Last updated: 25 June 2026

The Complete Genshin Impact Artifacts Guide

Artifacts are the single biggest lever you have over a character's power — the right combination of slots, main stats, substats, and set bonuses can more than double your damage output compared to random gear. This guide explains every piece of the system, which stats to chase for each role, which 4-piece bonuses are worth the grind, and how to farm without burning your Resin on dead ends.

01The Five Artifact Slots

Every character carries exactly five artifact pieces. Two slots have fixed main stats; the other three are where most of your decision-making happens.

The Flower and Feather are free slots — just level them up and move on. Every build decision concentrates on the Sands, Goblet, and Circlet. Because the Goblet has a relatively low roll rate for Elemental DMG Bonus (around 5% per element), it is usually the hardest piece to find with the right main stat and good substats simultaneously. Keep off-set Goblets if they have the correct element damage main stat and strong substats.

02Main Stats vs Sub Stats — What Actually Matters

Main stats scale with artifact level and can provide enormous flat bonuses — a maxed 5-star Sands with ATK% gives 46.6% ATK, while the same piece with Energy Recharge gives 51.8% ER. Getting the correct main stat on each flexible slot is therefore the first filter when evaluating a new artifact.

Sub stats are the four secondary lines that grow every four upgrade levels (up to +20). Each upgrade rolls into an existing substat and adds a random amount — a process measured in Roll Value (RV), where one "perfect roll" is 100% RV. A fully upgraded 5-star artifact has between four and nine total rolls distributed across its four substats, and a piece that starts with four substats at drop has an extra roll baked in before upgrades begin. When deciding whether to invest in a piece, count how many of its starting substats align with your character's priorities. Two or more aligned lines on a fresh drop is generally worth levelling to +4 or +8 to see what unlocks before feeding it away.

The most universally valuable substats for offensive characters are CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK%, and Elemental Mastery. Flat ATK, flat HP, and flat DEF occupy the bottom of the priority list for most builds because their absolute values scale poorly into late game compared to percentage lines.

03Stat Priorities by Role

No single build fits all characters, but these role templates cover the majority of cases. Always check a dedicated character guide for specific Energy Recharge thresholds and unique scaling quirks.

The CRIT ratio to target is roughly 1:2 — for every 1% CRIT Rate, you want 2% CRIT DMG. A common practical goal is 60% CRIT Rate / 120% CRIT DMG before any buffs, which maximises average damage. Characters whose kit or weapon already provides CRIT Rate can lean their Circlet toward CRIT DMG and vice versa.

04Key 4-Piece Set Bonuses Worth Farming

4-piece set effects are powerful enough that most optimised builds chase a specific set rather than mixing random pieces. These are the sets that have proven broadly useful across many patches:

• Emblem of Severed Fate — Converts Energy Recharge into Elemental Burst DMG Bonus (up to 75%), capped at 25% total. An enormous free damage multiplier for any character whose rotation revolves around their burst. Xingqiu, Raiden Shogun, Ayaka, and many national-team cores use this set.
• Viridescent Venerer — The mandatory 4-piece for almost every Anemo support. The 4-piece shreds the afflicted element's resistance by 40%, which translates to roughly 25–30% more damage for the whole team on that element. Kazuha, Venti, Sucrose, and Jean all want this set.
• Deepwood Memories — Reduces enemy Dendro resistance by 30% on hit, making it essential for Dendro reaction teams. Often placed on a support rather than the main Dendro DPS so the main DPS can wear a more offensive set.
• Noblesse Oblige — After using an Elemental Burst, the entire team gains 20% ATK for 12 seconds. A strong choice for dedicated burst supports (Bennett being the classic example) and an easy source of universal ATK uptime for the team.
• Marechaussee Hunter — Increases Normal and Charged Attack DMG by 15% (2-piece) and stacks CRIT Rate by 12% per HP change (up to 36%), making it exceptional for characters who naturally consume HP or receive healing repeatedly. Strong on Neuvillette and similar units.
• Golden Troupe — Boosts Elemental Skill DMG and adds a bonus when not on-field, ideal for off-field Elemental Skill carries like Fischl, Furina, and Yelan.

Mixing two 2-piece bonuses (for example +18% ATK from one set and +18% ATK from another, stacking to +36%) is a valid fallback when you lack a good 4-piece but have two individually strong pieces. Never sacrifice correct main stats or strong substats just to complete a 4-piece effect.

05How to Farm and Level Artifacts Efficiently

Wait for Adventure Rank 45. Before AR45, domains do not guarantee 5-star drops, and the odds are low enough that Resin spent there is largely wasted. AR45 unlocks all domains at their highest difficulty, where every 20-Resin run guarantees at least one 5-star artifact — roughly 71% more efficient than earlier ranks. Use Condensed Resin (crafted from 40 Original Resin, one Crystal Core, and 100 Mora) to double rewards per run, cutting the number of individual clears in half.

Pick one domain per character slot. Each artifact domain drops two specific sets. Identify which of the two sets you need and run that domain exclusively rather than bouncing between domains. Focus on completing one character's build at a time rather than spreading Resin across your whole roster simultaneously.

Use the Artifact Strongbox. The Strongbox lets you trade three unwanted 5-star artifacts for one new 5-star from a set of your choosing — at zero Resin cost. The output piece has the same odds as a domain drop (including the ~34% chance of starting with four substats) and is an excellent way to recycle the inevitable pile of mismatched pieces. For sets available in the Strongbox such as Emblem of Severed Fate and Viridescent Venerer, this significantly reduces the time investment.

Upgrade selectively. Levelling an artifact to +20 costs substantial resources. The efficient workflow is: upgrade to +4 to reveal the first substat if the piece started with three — then decide whether to continue. If two or more substats serve your build, push to +8 or +12. Only commit to +20 on pieces with a good main stat, three or four aligned substats, and at least one CRIT line (for offensive builds). Feed everything else as EXP fodder — world exploration drops, chest artifacts, and investigation spots provide free EXP material without touching Resin.

06Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Farming artifacts before AR45. The low guaranteed-5-star rate at earlier ranks means most Resin spent on artifacts is wasted. Prioritise story, exploration, and character/weapon ascension material domains first.
• Maxing every artifact to +20. Upgrading a piece with wrong main stat or misaligned substats to +20 wastes thousands of artifact EXP. Evaluate at +4 and +8 before committing.
• Ignoring Energy Recharge requirements. A burst-dependent support that cannot hit their burst every rotation loses far more damage than the ER% stat appears to cost. Use an ER Sands or stack ER substats until the rotation feels comfortable, then optimise other stats.
• Chasing set bonuses over main stats. A 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate with wrong main stats is weaker than a well-mainstatted 2+2 combination. Main stat first, set bonus second, substats third.
• Spreading Resin across too many characters at once. Focus one or two characters until their builds are solid, then move to the next. A single well-built character carries more content than four mediocrely geared ones.