What are the best AFK Journey artifacts? These equipable boons play a major part in a unit’s growth path. If you don’t make proper time to find and upgrade them, you’re sure to start lagging behind on your server. Before you start to spend resources on simple character levels, it’s best to ensure your Artifact setup is the best it can be.
Still in the early stages of this tactical RPG? Check out our AFK Journey tier list and AFK Journey reroll guide to get your account off on the right foot. And if you’re a ways in already, new AFK Journey codes might just give you the pulls you need to stay competitive.
What’s the best Artifact in AFK Journey?
Artifacts are another returning term from AFK Arena. How they work in battle, however, is quite different this time around.
Here’s how each AFK Journey Artifact stacks up, with the best being used in multiple modes and across a variety of teams to effectively deal with meta tactics:
| Tier | Artifact |
| S | Confining, Starshard |
| A | Enlightening |
| B | Awakening, Ironwall |
| C | Fireball |
How to unlock and upgrade Artifacts in AFK Journey
Each of the six AFK Journey Artifacts available at the game’s launch are unlocked automatically as you progress the main story. If you decide to take a break from it to pursue other modes, you might find yourself struggling simply due to not having the right Artifact for the job.
They’re very situational, with it generally making sense to unlock and upgrade them all eventually. Though there’s always going to be one or two that are seldom used compared to the rest.
You upgrade Artifacts in the Hall of Heroes using Sprite Dew obtained from chests during the main story through the Legend Trial. You can also buy the resources through the Emporium using AFK Journey Diamonds.
Upgrading Artifacts increases the potency of their effects and the static stat buffs they grant your team while equipped.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Artifacts you’ll unlock:
- Awakening Spell (unlocks with the Artifacts mechanic)
- Enlightening Spell
- Starshard Spell
- Ironwall Spell
- Confining Spell
- Blazing Spell
What does each AFK Journey Artifact do?
The six available Artifacts all boost certain aspects of your team. That’s why they’re best used in specific scenarios: either to combat other Artifacts in PVP, plug a weakness in your team, augment your team’s strengths, or to deal with a particular mechanic against a boss.
Here’s how each AFK Journey Artifact is commonly used:
Awakening Spell
- Typically seen in the Legend Trial and Arcane Labyrinth modes to boost healing or offer it to hyper-carry teams.
The Awakening Spell heals your weakest allies every ten seconds shortly after the battle starts.
At level ten, it increases the ATK stat of your team by 4.2% and their defenses by 26.4%. You can upgrade its healing potency to 10% of the target’s Max HP at level four and heal an additional target at level eight, going from three allies to four.
Enlightening Spell
- Boosts the ATK SPD of your rearmost unit for 15-20 seconds depending on the Spell’s level. Typically used solely to fight against a team running Confining Spell
The Enlightening Spell is seen by the community as a bit of a non-starter. It’s good for augmenting assassin-like characters in the rear and can prevent them from being impaired early, but any hero with their own buff is typically best left to their own devices. The Enlightening Spell’s effect doesn’t stack, which makes other spells generally more worthwhile.
At level ten, Enlightening Spell supplies those affected with a 7.2 ATK SPD buff and an 11.4% HP buff. As its level increases to that point, its ATK SPD buff and duration increases.
Starshard Spell
- A great Spell for bosses, the true damage perks of the Starshard Spell also make it worthwhile for the PVP Arena.
Starshard Spell triggers a stage-wide attack for every fourth Ultimate you cast, dealing true damage based on the enemy’s remaining HP and your team’s total ATK, and reduces the enemy team’s ATK SPD by a fixed amount for a few seconds.
At level ten, Starshard Spell increases the team’s Haste and HP by 4.8 and 10.2% respectively. At level four and eight respectively, it increases the current HP scaling effect and triggers with every third Ultimate instead of four.
Confining Spell
- Probably the most versatile Spell. Expect to see this everywhere.
Confining Spell really limits the effectiveness of high-damage assassins, spellcasters, or healers at the rear by stunning them and dealing magic damage based on your team’s ATK to the two enemies at the back every ten to 12 seconds.
At level ten, Confining Spell increases ATK by 6.6% and HP by 7.8%. On the way, its stun effect almost doubles in duration and its cooldown is reduced to that lower 10s value.
Blazing Spell
- Generally unused after unlocking either Confining Spell or Starshard Spell based on the battle.
Blazing Spell does what you’d expect by periodically launching a ball of fire. It targets the weakest enemy unit, dealing magic damage based on your team’s ATK stat. The problem is that the other two spell options tend to deal more damage over time.
At level ten, Blazing Spell brings 7.8 DEF Penetration to the team and a 13.8% boost to both Defense stats. At level four, the fireball’s damage scaling increases. At level eight, it deals extra damage in relation to the target’s lost HP.
Still looking for more? Check out the best AFK Journey team comps to put these handy pieces of supplemental equipment to good use. Eyeing up your next adventure? We have a list of the best turn-based RPGs around. And be sure to prepare for the next game from Hoyoverse with our Zenless Zone Zero tier list ahead of launch.