A while back, a poll revealed that most players had no clue what the “fairhand” mechanic in Inscryption even was. It’s one of those obscure game elements—never formally introduced, barely hinted at—but once you understand how it works, it completely changes how you approach a run. This guide not only breaks down that hidden mechanic but also shows how to use it to give Leshy a string of well-earned Ls. We’ll dive deep into optimizing your deck around it, choosing the best starter, pulling off insane combos, and prepping for the ever-daunting Skull Storm challenge.

What is the Fairhand Mechanic?

At its core, the fairhand mechanic ensures that you always start each battle with at least one card you can play. It’s subtle, automatic, and mostly invisible unless you know what to look for. The game guarantees—if your deck allows it—that you’ll draw one playable card (ideally a one-blood or no-cost card) on your first turn. Combine this with the default starting squirrel, and suddenly you’ve got the makings of a guaranteed setup each fight.

But here’s where it gets broken: if you structure your deck to include only one card that meets the fairhand’s criteria, you’re guaranteed to draw that specific card every single time. And that, my friend, is where things start getting wild.

Why the Black Goat Deck is King

Of all the starter decks in Inscryption, the black goat starter is undoubtedly the best for exploiting the fairhand mechanic. Why? Because Black Goat is a high-utility, one-blood-cost card that lets you play three-blood cards right out the gate. It’s essentially a springboard to summoning your heaviest hitters on turn one.

The only obstacle in this deck is the Mole, which doesn’t fit our optimized strategy. You want to remove that Mole ASAP—preferably at a sigil sacrifice event or via campfire buffs—so that Black Goat becomes your one and only fairhand-eligible card. Once that’s done, you’re guaranteed to open every match with Black Goat.

From there, every run becomes a consistent power-play. Picture this: opening hand, squirrel plus Black Goat. Play squirrel, sacrifice for Black Goat, and then bring out your heavy three-blood behemoths like Grizzly or Amalgam. Rinse and repeat.

Cleaning Up the Deck

Avoid every one-blood or zero-cost card you come across during the run. That includes tempting freebies like Possum—yes, even if it looks innocent. Taking those would break the fairhand guarantee. Instead, focus on powerful high-blood cards that synergize with Black Goat’s sacrificial bounty.

Luckily, the deck offers an early opportunity to get rid of the Mole via a sigil sacrifice—just slap its sigil onto something tanky like Moose Buck. Now your path is clear to ride the fairhand mechanic to victory.

The Unkillable Combo: Black Goat + Cockroach

Let’s talk combos. The cockroach is an essential component in turning this strategy from strong to absolutely busted. If you manage to place the unkillable sigil onto Black Goat, you’ve essentially built an infinite engine. Every time you sacrifice Black Goat, it comes back. With this setup, you can endlessly summon massive creatures.

Take things a step further with something like Ouroboros. Once you have your loop in place—Black Goat feeding high-cost creatures, Ouroboros feeding itself—you’re ready for the kind of infinite combos that make Inscryption veterans nod in approval.

Strategic Inventory Management

A pro tip unrelated to the fairhand mechanic, but crucial nonetheless: use your two default items at the very first battle. They’re weak, and clearing them early makes room for stronger items later. This also helps you avoid being stuck with a Pack Rat, which fills your deck with more unwanted cards.

Safe Scumming? Maybe. But It Works.

Let’s say you finish a boss fight and your next map looks like garbage. Bad events, unhelpful nodes—what now? Simple: pause the game, go back to the main menu, hit “continue,” and voilà—a freshly generated map. Some may call it save scumming, but hey, if the game allows it, why not use it to your advantage?

Bonus Strat: Grizzly Wall

At one point in the run, things got a little bear-heavy. With three-blood cards like Grizzly stacking up in your deck, you can form a wall of raw power. It’s not just about offensive output—it’s also about stalling and withstanding some of the game’s tougher encounters, like the Moon fight. It may not always go perfectly, and RNG might deny you that epic four-bear board state, but when it works, it’s glorious.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re looking to one-shot the Moon with a rabbit or endlessly loop Ouroboros into oblivion, mastering the fairhand mechanic is your first step toward Inscryption dominance. The Black Goat starter deck makes the path easy, efficient, and, frankly, overpowered once you know what you’re doing. Avoid one-costs, get that Mole out, chase cockroaches, and make Leshy regret ever dealing you a deck.

Thinking about testing these strategies in a Skull Storm run? Let us know—it might be time to turn theory into practice.