Artifacts are the roguelite layer of Survive Zombie Arena: passive effects pulled from artifact crates that stack onto your run, from plain damage percentages at common up to mythic effects that rewrite how a wave plays. Rarity is the honest price tag, and slots are the budget.
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rarity
Common
Flat stat bread and butter that carries the early waves.
Attack Orb
A simple damage slot when you want more gun pressure without a timed proc.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Gun damage
- Trigger
- Stat
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Increases weapon and gun damage by 8%.
Combat Helmet
Raises your health ceiling. Pair it with healing when burst damage is ending runs.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Survival
- Trigger
- Stat
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Increases maximum health by 15%.
Energy Drink
A tempo slot for moving between lanes and shooting faster.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Mobility and fire rate
- Trigger
- Stat
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Increases movement speed and fire rate by 10%.
Kevlar Plate
Cuts incoming zombie damage instead of adding extra health.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Damage reduction
- Trigger
- Stat
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Reduces damage taken from zombies by 10%.
Lucky Coin
Use it when an event currency is the goal. It does not replace Credit farming Artifacts.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Event resources
- Trigger
- Economy
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Gives a 20% chance to earn event currency twice from a drop.
Recycler
A kill-linked Credit slot for long waves while expensive unlocks are still unpaid.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Credit farming
- Trigger
- Economy
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Gives a 20% chance to earn extra Credits after each zombie kill.
Sword
Adds hands-free nearby damage. Fixed damage loses value as zombie health climbs.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Periodic damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Summons a hovering sword that deals 30 damage to nearby zombies every 4 seconds.
Thorns
A retaliation option that should punish zombies for hitting you. Confirm the reflect still works on your patch.
- Rarity
- Common
- Role
- Retaliation
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Zombies that hit you take 150% of the damage they deal.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack Orb | A simple damage slot when you want more gun pressure without a timed proc. | Common | Gun damage | Stat | Artifact Crate | Increases weapon and gun damage by 8%. | |
| Combat Helmet | Raises your health ceiling. Pair it with healing when burst damage is ending runs. | Common | Survival | Stat | Artifact Crate | Increases maximum health by 15%. | |
| Energy Drink | A tempo slot for moving between lanes and shooting faster. | Common | Mobility and fire rate | Stat | Artifact Crate | Increases movement speed and fire rate by 10%. | |
| Kevlar Plate | Cuts incoming zombie damage instead of adding extra health. | Common | Damage reduction | Stat | Artifact Crate | Reduces damage taken from zombies by 10%. | |
| Lucky Coin | Use it when an event currency is the goal. It does not replace Credit farming Artifacts. | Common | Event resources | Economy | Artifact Crate | Gives a 20% chance to earn event currency twice from a drop. | |
| Recycler | A kill-linked Credit slot for long waves while expensive unlocks are still unpaid. | Common | Credit farming | Economy | Artifact Crate | Gives a 20% chance to earn extra Credits after each zombie kill. | |
| Sword | Adds hands-free nearby damage. Fixed damage loses value as zombie health climbs. | Common | Periodic damage | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Summons a hovering sword that deals 30 damage to nearby zombies every 4 seconds. | |
| Thorns | A retaliation option that should punish zombies for hitting you. Confirm the reflect still works on your patch. | Common | Retaliation | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Zombies that hit you take 150% of the damage they deal. |
rarity
Uncommon
Adrenaline Surge
A proc-based speed bump after kills. Exact duration is not published in current lists.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Kill-triggered mobility
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Each kill has a 5% chance to increase movement speed by 15% for a short time.
Blood Vial
Slow self-heal that needs a steady kill streak. Weak against burst damage that lands between procs.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Self-sustain
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Restores 5 health after every 5 zombie kills.
Cryo Fuel
Adds occasional slow to gun hits. Useful when you already have a reliable lane weapon.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- On-hit control
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Guns have a 10% chance to slow zombies by 35%.
Dynamite
A packed-wave proc. It needs kills in a cluster before the explosion pays off.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Kill explosion
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Each kill has a 5% chance to explode, dealing 25% of that zombie's maximum health to nearby enemies.
Iron Dagger
A single-target auto throw on a timer. Later-wave health makes the 10 damage a small chip.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Periodic damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Throws a dagger at the nearest zombie every 4 seconds, dealing 10 damage.
