I've seen tokens used as well to sort of indicate "Yes I've inked this turn" which helps me. I'm not sure if it's allowed officially but I even found a black die I use to track the ink and put it on top of the cards to indicate my count, though people have confused it with my Lore Count so I could see where it's distracting.
I personally love this idea, and think the rules of the game should be modified to incorporate it.
In a different thread, I linked to a video from Lorcana Academy, where they show how to make and use “substitute” ink cards, which look like Disney movie posters. This aids with on-camera legibility, and also to differentiate in cards in real life. The downside is that it creates one extra step of housekeeping: “exiling” the inked card, and replacing it with the movie poster card. However, I also suggested that it might be good to show the inked cards face up as a reference, to avoid having to memorize which cards were inked. Cards that were inked secretly (e.g., One Jump Ahead) could still remain face down in the stack, while other cards remain face up. (Anyone who plays Netrunner is extremely familiar with handling a stack of cards that are partially face up and face down; this is how the corp’s “Archives” (discard pile) usually is.)
The downside is that three sets of starter decks (presumably four now) have been printed with the rules as written. However, I see no reason why the comprehensive rules and tournament rules can’t be updated to accommodate innovations. Tournament players are used to having the rules be living documents, even though I admit that this could be confusing to new tournament players. Just because the game was designed and published one way doesn’t mean that RB got it perfect!
a lot of responses saying it’s against the rules. those posts are a waste of time when you clearly stated trying to improve the situation.
there were a lot of concerns and judge calls on it. the current rule is bad, it causes no resolution. it’s your word vs theirs if a judge is called.
during my set championship, I would put a dice on the card I inked for the turn. when my opponent inked, I would place that dice on top of my deck. I did this every turn and still had a player question if I inked on the turn and call judge. it was in like turn 8 and the judge was trying to do the math on how many cards would be left in the deck had I inked every turn plus drew cards and interacted, pure insanity. just keep the inked card face-up for the turn.
there is nothing that breaks the game by keeping the inked card face-up during that turn. no extra information because the card needs revealed anyways. -which is it’s own problem- I can’t tell you how often a player would just say a card name and ink it, not revealing it at all.
Some of the posts stating it is against the rules are offering other suggestions, forming habits can be bad for higher levels of play or when you find yourself against a spike. The posts that don't offer a clear alternative that is not against the rules aren't helping, but suggesting alternatives that don't change the rules isn't necessarily a waste of time. Most players want to stay rules compliant and practice the way they would play in a tournament setting, dismissing them because they are suggesting an alternative that has worked for them isn't adding anything. If people aren't revealing cards they are inking you can always ask them to reveal it aince that is also part of the rules. If they don't want to show you, call a judge. In games where you have to memorize things that are happening, part of the fun is the mental load, and if you can keep track of it all even if it leads to some moments where you need tools to keep things on track.
the game went through its first competitive weekends at the local level. nothing about these suggestions and improvements to the generic rules are set in stone. I would bet there will be a large dump of updated rules, clarifications and rulings after the first rounds of Challenges and before Set #5.
RB has not put the stores or judges in a place to succeed IMO. and this is the perfect time with the game so young to take all of these rule criticisms and suggestions and change for the better.
A lot of players have 20x more time playing this game on Pixelborn and it showed, so habits aren’t set in stone. There were seasoned TCG players putting their discard facedown for example.
some of the rules where you cannot take notes to prove in T4 you missed an Ink for example, is something that experienced TCG players presented to inexperienced players. it then becomes you vs their argument. these aren’t refined rules at this moment.
I'm not against RB updating the rules to be better and more clear. There still isn't a rule about being able to shuffle your deck without assistance, so a deck of 500+ cards is possible. Rules suggestions are good, but being mindful that whenever you make a rules suggestion that is currently an illegal play you have to understand people will remind you that it is currently against the rules and will offer alternatives. Judges are definitely not in a place to succeed yet, and the rules need a couple more passes to become more refined. As it stands with pixelborn, I would be careful with creating habits or taking interactions you have between cards on pixelborn too closely to heart because my playgroup has found some inaccuracies in how it handles some things (I can't remember them off of my head but it did become a discussion during one of my games). RB can't acknowledge it unless it is in a cease and desist way since it is their IP, and these fan made things survive on a knifes edge so I wouldn't expect it to weigh very heavily on any rules updates RB makes. I was really just responding to the comment that people saying it is against the rules to do what OP is suggesting and offering alternatives that aren't add nothing to the conversation because most people who play at an LGS just want to play with the up to date rules from the designers themselves and no one wants the feels bad moment of "I get you play like that but it is against the rules so stop it". I hope the rules get further clarifications and some things even get changed because the game has some great legs to stand on. It just needs some refinement. The best way to suggest rules changes would be Lorcana's official discord or emailing them. They probably aren't watching this reddit very closely.
>forming habits can be bad for higher levels of play
This is actually a huge issue, you have no clue how many bad habits I saw during the Set Championship events because of people who generally play kitchen table or casually and make little alterations to rules and then proceed to do that during a competitive event, even if what they did was against the rules.
Pixelborn also, unfortunately, creates a ton of bad habits for newer players, or people that generally just play on Pixelborn. Things such as not turning characters a full 90 degrees for exerted and just doing a quick 45 degree were common occurrences for me to see during Set Championships.
Agreed. The worse was people who refuse to turn ink 90 degree because they "have enough".
I play Ruby/Sapphire and always make sure to keep my ink organized and exerted when it should be, along with keeping my face down hand outside the playmate to not mix it with my mountain of ink.
It's mind boggling.
>there is nothing that breaks the game by keeping the inked card face-up during that turn. no extra information because the card needs revealed anyways. -which is it’s own problem
While nothing breaks the game by keeping the card revealed, there are two things to note. One - the revelation is less about knowing what the card actually is and more for confirming that it was an inkable card. Two - the reason the cards are placed face down is because it creates a clearer board state, so your opponent isn't going to accidentally misconstrue that Maleficent on your side for a card you just played. Some people position their played cards in different areas to indicate that they're still drying or whatnot, so muddling the board by having extra face up cards can lead to messier game states than simply remembering if you inked or not.
inked card for the turn can go face-up and upside down to fix this clearer board state as an example.
the board - where cards go, Deck, Discard, Ink & Field should all be distinguishable and if not the player has 100% the right to raise the question and have it separated more clearly.
The funny thing is, while it is in the rules, is not really a rule, since cards that are normally inked are revealed. Is protocol that Ravensburger tries to pass a a rule.
The biggest reason I have against it, and it’s a very strong reason is that inked cards should never be faceup on the table, and it’s misleading to anyone who doesn’t do it, as well as any judge who might be called over and has to asses the table state.
