Heisenberg’s Guide to Artifice

Artifice is a versatile crafting skill used for weapon hilts (strength and willpower weapon modification), enhancements (used in all armors and weapons for modification), offhand items, colour crystals (used for lightsaber blade and blaster bolt colours and stats, only yellow, green, blue, and red is available through crafting) and even lightsabers much later in the game.

As an Artificers you can craft the following items :

– Item Modifications: Colour Crystals, Enhancements, Lightsaber Hilts
– Weapons : Lightsabers and Double-bladed Lightsabers (only at Level 400)
– Offhand Items : Requires Focus, Generator or Shield
– Relics (Bind on Pickup)

Supporting Crew Skills:

Archaeology: Power Crystals and Artifact Fragments
Treasure Hunting: Gemstones (Blue and Purple Quality)

Link to a really good Leveling Guide

Colour Crystals (400)

Crystals are modification items for blasters and lightsabers. They not only change the colour of the blast or saber but are a nice stat increase. Artificers can train Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Orange schematics and if lucky can score a Magenta schematic from World Bosses. Colour Crystals in PvP weapons cannot be modified, but the PvE (Tionese, Columi and Rakata) weapons can.

Tionese: +31 Critical Rating, +31 Endurance and +31 Power
Artifice Trained: +33 Critical, +33 Endurance and +33 Power (currently only via Magenta Crystals)
Columi: +41 Critical Rating, +41 Endurance and +41 Power
Rakata: +41 Critical Rating, +41 Endurance and +41 Power

(not sure if its a bug or not – but the Rakata and Columi crystals seem to have the same stats)

Below is a list of the craftable Colour Crystals and their schematic source

Premium

Lethal (+22 Critical Rating) – Requires Level 47
Intrepidity (+22 Endurance) – Requires Level 47
Red, Blue, Green (Schematics bought from Trainer)

Prototype

Lethal (+27 Critical Rating) – Requires Level 47
Intrepidity (+27 Endurance) – Requires Level 47
Red, Blue, Green (Schematics learned via Reverse Engineering Premium Crystals)
Yellow, Orange (Schematics bought from Trainer)

Artifact

Advanced Lethal (+31 Critical Rating) – Requires Level 47
Advanced Intrepidity (+31 Endurance) – Requires Level 47
Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange (Schematics learned via Reverse Engineering Prototype Crystals)

Advanced Lethal Magenta (+33 Critical Rating) – Requires Level 49
Advanced Resonating Magenta (+33 Power) – Requires Level 49
Advanced Intrepidity Magenta (+33 Endurance) – Requires Level 49
(Schematic drops from World Bosses: Gargath (level 49 Hoth) and Primal Destroyer (level 50 Belsavis)
Requires unique material Magenta Adegan Crystal. A guide on how to get it can be found here

Enhancements (400)

Enhancements are modifications for almost all armour and weapons. Enhancements have 3 levels of quality (same as colour crystals): Premium, Prototype and Artifact. Enhancements also have ratings which correspond to the amount of stats. The highest rated Enhancements Schematics that can be bought from the trainer is 22. Enhancements in PvP armour can be modified as well as PvE armour and weapons.

Artifice Trained: Enhancement 22
Tionese: Enhancement 23           Centurion: Enhancement 23
Columi: Enhancement 24            Champion: Enhancement 24
Rakata: Enhancement 25            Battlemaster: Enhancement 25

There are schematics listed in various databases for Artifice to learn to make 23, 24 and 25 Enhancements and they are supposed to drop from raids on Hardmode and Nightmare, however until I get proof I’m not going to write it in this guide. Likewise there are listings of Mastercraft versions of all Enhancement 22, but after crafting several hundred I haven’t seen a single Mastercraft; therefore I can only assume they are not part of the game until I get proof that they are.

Enhancement stats are determined via a prefix system. Below is a list of prefixes and their associated stats (Stats are from Artifact version only – Premium and Prototype are same ratio of stats, just lower values), and they are sorted into groups based on their stats (PvE Heals + DPS), (PvP Heals + DPS) and (Tanking).

