Steam’s new trading card game, Artifact, has finally launched after a long beta full of anticipation. The game is fashioned after Steam’s MOBA hit, DOTA 2. It shares the same lore and the mechanics have some interesting similarities.
Much like in DOTA 2, you have a lot of options when it comes to your heroes in Artifact. Artifact includes a variety of items like armor, weapons, and accessories that can buff hero stats or even unleash unique abilities. There are a lot of new cards to sift through, which is why Nerds and Scoundrels came up with our Top 10 Best Items in Artifact.
The Top 10 Best Items in Artifact
The best items in Artifact aren’t automatically the most expensive or the most powerful. Every deck needs to balance the effectiveness of their items with their gold cost. That’s why our list is a blend of expensive rare items and some of the most common, basic cards available. Like any good trading card game, your choice of items will have to consider the balance of effectiveness vs. cost carefully.
10. Leather Armor
The most basic armor item in the game, Leather Armor simply buffs the equipped hero with +1 armor. The item fits within the Armor item slot and costs only 3 gold. In fact, it is one of the five least expensive items in the game. Leather Armor stands out due to the meta frequently requiring low-cost armor to balance more rare, expensive items.
9. Assassin’s Veil
Assassin’s Veil is an uncommon item that fits in a hero accessory slot. At 6 gold it is still fairly cheap, and it really provides a lot of benefits. For starters, +4 health is a nice boost to any hero. The real magic is in the ability to choose a combat target with your equipped hero. By equipping Assassin’s Veil to a strong hero you can essentially turn the combat phase into targeted enemy hero removal.
8. Demagicking Maul
Demagicking Maul is an uncommon item. It costs 5 gold to play and fits within the hero weapon slot. At a cost of 5 gold, the +2 Attack buff isn’t anything special. But where the card excels is its ability to condemn a random enemy improvement. Having the ability to clear your opponent’s improvements can wreak havoc in an enemy deck.
7. Phase Boots
One of the critical strategic decisions you’ll make will be whether to move a hero to a different lane. You can shore up a defense or even sacrifice a hero in order to protect another hero that is more valuable to you. But you’ll need a card that allows for the moving of a hero first. Enter Phase Boots. While not as strong as Blink Dagger, this six gold item gives your hero a +4 health buff and allows it to swap lanes with any ally.
6. Traveler’s Cloak
Remember when we mentioned how cheap armor buffs are important for deck balance? Well, the same is true for cheap health buffs. Traveler’s cloak doesn’t offer any unique ability, but it is a basic item card that fits in the accessory slot. At only three gold, it’s a bargain.
5. Bracers of Sacrifice
Bracers of Silence is a rare item that fits in a hero’s Armor slot. At 8 gold, it’s not cheap but it packs a lot of value. The item gives the hero a +2 Armor buff. The Bracers have a special ability that, when activated, deals 6 damage to all enemies in a hero’s lane. The tradeoff is that your hero is condemned to die, but it can pay off big in some situations.
4.ย Stonehallย Cloak
Stonehall Cloak is a common item that fits in your hero’s Accessory slot. The card costs five gold and gives the equipped hero a +4 Health buff. What’s more, Stonehall Cloak gives an additional +2 Health after the combat phase. This is excellent value for a 5 gold item.
3. Vesture of the Tyrant
Vesture of the Tyrant is one of the truly rare cards in Artifact. At 19 gold, it is also one of the most expensive. Because of the cost, the use of this card is situational. However, the strengths are obvious. This armor buffs both the equipped hero and your tower with +3 Armor. What’s more, it grants the equipped hero Rapid Deployment. Rapid Deployment allows your hero to return to the board immediately when killed instead of sitting out a turn.
2. Horn of the Alpha
Horn of the Alpha is another rare item; some case studies suggest it is the rarest item in the game. At 25 gold it is also the most expensive. It was one of the most-hyped items during beta testing, although it will likely be situational. This item gives the equipped hero a +4 Health buff, but the real power is its ability to summon a Thunderhide Pack upon activation. Thunderhide Pack is a powerful green creep with Siege 6.
1. Blink Dagger
Finally, we’ve reached our favorite Artifact item. Blink Dagger is an uncommon item that fits into the weapon slot. It only buffs the equipped hero with +2 Attack, but its activated ability is one of the best in the game. When you activate Blink Dagger, you can move the equipped hero to a lane of your choice. Shifting your hero from lane to lane is incredibly power and opens up an entirely new level of tactics.
Artifact Best Items at Nerds and Scoundrels
And there you have it: our pick for the Artifact best items. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our Artifact content here at Nerds and Scoundrels.
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