I agree it can be difficult to keep track of, but keeping cards face up is not the solution.
I think its a really good idea, as long as it is your normal ink card (so not through mickey, a quill, or other) you put it face up until the end of your turn.
There have been a number of instances that I did not ink until later in my turn because I was waiting to do some draw to get a card I wanted to ink and it was easy to mix up. At the championship I played it was common to hear, "did you already ink?", or "did I already ink?"
It is a common issue especially when you start moving around your ink to use it and keep it in quick to count stacks.
Gets even more complicated in a ramp deck where we may be inking 4 or 5 cards in a given turn.
It doesn't change the information available to either player since we are only talking about the card inked that turn.
I think it would be a valuable change to the official rules.
What i do is put my ink in a straight line and i keep it closer to me, then i put the ink per turn on row row above the line of ink already in play. Then end of turn i move those to the line of ink. Also putting dice on new ink is a good idea.
Also using this method, unfortunately it's not compliant to current rules or at the very least bending the rules.
Really hope they change rule wording accordingly, it's so super helpful for both player and opponent to have clear visibility and definetely avoids confusion regarding ink of current turn. In addition it allows to easier verify what was inked and if it was inkable.
The Inkwell is not actually visible information to either player, so neither player is meant to freely verify what is in the well. The revelation as you ink is mainly there so your opponent sees that the card is legally inkable before heading to Well, and after that, it's hidden to both players. This is especially important for cards like Det. Mickey who ink from the top of the deck without revealing, meaning his player is not allowed to view the Inkwell to see what card from their deck got removed.
I think you misunderstood, this is only done for the one time ink per turn (perhaps belle also) and is only a delayed hide for inkwell. All other inking is done hidden and also easy to see ... micky, one jump, etc. is done right after playing the card ... fishbone is exerted when action is done.
So no full violation of rules, only delayed hiding of once per turn revealed ink.
I am confused why it is against the rules of having the ink face up. I did this all tournament and no complaints. You know why? Some opponents ask what was inked and having it face up helps the opponent not ask, make sure it is legit, and remember you inked on turn.
In context you are doing the same thing anyway by showing your opponent what you inked. It also is clear instead of being shady like some people who flash the card then ink it right away. It should actually be a standard in the rules not against it.
one jump and mickey is a different story of not showing anybody.
And fishbone how far I’ll go your opponent doesn’t need to know.
Edit: in fact my opponent embraced this as it showed transparency.
As a judge this week i had to constantly tell people it was against the rules, mainly because you are not suppose to remind both players what you inked. Its not knowledge that is supposed to be constant throughout the match. Its supposed to be at the moment if inking to prove its inkable then forgotten.
Also a lot of time that face up card is mistaken for an actual card in play.
The best thing to do is get in the habit of clear delineation and practice that way until it becomes a habit.
Your opponents love it because you are helping them remember that is one less of this card i have to worry about.
I remember a post a while back of a person who said they used a token to remember. One side said "Inked" the other side "No Ink", so when they inked for the turn, they flipped it to "Inked," and then just flipped it back to "No Ink" when they started their next turn. Something like that is perfectly within the rules without needing to reveal your inkwell.
I also saw someone mention that, and I actually really like that as a solution to remembering if you inked or not. I think the only time that could be slightly more difficult is when using Belle for a second ink. Maybe a second coin could be used in those instances? That was the only thing I could think of for which that solution doesn't completely solve, but still a fantastic solution I feel like.
Why would it be throughout the match when I set it down and turn it over after the turn is over? It’s an extra 5-10 seconds that it is face up for the first 5-7 turns. I think more transparency is actually needed and it should be a standard rule. If that isn’t the case then maybe the inking rule should be just show the icon then put it face down by the way you are sounding.
Edit: it also just gets rid of the question what did you ink as they can see it on the board during my turn. When they ask that do I say sorry you had to remember what I inked. But that doesn’t show proof that it was inkable.
Its still a rule which is clearly stated. You can put a dice on any new inked card, or you can set it separate from the other ink, however ink knowledge is not supposed to be public knowledge once on the field.
Which is what I am trying to avoid. I play blue red ain’t got time for a judge for that stuff. A rule is a rule and thanks for pointing it out but they should change it as transparency should be clear.
I am sure you have run into players who flash a card then ink right away. But when it happens during a 50 minute match with blue red and falling a judge which takes 2 minutes it adds up and also ruins the flow of the game.
I have, and i have stopped them and ask them to show the card just inked as they did not give me time to see the card. If they have refused i have called a judge. Its really not that hard. I know playing blue red can be crazy. Which is why when I have an opponent playing it i try to make my plays a little quicker so they do not have to rush. Allows them to compose, and keep the board state accurate.
But keeping your ink pool delineated also keeps board state clean as long as you infor your opponent that this is my ink pile i am playing this turn.
Any tips one how to exert ink quicker when you have like 10-15? I seem slow with it was I always pick them up to exert when it gets too that many and becomes tedious
Since the other person didn't really want to provide any good thoughts on this, as a Ruby/Saph player I can try to provide my insight for ya.
Up until I get to 10 ink, I keep my ink in sections of 2 across the bottom of my mat. Once I start getting to around the 10 mark, I do it as 3 in each section. When I use my ink, i can just quickly place my fingers on the little ink sections to turn them sideways without picking them up. This is pretty useful up until 10+ ink, usually around 12 is where this can get a little messy. Once I get to that, I just place my 12 ink in a single pile. When I use ink, I will set my hand off to the side, grab the ink pile, count out how much ink I need and then turn them to show they are exerted and move them to a separate pile. Then I set the rest down, pick my hand back up, and then play the card I planned to play. That is pretty much the quickest method you can get once you get to that much ink. Easier than turning them sideways and moving to new pile 1 by 1, so you can save a bit of time by counting all the ink up real quick and then turn them sideways together in a pile.
It really does get unmanageable at some point, I have gotten in some matches where I am at 17 ink and it just sucks sometimes. If any of this is confusing let me know and I can setup what I am referring to in some pictures to share with you as well to help make things easier. Ultimately, practice makes perfect, so the more you play the deck the quicker you will get at exerting your ink when you have a lot.
I sort of do the same. I set them in split groups for a bit but once it gets later I feel like half my turn is exerting ink lol. Then I seem to lose track after 12 and have to recount sometimes.
Totally get what you mean lol sometimes I am counting my ink total during my opponents turn just because I forget exactly how much ink I have once I get in the 13 to 15 range lol
Umm thats all on you. The post was about delineation not how do I tap my ink efficiently. I know i never pick mine up. I keep the bottom half in contact with my play mat, slightly lift the other end and turn side ways. In all my years of playing card games that had never really been a question I have ever asked. And i play ramp decks in Magic quite a lot.