Red Toolbox
The structure-build slot. It only matters if your class actually places turrets, barricades, or similar gear.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Structure support
- Trigger
- Special
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Restores 25% health to deployed gear and increases that gear's health and damage by 25%.
Repulsor Orb
Pushes melee attackers off you when they connect. Exact range and cooldown are unpublished.
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Role
- Melee spacing
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Knocks melee zombies away when they attack you.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline Surge | A proc-based speed bump after kills. Exact duration is not published in current lists. | Uncommon | Kill-triggered mobility | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Each kill has a 5% chance to increase movement speed by 15% for a short time. | |
| Blood Vial | Slow self-heal that needs a steady kill streak. Weak against burst damage that lands between procs. | Uncommon | Self-sustain | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Restores 5 health after every 5 zombie kills. | |
| Cryo Fuel | Adds occasional slow to gun hits. Useful when you already have a reliable lane weapon. | Uncommon | On-hit control | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Guns have a 10% chance to slow zombies by 35%. | |
| Dynamite | A packed-wave proc. It needs kills in a cluster before the explosion pays off. | Uncommon | Kill explosion | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Each kill has a 5% chance to explode, dealing 25% of that zombie's maximum health to nearby enemies. | |
| Iron Dagger | A single-target auto throw on a timer. Later-wave health makes the 10 damage a small chip. | Uncommon | Periodic damage | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Throws a dagger at the nearest zombie every 4 seconds, dealing 10 damage. | |
| Red Toolbox | The structure-build slot. It only matters if your class actually places turrets, barricades, or similar gear. | Uncommon | Structure support | Special | Artifact Crate | Restores 25% health to deployed gear and increases that gear's health and damage by 25%. | |
| Repulsor Orb | Pushes melee attackers off you when they connect. Exact range and cooldown are unpublished. | Uncommon | Melee spacing | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Knocks melee zombies away when they attack you. |
rarity
Rare
Boomerang
A repeating pierce throw through a lane. Best when zombies line up in the return path.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Periodic damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Throws a boomerang every 6 seconds that pierces zombies and hits them twice for 40 damage each time.
Ember Orb
A repeating nearby burn. Also listed as Amber Orb in some guides.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Area burn
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Ignites nearby zombies every 6 seconds, dealing 16 damage per second for 6 seconds.
Frost Orb
Timed area slow around you. Pair it with lane damage rather than treating it as a kill tool.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Area control
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Releases a frost pulse every 6 seconds that slows nearby zombies by 40%.
Healing Orb
A pulse heal that also covers teammates in range. More useful in grouped holds than isolated solo play.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Team sustain
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Heals you and nearby allies for 10 health every 8 seconds.
Hunter's Mark
Makes the toughest nearby zombies take 25% more damage from everyone. Target count and timers are unpublished.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Team focus damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Exposes the toughest nearby zombies so they take 25% more damage from everyone.
Midas Touch
An extra-drop slot for minerals, not Credits. Confirm the live currency label before using it as a farm plan.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Mineral farming
- Trigger
- Economy
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Gives a 15% chance for defeated zombies to drop double minerals.
Special Drone
Hands-free gun damage while you aim elsewhere. Separate from the class gear Drone.
- Rarity
- Rare
- Role
- Autonomous damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Summons a drone that shoots nearby zombies for 15 damage per shot.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomerang | A repeating pierce throw through a lane. Best when zombies line up in the return path. | Rare | Periodic damage | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Throws a boomerang every 6 seconds that pierces zombies and hits them twice for 40 damage each time. | |
| Ember Orb | A repeating nearby burn. Also listed as Amber Orb in some guides. | Rare | Area burn | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Ignites nearby zombies every 6 seconds, dealing 16 damage per second for 6 seconds. | |
| Frost Orb | Timed area slow around you. Pair it with lane damage rather than treating it as a kill tool. | Rare | Area control | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Releases a frost pulse every 6 seconds that slows nearby zombies by 40%. | |
| Healing Orb | A pulse heal that also covers teammates in range. More useful in grouped holds than isolated solo play. | Rare | Team sustain | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Heals you and nearby allies for 10 health every 8 seconds. | |
| Hunter's Mark | Makes the toughest nearby zombies take 25% more damage from everyone. Target count and timers are unpublished. | Rare | Team focus damage | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Exposes the toughest nearby zombies so they take 25% more damage from everyone. | |
| Midas Touch | An extra-drop slot for minerals, not Credits. Confirm the live currency label before using it as a farm plan. | Rare | Mineral farming | Economy | Artifact Crate | Gives a 15% chance for defeated zombies to drop double minerals. | |
| Special Drone | Hands-free gun damage while you aim elsewhere. Separate from the class gear Drone. | Rare | Autonomous damage | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Summons a drone that shoots nearby zombies for 15 damage per shot. |
rarity
Epic
Bank
A finish-the-run Credit bonus. Skip it if you expect to disconnect, crash, or quit mid-wave.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- Credit farming
- Trigger
- Economy
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Stores 10% of Credits earned during the run and pays them out when the run ends. Leaving early forfeits the stored Credits.
