Harness Powerful Artifacts in Issue #2: Dark Arrival

New Artifacts are like birthday presents: you don’t know exactly what they are, but you’re sure they’re going to be great. With new Artifacts come new ways to play, new buffs to include in your loadouts, and new additions to your collection of X-Isle treasures. In Issue #2, you have six new Artifacts to collect, equip, and use to your advantage.

Here’s a rundown of all six new Artifacts, the stories behind each of them, and what effects they have on the wearer.

Utility Artifacts

Utility Artifacts are perfect for improved maneuverability and discoverability on the island. Some also unlock disguises and status effects for combat trickery.

Ballistic Bag

Upon discovering the Ballistic Bag on X-Isle, GRAIL scientists knew they uncovered something very special. The Artifact’s ability to passively restore supplies could have made for an incredible breakthrough in GRAIL logistics. Unfortunately, after Bjorn’s experiments with passively regenerating snacks failed, GRAIL realized that this artifact works exclusively with ammunition.

It turns out, that Renegades who equip the Ballistic Bag have their weapons reloaded when holstered. This is still an incredible breakthrough, mind you, but nowhere near as revolutionary as passively generating sandwiches would have been.

• Common: Holstered weapons automatically reload/cool down after a few seconds. You need sufficient ammo in your inventory for the ability to trigger.
• Legendary: The Ballistic Bag will reload your holstered weapon with a full clip, regardless of whether you have the necessary ammo in your inventory.

Recommended Use: Perfect for Renegades running specific weapon combos and those who quickly switch from one weapon to another. Its Legendary also provides extra ammunition when you run out.

Specter's Gaze

The discovery of the Specter’s Gaze strengthened the fringe theory that X-Isle's lost people had a door into other dimensions, where all sorts of wonders (and horrors) awaited. This is why GRAIL scientists were advised to exercise extreme caution when studying this Artifact and its abilities.

A number of Renegades who’ve used the Specter’s Gaze reported the sensation of constantly being watched. Our recommendation: don’t leave this Artifact in your quarters at night.

• Common: Take less damage while invisible or disguised. While reloading after emptying a full magazine or while your weapon is overheated, Specter's Gaze grants you invisibility.
• Legendary: Become invisible while knocked down.

Recommended Use: The Specter’s Gaze is a great artifact for stealthy Renegades who regularly make use of invisibility and need some extra protection while disguised.

Hunt Artifacts

Hunt Artifacts grant abilities that allow you to track and take out enemies more efficiently, and can net you extra benefits from eliminations.

Maelstrom

The most widely accepted theory about the natives of X-Isle is that a storm of titanic proportions trapped them on the island many years ago. This theory is supported by the Artifact known as Maelstrom, which GRAIL scientists believe was created with the purpose of, for lack of a better term, trapping lightning in a bottle; lightning from the very storms that trapped the natives on this island.

This rudimentary battery may suggest that X-Isle natives had some sort of use for electricity. If proven true, this Artifact will change our entire perception of X-Isle’s native population and their technological capabilities.

• Common: Increases your Gear’s active duration and damage per charge. You get one charge for each empty weapon slot.
• Legendary: Wielding or carrying armaments no longer counts against Maelstrom's charges.

Recommended Use: The Maelstrom offers great bonuses for Renegades who rely on their Ward Gear and Exo Gear for damage output and buffs. The increased duration of Gear effects can tip the scales significantly in your favor during firefights.

Apex Prize

We believe the Apex Prize is not just a vessel of power, but also a trophy. In the times before their civilization was overrun, the lost people enjoyed a life of music, discovery, and games. There was no greater game than the annual race to the top of the island's volcano, the winner of which would receive the Apex Prize as a trophy for winning that fiery footrace.

While these pastimes are not around today, Renegades maintain the tradition of passing the Apex Prize as a trophy to their comrades who’ve demonstrated exceptional skill on X-Isle.

• Common: When attacking enemies from above, your shots become Empowered, increasing their damage dealt. The more vertical distance between you and your target, the deadlier your Empowered shots become. Maximum damage bonus is capped and achieved at a big vertical distance from the target. Empowered shot bonuses from other sources do not stack.
• Legendary: Firing a weapon while falling or from a zipline reduces bullet spread and recoil.

Recommended Use: Another great Artifact for Renegades who love setting up ambushes, especially snipers who engage from higher positions. Additionally, the accuracy buff when going down ziplines also ensures that wearers can descend into the firefight already having caused significant damage.

Fun Fact:Specialized X-ray scans of the Apex Prize reveal ashy fingerprints of the last X-Isle native to have won the Artifact in their annual volcano footrace. To this day, this fingerprint remains the sole piece of biological evidence GRAIL has on the lost natives of X-Isle.

Survival Artifacts

Use Survival Artifacts to improve the defenses of you and your squad, and gain extra supplies to restore your health and shield.

Scallop Shield

The Scallop Shield is yet another piece of evidence of the beautiful craftsmanship of X-Isle’s lost native population. But besides it being a gorgeous piece of X-Isle history, the Scallop Shield also comes with defensive qualities.