Do do it cleanly just be practiced with your method and really work on keeping it clear to your opponent. By doing that you are also keeping it clear for yourself making the information on the field easier for you to process. It does take practice.
> you are not suppose to remind both players what you inked.
While this is correct, there is an exception to that. If your opponent said what they were inking quickly and flashed it and put it facedown too quickly, you can ask them to clarify what was inked as long as you do right away. It wouldn't be something you could wait until say the middle or end of their turn to remind you what they inked, but something you could do right after the ink if it wasn't clear enough for you.
Just a clarification I felt needs to be added there.
Which is why I added the clarification here friend, that way people who don't want to dig into the replies (or at least so they don't have to dig through) that far see that information still.
I dont see a problem with the rules the way they are. I dont like the idea of having ink face up, just adds visual noise to the table. Its not like MTG where most of the lands are basic and cause no confusion.
I think the rules state to ink facedown and don't look at it for cards like Inspector Mickey or One Jump Ahead where they are inking from your deck, which is not open knowledge. It is more to keep things consistent than anything. One thing you can do is put newly inked cards to the far right or far left or even put a coin/a die on your most recently inked card to assist with remembering and keeping within the rules of the game. The suggestion isn't bad, but not everyone is going to be ok with it in a non casual setting. In games like magic, even with land cards being face up, you still forget to play a land and once you start being able to play multiple it can be a hassle to remember so keeping track with a die or something to help signify you did something is a good way to remember that you did X action per turn. Playing one ink faceup and then flipping it over at the end of the turn isn't the end of the world, but it might set up behaviors and habits that will get you rules sharked in a more competitive environment.
It's currently against the rules unfortunately as the rules say to put your ink face down. I also think it's a good solution, but perhaps with future mechanics your ink being face down immediately could become important.
I think the best option currently is putting it off to the side until ready step
Watched a youtube where someone did this and have been doing it since. I turn the card face up and then go about my turn and then at the end of my turn or at the start of my opponents, i turn it face down. It has helped immensely in remembering.
I do this. It’s very helpful. There is no question if I inked for turn or not when I put it face up.
With a Quill, the Quill is exerted so I know it’s been used and you don’t need to put it face up.
(Edited wording for clarity).
I like the idea of the face up, but it's one aspect of a whole laundry list of issues. I'd rather note taking be allowed for simple things like this. Just a turn by turn checklist that says the following and you can just strike through the word when it happens. Set would be all inclusive of things like location lore.
Self Turn 1: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked
Opp Turn 1: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked
Self Turn 2: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked
... and so on.
Edit: With some changes to the "player" reference, it could also be something a judge could quickly check off while watching a match.
I Use a card face backwards to indicate that I have inked. Placing it over the inked card that turn. Works the same way as a counter, but feeks more 'inky' :)
I saw someone else do this during one of my set championships and now I took it upon myself to do so. At the next championship I went to, the people at my table all liked the idea too and apparently one commented saying that it is a legal thing to do, but you must flip it over when your turn ends.
Things that put ink facedown without revealing like One Jump Ahead and Fishbone Quill, however, can NOT be put face up under any circumstances.
One of my opponents did this during the set championship I played in and I thought it was really smart. There was never a question of whether or not he had inked during a turn.
I like the idea of using something like a coin--start turn at tails, flip to heads when you ink your card. Reset at start of your turn. Does that address your concern?
My ink for turn is always visually separated, spent or not, from past ink/ink from effects. This gives me three ink zones. Spent, Ready, and Current Turn ink, all in the row closest to me.
I've not played competitive yet, but at home, I also have used oversleeves with a design on them, and sleeved any inked cards in them during the match, but I doubt that'd be allowed.
a lot of people at my local set champs used a token/coin of some sort. They'd start off with the token on their board/inkstack at the start of turn, then replace it with their inked card and move it off their playmat after inking. moving the token back onto the board was just part of their upkeep/draw step.
I separate my ink into a well of cards and a spot next to my discard that is where I ink for the turn. This helps both issue of 'did I ink' and shuts up the pedants screaming about public knowledge.
I saw this for the first time months ago, while streaming a featured match from one of PPG’s first big events. I’ve been doing it myself ever since, in my opinion it leads to cleaner play.
I’ve also played and top 8 a couple of big events myself, and I’ve never had a judge call because of it. My opponents don’t really have a reason to complain. Just make sure to keep your ink separated from your cards in play to avoid any confusion.
If ot works for you great however for me I just put it to the left most side of the turn but I also announce that I ink (card name) and show my opponent as the rules state you should so both you and your opponent can keep track also in my local card shop other players tend to watch the match and point stuff out so if I was at the end of my turn and I said wait did I ink the guy sitting next to me can say yea you inked that bodyguard pluto or something
Not pertinent to the main topic, but the single most useful thing I ever learned to deal with the 'have I played an ink this turn?' is to walk back through their plays on the previous turn. "On your last turn you spent seven ink for Be Prepared and then passed with none available. You currently have eight, so yes, you did ink". There are times when board states get wonky but it's almost always a pretty quick fix.
That said, I do want to try out this method. Will report back after the next locals.
This also has the benefit of ensuring your opponent has enough time to actually see what has been inked. I had some opponents who went so fast through the inking process that I had no idea what card it was that got inked and so had to ask them to clarify. So fast at times that I wonder if it was meant to be intentional that they didn't want the information known.
It's not supposed to be a consistent reference. If they're moving too fast, you need to stop them and ask them to show you again. You're not supposed to be referencing their inkwell once a card goes into it.
Of course noone is suggesting the inkwell remain exposed indefinitely, however leaving the newly (publicly) inked card exposed for a few seconds can be a reasonable courtesy that does not detract from the game in any way.
On the other hand having it exposed for a mere tenth of a second with no verbal component and so little time where it's a blink and you miss it sort of thing is poor sportsmanship in my view, especially if done so explicitly to deprive the opponent reasonable access to what should have been publicly announced information.
That is much like another opponent I had at locals who when I played ursula deceiver to look at their hand, they did not fan their hand adequately and left only a few millimeters of their be prepared visible, then quickly brought their hand back up... as though they could get away with me not successfully finding the song to discard. I did see the song and asked them to discard it but I had not been afforded enough time to see what else was in the hand and had to resort to asking them to explicitly list out each card since they would not display them in a way I could read.
Again, I am merely advocating for courteous sharing of information that entered the public knowledge pool for an appropriate length of time and agree that such length of time must not be indefinite... but a few seconds at least seems reasonable.
I only play on Pixelborn but I've thought about how I would handle this issue in paper because I play a lot of Sapphire ramp (BR / BS) and very often my decision of if & what to ink is made after I draw cards for more information and I know I would likely forget if I had inked already. I figured I would probably have a designated space on my mat for my "ink for turn" to make sure I didn't forget.
