Complete Artifact Substat Guide: From Beginner to Endgame
Artifact substats determine whether your character is truly endgame-ready. This guide covers the 1:2 CRIT ratio, Elemental Mastery soft caps, Energy Recharge thresholds, and substat priorities for DPS/support/reaction teams.
Artifact Substat Basics
Each artifact has 4 main stats + 2–4 substats. Substats are randomly drawn from this pool:
| Substat | Per Roll Range | Best For |
| CRIT Rate | 3.11%–6.22% | All DPS characters |
| CRIT DMG | 6.22%–12.44% | All DPS characters |
| Elemental Mastery | 10–36 | Vaporize/Melt/Reaction teams |
| Energy Recharge | 4.14%–8.29% | Burst-dependent characters |
| HP% | 3.11%–6.22% | Noelle/Barbara/etc. |
| DEF% | 4.14%–8.29% | Zhongli/Albedo/etc. |
| ATK% | 2.78%–5.55% | Universal |
| Healing Bonus | 3.77%–7.54% | Support healers |
The 1:2 CRIT Golden Ratio
Principle: CRIT Rate (CV) and CRIT DMG (CD) contribute equally to damage when the ratio is 1:2.
- CV (Crit Value) = CRIT Rate% + CRIT DMG% × 0.5
- Ideal target: 60–70% CR rate, 120–160% CR dmg
- The closer to 1:2, the higher the expected damage
Substat Priority by Slot
| Slot | CRIT Rate | CRIT DMG | Other Priority |
| Flower (fixed) | N/A | N/A | — |
| Plume (fixed) | N/A | N/A | — |
| Sands | ATK% > ER > HP | Don't stack | Role-dependent |
| Goblet | Element DMG/Physical | Don't stack | Role-dependent |
| Circlet | CD > Healing > ER | CRIT DMG | Role-dependent |
Elemental Mastery Soft Caps
Elemental Mastery (EM) benefits transformation reactions (Swirl/Overload/Shatter/Electro-Charged/Burning) but has soft caps:
| EM Range | Benefit Curve | Recommendation |
| 0–100 | Linear growth, highest ROI | Must stack |
| 100–200 | Starting to decay | Can continue stacking |
| 200–300 | Significant decay | Situational |
| 300+ | Nearly useless | Don't stack |
> Amplifying reactions (Vaporize/Melt) do NOT benefit from EM. Only base damage × multiplier matters.
Energy Recharge Thresholds
Different characters need different ER values:
| Character Type | Recommended ER | Reason |
| On-field Main DPS | 100–120% | Basic rotation |
| Quick-switch DPS | 120–140% | Frequent burst usage |
| Support/Sub-DPS | 140–180% | Burst-dependent |
| Raiden National | 180–220% | Full team needs ER |
Common Character ER Requirements
| Character | Min ER | Recommended ER | With Bennett? |
| Raiden | 160% | 200–250% | Reduces to ~200% |
| Xiangling | 140% | 180–220% | Reduces to ~160% |
| Xingqiu | 120% | 140–160% | Reduces to ~130% |
| Bennett | 120% | 160–180% | — |
| Kazuha | 100% | 120–140% | — |
FAQ
Q: Should I prioritize CRIT or ER first?
A: Meet ER threshold first (ensure burst rotation), then fill remaining slots with CRIT.
Q: Is 1:2 CRIT ratio a hard requirement?
A: No, it's optimal. 70% CR + 140% CD ≈ same as 100% CR + 70% CD in expected damage.
Q: Does Elemental Mastery help Vaporize/Melt?
A: No. Amplifying reactions only scale with base damage × multiplier — EM only helps transformation reactions.
Q: What if my artifacts have bad substats?
A: Re-roll. Each refinement slot is independently random — there's no way to fix bad substats after the fact.
Quick Answers
Should I prioritize CRIT or ER first?
Meet ER threshold first (ensure burst rotation), then fill remaining slots with CRIT.
Is 1:2 CRIT ratio a hard requirement?
No, it's optimal. 70% CR + 140% CD ≈ same as 100% CR + 70% CD in expected damage.
Does Elemental Mastery help Vaporize/Melt?
No. Amplifying reactions only scale with base damage × multiplier — EM only helps transformation reactions.
What if my artifacts have bad substats?
Re-roll. Each slot is independently random — there's no way to fix bad substats after the fact.