You will notice that there are quite a few double-ups of enhancements and it is therefore not necessary to purchase all of the schematics from the trainer. Included below is a list of the doubled up schematics.

(PvE Heals and DPS)

Acute: +18 End +39 Acc +27 Crit
Adept: +18 End +27 Pwr +39 Surge
Battle: +18 End +27 Crit +39 Surge
Initiative: +18 End +39 Acc +27 Pwr
Insight: +18 End +27 Crit +39 Alac
Quick Savant: +18 End +27 Pwr +39 Alac

(PvP Heals and DPS)

Assault: +30 End +15 Crit +39 Surge
Barrage: +30 End +15 Pwr +39 Alac
Discipline: +30 End +15 Pwr +39 Surge
Studious: +30 End +39 Acc +15 Pwr
Warfare: +30 End +15 Crit +39 Alac

(Tanking)

Adroit: +30 End +15 Def +39 Alac
Astute: +30 End +39 Acc +15 Def
Bastion: +30 End +39 Shld +15 Def      (All Tanking Stats)
Bulwark: +30 End +39 Shld +15 Abs    (All Tanking Stats)
Cognizant: +30 End +39 Acc +15 Abs
Erudition: +30 End +39 Shld +15 Crit
Foresight: +30 End +39 Shld +15 Pwr
Incisive: +30 End +15 Def + 39 Surge
Lucid: +30 End +39 Acc +15 Abs
Sagacity: +30 End +15 Abs +39 Alac

Counterstrike: +18 End +27 Def +39 Alac
Dexterous: +18 End +27 Abs +39 Alac
Immunity: +18 End +39 Shld +27 Def     (All Tanking Stats)
Kinetic: +18 End +39 Acc +27 Abs
Protection: +18 End +39 Acc +27 Def
Reflective: +18 End +39 Shld +27 Crit
Resist: +18 End +27 Def +39 Surge
Sturdiness: +18 End +39 Shld +27 Abs    (All Tanking Stats)
Safegaurd: +18 End +27 Abs +39 Surge

(DO NOT BUY SCHEMATICS)

Efficacy: Same as Adept
Efficient: Same as Discipline
Finesse: Same as Acute
Inertial: Same as Incisive
Intensity: Same as Acute
Intuition: Same as Astute
Proficient: Same as Initiative
Savant: Same as Quick Savant
Sentient: Same as Sagacity
Severe: Same as Incisive
Skirmish: Same as Reflective
Steadfast: Same as Bastion
Volition: Same as Insight
Veracity: Same as Erudition
Verity: Same as Foresight
Vigilant: Same as Bulwark
Ward: Same as Severe
Wily: Same as Assault
Wisdom: Same as Adroit

Hilts (400)

Hilts are specifically for Lightsabers and affect the base damage of the weapon as well as add Endurance and 1 Primary Stat (Strength or Willpower). There are 4 types of Hilts that you can craft:

Might: +Strength +Endurance (Warrior DPS)
Guardian: +Endurance +Strength (Warrior Tank)
Force Wielder:  +Endurance +Willpower (Inquisitor Tank)
Resolve: +Willpower +Endurance (Inquisitor DPS/Heals)

Currently the highest hilts that Artifice can craft is Rating 22. Like Enhancements there are schematics listed in databases with higher ratings, but no evidence is currently available to prove they are ingame. Additionally PvP and PvE weapons cannot have their hilts modified.

Because the Mission Support Vendors (located on Ilum and Belsavis) sell Rating 23 Hilts for 8 Daily Commendations it is not advisable, nor profitable to Reverse Engineer any Rating 22 Hilts to Artifact quality.

(Offhand items, Lightsabers and Relics)

Artifice can craft fully functional lightsabers as well as offhand items and Relics.

Lightsabers come equipped with Prototype 124 rating Hilts, Colour Crystals, Mods and Enhancements all of which are fully moddable. Currently because of the craftable hilts being restricted to 22 and the purchasable hilts 23, it is not commercially viable to craft these lightsabers. Each saber requires 3x Biometric Crystal Alloy (drops from all HM Flashpoint final bosses except Malgus) to craft and until the mods we can put in them improve there isnt much point in crafting these, apart from specific requests.