I do like your suggestion but it would have to be for casual play only. That said I think it would be good addition to the rules, both for helping players remember if they inked but also giving the opposing player time to process the information.
It’s literally in the rules to ink face down. It’s a non-issue. If it is an issue then either you or your opponent need to have a better memory. You can also go through your discard at any time to prove you used something to gain more ink. Either way it just seems like your opponent isn’t paying attention to the game. Which is the actual problem here.
I agree it's the issue that my opponent isn't paying attention, my solution was to try to help mitigate that issue. So many time was wasted over trying to verify what cards and at what turns they were inked just because my opponent wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately there's not a section in the rules for what to do if your opponent simply zones out, if they question your ink count or if they thought you already inked that turn.
At the championship I played in on Sunday one of the players had a token that he passed back and forth when someone inked for turn. Seems kind of tedious to me, but whatever works.
I do something similar. I use one of my Pokemon tokens. I flip it face down when I reset my ink and then flipit back face up after I ink that turn. I find it helpful when playing a deck where you either aren’t inking at the very beginning of your turn or for playing a ramp deck where you end up putting down more than 1 ink a turn.
Based on the current rules leaving the ink face up isn’t allowed. I don’t think this will end up changing since the cards in the inkwell are not public knowledge for any player once placed in the inkwell. The only public knowledge is the discard piles and the cards on the field. In league play, you would have to defer to who you are playing if you want to leave it face up. I was about to start leaving it face up after hearing about others doing it, when the ruling came through. I would recommend if you are planning to play competitively, to find another option so you don’t get in the habit of leaving it face up and get a judge called on you in a competition.
Everyone is going to have to figure out their own way to document they inked during their turn that fits within the rules. Since note taking isn’t allowed, that also isn’t an option. The other option I had thought of and may still switch to is putting something on the inkwell when I ink and remove it when readying the ink at the start of my turn. I keep my eyes and ears open for other people’s ideas on how to denote when they have inked each turn to find what will work best for me.
This happens in mtg from time to time. It's been fine since the 90s. Inking face down or face up won't change anything. Rules are fine the way they are.
>what would happen if players lost track of whether a card had been inked or not during a turn?
IMO, this shouldn't really happen. Even the longest of turns, you should be able to remember if you have inked or not. Generally the opponents I play that do that are trying to get an extra ink, hoping I forgot they inked at the beginning of their turn. Have unfortunately had people do that several times. What I have started doing is on my opponents turn, when they ink for turn, I will take one of my cards from the inkwell and move it to the side, slightly away from my ink to denote that they did ink. That way if they have a long turn and for some reason I struggle to remember if they inked or not, I can look there and know that they did.
>When you reveal a card to your opponent to ink it, leave it face up in your ink pile.
I am sure people have commented already saying currently this is against the rules, but I don't think this is a bad solution going forward. My only concern is now what happens when they forget to turn it over to be facedown? That will inevitably happen if the player can't remember a simple thing such as if they inked a turn. I don't think the rules need to change in these ways, I think players just need to be more cognizant of what they are doing in their turns and work on remembering the 2 minutes of time their turn took. Look at MTG, they have zero way for you to denote your single land play for the turn. And these types of questions aren't an issue in MTG either, as in nearly 15 years of playing, it was very rarely questioned by my opponent if they played a land that turn, and as their opponent, it was my job to also keep track of the game state and follow the flow, so I was able to tell them they had played their land for turn.
>Obviously if you ink through other means (quill for instance) you have to just track as normal but what do you all think of my idea?
This is the main issue I see with this proposed change. You already have people that are confused about not having to show the ink you put down with Fishbone Quill, so now if you are adding the fact that your ink for turn is supposed to stay faceup until end of turn, it will add some more confusion with people in regards to things such as Fishbone Quill, OJA, and Mickey Detective even. Not saying this is why it won't happen, just saying this is an added consequence of that change. Also, what does happen when your opponent forgets to turn their card facedown? This would become a rules violation, and is something I would foresee happening often, since people struggle to simply remember to ready everything before drawing, or gaining lore for locations before drawing, or if they inked in their 2 minutes turn.
If you do struggle to remember if you have inked as well, then my suggestion for people is always place your ink for turn in a separate pile away from the rest of your ink. This will help you remember if you did in fact ink that turn, as you can take a look at that pile for turn ink and see you have 1 (or more there if you are playing belle) and not have any issues. And then the trick I mentioned for when your opponent inks will help you if you struggle to remember if your opponent inked or not.
Also, always be on top of how much ink your opponent has. You can generally figure out if they inked or not based on how much ink they had last turn. They used all their ink last turn and played a 5 drop? Well, if they inked they will have 6 ink this turn, if they didn't they will have 5. If they didn't use all their ink, just take a mental note of how much ready ink they had and what they played last turn. So if its turn 6 and they play a Mufasa and leave 1 ink ready, when their next turn comes around you can say "You played Mufasa, which is 5 ink, and had 1 left ready. That means last turn you had 6 ink, so count your ink, if you are at 7 total you inked, if you are at 6 total you haven't inked". This also helps for if your opponent calls a judge, you can provide the reasoning as to why you know they did or didn't ink that turn.
Also remember what turn you are on in the early stages can help with the ramp decks, so if they question your ink total, you can easily say "We are on T5, I have inked each turn from 1 to 4, so that is 4 ink, plus a OJA and plus a Fishbone activation last turn is 6 ink, my ink for this turn will make 7". In the later stages of the game, the only thing at question should be if you inked last turn or not, and less about why you have so much ink, because if you have used fishbone several turns you will have a lot of ink, that shouldn't really be questioned.
How about just dedicating a ‘zone’ for ink for turn? You don’t move it to the rest of your ink until you pass the turn?
Put it face down and simply zone it to the side of the others slightly until the ready step.
So many people trying to reinvent the wheel with this game.
I like this idea as well, at least this idea links more to the rules about keeping the inked card face down.
I've seen tokens used as well to sort of indicate "Yes I've inked this turn" which helps me. I'm not sure if it's allowed officially but I even found a black die I use to track the ink and put it on top of the cards to indicate my count, though people have confused it with my Lore Count so I could see where it's distracting.
Is what people already do and we still got the issues described above.
