Artifact

An Artifact, also known as an Eridian Artifact, is a powerful item found in Pandora which grants its wielder certain bonuses to their active ability. The mission reward artifacts are created from the different types of crystals that are mined on Pandora.

Although the artifacts gained from missions are always appropriate to your character, enemies that drop artifacts might drop one for any of the four classes.

Application

 * An Artifact is applied by being selected in a character's inventory. Upon activation, the artifact will be removed from the inventory and is added to the character's active ability as a permanent upgrade.
 * As higher level artifacts are added they will override their lower level predecessors and only higher level artifacts of any given type can be applied.
 * All Artifacts are class specific and the level of effect that the artifact grants depends on the level of the artifact itself. The highest elemental effect is level 6 for an artifact with a level requirement of 44.

Usage

 * The currently active Artifact is displayed in the Skill Tree window at the top, to the left of the Active Ability.
 * Artifact types can be changed by selecting the artifact icon and picking a different artifact from the drop down list. The list displays the highest level artifact that has been applied of each of the four types, as well as an option for "None" to disable artifact effects.
 * Artifact bonuses will be in effect until another activated artifact is chosen (eg. A Shock Artifact and Incendiary Artifact cannot both be active simultaneously; the most recently activated artifact will provide its effect).
 * With the exception of the Explosive Artifact, Artifacts will decrease damage done, but have a chance of giving the target massive damage over time.

Shapes
Each artifact has a distinctive shape depending on the character class it relates to. The shape is how the item appears in game as well as the picture on the item card.


 * Soldier - Tetrahedron (four sides)
 * Berserker - Hexahedron (Cube) (six sides)
 * Hunter - Octahedron (eight sides)
 * Siren - Dodecahedron (twelve sides)

Types
Artifacts come in four types and apply the appropriate elemental effect damage your character inflicts when using their class ability.


 * Corrosive
 * Explosive
 * Incendiary
 * Shock

Each type has strengths and weakness against the various enemies in the game.

Mission Rewards

 * Level 1 Shock: 1st playthrough mission reward for "Shock Crystal Harvest".
 * Level 1 Fire: 1st playthrough mission reward for "The Legend Of Moe and Marley".
 * Level 2 Corrosive: 1st playthrough mission reward for "Corrosive Crystal Harvest".
 * Level 2 Explosive: 1st playthrough mission reward for "Ghosts of the Vault".
 * Level 3 Random: 1st playthrough mission reward for "Get Some Answers".
 * Level 4 Fire: 2nd playthrough mission reward for "The Legend Of Moe and Marley".
 * Level 4 Shock: 2nd playthrough mission reward for "Shock Crystal Harvest".
 * Level 4 Explosive: 2nd playthrough mission reward for "Ghosts of the Vault".
 * Level 4 Corrosive: 2nd playthrough mission reward for "Corrosive Crystal Harvest".
 * Level 5 Random: 2nd playthrough mission reward for "Get Some Answers".

Drops and Chests

 * Level 6 All types: 2nd Playthrough Loot-able from SuperBad non human enemies after completion of 2nd Playthrough.
 * Level 6 All types: 2nd Playthrough Loot-able from The Destroyer, or Scar in Skag Gully or named wereskags after completion of 2nd Playthrough.
 * Level 6 All types: 2nd Playthrough Loot-able from Skagzilla after completion of 2nd Playthrough.
 * Level 6 All types: Dropped by Crawmerax (Secret Armory of General Knoxx).

Artifacts of a given elemental type have a chance of dropping from enemies of the same elemental type; for example, a corrosion-type spiderant may drop a corrosive artifact when killed, which will be of a level corresponding to that of the monster. Artifacts of all types have a chance of dropping from the high-level SuperBad/BadMutha/Badass-type Guardians on the Eridian Promontory.
 * Level 6 All types: Dropped by named Wereskags encountered in the mission "The Pack" in Dr. Ned's Zombie Island DLC.