If you’ve ever hit a wall fighting a tough Simulated Universe boss or forgotten Hall of Oblivion stage, you know how big a difference good gear makes. One of the most impactful upgrades you can give any Honkai: Star Rail character is a perfectly rolled set of artifacts, and if you’re still using random drops you picked up while questing, you’re leaving a ton of power on the table. This guide breaks down exactly how to get artifacts in Honkai Star Rail, no matter your Trailblaze level, and how to make the most of the stamina you spend farming them. I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing different farm routes and drop rates, so I’ll also share the mistakes that cost me weeks of wasted stamina early on.
Core Ways How to Get Artifacts in Honkai Star Rail for All Trailblaze Levels
Artifacts come from a wide range of sources, and some require no stamina at all, making them perfect for new players who are still building up their stamina reserve. You don’t have to stick to just one farm method either; mixing and matching sources will help you get the pieces you need much faster than grinding the same activity nonstop. The most reliable sources for artifacts are:
- Main and side quest rewards: You’ll get a handful of decent 3 and 4-star artifacts early on just by progressing through the story, no stamina required. These are great for gearing new characters until you unlock higher difficulty farm routes.
- Crimson Calyxes: These specific Calyxes unlock at Trailblaze Level 24, and they’re the most consistent way to farm specific artifact sets. Higher difficulty levels unlock as you level up, with 5-star artifacts only dropping from Calyxes at difficulty 4 and above.
- Simulated Universe rewards: Every run of Simulated Universe gives you artifact drops as you clear rooms, plus you can exchange Herta Bonds for specific 5-star artifact sets at the Herta Store. This is a great option if you’re low on stamina or want to target a specific set without relying on random drops.
- World and boss drops: Open world chests, elite enemy kills, and weekly Echo of War boss fights all drop artifacts too. Weekly bosses drop exclusive planar ornament sets that can’t be farmed from Calyxes, so make sure you do those fights every week if you need those sets.
- Event rewards: Limited time events almost always include high quality artifact rewards, often with pre-rolled good stats. These are free and require no stamina, so don’t skip them if you’re building a new roster.
You don’t need to start farming 5-star artifacts until you hit Trailblaze Level 40, because before that, drop rates for 5-star pieces are extremely low, and you’ll outlevel 3 and 4-star sets fast enough that it’s not worth spending stamina on them. I wasted almost 2000 stamina farming artifacts at level 35, and all of those pieces were irrelevant two weeks later when I hit level 40. It’s a mistake almost every new player makes, so don’t beat yourself up if you did it too, just shift your focus to leveling your Trailblaze rank first until you unlock higher difficulty Calyxes.
How to Prioritize Artifact Farming to Save Stamina
Stamina is the most limited resource in Honkai: Star Rail, so you don’t want to spend it farming artifacts for every character you pull. First, focus on gearing your main carry and your two core supports first, because those three characters will be in 90% of your teams. Always check what stats and sets your character actually needs before you start farming—there’s no point in farming a Physical damage set if your carry is an Ice type, obviously, but a lot of new players waste stamina farming sets that don’t even work for the character they’re building.
For example, many support characters like Bronya or Pela only need effect hit rate or energy recharge stats, so you don’t need to farm perfect main stats for them, just pieces that have the right substats. That means you can use leftover pieces from farming for your main carry for most supports, cutting down on the total stamina you need to spend. If you’re struggling to get a specific piece, don’t keep farming the same Calyx for hours on end. Switch to Simulated Universe runs for a bit, or do your weekly boss fights, and come back to it later. The drop rates are random, so you’re not guaranteed to get the piece you want no matter how much stamina you spend.
Tips to Get Higher Quality Artifacts Faster
A lot of players don’t realize there are small tricks to get better artifact drops without spending extra stamina. First, always farm the highest difficulty Calyx you can clear reliably. Higher difficulty Calyxes have double the drop rate for 5-star artifacts compared to lower difficulties, so even if it takes you a minute longer to clear each run, it’s worth it for the better drops. If you can’t clear difficulty 5 yet, stick to difficulty 4, but don’t waste stamina on difficulty 3 or lower once you unlock higher levels.
Another trick is to use the Omni-Synthesizer to turn unwanted 3 and 4-star artifacts into random 5-star pieces. You get 10 Omni-Synthesizer fuel every week from the free Battle Pass track, so make sure you use it before it resets. You can also exchange surplus relic remains for specific artifact pieces at the Relic Remains Shop, so don’t just feed all your bad drops to other artifacts. Save the ones with bad stats to exchange for pieces you actually need. Don’t level up an artifact past +6 unless it has at least two good substats—it’s a huge waste of credits and artifact exp to level a piece that rolls all bad substats after that. I learned this the hard way when I leveled a +12 attack body piece that only rolled defense substats, and I had to throw it away a week later.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming Artifacts
Even long time players make these mistakes, so avoiding them will save you weeks of wasted stamina and effort. First, don’t chase perfect substats on every piece. For most characters, a 4 out of 5 good roll is more than enough to clear all endgame content, and chasing that 5 out of 5 perfect roll can take hundreds of runs. Perfect artifacts are a luxury, not a requirement, so don’t get stuck grinding the same set for months when you could be gearing other characters to clear more content.
Another common mistake is ignoring planar ornaments. A lot of players focus only on regular artifact sets, but planar ornaments give huge stat boosts, and the exclusive sets from weekly bosses can make a massive difference for many characters. Make sure you do your weekly Echo of War fights every reset, even if you don’t need the character ascension materials, because the planar ornament drops are worth it. Also, don’t forget to claim your free artifact rewards from the Herta Store every month. You can buy two specific 5-star artifact pieces per month with Herta Bonds, which is the only guaranteed way to get a specific set piece in the game. I forgot to claim mine for three months when I first started playing, and that’s six free 5-star artifacts I missed out on.
At the end of the day, farming artifacts is a grind, but it doesn’t have to be a frustrating one if you know what you’re doing. Once you know how to get artifacts in Honkai Star Rail the smart way, you can cut down on wasted stamina, gear your characters faster, and clear even the hardest endgame content without spending hundreds of hours grinding. Take it slow, prioritize your main team first, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t get the perfect drop right away. Half the fun of building your team is watching them get stronger with every new artifact you find, after all.
