Artifact Basics: Acquiring and Enhancing Your Weapon

By Wowhead Updated: 2019/04/01

Artifact Basics

Each spec gets a unique weapon - 36 weapons total (+1 Fishing Artifact, available to anyone). These are intended to be ultimate weapons for you, the hero.

Your Artifact Weapon is your main weapon in Legion, there are no other weapons that will match its power. Additionally, there are no weapon drops in Legion.

There is no way to destroy an Artifact Weapon - keep in mind that each Artifact you unlock will take a permanent bag slot.

You CAN transmog other appearances onto your Artifact Weapon.

In addition to the combat bonuses provided by your Artifact Weapon, there are 24 appearances associated with each Artifact for the player to collect. You can preview all of the appearances in the Artifact Calculator; this topic will be the subject of another Artifact Overview.

Acquisition

Each artifact is acquired by completing a spec-specific quest that emphasizes your class' unique abilities and reveals more about important lore figures. These quests are generally 20-30 minutes long.

Your first Artifact Weapon can be acquired at level 98, right after you complete the Broken Shore scenario and arrive in Dalaran.

Your alternate specs Artifact Weapons can be acquired at level 102. Head back to your Class Hall to pick them up.

Check out the Artifact Weapon Guide Section which has videos and written summaries of all of the acquisition quests.Relics

Relics are items which can be socketed into your Artifact Weapon.

Your Artifact Weapon has a total of 3 Relic slots on it.

Every relic has an item level. The higher the item level of the relic, the more it boosts the item level of your Artifact Weapon.

Check out the Guide to All Artifact Weapons for more detailed relic information.

Comments

Comment by 1700663

I made this video to completely explain further Artifact Weapons in response to a question posted on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7SY9N78OF4 I hope it helps :)

Comment by 1700663

I created a video guys to answer a question I was asked on my channel in which was what NPC do I talk to for my class to do my 2nd artifact weapon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxgAdJcy9ko I hope the video helps others and take care :)

Comment by Rachel01

And you can buy Artifact Relics on the Auction House, under Gems.

Watch for the Unique-equip crafted ones - you can only ever have one of them equipped (not one of each type, just one).

Comment by Blackboy0

Little update to one part:

Your first Artifact Weapon can be acquired at level 100, right after you complete the Broken Shore scenario and arrive in Dalaran.

You can actually acquire your first Artifact at level 98, and you no longer need to do the Broken Shore scenario. Right when you hit 98 you can go to Orgrimmar/Stormwind and you will be directed to the Broken Shore scenario, but you can choose to skip it and you are teleported straight to Dalaran where you receive the quest to setup your Order Hall, and later your first Artifact.

Comment by Mentha

I completed the order hall campaign on my alt, but didn't get the third relic slot. Do I need to get all the different artifacts? Because I only got 2 of the 4 (it's a druid).

Comment by 1767568

Is it possible to go from Frost artifact to unholy artifact? I regret my decision

Comment by Yogilaw

Just a note; The RNG for getting higher level Artifact Relics from the vendor on Vindicaar sucks. You can buy in exchange for 650 Argunite & get a basic 910 level relic. These can upgrade to max of 15 levels (925) but frankly don't bet on this happening more than once in a blue moon. If you (for example) have 915 relics in each slot & hope for an upgrade via this route it could cost you a ton of Argunite. If, for whatever reason you don't go for high level raids or dungeons, you'll be very lucky to get a higher grade replacement. WQ drops rewarding these items have a base of 895 or lower so 910 is the max upgrade. Don't go looking on the AH either, as 805 is the max level I've found available.

Comment by TutorialBlox

ARTIFACT WEAPONS CAN BE TRANSMOGGED CROSS-SPEC IN BFA ALPHA!

https://i.redd.it/y1fxdu0bglo01.jpg

Artifact Basics: Acquiring and Enhancing Your Weapon

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