Artifact Priority Guide: Max Damage Path for Call of Dragons Season
This guide teaches a complete, battle-tested approach to the artifact unlock order that dramatically increases damage output in Call of Dragons. Read it once to learn the concept, then use the step-by-step sections to build, test, and refine a high-damage commander for open-field fights, sieges, and ranked season play. Every recommendation is written for clarity and practical implementation: which artifact to prioritize first, how to balance stats, how to combine artifacts with commander talents and equipment, and how to adapt when you can’t follow the ideal path exactly.
Overview: Why artifact order matters
Artifacts in Call of Dragons are powerful multipliers; their effects stack with stats, talents, and gear. Unlocking the wrong artifact first or chasing pieces that look strong on paper but don’t synergize with your commander wastes limited currency and slow-progress resources. The order in which you unlock artifacts shapes your early, mid, and late-game power curve. A smart sequence gives you earlier access to multiplicative bonuses, turning modest stat gains into game-changing DPS spikes.
This guide focuses on a priority path that accelerates damage scaling: first securing artifacts that provide multiplicative or proc-based damage boosts, then layering raw stat amplifiers and utility pieces that preserve momentum and snowball your commander into a dominant carry.
How to use this guide
Read the short roadmap to get the priority order at a glance.
Follow the Full Build Breakdown for each stage (early, mid, late).
Use the Troubleshooting and Alternatives section when you can’t access a specific artifact.
Test the "Damage Checklists" in the field and adjust stats according to personal playstyle and matchups.
Finish with the FAQ and recommended routines for artifact farming and upkeep.
Roadmap: Secret artifact order (at a glance)
Offensive multiplier artifact with proc or percent damage increase (Priority Alpha)
Attack speed or cooldown reduction artifact (Priority Beta)
Critical damage or critical rate amplifier (Priority Gamma)
Flat damage / percent damage to specific damage type (Priority Delta)
Survivability and sustain artifact to preserve uptime (Priority Epsilon)
Utility and situational pieces (Priority Zeta)
Start with the artifact that directly multiplies damage or triggers burst procs. Next, enable more frequent application of that multiplier through speed or cooldown reduction. Then push crit mechanics. After the multiplicative or proc foundation is set, add flat or percent increases that benefit from previously established multipliers.
The principle: Multiplicative stacking beats raw stats early
To put it plainly: a 10% multiplicative damage increase applied early multiplies later flat and percent gains. That means unlocking artifacts that create multiplicative or conditional multipliers first yields higher effective damage than front-loading flat attack or health stats. Think of artifacts as a chain: establish the strongest link first, then wire additional links that multiply it.
Priorities explained in depth
Priority Alpha — The damage multiplier artifact
This is the single most impactful step. Choose the artifact that either:
Adds a percentage to all outgoing damage, or
Triggers a powerful on-hit or on-cast damage effect that scales with your attack.
Why first: a percent increase or trigger scales with everything you add later (attack, crit, speed), so even modest early investment returns compound gains over time.
How to evaluate candidates:
Prefer artifacts with global damage amplification rather than very narrow situational procs.
If the artifact has a conditional proc, ensure it’s triggered reliably by your commander’s kit (e.g., on-attack or on-skill-hit is better than "on target below 30% HP" for consistent scaling).
If you find a piece that converts stats (e.g., %HP to damage), map the conversion to your build and prioritize only if the conversion multiplies your offensive baseline.
Practical tip: If two artifacts offer similar percent increases, pick the one with broader triggers or one that doesn’t require heavy build changes to activate.
Priority Beta — Speed and frequency (attack speed / cooldown reduction)
Once you have a multiplier working for you, the fastest way to increase total damage per second is to increase the number of times that multiplier is applied. Prioritize artifacts that:
Reduce skill cooldowns, or
Increase attack speed or cast rate, or
Reduce global ability cooldowns.
Why next: more casts or attacks means your multiplicative effect triggers more often, turning a one-time bonus into sustained output.
How to balance: Do not sacrifice multiplicative power for marginal speed unless the speed artifact meaningfully increases uptime of the multiplier. Example: a 15% damage on-hit artifact + moderate attack speed often outperforms a +40 attack artifact if the speed enables more procs every 10 seconds.