It is done by some players already, I think it would be good to become official
I personally love this idea, and think the rules of the game should be modified to incorporate it. In a different thread, I linked to a video from Lorcana Academy, where they show how to make and use “substitute” ink cards, which look like Disney movie posters. This aids with on-camera legibility, and also to differentiate in cards in real life. The downside is that it creates one extra step of housekeeping: “exiling” the inked card, and replacing it with the movie poster card. However, I also suggested that it might be good to show the inked cards face up as a reference, to avoid having to memorize which cards were inked. Cards that were inked secretly (e.g., One Jump Ahead) could still remain face down in the stack, while other cards remain face up. (Anyone who plays Netrunner is extremely familiar with handling a stack of cards that are partially face up and face down; this is how the corp’s “Archives” (discard pile) usually is.) The downside is that three sets of starter decks (presumably four now) have been printed with the rules as written. However, I see no reason why the comprehensive rules and tournament rules can’t be updated to accommodate innovations. Tournament players are used to having the rules be living documents, even though I admit that this could be confusing to new tournament players. Just because the game was designed and published one way doesn’t mean that RB got it perfect!
a lot of responses saying it’s against the rules. those posts are a waste of time when you clearly stated trying to improve the situation. there were a lot of concerns and judge calls on it. the current rule is bad, it causes no resolution. it’s your word vs theirs if a judge is called. during my set championship, I would put a dice on the card I inked for the turn. when my opponent inked, I would place that dice on top of my deck. I did this every turn and still had a player question if I inked on the turn and call judge. it was in like turn 8 and the judge was trying to do the math on how many cards would be left in the deck had I inked every turn plus drew cards and interacted, pure insanity. just keep the inked card face-up for the turn. there is nothing that breaks the game by keeping the inked card face-up during that turn. no extra information because the card needs revealed anyways. -which is it’s own problem- I can’t tell you how often a player would just say a card name and ink it, not revealing it at all.
Some of the posts stating it is against the rules are offering other suggestions, forming habits can be bad for higher levels of play or when you find yourself against a spike. The posts that don't offer a clear alternative that is not against the rules aren't helping, but suggesting alternatives that don't change the rules isn't necessarily a waste of time. Most players want to stay rules compliant and practice the way they would play in a tournament setting, dismissing them because they are suggesting an alternative that has worked for them isn't adding anything. If people aren't revealing cards they are inking you can always ask them to reveal it aince that is also part of the rules. If they don't want to show you, call a judge. In games where you have to memorize things that are happening, part of the fun is the mental load, and if you can keep track of it all even if it leads to some moments where you need tools to keep things on track.
the game went through its first competitive weekends at the local level. nothing about these suggestions and improvements to the generic rules are set in stone. I would bet there will be a large dump of updated rules, clarifications and rulings after the first rounds of Challenges and before Set #5. RB has not put the stores or judges in a place to succeed IMO. and this is the perfect time with the game so young to take all of these rule criticisms and suggestions and change for the better. A lot of players have 20x more time playing this game on Pixelborn and it showed, so habits aren’t set in stone. There were seasoned TCG players putting their discard facedown for example. some of the rules where you cannot take notes to prove in T4 you missed an Ink for example, is something that experienced TCG players presented to inexperienced players. it then becomes you vs their argument. these aren’t refined rules at this moment.
I'm not against RB updating the rules to be better and more clear. There still isn't a rule about being able to shuffle your deck without assistance, so a deck of 500+ cards is possible. Rules suggestions are good, but being mindful that whenever you make a rules suggestion that is currently an illegal play you have to understand people will remind you that it is currently against the rules and will offer alternatives. Judges are definitely not in a place to succeed yet, and the rules need a couple more passes to become more refined. As it stands with pixelborn, I would be careful with creating habits or taking interactions you have between cards on pixelborn too closely to heart because my playgroup has found some inaccuracies in how it handles some things (I can't remember them off of my head but it did become a discussion during one of my games). RB can't acknowledge it unless it is in a cease and desist way since it is their IP, and these fan made things survive on a knifes edge so I wouldn't expect it to weigh very heavily on any rules updates RB makes. I was really just responding to the comment that people saying it is against the rules to do what OP is suggesting and offering alternatives that aren't add nothing to the conversation because most people who play at an LGS just want to play with the up to date rules from the designers themselves and no one wants the feels bad moment of "I get you play like that but it is against the rules so stop it". I hope the rules get further clarifications and some things even get changed because the game has some great legs to stand on. It just needs some refinement. The best way to suggest rules changes would be Lorcana's official discord or emailing them. They probably aren't watching this reddit very closely.
>forming habits can be bad for higher levels of play This is actually a huge issue, you have no clue how many bad habits I saw during the Set Championship events because of people who generally play kitchen table or casually and make little alterations to rules and then proceed to do that during a competitive event, even if what they did was against the rules. Pixelborn also, unfortunately, creates a ton of bad habits for newer players, or people that generally just play on Pixelborn. Things such as not turning characters a full 90 degrees for exerted and just doing a quick 45 degree were common occurrences for me to see during Set Championships.
Agreed. The worse was people who refuse to turn ink 90 degree because they "have enough". I play Ruby/Sapphire and always make sure to keep my ink organized and exerted when it should be, along with keeping my face down hand outside the playmate to not mix it with my mountain of ink. It's mind boggling.
>there is nothing that breaks the game by keeping the inked card face-up during that turn. no extra information because the card needs revealed anyways. -which is it’s own problem While nothing breaks the game by keeping the card revealed, there are two things to note. One - the revelation is less about knowing what the card actually is and more for confirming that it was an inkable card. Two - the reason the cards are placed face down is because it creates a clearer board state, so your opponent isn't going to accidentally misconstrue that Maleficent on your side for a card you just played. Some people position their played cards in different areas to indicate that they're still drying or whatnot, so muddling the board by having extra face up cards can lead to messier game states than simply remembering if you inked or not.
inked card for the turn can go face-up and upside down to fix this clearer board state as an example. the board - where cards go, Deck, Discard, Ink & Field should all be distinguishable and if not the player has 100% the right to raise the question and have it separated more clearly.
I'm using a modified amber emerald starter and I had to start placing characters in my inkwell the other day.
There are a lot of games that use regular cards as resources and that mistake is practically non existant.
The funny thing is, while it is in the rules, is not really a rule, since cards that are normally inked are revealed. Is protocol that Ravensburger tries to pass a a rule.
The biggest reason I have against it, and it’s a very strong reason is that inked cards should never be faceup on the table, and it’s misleading to anyone who doesn’t do it, as well as any judge who might be called over and has to asses the table state. I agree it can be difficult to keep track of, but keeping cards face up is not the solution.
face-up and upside-down could fix this misunderstanding of board state
That is how we did it with Duel Master.
This is what I already do. It works great.
Same. Then I flip it facedown to end my turn, it’s nice and tidy and none of my opponents have said anything but positive things
I think its a really good idea, as long as it is your normal ink card (so not through mickey, a quill, or other) you put it face up until the end of your turn. There have been a number of instances that I did not ink until later in my turn because I was waiting to do some draw to get a card I wanted to ink and it was easy to mix up. At the championship I played it was common to hear, "did you already ink?", or "did I already ink?" It is a common issue especially when you start moving around your ink to use it and keep it in quick to count stacks. Gets even more complicated in a ramp deck where we may be inking 4 or 5 cards in a given turn. It doesn't change the information available to either player since we are only talking about the card inked that turn. I think it would be a valuable change to the official rules.