The beautiful shells and colorful feathers, sourced from X-Isle's golden shores, have the innate ability to improve the wearer’s shields and give them an extra layer of protection. If this shield was commonly used by X-Isle natives, then their warriors would likely have been incredibly durable.

• Common: Channel the endurance of X-Isle. Increases maximum shield. Performing any offensive action triggers a cooldown until the maximum Shield can be raised again.
• Legendary: Maximum shield bonus is increased.

Recommended Use: Perfect for a little extra protection when on the run, the Scallop Shield may be that bit of shielding that allows you to extract from X-Isle in one piece. Recommended for Renegades who like the chase, or for more protection in the event of potential ambushes.

Boonie

Many X-Isle Artifacts are known to be haunted, with some of them causing the wearer to hear disembodied voices. While most of the time, this phenomenon is quite frightening, the Boonie totem is a very rare exception.

Instead of the classic sounds of lost souls haunting the wearer, the disembodied voices in the Boonie sound like they’re hyping you up. Though nobody understands what the voices are saying, Renegades still appreciate being cheered on by spirits of the past.

• Common: Restores some health per second for every active Buff you have. After losing health, the Artifact enters a cooldown.
• Legendary: Your maximum health is increased for every active Buff you have.

Recommended Use: Renegades who rely on Gear and Artifacts will find the Boonie very useful as it restores HP with every active buff. Additionally, Renegades can make use of Sacrificial Altars with more confidence knowing that the Boonie will restore HP more quickly after it’s been sacrificed for other buffs.

Fun Fact:GRAIL is actively looking for translators to decipher what words of encouragement the spirits of the Boonie are saying.

Serpent's Solace (Survival)

• Common Quality: Serpent's Solace increases incoming healing. Healing is increased by consuming an equal amount of charges. The Artifact does not trigger when you are knocked down.
• Legendary Quality: While in water or traveling by hoverboard, Serpent's Solace restores 2 charges per second and its healing bonus increases.

Revenger's Lamp (Utility)

• Common Quality: Highlights an enemy after taking damage from them.
• Legendary Quality: If an enemy has highlighted you, they too become highlighted for the same duration.

Pioneer's Piton (Hunt)

• Common Quality: When you sprint or perform a dodge roll, your next melee attack will deal more damage and disorient the target.
• Legendary Quality: Bonus melee damage is increased.

Hermit's Crown:

This Artifact was designed for those on a spiritual journey. Out in the wilds of X-Isle, the headpiece could offer a direct connection to the mystical nature of the island itself. Nowadays, Bjorn wears it to make abundantly clear that he wishes to be left alone.

Find strength and speed in solitude.

• Common: When there are no enemies within a 22 m radius of yourself, the time to complete the following actions is reduced by 19/21/23/25%: weapon aiming, weapon reload/cooldown, stamina restoration, shield recharge, Gear cooldown.
  Enemies who are knocked down will not count if they are within your radius.
• Legendary: Radius is reduced to 18m.

Preferred Use: An especially great addition to a defensive playstyle. The Hermit’s Crown provides a nice bonus to your weapon usage in non-combat scenarios, and also gives an added benefit to the downtime between fights.

Ritual Torch:

According to GRAIL scientists, the lizard adorning this torch is alive. However, no matter how many tasty treats it was offered, the critter refuses to leave the torch. Its sole goal is to tend the fire that burns within the torch's mysterious gem.

May your flames never fade.

• Common: Any explosion damage you inflict on enemies also burns them 2.5/2.8/3.1/3.5 seconds.
• Legendary: If you're on fire, apply burn to your enemies with every type of direct damage you inflict.

Preferred Use: If you’re the kind of Renegade to set yourself on fire just to get the whole world burning with you, then the Ritual Torch provides exactly the kind of boost your fiery playstyle’s so far been missing.

Restoration Jug:

This beautiful jug was long ago used to collect the healing waters across X-Isle's shores and riverbanks. Note how the Wonderium ornament has mended the many cracks along its exterior. A priceless piece. Which is why, we must stress once more, STOP USING THIS FOR CHUGGING CONTESTS.

Stay hydrated, stay in the fight.

• Common: Instead of Heal-O-Cola, drink from this Artifact to restore 50% of your maximum health. Restoration Jug has a 30/27/25/23 seconds cooldown. Any Heal-O-Cola you carry can be consumed during Artifact cooldown.
• Legendary: Artifact's healing effect is increased to 65% of your maximum health.

Preferred Use: What’s a defensive Renegade gotta do? Stay hydrated. What’s an aggressive Renegade gotta do? Stay hydrated. There’s an important lesson here, and it’s that every Renegade can benefit from a little hydration – and this Artifact is a cool drink of fresh water always on hand.

IMPORTANT: All details are accurate at the time of writing, but are subject to change and expand as we discover more about X-Isle’s mysteries. Play HAWKED to discover all this and more for yourself!