Priority Gamma — Critical mechanics
After frequency, scale the damage per hit. Critical rate and critical damage artifacts convert normal hits into high-impact hits. Choose the critical artifact based on which your commander lacks more: rate or damage.
Why third: crit multipliers amplify each hit, including those benefiting from earlier multiplicative artifacts.
How to pick:
If your commander’s base crit rate is low, prioritize crit rate artifact first, then crit damage.
If you already have decent crit chance from gear/talents, pick crit damage to maximize each crit.
Priority Delta — Flat and percent damage boosts
With multiplicative, frequency, and crit layers set, add artifacts that directly increase damage numbers:
Flat attack: raises base effect—valuable if the build relies on repeat hits.
Percent damage to a damage type (e.g., physical, magical, or skill-type): choose the damage-type bonus that matches your commander’s main output.
Why now: these artifacts receive the largest relative uplift because they are applied on top of the previously established multipliers and frequency gains.
Priority Epsilon — Sustain and utility that preserve damage uptime
Damage matters only if you can stay alive and use it. Add survivability artifacts that:
Provide shields or healing, especially burst heals or auto-shields that trigger during heavy engagement.
Offer crowd control resistance or debuff cleansing that preserves DPS uptime.
Why here: early survivability is a waste if you can’t capitalize on damage. Later survivability ensures you maintain DPS through fights, making your damage investments count.
Priority Zeta — Situational and niche pieces
Finish with artifacts for specific scenarios—siege, rally support, buff synergy, or anti-meta picks. These are swap-in choices depending on matchups and event needs.
Full build breakdown: Early game (first artifact investments)
Early-game goals:
Create a reliable damage base that wins skirmishes and farms resources effectively.
Maintain flexibility to pivot into crit or speed depending on what drops.
Step-by-step early plan:
Lock Priority Alpha artifact as soon as possible. It will be the keystone of your build. Invest resource shards or shard-equivalent currency into unlocking its core and the most impactful first passive.
If your commander needs attack frequency to trigger the artifact reliably, grab a small speed artifact (Priority Beta) second. Don’t fully commit to crit here unless you can secure a crit artifact at low cost.
Keep one survivability slot open for contested fights—swap in a sustain artifact when facing heavy burst opponents.
Use temporary stat boosts (gems, runes, event buffs) to test how much benefit your Alpha artifact delivers in practice; early testing avoids wasted permanent investments.
Specific early stats to favor:
Attack / Skill Power (enough to make procs meaningful).
Attack speed only if the artifact trigger is attack-rate-dependent.
Minimal crit unless you can reach a 20–30% crit chance quickly.
Practical playstyle:
Play aggressively when the multiplier is active; force fights where you can land continuous hits.
Avoid prolonged zero-damage engagement; your early goal is quick wins and resource capture.
Mid game: Layering crit, damage types, and uptime
Mid-game goals:
Capitalize on established multiplier by adding crit and percent-damage artifacts.
Build synergy with commander talents and equipment.
Step-by-step mid-game:
Add the Priority Gamma artifact to boost crit rate or crit damage based on your current crit baseline.
Replace temporary early speed artifacts with higher-tier cooldown reduction items if they exist.
Add Priority Delta artifact with percent-damage to your main damage type (e.g., if your commander deals magical damage, pick magical damage percent).
Complete an Epsilon artifact focused on sustain if combat is becoming more contested at this stage.
Mid-game stat thresholds to hit:
Crit chance: aim for 40–60% depending on talent synergy.
Attack/cast frequency: high enough to use skills and apply procs multiple times in a fight.
Percent damage bonus: any percent-based boost becomes meaningful at this stage due to compounding.
Playstyle:
Seek fights where you can apply sustained DPS.
Use cooldown and skill sequencing to maximize proc uptime—burst when both multiplier and cooldown artifacts are off cooldown.
Late game: Refinement and absolute peak damage
Late-game goals:
Maximize multiplicative stacking and ensure survivability in high-stake fights.
Use situational artifacts for meta matchups and competitive modes.
Step-by-step late-game:
Unlock and fully upgrade any remaining Priority Alpha artifacts that add multiplicative advantages (e.g., advanced passives that turn on at higher rarity).
Max out Priority Gamma artifacts (crit rate/damage) to reach 70–100% crit chance or very high crit multipliers when possible.
