STALKER 2: Best Artifacts, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Artifacts in STALKER 2 provide substantial benefits but come with radiation risks, requiring careful optimization for survival.
• Balancing advantages and negative effects is key in selecting artifacts for superior performance in the Zone.
• Unique artifacts like Weird Flower and Liquid Rock offer strategic advantages, showcasing the game’s diverse item mechanics.

In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, artifacts are essential components that significantly enhance character abilities, providing bonuses and other advantages that ensure the survival of those who explore the Zone. These powerful items, however, carry adverse effects like radiation, requiring careful handling to optimize their use.

The best artifacts for STALKER 2 combine substantial benefits with the inherent risks of radiation, allowing stalkers to face the most intense challenges more efficiently. Proper selection of these artifacts is crucial to balance the advantages gained with the need to mitigate negative effects, thus guaranteeing superior performance during incursions into the Zone.

8 Wrenched

An Artifact To Help Survive The Early Game

• Radiation: Weak
• Physical Protection: Weak

One of the best artifacts that players can find in STALKER 2, and which will be considerably useful during the first hours of the game, is the Wrenched. This artifact is quite common and obtained in gravitational anomalies. The item is capable of protecting the protagonist from bullets, and although it doesn’t reduce damage significantly, it’s enough to ease the initial hours of exploration through the Zone.

Furthermore, the item doesn’t increase the radiation suffered by the character much, making it an artifact that can complement the inventory well when the player is unsure about which equipment to use. Considering that fighting mutants and other humans is one of the main activities in the game, it ends up being a consistent choice.

7 Spring

Option To Carry More Items

• Radiation: Medium
• Weight Effect: Medium

Managing the inventory is one of the mechanics that players must master early in the game. If it gets full, the protagonist receives some debuffs, such as reduced stamina and speed. However, for players who want more space in their backpack, the Spring is one of the best artifacts to have in STALKER 2.

In exchange for increasing the radiation suffered by the character, this equipment, which can be found in gravitational anomalies, also increases the capacity of items the player can carry in their inventory. This ends up being a fair or even quite beneficial trade-off if the player knows how to control radiation levels. Therefore, taking advantage of this extra space in the backpack to carry some extra doses of vodka is also a good choice.

6 Hypercube

A Powerful Artifact

• Radiation: Maximum
• Bleeding Resistance: Maximum
• Thermal Protection: Maximum

Most of the legendary artifacts in STALKER 2 have the drawback that, when equipped, they significantly increase the radiation suffered by the character. However, in return, they offer powerful bonuses. Therefore, players must keep their artifact slots balanced between those that provide radiation protection and others with buffs.

The Hypercube is one of the items that grants great buffs. When equipped, it offers maximum bleeding resistance and thermal protection. This makes it one of the best artifacts in the game, especially against mutants or other attacks that usually cause the bleeding effect. However, it requires a certain balance to avoid slowly killing the player.

5 Bubble

Helps Combat Radiation

Although many artifacts found in STALKER 2 increase the radiation suffered by characters, there are some rare exceptions that do not grant this effect and even help the protagonist deal with this negative effect. Therefore, having a Bubble among one’s equipment is a smart choice for those who explore the Zone.

The item can usually be found in the game’s Acid Anomalies. It allows the player to equip other artifacts that grant great benefits but also have side effects. Furthermore, the Bubble is ideal for exploring dangerous areas, reducing damage caused by contaminated environments and ensuring a greater chance of survival in these moments.

4 Weird Flower

For Characters Who Like To Sleep

The Weird Flower is a unique artifact in STALKER 2, known for its peculiar effect that benefits strategic players. When sleeping with this item equipped, its special fragrance reduces the chance of being detected by enemies. This effect is more powerful right after waking up, but gradually diminishes over time.

Besides its functional effect, the Weird Flower is often described as one of the legendary “altered items,” so for players who like collecting, it’s an important artifact to always have nearby. With its specific impact on gameplay, this item is an excellent choice for those who prefer to avoid direct confrontations during explorations.

3 Liquid Rock

One Of The Main Artifacts To Protect The Character

• Radio Protection: Maximum
• Chemical Protection: Maximum

The Liquid Rock is a perfect artifact for STALKER 2 players who wish to explore the most radioactive areas of the game, or even use other artifacts that increase radiation but also wish to suffer fewer adverse effects because of it. Thus, it is also one of the best items geared towards character protection.

Although rare, the item can be found in Acid Anomalies, and players who find it can consider themselves lucky. This is because, in addition to offering maximum protection against radioactivity and chemicals, the item also has a very high value among traders. It can be sold to buy other equipment if it doesn’t fit the player’s build.

2 Compass

Extremely Powerful, But With Some Drawbacks

• Physical Protection: Maximum
• Radiation: Maximum

The Compass is an extremely powerful artifact in STALKER 2, providing maximum physical protection at the cost of maximum radiation exposure. This makes it a double-edged sword; while it offers unparalleled defense against physical attacks, it significantly increases the radiation the character suffers. Thus, it requires careful management to mitigate its adverse effects.

Due to its rarity and the high risk associated with its use, the Compass is best suited for experienced players who have the means to handle high radiation levels. It is a strategic choice for those who need maximum protection in the most dangerous areas of the Zone, but it’s essential to balance its benefits with adequate radiation countermeasures.

1 Weird Ball

A Unique Effect

In addition to artifacts that can be found abundantly in different places on the map, STALKER 2 also contains unique variations, usually with special effects that can grant different abilities to the player. This is the case with the Weird Ball, which can be found inside the Bulba anomaly, to the right of Zalissya.

The positive point of this item is that it reduces the damage from possible shots that the protagonist may receive, as long as the player remains stationary. It is a condition that can limit some builds, but for characters who like to fight at long range with rifles, it is a guarantee that even if an enemy’s shot hits them, the injuries caused are reduced. This makes the Weird Ball one of the best artifacts for the early game.