Last updated: July 2, 2026
Realm of Ink Skills Tier List
Not all ink skills are created equal. The difference between an S-tier skill like Ink Vortex and a C-tier skill like Paper Cut is the difference between effortlessly clearing a room in five seconds and struggling through every enemy encounter. This tier list is based on the current game meta and evaluates skills based on damage output, utility, synergy potential, and how well each skill performs across all acts of a run. Skills are rated independently as well as in the context of their best synergy combinations.
Tier Definitions
S-Tier — Must Pick
Skills that define runs. Always take these when offered, regardless of your current build. They provide such overwhelming value that they are worth pivoting your build around.
A-Tier — Strong Pick
Excellent skills that significantly strengthen your build. Take these unless they conflict with your core synergy. Reliable in almost all situations.
B-Tier — Situational
Good skills in the right context but outclassed by S and A-tier alternatives. Take these only if they fit your specific build or if higher-tier options are not available.
C-Tier — Avoid
Underpowered skills that consume a valuable skill slot without providing sufficient value. Skip these in virtually all situations. Only take if forced by a scroll event.
Complete Skill Tier List
| Skill Name | Tier | Effect | Best Synergy | Why This Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Vortex | S | Creates a swirling vortex that pulls enemies inward and deals 120% ATK as damage per second for 4 seconds | Pairs with Red ink skills for burn chaining inside the vortex | Unmatched crowd control combined with high sustained damage. Single skill room-clear potential. |
| Thousand Brush Strike | S | 15 rapid strikes in a cone, each dealing 45% ATK. Final strike knocks back all enemies. | Gold ink resonance for chain lightning on each hit | Highest single-skill damage ceiling. With Gold resonance, each hit chains lightning, multiplying total damage exponentially. |
| Spirit Resonance Burst | S | Your Brush Spirit deals 500% ATK in a massive AoE explosion and resummons with full health. | Any spirit damage build or spirit-boosting scroll | Instant screen clear. The spirit explosion radius covers most boss arenas. Essential for speed-running rooms. |
| Ink Barrier | A | Creates a wall of ink that blocks all projectiles for 5 seconds and reflects 40% damage back. | Black ink resonance for barrier HP boost | Best defensive skill in the game. The reflect component makes it both defensive and offensive against projectile-heavy bosses. |
| Shadow Clone | A | Spawn a clone that mimics your basic attacks at 60% damage for 8 seconds. Clone inherits ink type effects. | Red ink for double burn application, Blue ink for double slow | Effectively 60% damage multiplier for 8 seconds. Clone scales with your attack speed and benefits from all passive buffs. |
| Ink Tsunami | A | Send a wave of ink across the screen dealing 200% ATK to all enemies it passes through. | Blue ink resonance to freeze enemies hit by the wave | Reliable line-clear damage with strong synergy potential. Less flexible than Vortex but more consistent against spread-out enemies. |
| Brush Storm | B | Summon falling ink brushes that deal 80% ATK each in a target area for 3 seconds. | Red ink for stacking burn on stationary targets | Good damage but enemies can walk out of the AoE. Best against stationary bosses or when paired with Vortex. |
| Ink Shuriken | B | Throw 3 ink shurikens that pierce enemies and return, dealing 90% ATK each direction. | Gold ink for additional lightning bounces | Decent ranged poke but low damage ceiling. Useful for safe chip damage on bosses but outclassed by higher-tier skills. |
| Soul Drain | B | Drain 15% of current enemy HP as damage and heal yourself for 50% of damage dealt. | Black ink resonance for increased lifesteal | Strong healing but only effective against high-HP targets. Bad against trash mobs. Situational boss-killing tool. |
| Ink Spike Trap | C | Place a trap that triggers after 1.5 seconds, dealing 150% ATK in a small area. | Red ink to add burn to trapped enemies | Delay makes it unreliable against mobile enemies. Better skills exist for both area damage and single-target damage. |
| Calligraphy Ward | C | Buff self and nearby allies with 15% damage reduction for 6 seconds. | Black ink resonance to extend duration | Small defensive buff on a long cooldown. Ink Barrier does the defense job better. Only useful in multiplayer. |
| Paper Cut | C | A quick slash dealing 60% ATK with a 25% chance to cause bleeding (1% HP/sec for 5s). | Red ink to double bleed tick rate | Too little damage for a skill slot. The bleed is unreliable and percentage-based HP damage is weak against trash mobs. Skip this. |
Best Skill Combinations & Synergies
The true power of Realm of Ink emerges when you combine skills that enhance each other. Below are the most powerful skill combinations in the current meta.
| Combo | Skills | Combined Effect | Best Bosses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vortex + Tsunami | Ink Vortex + Ink Tsunami | Vortex groups enemies, Tsunami hits all of them simultaneously for 200% ATK each. | Archivist, Brush Demon |
| Shadow Clone + Thousand Brush | Shadow Clone + Thousand Brush Strike | Clone doubles the hit count of Thousand Brush, effectively 30 rapid strikes at 60% each. | Mountain Sage, Void Canvas final boss |
| Barrier + Soul Drain | Ink Barrier + Soul Drain | Safe HP drain while barrier blocks all damage. The reflect damage also triggers drain healing. | Archivist, Elder Ink Dragon |
| Vortex + Brush Storm | Ink Vortex + Brush Storm | Vortex holds enemies in place while Brush Storm deals maximum damage. Best AoE combo in the game. | Any boss that summons minions |
| Clone + Spirit Burst | Shadow Clone + Spirit Resonance Burst | Clone distracts while Spirit Burst charges. Clone also benefits from the spirit resummon buff. | Mountain Sage, final act bosses |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I always take S-tier skills even if they do not match my ink color?
Yes, for S-tier skills specifically. Ink Vortex, Thousand Brush Strike, and Spirit Resonance Burst are powerful enough on their own that breaking your color resonance is worth it. You can rebuild resonance later by replacing a different skill or picking up ink resonance scrolls. The only exception is if you are one skill away from 4-color resonance and the S-tier would break it — in that case, evaluate whether the S-tier provides more value than the full resonance transformation.
Q: How often does the skill tier list meta change?
The developers release balance patches approximately every "2-3" months. Major updates can shift skill tiers significantly — for example, Paper Cut was B-tier before the patch that reduced its base damage by "30%". Always check the date at the top of this guide to ensure you are viewing the current meta. This tier list was last updated based on the most recent game patch.
Q: Can B-tier skills become viable with the right scrolls?
Absolutely. B-tier skills are not bad — they are situational. Brush Storm becomes extremely powerful with a scroll that increases AoE duration by "50%", and Ink Shuriken can be competitive with the right Gold ink resonance setup. Tier lists evaluate skills in a vacuum based on average performance across all builds. A B-tier skill in a perfectly synergistic build can outperform an S-tier skill in a build that does not support it.