Invest in Priority Delta flat bonuses if your commander benefits from high base numbers (e.g., certain skills scale linearly with base attack).
Optimize Priority Epsilon for perfect uptime—choose the combination of sustain and mobility artifacts that prevents you from dying before dealing your damage.
Late-game tips:
Resist the temptation to chase every shiny artifact; focus on the ones that mathematically amplify what you already have.
Test exact breakpoints on a dummy (if available) or in controlled PvE fights to verify damage curves before major competitive events.
Artifact synergy examples (practical combinations)
Example 1 — Rapid-hitting physical commander
Alpha: Percent damage on physical attacks (multiplicative).
Beta: Attack speed artifact (faster swings = more procs).
Gamma: Crit rate artifact (turn many hits into crits).
Delta: Flat physical damage artifact (increases base per-hit numbers).
Epsilon: Small self-heal per hit artifact (sustain during brawls).
Why this works: The multiplicative percent damage benefits from fast swings; crits convert those more often into high damage. Flat physical damage is amplified by existing multipliers.
Example 2 — Spellcaster with high-skill burst
Alpha: Skill damage percent amplifier (applies to skill casts).
Beta: Cooldown reduction artifact (more frequent skill casts).
Gamma: Critical skill damage artifact (boosts critical skill outcomes).
Delta: Magic penetration or percent magic damage artifact.
Epsilon: Mana or skill-energy restoration artifact (maintain casting frequency).
Why this works: Multiplicative skill damage + cooldown reduction creates more burst windows; crit skill multipliers make each cast devastating.
Example 3 — Hybrid commander (mixed auto-attacks and spells)
Alpha: Universal damage multiplier artifact (works on both attacks and skills).
Beta: Hybrid speed/cooldown artifact.
Gamma: Crit damage artifact (applies broadly to both sources if supported).
Delta: Situational percent damage artifact matching whichever source scales better in the season meta.
Epsilon: Mobility artifact for positioning and uptime.
Why this works: A universal multiplier reduces the risk of picking the wrong damage type to amplify and lets you adapt playstyle according to the opponent.
Talent and equipment alignment (how to avoid mismatches)
Artifacts do more when they align with commander talents and gear. Follow this checklist when applying the artifact order:
Talent synergy: If a talent passively increases crit or attack speed, prioritize the artifact that benefits most from that talent.
Gear cross-check: Make sure artifacts don’t duplicate stat allocations you already heavily invested in gear; redundancy is less efficient than complementary amplification.
Skill interactions: Some artifacts only trigger from skill hits — confirm your primary damage source activates the artifact’s condition.
Passive vs active: Balance between passive artifacts (always-on percent) and active/proc artifacts (conditional). Active artifacts can be stronger but require consistent uptime and execution.
Practical rule: When in doubt, choose the artifact that increases the metric your commander can most reliably apply in real fights.
Farming and resource management
You will not unlock everything at once. Resource management is critical.
Key tips:
Prioritize artifact currency for Priority Alpha first, then Beta. Only invest in Gamma/Delta after a reliable Alpha+Beta core is active.
Use temporary boosts and timed events to test artifact combinations before committing permanent resources.
If you must split resources, keep the multiplier artifact at least partially upgraded to preserve its compounding effect.
Rotate situational artifacts during events where specific counters are common.
Economy habits:
Keep a buffer of currency for opportunistic upgrades after a strong drop or event.
Track artifact acquisition times and plan upgrades around season resets or major events that grant refunds or partial returns.
Damage testing routines
To ensure your order is optimal, run a consistent damage test routine:
Find a consistent PvE training target or low-risk PvP skirmish to test DPS.
Record baseline numbers with only Priority Alpha unlocked.
Add Priority Beta and measure percent increase; expected returns should be noticeably higher than baseline if the artifacts synergize correctly.
Add Priority Gamma and Delta sequentially, recording every step.
Compare combined gains to the total resource cost to validate efficiency.
What to watch for:
Diminishing returns: if a new artifact increases damage only marginally at high cost, consider alternative investments.
Trigger reliability: procs that rarely trigger in actual play are poor investments, even if theoretical numbers look good.
Durability in real fights: test in real match conditions; perfect rotations in training may not be practical in open-field engagements.
