I will dedicate some writing to the non-clear points of the card and possible ways to exploit it.

1. When its bonus ceaze to work? Once it is discarded. It is still almost 3 (5 with Imbued ink) full rounds. It starts working the turn you have played it, at the beginning of your next turn you will discard the first charge, and once you have discarded the last charge it is discarded and its bonus isn't applied anymore (but you still had the bonus during the mythos phase before this turn).

2. Subtle Depiction as a perfect mythos protection. You don't spend the charge and ignor the ability till the end of the round. So the bonus isn't applied since the beginning of your turn, but it IS applied since the beginning of the mythos phase till the beginning of your turn. Therefore you can boost your and for the mythos and don't spend charges during your turn to prevent the card from being discarded.

3. Imbued ink allows to have two copies in play at the same time. The card is not unique, so you can use your both arcane slots for it. This way you can manage to add +4 and +4 for the mythos protection using the tip above, while 10 charges total allow you to use only one of the card for the boost during your turn, alternating them to make it last longer.

4. Static stat boost is always good for the cards that use fixed stats like Summoned Servitor or Summoned Hound. This way you can get some really nice numbers for your free tests.

One of the best, if not the most versatile customisable card in the set for support investigators. By itself, it's: pay a card and an action to give you +1 to a relevant stat for your next 8+ actions, which is a more than decent value for a level 0 card. But things go crazy if you combo the different mods together later on:

If you play with highly specialized investigators (5 in one stats, below average in the rest), you can permanently give them a +2 against the mythos with "Shifting ink, Subtle Depiction, Vibrancy, Eldritch ink (2)". You choose mind + foot as selected skill. Round start: they have some treacheries involving tests with those two stats, and when their turn start, they just use the Subtle Depiction effect and ignore the negative effects on fist and book. Since they never consume their charge, the asset is basically permanent. Or if they have to pass a specific test during their turn, they can still keep the +2 and apply -1 to their main stats to do whatever they want to do.

Else, if you play with flex characters (generally survivor & rogues who hit between 4 & 6), you can still give them +1 to fist + book & use Macabre depiction, so they are virtually have an endless supply of charge, as long as they draw one symbol a turn. And that +1 is often the difference for those flex characters to reliably pass any tests they get.

Imbued Ink is the only mod you'll probably never take, except for Akachi if you plan to instantly discard it for 6 resources. Body assets are rare and not often that useful late in the campaign, since they are too comboish, or cost too much for what they bring. However, arcane assets tend to be more relevant no matter your class for the last few scenarios.

At worse, it's a 0 cost asset that is a fodder against bad treacheries & investigators' ability (dexter). Give it a shot.

Now let's talk about Macabre Depiction for a while, as it has not been done before. This customisation has become extreme valuable at the latest with the Hemlock Vale Investigator expansion. I played Kōhaku Narukami with Living Ink, Rod of Carnamagos and Olive McBride, and after I purchased Macabre Depiction (which I did before scenario 3), I never dropped below 3 charges. I always draw at least one symbol token, the turn I played it, so it got 4 charges at that point. Then, if I draw a symbol during the Mythos Phase, it might max out at 5 charges, at the start of my turn it dropped at 4 or 3 charges. In retrospective, my built would have been viable for a Torrent of Power, to be committed for 5 or 3 , and still being safer not to "break" than a Lockpicks (1) on an Easy bag. This is not a hyperbole.

Now of course, this build requires to go into blurse, but who with the Rod of Rot would not go into curses at least? Note, that you kind of have to take Olive (2) as well, as you can't use the Rod, while there is no non-Elite enemy on the board, because you need a target for it.

Kōhaku can check 6 boxes, so I took Shifting Ink and Eldritch Ink (, with being my initial skill of course) as well, the first was a bit of a wasted experience. I never played both copies, as Alessandra much preferred the feel of silk against her skin to an ordinary tattoo, and I never draw the second copy in time to spend it on Hank anyway. But the later was quite useful. With Gabriel Carillo and the tattoo, I got a base of 6, so was not solemnly depending on Eye of Chaos to investigate, although it was of course my main way to do.