Summary
- The Artifacts in Starfield are central to the quest and can be obtained in different orders and locations each playthrough. They contribute to a device called the Armillary that attracts Starborn attacks.
- The Armillary is based on a real-world armillary sphere used by astronomers in ancient times. In Starfield, it functions as a treasure map and helps players visualize their place in the universe.
- Placing all the Artifacts in the Armillary allows the player character to reach the Unity, the heart of the universe. Defeating the Hunter and the Emissary in the ultimate battle reveals the ability to go back in time with Starborn-exclusive dialogue options and retain upgraded skills and powers.
The Artifacts are first faction most in Starfield. Constellation then studies them to find out exactly what they are, how they factor into the wider universe, and how they might be able to help them in future space-exploring missions. The player character isn't the only one after the Artifacts, though. They'll have to fight off or talk down the Hunter and the Emissary repeatedly as they seek out these rare and mysterious objects.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Starfield.]
The locations of all 24 Artifacts are somewhat randomized in each playthrough, so the same one is rarely found in the same place twice. They may also be obtained in different orders each time. They're important to the story, but they're also central to one of Starfield's most important and useful mechanics.
Starfield's Artifacts Are Pieces Of An Ancient Alien Device
Each of the Artifacts contributes a single part to a mysterious device called the Armillary. Of mysterious origins, no one seems to know exactly where it came from, although the superhuman Starborn have a little more knowledge about it than the average Constellation explorer.
After defending either the Lodge or the Eye from a Starborn raid, the player character is able to build the Armillary at the end of the quest "A High Price to Pay." They can choose either to carry it in their inventory, place it on their ship, or build it at an Outpost in Starfield. Wherever they choose to put it, the Armillary will attract further Starborn attacks, so it's important to where it's kept and check in often. If it's kept in the player character's inventory, Starborn will find and strike at them wherever they go.
With the Armillary built, the player character has a place to store all their Artifacts, and can continue adding more as long as they keep gathering them. As the Armillary finally nears completion, though, they'll start to find out what it's really for.
Starfield's Armillary Is A Map Of The Cosmos
The Armillary in Starfield is based on a real-world device used by scientists throughout history as a scale model of outer space. The armillary sphere was first developed in China during the fourth century BCE, by the astronomers Shi Shen and Gan De. The technology continued to develop throughout the centuries, eventually becoming more accurate (and more complicated) as further heavenly bodies were discovered and mapped. It was one of the astronomer's most important tools throughout the ancient world and the Middle Ages, and was perhaps most famously used by the Greco-Roman polymath Ptolemy.
In the modern world, as well as Starfield's futuristic one, thanks to the existence of powerful computers that can render accurate and detailed galactic maps, there is less need for physical armillary spheres. The Armillary in Starfield isn't important just because it allows people to visualize their own place in the universe - it functions as more of a treasure map.
Starfield's Artifacts And Armillary Can Help You Reach The Unity
Once all the Artifacts are placed in the Armillary, the player character can use their ship to jump to an odd little place called the Unity. This is where Starfield's final boss fight and ending take place, but don't worry, the game provides a final opportunity to walk away from the Unity before ing the point of no return. The Unity is described as the heart of the universe, and effectively contains everything in every possible continuum within its small, glowing sphere.
Of course, the Hunter and the Emissary are also trying to get to the Unity, and they'll follow the player character there. Depending on whether they sided with one of the two or neither of them during the earlier quest "Unearthed," the player character will have to fight one or both of the Starborn in the game's ultimate battle. Once they've defeated them, or turned them back peacefully with a nigh-impossible dialogue check, they'll meet a friendlier Starborn who explains exactly why everyone's after the Unity.
Anyone who es through the Unity is reincarnated as a Starborn, and can go back in time to remake their choices knowing exactly what all possible outcomes will be. In-game, this manifests as a series of prescient, Starborn-exclusive dialogue options that are available only on a New Game Plus run. They're also able to retain and further upgrade all the skills and powers they gained from their first playthrough, allowing them to keep playing Starfield after the main story.
Starfield's Artifacts Also Give You Supernatural Powers
In addition to their central role in the story, each Artifact in Starfield grants the player character a unique superpower. There are 24 of these, matching the number of Artifacts in the game, and they can all be further upgraded in a repeat playthrough once the character has ed through the Unity and become a Starborn. These powers can be used both in and out of combat to gain the upper hand. They're akin to Dragon Shouts in the prior Bethesda RPG Skyrim, and in fact, the Gravity Wave Artifact Power is functionally identical to the now-infamous Unrelenting Force Shout.
Some of the best Artifact Powers are offensive, like Gravity Wave. Another useful one is Solar Flare, which can do damage to enemies and potentially set them on fire. However, there are also a handful of very handy defensive and healing shouts, like Personal Atmosphere, which immediately refills a portion of the oxygen meter. These Powers are all very useful, but , Starborn like the Hunter and the Emissary can use them against the player character, too.
Others are more strategic, and may have multiple uses in a variety of different situations. Anti-Gravity Field does exactly what it says on the tin, and can be used either to disorient enemies or to make challenging jumps much easier. Precognition can be used during both conversation and battle to determine what people will say or do next. This can help plan ahead, allowing players to decide which dialogue options and combat strategies might work best with plenty of foresight.
Artifacts are the perfect example of a feature that impacts both story and gameplay. Finding the Artifacts and learning what they do is the ultimate goal of both the player and the Constellation faction. Even those who don't care much about Starfield's story would do well to collect as many Artifacts as possible.