Cursed Doll
A damage-for-health trade plus a curse on attackers. Test it on a class that can survive the health cut.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- High-risk gun damage
- Trigger
- Stat
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Increases gun damage by 25% and reduces maximum health by 20%. Zombies that hit you become cursed and lose 4% of their maximum health every second.
Electric Pillar
Still named in Epic crate tables, but current guides mark it unobtainable. Exact damage and timer are unverified.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- Cluster damage
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Currently unobtainable
- Effect
- Reported to strike a nearby zombie cluster with lightning.
Gravity Core
Groups a pack for area damage. It does not replace a damage Artifact on its own.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- Horde grouping
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Creates a small singularity every 10 seconds that pulls nearby zombies together.
Phoenix Feather
A timed flame burst plus a revive after a killing blow, once every 10 minutes. Flame damage and revive health are unpublished.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- Area damage and revive
- Trigger
- Special
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Erupts in flames every 20 seconds. A killing blow revives the holder once every 10 minutes.
Warding Totem
A timed shield that can dump stored hits back into a pack. Prevention, not a replacement for healing.
- Rarity
- Epic
- Role
- Shield and retaliation
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Grants a shield every 15 seconds that absorbs damage equal to 20% of maximum health. When the shield breaks, it reflects the absorbed damage to nearby zombies.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | A finish-the-run Credit bonus. Skip it if you expect to disconnect, crash, or quit mid-wave. | Epic | Credit farming | Economy | Artifact Crate | Stores 10% of Credits earned during the run and pays them out when the run ends. Leaving early forfeits the stored Credits. | |
| Cursed Doll | A damage-for-health trade plus a curse on attackers. Test it on a class that can survive the health cut. | Epic | High-risk gun damage | Stat | Artifact Crate | Increases gun damage by 25% and reduces maximum health by 20%. Zombies that hit you become cursed and lose 4% of their maximum health every second. | |
| Electric Pillar | Still named in Epic crate tables, but current guides mark it unobtainable. Exact damage and timer are unverified. | Epic | Cluster damage | Periodic | Currently unobtainable | Reported to strike a nearby zombie cluster with lightning. | |
| Gravity Core | Groups a pack for area damage. It does not replace a damage Artifact on its own. | Epic | Horde grouping | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Creates a small singularity every 10 seconds that pulls nearby zombies together. | |
| Phoenix Feather | A timed flame burst plus a revive after a killing blow, once every 10 minutes. Flame damage and revive health are unpublished. | Epic | Area damage and revive | Special | Artifact Crate | Erupts in flames every 20 seconds. A killing blow revives the holder once every 10 minutes. | |
| Warding Totem | A timed shield that can dump stored hits back into a pack. Prevention, not a replacement for healing. | Epic | Shield and retaliation | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Grants a shield every 15 seconds that absorbs damage equal to 20% of maximum health. When the shield breaks, it reflects the absorbed damage to nearby zombies. |
rarity
Legendary
Where conditional builds start beating flat stats.
Chrono Core
A timed hold on the nearest cluster so the lane can be cleared. Also styled Chronocore in some lists.
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Role
- Crowd control
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Traps the nearest zombies in a stasis field for 4 seconds every 12 seconds.
Deathbloom
A kill-proc flower that slows, percent-burns, and can heal when it ends. Needs a kill to start.
