One of the most punishing elements of Inscryption‘s Skull Storm mode is the infamous wall of Grizzlies—a relentless tide of high-health, high-damage creatures that can shut down most board-based strategies in an instant. Under normal circumstances, your best bet for survival lies in equipping powerful items, using the hook to manipulate the board, or leveraging a solid three-item loadout to compensate for any strategic gaps. But Skull Storm pulls no punches—it disables the hook entirely and limits you to just two items. That means your odds of rolling a combination powerful enough to directly counter the Grizzlies are drastically reduced.

In this article, we explore a clever and unconventional method for overcoming the bear blockade: starvation. Not starvation in the usual gaming sense of resource scarcity, but literal starvation—running out of cards.

Understanding Starvation Mechanics

Inscryption has a lesser-known mechanic that activates when you’ve drawn every card from both your main deck and your squirrel deck. Once you’re completely out, the game doesn’t just skip your draw phase—it punishes you by spawning a unique card called Starvation on the enemy’s board. This card features the Repulsive sigil, making it untargetable by attacks. However, it lacks Flight Blocking, which makes it susceptible to strategies involving flying creatures.

More importantly, Starvation will overwrite existing creatures—even powerful ones like Grizzlies—if the enemy board is full. This is the key to the strategy. If the Leshy (your opponent) has a full board of bears, and your deck is empty, then on his next turn, one of those terrifying Grizzlies will be replaced by a Starvation card. That means fewer bears, less damage coming your way, and a clear path to use flying creatures to strike directly at your foe.

Executing the Strategy

To make this work, you need to plan your deck with one clear goal in mind: survive long enough to run out of cards. Here are some steps and ideas to pull this off successfully:

• Deck Thinning: Build a small deck if possible, or use cards that allow quick drawing or cycling. This helps you reach the starvation phase faster.
• Flying Damage: Include a few flying attackers like the Flying Ant or Cuckoo. Their ability to bypass non-flight blockers becomes essential once the starvation cards are on the field.
• Ant Synergy: The example run showcased Flying Ants and Worker Ants—together, they build up damage potential. For every ant you summon, Flying Ant’s power increases, making it an ideal finisher.
• Item Support: While you’re limited to two items, getting the Harpies Bird Leg Fan is a huge bonus. It grants flying to your entire board for a turn, effectively bypassing both Starvation and Grizzlies.

Practical Demonstration

In the heat of a Skull Storm run, the player faces the usual nightmare—a board swarmed by Grizzlies. With no strong items in play and no hook to turn the tide, the player pivots into starvation mode. Every card is drawn, from squirrels to utility creatures. The deck goes empty. The Leshy starts spawning Starvation cards onto his own board, replacing the Grizzlies one by one.

With the deck empty and only a few creatures left, the player unleashes the Flying Ant, now buffed by multiple Worker Ants. Four attack damage punches through the board directly. Still not enough? Time to bring out Cuckoo for the final blow, slipping past enemy lines thanks to flight. It’s a narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless—earned through precise planning and unorthodox tactics.

Why This Strategy Matters

This method is not about brute force. It’s about timing, patience, and understanding the mechanics deeply enough to turn a disadvantage into a win condition. For players struggling with Skull Storm’s oppressive setup, especially those dealing with bad item RNG, the starvation method offers a reliable backup plan. It’s not flashy, and it’s definitely risky, but it works when nothing else does.

It also opens up a new way to think about Inscryption. Instead of constantly focusing on what to play, consider what happens when you can’t play anymore—and how to use that to your advantage.

Final Thoughts

This starvation strategy is a testament to the layered design of Inscryption—a game that rewards experimentation, resilience, and lateral thinking. If you’re tired of getting mauled by Grizzlies in Skull Storm and your items aren’t carrying their weight, try flipping the table. Run your deck dry, let the enemy sabotage itself, and take to the skies.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve pulled this off or have other creative strategies. In a game like Inscryption, the best wins are the ones no one saw coming.