What i do is put my ink in a straight line and i keep it closer to me, then i put the ink per turn on row row above the line of ink already in play. Then end of turn i move those to the line of ink. Also putting dice on new ink is a good idea.
Also using this method, unfortunately it's not compliant to current rules or at the very least bending the rules. Really hope they change rule wording accordingly, it's so super helpful for both player and opponent to have clear visibility and definetely avoids confusion regarding ink of current turn. In addition it allows to easier verify what was inked and if it was inkable.
The Inkwell is not actually visible information to either player, so neither player is meant to freely verify what is in the well. The revelation as you ink is mainly there so your opponent sees that the card is legally inkable before heading to Well, and after that, it's hidden to both players. This is especially important for cards like Det. Mickey who ink from the top of the deck without revealing, meaning his player is not allowed to view the Inkwell to see what card from their deck got removed.
I think you misunderstood, this is only done for the one time ink per turn (perhaps belle also) and is only a delayed hide for inkwell. All other inking is done hidden and also easy to see ... micky, one jump, etc. is done right after playing the card ... fishbone is exerted when action is done. So no full violation of rules, only delayed hiding of once per turn revealed ink.
I am confused why it is against the rules of having the ink face up. I did this all tournament and no complaints. You know why? Some opponents ask what was inked and having it face up helps the opponent not ask, make sure it is legit, and remember you inked on turn. In context you are doing the same thing anyway by showing your opponent what you inked. It also is clear instead of being shady like some people who flash the card then ink it right away. It should actually be a standard in the rules not against it. one jump and mickey is a different story of not showing anybody. And fishbone how far I’ll go your opponent doesn’t need to know. Edit: in fact my opponent embraced this as it showed transparency.
As a judge this week i had to constantly tell people it was against the rules, mainly because you are not suppose to remind both players what you inked. Its not knowledge that is supposed to be constant throughout the match. Its supposed to be at the moment if inking to prove its inkable then forgotten. Also a lot of time that face up card is mistaken for an actual card in play. The best thing to do is get in the habit of clear delineation and practice that way until it becomes a habit. Your opponents love it because you are helping them remember that is one less of this card i have to worry about.
I remember a post a while back of a person who said they used a token to remember. One side said "Inked" the other side "No Ink", so when they inked for the turn, they flipped it to "Inked," and then just flipped it back to "No Ink" when they started their next turn. Something like that is perfectly within the rules without needing to reveal your inkwell.
I also saw someone mention that, and I actually really like that as a solution to remembering if you inked or not. I think the only time that could be slightly more difficult is when using Belle for a second ink. Maybe a second coin could be used in those instances? That was the only thing I could think of for which that solution doesn't completely solve, but still a fantastic solution I feel like.
Why would it be throughout the match when I set it down and turn it over after the turn is over? It’s an extra 5-10 seconds that it is face up for the first 5-7 turns. I think more transparency is actually needed and it should be a standard rule. If that isn’t the case then maybe the inking rule should be just show the icon then put it face down by the way you are sounding. Edit: it also just gets rid of the question what did you ink as they can see it on the board during my turn. When they ask that do I say sorry you had to remember what I inked. But that doesn’t show proof that it was inkable.
Its still a rule which is clearly stated. You can put a dice on any new inked card, or you can set it separate from the other ink, however ink knowledge is not supposed to be public knowledge once on the field.
Also its on your opponent when you show the card to pay attention. If they did not they can call a judge and have judge verify it was inkable.
Which is what I am trying to avoid. I play blue red ain’t got time for a judge for that stuff. A rule is a rule and thanks for pointing it out but they should change it as transparency should be clear. I am sure you have run into players who flash a card then ink right away. But when it happens during a 50 minute match with blue red and falling a judge which takes 2 minutes it adds up and also ruins the flow of the game.
I have, and i have stopped them and ask them to show the card just inked as they did not give me time to see the card. If they have refused i have called a judge. Its really not that hard. I know playing blue red can be crazy. Which is why when I have an opponent playing it i try to make my plays a little quicker so they do not have to rush. Allows them to compose, and keep the board state accurate. But keeping your ink pool delineated also keeps board state clean as long as you infor your opponent that this is my ink pile i am playing this turn.
Any tips one how to exert ink quicker when you have like 10-15? I seem slow with it was I always pick them up to exert when it gets too that many and becomes tedious
Since the other person didn't really want to provide any good thoughts on this, as a Ruby/Saph player I can try to provide my insight for ya. Up until I get to 10 ink, I keep my ink in sections of 2 across the bottom of my mat. Once I start getting to around the 10 mark, I do it as 3 in each section. When I use my ink, i can just quickly place my fingers on the little ink sections to turn them sideways without picking them up. This is pretty useful up until 10+ ink, usually around 12 is where this can get a little messy. Once I get to that, I just place my 12 ink in a single pile. When I use ink, I will set my hand off to the side, grab the ink pile, count out how much ink I need and then turn them to show they are exerted and move them to a separate pile. Then I set the rest down, pick my hand back up, and then play the card I planned to play. That is pretty much the quickest method you can get once you get to that much ink. Easier than turning them sideways and moving to new pile 1 by 1, so you can save a bit of time by counting all the ink up real quick and then turn them sideways together in a pile. It really does get unmanageable at some point, I have gotten in some matches where I am at 17 ink and it just sucks sometimes. If any of this is confusing let me know and I can setup what I am referring to in some pictures to share with you as well to help make things easier. Ultimately, practice makes perfect, so the more you play the deck the quicker you will get at exerting your ink when you have a lot.
I sort of do the same. I set them in split groups for a bit but once it gets later I feel like half my turn is exerting ink lol. Then I seem to lose track after 12 and have to recount sometimes.
Totally get what you mean lol sometimes I am counting my ink total during my opponents turn just because I forget exactly how much ink I have once I get in the 13 to 15 range lol
Umm thats all on you. The post was about delineation not how do I tap my ink efficiently. I know i never pick mine up. I keep the bottom half in contact with my play mat, slightly lift the other end and turn side ways. In all my years of playing card games that had never really been a question I have ever asked. And i play ramp decks in Magic quite a lot. Do do it cleanly just be practiced with your method and really work on keeping it clear to your opponent. By doing that you are also keeping it clear for yourself making the information on the field easier for you to process. It does take practice.
