Have you ever been stuck on a Risk of Rain 2 run, hopelessly outmatched by a boss, wishing you just had a few more items to push you over the edge? The Risk of Rain 2 artifact system provides various ways to customize your runs, and the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion offers a unique path to power, allowing you to trade health for item rolls. However, knowing how to properly leverage its strengths and mitigate its risks is essential for success.
This article will provide a complete guide to the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion, covering its mechanics, advantages, disadvantages, and effective strategies to help you dominate your runs. Let’s dive in!
Understanding the Artifact of Devotion
First, let’s understand the basics of this gameplay changing artifact.
Official Description and Activation
The in-game description of the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion reads: “Activating Shrines costs health instead of money. Grants additional items.” This immediately tells us the core functionality: sacrificing a portion of your health to receive a reward of items.
To activate the Artifact of Devotion, you must first collect its artifact code. This code is found within the Bazaar Between Time, the alternate dimension accessible through blue portals. Find the code in the Bazaar, then navigate to the correct location on the main starting map and input the code to activate the artifact. Once activated, the Artifact of Devotion will be available to select when starting a new run.
Mechanics Explained in Detail
The Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion fundamentally changes how you interact with Shrines of Chance and other shrines throughout the game. Instead of spending your hard-earned credits, activating a shrine will deduct twenty five percent of your current health. So if you have two hundred health, activating a shrine will cost you fifty health.
For each activation, you gain a random item from the corresponding tier of the shrine used. This can provide a significant power boost, especially in the early stages of a run. However, it’s crucial to remember that you cannot use the same shrine twice on the same level. After you’ve used it once, you’ll need to find another shrine of the same type or progress to the next stage.
This forces you to be strategic about shrine usage and consider which items you need the most. Do you need more damage, more mobility, or more survivability? The answer to these questions will guide your shrine usage choices.
Interaction with Other Game Mechanics
The Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion interacts in interesting ways with other game mechanics.
Healing items become incredibly valuable. Items like Medkit, Leeching Seed, and Harvester’s Scythe become essential for mitigating the health costs associated with activating shrines. Characters with built-in healing abilities, such as the Engineer’s turrets or the Commando’s passive regeneration, also synergize well with the artifact.
Equipment cooldowns can also play a role. Equipment that provide temporary invulnerability or large bursts of healing can help you survive the health cost of shrine activations.
Be sure to consider your One Shot Protection (OSP) when deciding whether or not to activate shrines.
Strengths and Benefits
Let’s look at why this artifact is so good.
Accelerated Item Acquisition
The most significant benefit of the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion is its ability to dramatically accelerate item acquisition. Instead of relying on credits, which can be scarce in the early game, you can use your health as a resource to quickly gain items. This allows you to power up much faster, giving you a significant advantage over enemies.
Faster Build Completion
If you’re aiming for a specific item build, the Artifact of Devotion can help you achieve it much faster. By activating multiple shrines, you increase your chances of finding the items you need. This is particularly useful for characters who rely on specific item synergies to maximize their effectiveness.
Overcoming Early-Game Weakness
The early game in Risk of Rain 2 can be challenging, especially on higher difficulties. The Artifact of Devotion provides a boost to survivability in the early stages by allowing you to acquire items quickly. This can help you overcome early-game weaknesses and make you more resilient to enemy attacks.
Risk Mitigation and Progression
The more power you have, the more prepared you are for future stages. The artifact gives you a much higher chance of keeping up with the scaling difficulty of the game.
Weaknesses and Drawbacks
However, the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion is not without its drawbacks.
Health Cost
The most obvious weakness is the health cost associated with activating shrines. Trading health for items can be a risky proposition, especially if you’re not careful. You become more vulnerable to one-shot kills, and you need to be extra vigilant about avoiding damage.
Reliance on Shrine Availability
The artifact’s effectiveness is dependent on shrine availability. Maps with fewer shrines are less beneficial, and you may find yourself struggling to acquire items if shrines are scarce. The unpredictability of shrine spawn rates is also a factor to consider.
Opportunity Cost
Choosing the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion means sacrificing the benefits of other artifacts. Depending on your playstyle and goals, other artifacts might be more beneficial. Consider whether the increased item acquisition is worth the trade-off.
Strategies and Tips for Effective Use
To maximize the benefits of the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion, you need to adopt effective strategies and playstyles.
Character Selection
Certain characters are better suited for Artifact of Devotion runs than others. Characters with healing abilities or high health pools are particularly effective. The Engineer, with his turrets that provide passive healing, is a strong choice. The Loader, with her high health and shields, can also mitigate the health cost.
Characters with low health pools, such as the Artificer, may struggle with the artifact. Consider choosing a character that can sustain damage and heal effectively.
Item Prioritization
Healing items are absolutely critical for Artifact of Devotion runs. Prioritize acquiring items like Medkit, Leeching Seed, and Harvester’s Scythe. These items will help you recover health and offset the cost of activating shrines.
Defensive items are also important. Items like Topaz Brooch and Repulsion Armor Plate can help reduce incoming damage and increase your survivability.
Risk Management
Knowing when to use a shrine and when to avoid it is crucial. Be aware of your current health and the potential risks of activating a shrine. If you’re already low on health, it might be best to avoid activating a shrine until you can recover.
Be vigilant about your surroundings. Avoid getting caught in dangerous situations that could lead to a quick death.
Shrine Optimization
Learn the layouts of different maps and identify efficient shrine routes. This will allow you to quickly activate multiple shrines and maximize your item acquisition.
Utilize the shrines in the Bazaar Between Time effectively. These shrines can provide a guaranteed item boost, but they also come with a significant health cost.
Combining it with other Artifacts
Combining the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion with other artifacts can create powerful synergies and unique gameplay experiences. For example, combining it with the Artifact of Command allows you to guarantee you are getting all of the items you need, as well as the Artifact of Sacrifice ensures that all the monsters you kill will drop chests. The combination will allow you to create a massive snowball.
Artifact of Devotion vs. Other Artifacts
Let’s briefly compare it to other popular artifacts, so you can be sure that you’re making the right decision.
The Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Command lets you choose the item you get from each chest, which has a much lower risk but also requires a lot of grinding. Alternatively, the Artifact of Glass doubles your damage but cuts your health. This creates a super risky high damage output, meaning that the health sacrifice might not be worth the damage.
Ultimately, the decision to use the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion depends on your playstyle and goals. If you enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay, and you’re confident in your ability to manage your health, it can be a powerful tool for accelerating your progress.
Conclusion
The Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion is a powerful tool that can dramatically alter the course of your runs. By understanding its mechanics, strengths, and weaknesses, you can effectively leverage its benefits and mitigate its risks. Remember to prioritize healing items, choose characters with high survivability, and be mindful of your surroundings.
Ultimately, the best way to master the Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion is to experiment and find what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new strategies. The Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Devotion is a double edged sword that can either make or break you, so good luck, and happy looting!