Troubleshooting: What to do when you can’t get the ideal artifact
Common problems and solutions:
Problem: You can’t find a good Alpha artifact. Solution: Pick the best available artifact with a reliable, broad trigger. Alternatively, temporarily prioritize Beta (speed) to amplify what you already have.
Problem: The crit artifact feels weak despite decent crit chance. Solution: Check crit damage scaling—if crit damage stat is low, raise crit damage or work on increasing crit damage via gear/talents before investing further in crit rate.
Problem: Artifacts clash with commander talents. Solution: Respec talents or swap artifacts temporarily until you can afford the respec cost or the right artifact.
Problem: You’re dying before dealing damage. Solution: Push survivability (Priority Epsilon) earlier — a small sustain artifact can be far more effective than one additional damage artifact if it allows you to survive long enough to use your damage.
Advanced tactics and matchup tips
Positioning: Many artifacts rely on uninterrupted casting or repeated hits. Prioritize mobility and positioning artifacts when facing high-mobility enemies to maintain uptime.
Burst sequencing: Save your burst rotation for windows where both multiplier and cooldown artifacts are available. Treat these windows as kill opportunities and play conservatively outside of them.
Countering anti-crit builds: If opponents stack crit resistance or reduction, swap to artifacts that increase flat damage and attack frequency; multiplicative percent damage still benefits even when crits are suppressed.
Team composition synergy: Pair your damage-focused commander with allies who provide consistent crowd control or vulnerability debuffs. Your multiplicative artifacts scale especially well when enemies are locked down.
Playstyle checklist: Habits that maximize artifact value
Execute skill sequences to ensure the Alpha artifact triggers consistently.
Maintain uptime on artifacts that rely on continuous casting or attacks.
Avoid fights where your triggers cannot be applied (e.g., single-hit burst zones if your multiplier triggers on repeated hits).
Keep artifacts updated: small upgrades to Alpha and Beta faster pay off than large upgrades to a late Priority Zeta artifact.
Swap situational artifacts before major matches; don’t rely on a one-size-fits-all setup.
Example full build template (copy-paste and adapt)
Alpha (core): Universal percent damage amplifier, upgraded to tier X.
Beta (frequency): Attack speed / cooldown reduction artifact, tier Y.
Gamma (crit): Crit damage artifact, tier Z.
Delta (type): Percent damage to main damage type, tier Y.
Epsilon (sustain): On-hit healing / shield artifact, tier X.
Zeta (situational): Mobility or debuff artifact.
Adjust tiers based on resource availability and personal testing outcomes.
FAQ
What if I don’t have access to the recommended Alpha artifact?
Choose the next-best artifact with a broad trigger that benefits your usual damage source. Prioritize reliable uptime over theoretically stronger but situational pieces.
How many artifacts should I fully max before switching to the next one?
Fully upgrade your Alpha to a point of consistent noticeable gains (usually the first meaningful passive or level threshold), then switch to Beta. Resources should be distributed so that your core multiplier and frequency artifacts are both effective rather than having many partially upgraded items.
Should I always prioritize crit artifacts after speed?
Not always. If your commander’s kit benefits more from flat damage (for example, skills that scale less with crit), pick flat damage first. Use damage testing to see which gives the higher return.
How do I test artifact order without losing resources?
Use temporary boosts and event artifacts where possible. Test in PvE or low-stakes PvP before committing. Keep a resource buffer to revert or adapt if something underperforms.
Do artifact synergies change with seasons or balance patches?
Yes. Always re-evaluate the priority order after major balance updates. A previously dominant artifact can be nerfed or change trigger conditions; follow patch notes and rerun simple damage checks.
Can survivability early be better than a damage artifact?
Absolutely. If you are dying before applying your damage reliably, an early survivability artifact can produce more effective damage output because it preserves uptime.
How should I tune my build for raids or group content?
In group content, you can sometimes trade personal uptime for team-wide multipliers. Consider situational artifacts that boost group damage or debuffs if your team composition benefits. Keep the Alpha artifact if it enhances group synergy; otherwise, pivot to supportive artifacts.
What are the most common mistakes players make when choosing artifact order?
Investing heavily in flat stats early without a multiplicative core.
Choosing situational artifacts first because they look strong on paper.
Over-committing to crit rate without enough crit damage or frequency.
Upgrading many artifacts partially instead of focusing on the core two or three.
