is a decent token-creator based on its repartee mechanic. This magecraft-like ability creates a flying Inkling token every time you cast an instant or sorcery targeting a creature. This is an alright way to fill your battlefield with tokens for Silverquill, the Disputant, or to prepare for mass pump spells like Practiced Offense.

#12. Combat Calligrapher

I do like some of the goading effects that seem to come with cards that make Inkling tokens. Combat Calligrapher incentivizes your opponents to attack anyone but you by giving them an Inkling token when attacking others. This isn’t a great standalone strategy, but it can help you to politick a bit, especially alongside Breena, the Demagogue.

#11. Intermediate Chirography

Intermediate Chirography is a solid black class card that backs up your modified creatures. For 7 mana, over several turns most likely, you get creature tokens whenever one of your modified creatures dies. The first two levels of this class are okay, but the main goal is to get to the end and get some insurance for your aggressive modified creatures like Gorma, the Gullet.

#10. Forum Filibuster

Forum Filibuster is a solid white enchantment that extracts all the value you can get out of your aura or equipment cards. Each turn, you make a flying Inkling creature token, and you can attach an aura or equipment from your graveyard to that token. What a great way to ensure yourself against removal and keep your aggression going!

#9. Shadrix Silverquill

Shadrix Silverquill is an interesting elder dragon with its modal combat trigger. As far as some of the elder or legendary dragons go, Shadrix is relatively cheap, and you can easily pump it up to take advantage of its double strike.

The interesting interactions come from the modal choices. It reads: “You may choose two. Each mode must target a different player.” You don’t have to choose any if you don’t want to give an opponent an advantage, but you can’t just choose one for yourself. If you’re confident in your strategy enough not to worry about giving an opponent a slight gain, ride with Shadrix.

#8. Blot Out the Sky

Blot Out the Sky is a semi-versatile token creator/board wipe. If you can sneak past some enemies with a few flying tokens, you don’t need to break the bank with the value of X in the casting cost. If you have the 8 mana, Blot Out the Sky becomes a board wipe of all artifacts, enchantments, and even planeswalkers. It becomes an expensive hate card at that point, but with the upside of an army of Inkling tokens!

#7. Scriv, the Obligator

Scriv, the Obligator is a flying, deadly inkling bird that brings a goad-like effect with its attacks. This inkling can create a Contract token attached to opponents' creatures that incentivizes them to attack other opponents. Maybe not as good as some goad effects like Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser, but Scriv, the Obligator can still work as a disincentive for opponents in multiplayer games.

#6. Fain, the Broker

Fain, the Broker lives up to its name and is a great way to broker advantage. All of this card’s tap abilities sacrifice something to get a benefit in a different aspect of the game. Of course, this card makes the list because you can sacrifice an artifact to get an Inkling token, but all the options have their high-value situations. There could be some really interesting interactions with this card and Paradox Engine, should that ever be unbanned.

#5. Emeritus of Truce

Who wouldn’t love an extra Swords to Plowshares? Emeritus of Truce creates a great tradeoff of creating an inkling creature for an opponent to prepare this card so you can cast Swords to Plowshares. I think most of us would trade giving an opponent a 1/1 token to exile their big threats any day.

#4. Dramatic Finale

Dramatic Finale turns your creatures' deaths into a beautiful plot twist. This is a wonderfully cheap enchantment that ensures that you can outpace many removal effects and keep a board presence. You can even sacrifice weenie creatures to make your army of Inklings.

Dramatic Finale and The Sibsig Ceremony form an interesting combo that makes a ton of pumped tokens as you cast cheap creatures.

#3. Harsh Annotation

Harsh Annotation is a lesser version of Generous Gift, but it provides so much value still! Harsh Annotation is a 2-mana instant white creature removal spell that gives an opponent an Inkling token in exchange. A very easy price for removing an opponent’s greatest creature. Harsh Annotation will make its rounds in many decks.

#2. Felisa, Fang of Silverquill

Felisa, Fang of Silverquill is my suggestion for a “inkling” commander if that's the flavor you want. Felisa works as insurance and a token creator when your nontoken creatures with counters die. This allows you to be quite aggressive with your attacks and come back from removal with even more creatures. This Orzhov token/counters theme goes quite well with cards like Together Forever and Teysa Karlov.

#1. Inkshield

Inkshield is a fog effect that can greatly change the board advantages in your favor. This card can turn a massive opposing swing into a ton of Inkling tokens. Those tokens then have flying for an easier counterattack that just might win you the game. Inkshield was made for control decks in white, and just think of the possibilities with a token doubler like Anointed Procession!

Best Inkling Payoffs

There isn’t much in the way of an inkling typal build yet, but there are several different strategies these inkling token creators can fit into: tokens-matter, aristocrat/death triggers, and group hug/politicking.

Inklings best fit in token decks that can pump or upgrade them with cards like Intangible Virtue or Divine Visitation, double them with cards like Mondrak, Glory Dominus or Thalisse, Reverent Medium, and bounce back from your board wipes like Hour of Reckoning faster than opponents.

Some token commanders to consider with inklings include Kambal, Profiteering Mayor, Felisa, Fang of Silverquill, and Arnyn, Deathbloom Botanist.

To a much lesser extent, inklings can fit in aristocrat or death trigger decks because they’re small and easy to sacrifice. Some great aristocrat cards and commanders to take advantage of these inklings could be Skullclamp, Blood Artist, Teysa Karlov, or Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER.

Some inkling cards like Combat Calligrapher and Scriv, the Obligator incentivize politicking in multiplayer games. Play these cards alongside Orzhov Advokist, Promise of Loyalty, and Breena, the Demagogue. Sit back and let the other players duke it out while you develop your battlefield.

Are There Any Inkling Commanders?

Yes, there are legendary creatures that you can consider “inkling commanders”. There aren’t many typal strategies based on just inklings, but we can review all the eligible inklings and token generators.

• Scriv, the Obligator is an Orzhov commander for auras, and plays especially well with Eriette of the Charmed Apple.
• Shadrix Silverquill is a commander for focusing on politics while you develop +1/+1 counters or tokens.
• Felisa, Fang of Silverquill is all about the +1/+1 counters, with some useful wrath insurance.
• Fain, the Broker is an okay aristocrat commander, but it provides its best value by making Treasure tokens.

Wrap Up

Inkling Summoning | Illustration by Scott Murphy

Alright, I think I’ve inked (really just typed) enough about these interesting, inky creatures. Inklings aren’t a major creature type in MTG, but their stylistic flavor adds a lot to the Silverquill College and Orzhov in general. With more sets and visits to Strixhaven, inklings may become more and more popular. I even hope to see them on other planes, maybe some similar kanji ones on Kamigawa?

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Stay safe, and let your pen and spells fly!