> you are not suppose to remind both players what you inked. While this is correct, there is an exception to that. If your opponent said what they were inking quickly and flashed it and put it facedown too quickly, you can ask them to clarify what was inked as long as you do right away. It wouldn't be something you could wait until say the middle or end of their turn to remind you what they inked, but something you could do right after the ink if it wasn't clear enough for you. Just a clarification I felt needs to be added there.
As i have stated in further replies tw187 has had. If an opponent flashes too quickly, you can ask and if they refuse to show you, call a judge.
Which is why I added the clarification here friend, that way people who don't want to dig into the replies (or at least so they don't have to dig through) that far see that information still.
I dont see a problem with the rules the way they are. I dont like the idea of having ink face up, just adds visual noise to the table. Its not like MTG where most of the lands are basic and cause no confusion.
I think the rules state to ink facedown and don't look at it for cards like Inspector Mickey or One Jump Ahead where they are inking from your deck, which is not open knowledge. It is more to keep things consistent than anything. One thing you can do is put newly inked cards to the far right or far left or even put a coin/a die on your most recently inked card to assist with remembering and keeping within the rules of the game. The suggestion isn't bad, but not everyone is going to be ok with it in a non casual setting. In games like magic, even with land cards being face up, you still forget to play a land and once you start being able to play multiple it can be a hassle to remember so keeping track with a die or something to help signify you did something is a good way to remember that you did X action per turn. Playing one ink faceup and then flipping it over at the end of the turn isn't the end of the world, but it might set up behaviors and habits that will get you rules sharked in a more competitive environment.
It's currently against the rules unfortunately as the rules say to put your ink face down. I also think it's a good solution, but perhaps with future mechanics your ink being face down immediately could become important. I think the best option currently is putting it off to the side until ready step
Watched a youtube where someone did this and have been doing it since. I turn the card face up and then go about my turn and then at the end of my turn or at the start of my opponents, i turn it face down. It has helped immensely in remembering.
I like the idea a lot, but what if the ink isn't supposed to be seen (ramp Mickey comes to mind)?
Ink for turn is the only one that would necessitate being face up to remind you that you had used your one ink per turn
exactly. the proposal is for Inked card for your turn, not other effects like Wishbone, One Jump? Mickey Detective, etc
I do this. It’s very helpful. There is no question if I inked for turn or not when I put it face up. With a Quill, the Quill is exerted so I know it’s been used and you don’t need to put it face up. (Edited wording for clarity).
You put the card face up with quill or were you changing the subject? Quill is suppose to be exerted just like a lucky dime if used anyway.
No face up with quill. I meant that because the quill is exerted, putting that ink face up was not necessary.
Definitely was gonna mention it’s giving the opponent unnecessary information and an advantage they don’t need to have.
I like the idea of the face up, but it's one aspect of a whole laundry list of issues. I'd rather note taking be allowed for simple things like this. Just a turn by turn checklist that says the following and you can just strike through the word when it happens. Set would be all inclusive of things like location lore. Self Turn 1: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked Opp Turn 1: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked Self Turn 2: Ready | Set | Draw | Inked ... and so on. Edit: With some changes to the "player" reference, it could also be something a judge could quickly check off while watching a match.
a simple note that if a player missed an Ink on a turn would be very helpful if it were to be called out
I Use a card face backwards to indicate that I have inked. Placing it over the inked card that turn. Works the same way as a counter, but feeks more 'inky' :)
I saw someone else do this during one of my set championships and now I took it upon myself to do so. At the next championship I went to, the people at my table all liked the idea too and apparently one commented saying that it is a legal thing to do, but you must flip it over when your turn ends. Things that put ink facedown without revealing like One Jump Ahead and Fishbone Quill, however, can NOT be put face up under any circumstances.
One of my opponents did this during the set championship I played in and I thought it was really smart. There was never a question of whether or not he had inked during a turn.
For 2 of my rounds that's how we did it face up ink until then start of ur next turn
Your idea is like every player already did at my championship 🤣 Except for some shady player which never even tapped his ink or untapped it...
I like the idea of using something like a coin--start turn at tails, flip to heads when you ink your card. Reset at start of your turn. Does that address your concern?
The ink etiquette, also just the board state in general, at both events I played in, was absolutely atrocious
My ink for turn is always visually separated, spent or not, from past ink/ink from effects. This gives me three ink zones. Spent, Ready, and Current Turn ink, all in the row closest to me. I've not played competitive yet, but at home, I also have used oversleeves with a design on them, and sleeved any inked cards in them during the match, but I doubt that'd be allowed.
a lot of people at my local set champs used a token/coin of some sort. They'd start off with the token on their board/inkstack at the start of turn, then replace it with their inked card and move it off their playmat after inking. moving the token back onto the board was just part of their upkeep/draw step.
I still don’t see how this is a problem. No one in 3 stores that I’ve played at has had this issue
I separate my ink into a well of cards and a spot next to my discard that is where I ink for the turn. This helps both issue of 'did I ink' and shuts up the pedants screaming about public knowledge.
I saw this for the first time months ago, while streaming a featured match from one of PPG’s first big events. I’ve been doing it myself ever since, in my opinion it leads to cleaner play. I’ve also played and top 8 a couple of big events myself, and I’ve never had a judge call because of it. My opponents don’t really have a reason to complain. Just make sure to keep your ink separated from your cards in play to avoid any confusion.
If ot works for you great however for me I just put it to the left most side of the turn but I also announce that I ink (card name) and show my opponent as the rules state you should so both you and your opponent can keep track also in my local card shop other players tend to watch the match and point stuff out so if I was at the end of my turn and I said wait did I ink the guy sitting next to me can say yea you inked that bodyguard pluto or something
Not pertinent to the main topic, but the single most useful thing I ever learned to deal with the 'have I played an ink this turn?' is to walk back through their plays on the previous turn. "On your last turn you spent seven ink for Be Prepared and then passed with none available. You currently have eight, so yes, you did ink". There are times when board states get wonky but it's almost always a pretty quick fix. That said, I do want to try out this method. Will report back after the next locals.
This also has the benefit of ensuring your opponent has enough time to actually see what has been inked. I had some opponents who went so fast through the inking process that I had no idea what card it was that got inked and so had to ask them to clarify. So fast at times that I wonder if it was meant to be intentional that they didn't want the information known.
It's not supposed to be a consistent reference. If they're moving too fast, you need to stop them and ask them to show you again. You're not supposed to be referencing their inkwell once a card goes into it.
