STALKER 2: Best Artifacts, Ranked

When that trader told you to go kick rocks after you asked for a discount, he did not mean your average pebble.

Artifacts are the heart of the Zone’s economy, coveted by stalkers, traders, and scientists for their mysterious looks and unique properties.

Whether you plan to make a living off of artifact hunting or just pick up a few of these funny rocks along the journey, it is important to know the best artifacts in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

The artifacts on this list have the best balance of properties to help protect you from the Zone’s many dangers.

Stack them right, and you will become indestructible. Or you can ignore this and die a horrible slow death of radiation poisoning, it’s your call.

8 Magic Cube

The Magic Cube is the poor man’s Compass. This artifact appears around gravitational anomalies and gives the wearer a significant boost against bullets, mutants, and falls.

Despite being worse than the Compass at this, it still emits a crazy amount of radiation, so make sure to have something to balance that out or a lead container on your belt.

7 Skipjack

While the Skipjack appears around chemical anomalies, it does jack against them, but that’s OK.

The Skipjack offers the second-best protection against radiation among the artifacts in STALKER 2. It lacks additional protective effects, making it primarily an enabler for rocking more powerful but radioactive artifacts.

6 Thunderberry

Despite being natural to electrical fields, the Thunderberry does not protect you against violent discharges.

This artifact gives you a strong endurance boost, which is a godsend when trying to outrun a Chimera. It is also useful if you are riding heavy, as your stamina will go a little further.

5 Glare

If you find one of these guys chilling inside an electric anomaly, put them in your belt fast, then run away.

The Glare is the only artifact in STALKER 2 to rank above weak or medium electrical protection, making it extremely valuable considering how electro anomalies can kill you faster than any others.

4 Night Star

Ah, the loot goblin’s favorite. The Night Star is an artifact coveted by most stalkers trying to make a living that does not rely on killing people.

The Night Star appears around gravitational anomalies. It boosts your carry weight by 9kg, which makes a huge difference whether you are trying to bring more loot back home or leaving camp with enough ammunition to fight an army.

3 Hypercube

Finding a Hypercube feels nearly impossible, but if you come across one in a thermal anomaly, your life becomes a lot easier.

In exchange for irradiating you obnoxiously, the Hypercube helps keep your blood inside your body where it belongs, while also shielding you from thermal anomalies.

With a pair of lead containers (or one plus a Liquid Rock), you can slap this and a Compass on your belt to become the supersoldier you have always dreamt of being.

2 Liquid Rock

Most artifacts will offer you a significant boost while also trying to kill you in horrifying ways, but the Liquid Rock is a team player.

This enigmatic rock gives you maximum protection against acid anomalies, while also making you nigh invulnerable to radiation.

If your favorite suit does not have lead-lined artifact containers, the Liquid Rock still lets you use other legendary artifacts without slowly dying.

1 Compass

If you pop into a gravitational anomaly field and come out with a Compass, you lucked out in life.

This legendary artifact is said to guide the owner through the Zone’s darkest corners. While that claim might be exaggerated, it does make you nearly bulletproof.

Having a Compass on your belt makes some of the fights later in the game much more palatable, allowing you to live out your radioactive Terminator fantasy.