In Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor 1.0, artifacts are the beating heart of a strong run. They’re not just passive perks – they’re power spikes that can completely reshape how you approach combat, resource management, and progression. A single artefact can make the difference between limping into the late game or steamrolling the final waves.
But here’s the catch: not all artefacts are created equal. Some are run-defining, while others are so underwhelming they may as well be dead weight. Knowing which ones to prioritise, which to reroll, and how to build around them is absolutely critical.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor 1.0 Artifact Guide (September 2025)
Artifacts appear throughout your runs, usually tied to shops, drops, or rewards. You can hold multiple at once, and they stack, creating wild synergies. Because the difference between the weakest and strongest artifacts is enormous, many veteran players reroll shops 3–5 times per stage just to chase the right ones.
Here’s a simple rule of thumb:
- If an artifact boosts your damage by 20% or more, you should probably grab it.
- If it hits 50% or more, you should be ecstatic – it can define your run.
- Downsides matter, but often they can be mitigated through other upgrades.
Epic Artifacts
Epic-tier artifacts are where most runs are won or lost. They come with bigger risks, but also enormous rewards.
5 Leaf Clover – A phenomenal early artifact that pushes you toward higher rarity upgrades by supercharging your luck. With clever timing (like rerolling right before a magnet pulls in XP), you can stack luck far beyond normal limits. Early game, this feels almost broken.
Energy Bars – A near auto-pick. Scaling damage per level makes this one of the most consistent DPS boosters in the game, and the HP loss is usually trivial to patch.
Gold-Tipped Bullets – If you’re disciplined with gold, this can grant absurdly high scaling damage. Just remember: hoard, don’t spend, unless it’s absolutely essential.
Huuli Bait – Spawns hoarders that can fund your run with massive resources. As long as you can kill them efficiently, this artifact is practically free money.
The MoCap – Rewards risky, low-health play by ramping up your damage the more hurt you are. Combine with Salty Pretzel for a terrifying tank/damage hybrid.
Pay2Win Console – Retroactively scales with rerolls, making it one of the safest bets for stacking damage over time.
Pickled Nitra – Perhaps the strongest artifact if you can handle the movement speed penalty. Every chunk of nitra translates directly into raw damage.
Turbo Encabulator – Turns every overclock into a mini power boost. Especially strong in full weapon loadouts, though the mining speed penalty can sting.
Weapon Box – The ultimate gamble. Sometimes you double your firepower early and cruise to victory. Other times you dilute your pool with a dud weapon. High variance, but worth the risk more often than not.
Other notable Epics include Multi Tool (great with reload-focused weapons), Jet Boots (map-dependent mobility lifesaver), and Pick Axetender (turns mining into a breeze).
Rare Artifacts
Rare artifacts usually don’t carry runs by themselves, but many are strong pieces to support your build.
Ancient Knowledge – Free levels. Sometimes underwhelming, but occasionally game-changing if you roll strong upgrades.
Armor Grease – Extra dodge and speed make it a steady defensive option, especially on Scout.
Barley Bulb Juice – Movement buffs after mining give you a surprising amount of mobility when repositioning.
Diver’s Manual – A well-rounded mix of crit and damage bonuses. Rarely feels bad to pick.
DRG Coupons – Fantastic early when every upgrade counts, but almost worthless later.
Chemist Kit – A must-have if you’re leaning heavily on elemental/status weapons, useless if not.
Popup Tripod – Strong in theory but clunky in practice since standing still is dangerous. Has niche synergies.
Scanners – Weak without synergy, amazing if combined with mining builds or gold/nitra scaling artifacts.
Tactical Cookie – Weak in normal play, but excellent in class mastery where healing is scarce.
Vita-Miner Pills – Small sustain boost early, but quickly falls off in the late game.
Defensive rares like Armor Grease, Salty Pretzel, or Red Sugar Cube are situationally solid, while economy boosters like Clipboard of Grudges and Company Issued Magnet shine mostly in the early stages.
Weak or Niche Artifacts
Not every artifact is worth picking. Some are heavily dependent on build, biome, or timing.
Belts (Fire/Frost) – Too situational unless your loadout revolves around that element.
Clipboard of Grudges – XP-based scaling falls off quickly, making it a poor long-term choice.
Reflex Calibrator – Dodge mechanics sound good but rarely pay off unless you’re on Juggernaut.
Red Sugar Cube – Great if picked up very early, but completely worthless on certain maps.
The takeaway? Don’t clog your artifact slots with these unless you have the exact synergy needed.
Artifacts are the lifeblood of a good Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor run. Some – like Energy Bars or Pickled Nitra – can singlehandedly define your late-game damage, while others quietly boost your survivability or resource economy.
The key is not just knowing which ones are strong, but understanding how they fit into your specific build and the map you’re running. Mastering artifacts means mastering the flow of your runs, and once you start seeing those synergies click, you’ll never look at a shop reroll the same way again.