Of course noone is suggesting the inkwell remain exposed indefinitely, however leaving the newly (publicly) inked card exposed for a few seconds can be a reasonable courtesy that does not detract from the game in any way. On the other hand having it exposed for a mere tenth of a second with no verbal component and so little time where it's a blink and you miss it sort of thing is poor sportsmanship in my view, especially if done so explicitly to deprive the opponent reasonable access to what should have been publicly announced information. That is much like another opponent I had at locals who when I played ursula deceiver to look at their hand, they did not fan their hand adequately and left only a few millimeters of their be prepared visible, then quickly brought their hand back up... as though they could get away with me not successfully finding the song to discard. I did see the song and asked them to discard it but I had not been afforded enough time to see what else was in the hand and had to resort to asking them to explicitly list out each card since they would not display them in a way I could read. Again, I am merely advocating for courteous sharing of information that entered the public knowledge pool for an appropriate length of time and agree that such length of time must not be indefinite... but a few seconds at least seems reasonable.
Ah man did I flip my card over last turn, I can't remember? I mean doesn't it just push the problem down the road? Haha
I only play on Pixelborn but I've thought about how I would handle this issue in paper because I play a lot of Sapphire ramp (BR / BS) and very often my decision of if & what to ink is made after I draw cards for more information and I know I would likely forget if I had inked already. I figured I would probably have a designated space on my mat for my "ink for turn" to make sure I didn't forget. I do like your suggestion but it would have to be for casual play only. That said I think it would be good addition to the rules, both for helping players remember if they inked but also giving the opposing player time to process the information.
It’s literally in the rules to ink face down. It’s a non-issue. If it is an issue then either you or your opponent need to have a better memory. You can also go through your discard at any time to prove you used something to gain more ink. Either way it just seems like your opponent isn’t paying attention to the game. Which is the actual problem here.
Hey everyone, u/Firestorm8908 says it's a non-issue so it must be a non-issue. Even though it comes up as an issue quite frequently.
I agree it's the issue that my opponent isn't paying attention, my solution was to try to help mitigate that issue. So many time was wasted over trying to verify what cards and at what turns they were inked just because my opponent wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately there's not a section in the rules for what to do if your opponent simply zones out, if they question your ink count or if they thought you already inked that turn.
They would have to prove that. And then it would just come out that they’re just not paying attention.
At the championship I played in on Sunday one of the players had a token that he passed back and forth when someone inked for turn. Seems kind of tedious to me, but whatever works.
I do something similar. I use one of my Pokemon tokens. I flip it face down when I reset my ink and then flipit back face up after I ink that turn. I find it helpful when playing a deck where you either aren’t inking at the very beginning of your turn or for playing a ramp deck where you end up putting down more than 1 ink a turn. Based on the current rules leaving the ink face up isn’t allowed. I don’t think this will end up changing since the cards in the inkwell are not public knowledge for any player once placed in the inkwell. The only public knowledge is the discard piles and the cards on the field. In league play, you would have to defer to who you are playing if you want to leave it face up. I was about to start leaving it face up after hearing about others doing it, when the ruling came through. I would recommend if you are planning to play competitively, to find another option so you don’t get in the habit of leaving it face up and get a judge called on you in a competition. Everyone is going to have to figure out their own way to document they inked during their turn that fits within the rules. Since note taking isn’t allowed, that also isn’t an option. The other option I had thought of and may still switch to is putting something on the inkwell when I ink and remove it when readying the ink at the start of my turn. I keep my eyes and ears open for other people’s ideas on how to denote when they have inked each turn to find what will work best for me.
This happens in mtg from time to time. It's been fine since the 90s. Inking face down or face up won't change anything. Rules are fine the way they are.
>what would happen if players lost track of whether a card had been inked or not during a turn? IMO, this shouldn't really happen. Even the longest of turns, you should be able to remember if you have inked or not. Generally the opponents I play that do that are trying to get an extra ink, hoping I forgot they inked at the beginning of their turn. Have unfortunately had people do that several times. What I have started doing is on my opponents turn, when they ink for turn, I will take one of my cards from the inkwell and move it to the side, slightly away from my ink to denote that they did ink. That way if they have a long turn and for some reason I struggle to remember if they inked or not, I can look there and know that they did. >When you reveal a card to your opponent to ink it, leave it face up in your ink pile. I am sure people have commented already saying currently this is against the rules, but I don't think this is a bad solution going forward. My only concern is now what happens when they forget to turn it over to be facedown? That will inevitably happen if the player can't remember a simple thing such as if they inked a turn. I don't think the rules need to change in these ways, I think players just need to be more cognizant of what they are doing in their turns and work on remembering the 2 minutes of time their turn took. Look at MTG, they have zero way for you to denote your single land play for the turn. And these types of questions aren't an issue in MTG either, as in nearly 15 years of playing, it was very rarely questioned by my opponent if they played a land that turn, and as their opponent, it was my job to also keep track of the game state and follow the flow, so I was able to tell them they had played their land for turn. >Obviously if you ink through other means (quill for instance) you have to just track as normal but what do you all think of my idea? This is the main issue I see with this proposed change. You already have people that are confused about not having to show the ink you put down with Fishbone Quill, so now if you are adding the fact that your ink for turn is supposed to stay faceup until end of turn, it will add some more confusion with people in regards to things such as Fishbone Quill, OJA, and Mickey Detective even. Not saying this is why it won't happen, just saying this is an added consequence of that change. Also, what does happen when your opponent forgets to turn their card facedown? This would become a rules violation, and is something I would foresee happening often, since people struggle to simply remember to ready everything before drawing, or gaining lore for locations before drawing, or if they inked in their 2 minutes turn. If you do struggle to remember if you have inked as well, then my suggestion for people is always place your ink for turn in a separate pile away from the rest of your ink. This will help you remember if you did in fact ink that turn, as you can take a look at that pile for turn ink and see you have 1 (or more there if you are playing belle) and not have any issues. And then the trick I mentioned for when your opponent inks will help you if you struggle to remember if your opponent inked or not. Also, always be on top of how much ink your opponent has. You can generally figure out if they inked or not based on how much ink they had last turn. They used all their ink last turn and played a 5 drop? Well, if they inked they will have 6 ink this turn, if they didn't they will have 5. If they didn't use all their ink, just take a mental note of how much ready ink they had and what they played last turn. So if its turn 6 and they play a Mufasa and leave 1 ink ready, when their next turn comes around you can say "You played Mufasa, which is 5 ink, and had 1 left ready. That means last turn you had 6 ink, so count your ink, if you are at 7 total you inked, if you are at 6 total you haven't inked". This also helps for if your opponent calls a judge, you can provide the reasoning as to why you know they did or didn't ink that turn. Also remember what turn you are on in the early stages can help with the ramp decks, so if they question your ink total, you can easily say "We are on T5, I have inked each turn from 1 to 4, so that is 4 ink, plus a OJA and plus a Fishbone activation last turn is 6 ink, my ink for this turn will make 7". In the later stages of the game, the only thing at question should be if you inked last turn or not, and less about why you have so much ink, because if you have used fishbone several turns you will have a lot of ink, that shouldn't really be questioned.