How often should I revisit and re-test my artifact order?
After any major patch, new commander release, or after you change core gear/talents. Also, run quick checks monthly or before major events.
Closing notes and actionable next steps
Immediate action: prioritize unlocking and upgrading the Alpha artifact first.
Short-term (next 2–3 sessions): add Beta to increase frequency and test combos in mid-level PvE content.
Medium-term (2–4 weeks): layer Gamma and Delta and begin formal damage checks to confirm efficiency.
Long-term: refine Priority Epsilon for perfect uptime and add Zeta situational pieces for meta counters.
Follow the priority outline and keep testing: the correct artifact order transforms incremental stat upgrades into exponential damage growth. Focus on building a strong multiplicative core, then add frequency, crit, and flat damage on top. Make survivability a tactical early pick if you can’t reliably apply your damage.
Compact in-game quick-reference — one-screen loadout
Core goal: Establish a multiplicative damage core, then add frequency, crit, flat damage, and sustain in that order.
Primary slots (fill these first):
Slot 1 (Alpha) — Percent damage multiplier / on-hit proc (upgrade first)
Slot 2 (Beta) — Attack speed / cooldown reduction (upgrade second)
Slot 3 (Gamma) — Crit rate or crit damage (upgrade third)
Slot 4 (Delta) — Flat or percent damage to main damage type
Slot 5 (Epsilon) — Sustain / shield / heal per hit
Slot 6 (Zeta) — Situational (mobility, anti-CC, team buffs)
Quick usage notes:
If your multiplier is conditional, play to trigger it (aggressive windows).
If you’re dying before you deal damage, swap Slot 5 earlier.
If crit chance is <20%, prioritize crit rate in Slot 3; if >40%, prioritize crit damage.
Alternate order templates by archetype
Fast-hitter (auto-attack focused)
Alpha: Physical percent damage on attacks (multiplicative)
Beta: Attack speed
Gamma: Crit rate
Delta: Flat physical attack
Epsilon: On-hit heal or lifesteal
Zeta: Mobility / gap-closer
Playstyle: Keep fights short, kite when needed, force steady hit windows so procs scale.
Caster (skill and burst focused)
Alpha: Skill damage percent amplifier
Beta: Cooldown reduction / skill haste
Gamma: Crit skill damage or spell crit
Delta: Percent magic damage / penetration
Epsilon: Mana/energy restore or shield on cast
Zeta: Debuff amplifier or group buff
Playstyle: Time burst windows when both Alpha and Beta are ready; conserve resources between windows.
Hybrid (mix of autos and skills)
Alpha: Universal percent damage multiplier
Beta: Hybrid speed/cooldown artifact
Gamma: Crit damage (broad application)
Delta: Percent damage to dominant source (swap if meta changes)
Epsilon: Mobility or small sustain
Zeta: Situational anti-crit or team synergy piece
Playstyle: Adapt mid-fight—use autos to maintain uptime and skills for windows of extreme damage.
Fast reference table for in-battle swaps
Enemy heavy burst: swap Slot 5 earlier → Epsilon: strong sustain/shield.
Enemy anti-crit: swap Slot 3/4 → favor flat damage / frequency.
Need mobility / repositioning: swap Slot 6 → gap-closer or dash.
Group content: consider replacing Slot 6 with team buff / debuff artifact.
Two-minute setup checklist (before match)
Confirm Slot 1 is your strongest multiplicative piece and at least partially upgraded.
Ensure Slot 2 gives reliable increased casts/attacks for your kit.
Verify Slot 3 matches your current crit baseline (rate vs damage).
Slot a small sustain piece if you expect burst opponents.
Swap Slot 6 to the map/opponent meta (mobility vs utility).
Do a quick test cast/attack in a safe area to ensure procs trigger as expected.
Loadout save suggestions (3 presets)
Preset A — Solo carry: Alpha↑, Beta↑, Gamma↑, Delta mid, Epsilon low, Zeta situational
Preset B — Objective control: Alpha mid, Beta↑, Gamma mid, Delta↑ (type-specific), Epsilon↑ (sustain)
Preset C — Team fight / raid: Alpha↑ (team-synergy), Beta mid, Gamma mid, Delta mid, Epsilon mid, Zeta↑ (group buff)
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