Welcome to your comprehensive guide to upgrading, maximizing, and customizing Artifacts in New World! The new gear system blends old and new mechanics, which can be confusing. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process, from acquisition to a fully perked-out, max Gear Score Artifact, whether you earn your resources or buy New World Coins to fast-track your progress.

Step 1: Choose & Acquire Your Artifact

1. Decide on Your Artifact

· Identify which Artifacts fit your build (weapon, armor, or jewelry).

· Recommended Resource: Visit New World Guides website (link in description) → Artifact List page.

· Filter by weapon type (e.g., Fire Staff) or armor weight (Light/Medium/Heavy).

· Review the options and choose based on your playstyle.

2. Acquire the Artifact

· Each Artifact has a specific acquisition method (Expeditions, PvP, world bosses, etc.).

· On the Artifact’s individual page on New World Guides, you’ll find a video showing exactly how to get it.

· Go complete the required activity to obtain your chosen Artifact.

Step 2: Unlock Perk Slots via Artifact Objectives

Once you equip the Artifact for the first time:

· You’ll see three Artifact Objectives to complete.

· These objectives unlock the Artifact’s perk slots.

· Objectives vary (e.g., “Kill mobs in a specific area”).

· Tip: Check your map for quest markers. For a preview of objectives, check the Artifact’s page on New World Guides.

· Example: For Vampiric Vestments, complete all three objectives before proceeding.

Step 3: Upgrade at the Gypsum Kiln

After completing objectives, visit a Gypsum Kiln.

Crafting Requirements:

· 1x Matrix (for weapon, armor, or jewelry) – Buy from Trading Post.

· 500x Dark Matter – Do not salvage this! Farmable endgame resource.

· 5x Gypsum Orbs – Farmable.

· 1x Chromatic Seal – Purchase from Faction Vendor for 2,000 coins + 20,000 faction tokens.

· Note: These items can also be earned from Season Pass, events, or quests.

Process:

1. Interact with the Gypsum Kiln.

2. Select your Artifact and the upgrade.

3. Pay a small crafting fee (craft in a territory with crafting discounts to save gold).

4. Craft to unlock an additional slot on your Artifact.

Step 4: Raise Gear Score to 700 → 800 with Umbral Crystals

1. Umbral Crystals are a weekly-capped red currency earned from:

· Elite chest runs

· High-tier Expeditions

· PvP activities 

2. How to Upgrade:

· Click on the Artifact in your inventory → Select “Upgrade.”

3. Slide the gear score bar to your desired level (up to 700 initially, then to 800 with more crystals).

4. Confirm the upgrade.

5. Cost Example: ~926 Umbral Crystals to go from 700 to 800 Gear Score.

6. Guide for fast Umbral Crystal farming linked in the description.

Step 5: Customize Perks & Gems (The Min-Max Step)

Your Artifact comes with:

· A fixed, unique Artifact perk (cannot be changed).

· Several modifiable perk slots (indicated by a circle icon).

· Possibly empty slots to fill.

Access the Perk Menu:

Click on the Artifact → “Attach Charms” → This opens the slot modification screen.

A. Gem Slots – Choosing & Crafting Rune Glass Gems

1. Best in Slot: Typically Rune Glass Gems for weapons/armor.

2. Exception: Jewelry cannot slot Rune Glass Gems yet—use normal gems.

3. How to Choose:

· Visit a Rune Glass Station in any major settlement.

4. Browse empty Rune Glass Cases (hover for effects).

· Example: Fire Staff users might choose “Case of Igniting” for bonus fire damage.

5. Select a specific gem type within that case (e.g., Rune Glass of Ignited Diamond for damage reduction).

6. Acquiring the Gem:

· Craft it yourself (requires 180 Weaponsmithing & Stonecutting).

· Buy pre-made from the Trading Post (can be expensive).

· Ask company crafters to make it for you (provide mats + tip).

· Slot the finished gem into your Artifact’s gem slot.

B. Perk Slots – Offense, Defense, & Skill Charms

Use charms to customize the perks on your Artifact. You can change them infinitely, but old charms are not refunded.

1. Defense Charm Slots

1. Review the list of Defense perks added with the Night Haven expansion.

2. Choose based on build needs:

· Wellness → Increased max health.

· Sacred → Increased outgoing healing (for healers).

· Anointed Lifesteal → More lifesteal (for sustain builds).

· Obtain via farming (check New World Database) or buy from Trading Post.

2. Offense Charm Slots

1. Review Offense perks from Night Haven.

2. Select perks that synergize:

· Leeching → Boosts lifesteal further.

· Other weapon-specific damage perks.

· Acquire from drops or Trading Post.

3. Skill Charm Slots

· These enhance specific weapon abilities.

· Scroll through the extensive list to find perks for your weapon’s skills.

· Choose the one that most benefits your rotation/playstyle.

· Farm or purchase accordingly.

C. Attaching Your Perks & Gems

· Return to “Attach Charms” menu.

· Click each modifiable slot → Select your purchased/crafted charm or gem.

· Confirm changes.

· Your Artifact is now fully optimized!

 Final Checklist

1. Chosen & acquired your Artifact.

2. Completed all 3 Artifact Objectives.

3. Upgraded at the Gypsum Kiln (Matrix, Dark Matter, Gypsum Orbs, Chromatic Seal) – many players find it efficient to buy New World Gold coins from MMOEXP to acquire these materials quickly.

4. Raised Gear Score to 800 with Umbral Crystals.

5. Selected and socketed ideal Rune Glass Gem (or normal gem for jewelry).

6. Customized Defense, Offense, and Skill perks via charms – a smooth process with resources secured from trusted platforms like MMOEXP.

7. All slots filled and build optimized.