UPDATE: So it turns out that crafting the lightsabers can lead to proc an exceptional version of the item containing an augment slot. Currently the highest Primary stat augments I have seen are +28. Considering no other lightsabers have any base stats on them at all, I would call this a pretty big win for Artifice. Downside is, you need 3x Biometric Crystal Alloy from Hardmode Flashpoints / Normal operations per relic. Now I know what you are thinking – these lightsabers have subpar stats to the Tier PvE and PvP lightsabers – why would I want one. Well with RNG being as it is, I have received quite a bit of “extra” gear from Hardmode Operations and Flashpoints (2 Offhand Rakata Weapons, 3 Columi Chests, 2 Columi Head and Legs etc).

The great thing about PvE items is that you can remove the Mods and Enhancements and put them into other gear. Now the highest rated hilt you can craft (see above section on Hilts) is 22, and the highest rated hilt you can buy is 23. The difference between Advanced Might Hilt 23 (purchasable from Ilum) and Advanced Might Hilt 24 (found in Columi Weapons) is +9 Strength, +7 Endurance, +18 Min Damage and +27 Max Damage. Now a +28 Strength Augment might not balance the difference enough to justify not using the columi weapon, however until you get the offhand from the end boss of Battle for Ilum (Hardmode) or Gharj (Hardmode) and the mainhand from SOA (Hardmode), its a pretty nice upgrade from your tionese / PvP weapons. All you need is a lucky crit and you’re on your way 😀

Evidence Screenshot

Thanks to Etang for providing screenshot.

Offhand items however are trained at a Premium level and through reverse engineering can be improved to many different Artifact levels, and further improved by crafting critical Artifact items to get a Mastercraft. A really good guide on how these items are reverse engineered and what options are available can be found here.

The only complaint with the offhand items is the lack of a Willpower Shield for Assassin Tanks. Currently not in the game.

Relics are the Artifice Perk you could say, and are Bind on Pickup, which means you make them for yourself only. The only downside I’ve seen is that the exact same Relics can be obtained once a player is a Battlemaste (Valor Rank 60).

The relics available are:

Rakata Relic of Boundless Ages
+77 Endurance
+380 Power for 20 seconds

Rakata Relic of Forbidden Secrets
+77 Endurance
+235 Crit and Surge for 20 seconds

Rakata Relic of Imperiling Serenity
+51 Endurance
+37 Power
+380 Defense for 20 seconds

Rakata Relic of the Primeval Fatesealer
+77 Endurance
+380 Alacrity for 20 seconds

Rakata Relic of the Shrouded Crusader
+51 Endurance
+37 Power
+235 Shield and Absorb for 20 seconds

The relics require a unique crafting material (1x Biometric Crystal Alloy) to craft. Getting one of these relics at level 50 is really beneficial and when used in conjunction with other class cooldowns you can really see the difference. There are no stats on the relics apart from the cooldown stat increase, however the amount of the increase is worth more than +52 Endurance that we see on the Prototype relics.

UPDATE: So it turns out that crafting the relics can lead to proc an exceptional version of the item containing an augment slot. Currently the highest Primary stat augments I have seen are +28. Considering no other Rakata relics have any base stats on them at all, I would call this a pretty big win for Artifice. Downside is, you need 1x Biometric Crystal Alloy from Hardmode Flashpoints / Normal operations per relic. Good luck with this one Artificers and may all your crafts be crits 😀

Evidence Screenshot

Thanks to Darth_Sarkis for providing the screenshot.

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Well I think that’s about it for this Guide. I hope you found it useful. I will add more to it, as information becomes available. I’m in a raiding guild up to Hardmodes, and am hoping to see a schematic 2 drop for artifice (fingers crossed).

Please feel free to leave feedback in the form of a comment below. If I haven’t covered something that you would like to see, or some more detail on certain sections let me know. I’ve been an artificer since day 1 of the early access and will continue to work on all the recipes. Thanks for reading.

THE HEISENBERG LEGACY