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Role
- Poison and sustain
- Trigger
- Trigger
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Each kill has a 5% chance to create a poison flower. Nearby zombies take 6.5% of their maximum health per second, move more slowly, and keep taking poison for 3 seconds after leaving the cloud. When the flower fades, it releases healing pollen.
Gaming Controller
The broad stat package covering damage, health, movement, and crit. A default Legendary keep for gun runs.
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Role
- General gun build
- Trigger
- Special
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Increases damage by 15%, health by 10%, movement speed by 10%, and critical hit chance by 10%.
Venus Snaptrap
A repeating clamp on a high-health target that also feeds a small heal.
- Rarity
- Legendary
- Role
- Single-target clamp
- Trigger
- Periodic
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Clamps the toughest nearby zombie every 10 seconds for 4 seconds, dealing 5% of that zombie's maximum health per second. The trap takes 25% damage and restores 4 health or 1% of your maximum health per bite.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrono Core | A timed hold on the nearest cluster so the lane can be cleared. Also styled Chronocore in some lists. | Legendary | Crowd control | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Traps the nearest zombies in a stasis field for 4 seconds every 12 seconds. | |
| Deathbloom | A kill-proc flower that slows, percent-burns, and can heal when it ends. Needs a kill to start. | Legendary | Poison and sustain | Trigger | Artifact Crate | Each kill has a 5% chance to create a poison flower. Nearby zombies take 6.5% of their maximum health per second, move more slowly, and keep taking poison for 3 seconds after leaving the cloud. When the flower fades, it releases healing pollen. | |
| Gaming Controller | The broad stat package covering damage, health, movement, and crit. A default Legendary keep for gun runs. | Legendary | General gun build | Special | Artifact Crate | Increases damage by 15%, health by 10%, movement speed by 10%, and critical hit chance by 10%. | |
| Venus Snaptrap | A repeating clamp on a high-health target that also feeds a small heal. | Legendary | Single-target clamp | Periodic | Artifact Crate | Clamps the toughest nearby zombie every 10 seconds for 4 seconds, dealing 5% of that zombie's maximum health per second. The trap takes 25% damage and restores 4 health or 1% of your maximum health per bite. |
rarity
Mythic
Run-definers worth rebuilding around.
Soulforge Lantern
A kill-stack Mythic, also listed as Soulforge, that turns souls into gun damage and then bursts the strongest nearby zombies.
- Rarity
- Mythic
- Role
- Stacking gun damage
- Trigger
- Special
- Availability
- Artifact Crate
- Effect
- Each kill grants a soul that increases gun damage by 0.3%, up to 15%. After 50 souls, wisps attack the strongest nearby zombies for 10% of their maximum health and heal you.
| Image | Name | Description | Rarity | Role | Trigger | Availability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soulforge Lantern | A kill-stack Mythic, also listed as Soulforge, that turns souls into gun damage and then bursts the strongest nearby zombies. | Mythic | Stacking gun damage | Special | Artifact Crate | Each kill grants a soul that increases gun damage by 0.3%, up to 15%. After 50 souls, wisps attack the strongest nearby zombies for 10% of their maximum health and heal you. |
Reading an artifact's real value
The trigger type is the tell: flat stat artifacts pay every second of every wave, while conditional triggers pay only as often as their condition fires. A modest always-on bonus routinely out-earns a flashy proc, until the build is specifically constructed to fire that proc constantly, which is what the epic-and-up tiers are for.
Building a run
- Early crates go to flat damage and survivability; consistency wins the waves that kill most runs.
- Stack artifacts that share a theme; synergy is where rare-tier picks pass the flat-stat baseline.
- Mythics are build-defining; when one drops, respec the rest of the run around it rather than treating it as a bonus.
- Reroll or skip filler when your slots are nearly full; a dead slot is a permanent tax on the run.
FAQ
How do you get artifacts?
From artifact crates earned during runs. Each pull rolls the rarity tiers, with each artifact listing its own availability.
Do artifacts stack?
Yes, effects accumulate across your slots, and same-theme artifacts multiply each other's value. Slot count is the real constraint.
What is the best artifact?
Per slot, mythics dominate. Before those drop, flat damage and defense commons are the most reliable value in the pool.
