MasteringtheArtifactOptimizer

In the unforgiving world of Stalcraft, your artifact build is often the only thing standing between you and a quick trip back to the base. The Artifact Optimizer is designed to take the guesswork out of theorycrafting, using high-performance algorithms to navigate the millions of possible combinations in the Zone.

The Engine: How It Works

Behind the scenes, the optimizer uses a Memetic Algorithm—a hybrid approach that combines global evolutionary search (Genetic Algorithm) with local hill-climbing refinement. This allows the tool to efficiently explore the vast 'search space' of artifacts while ensuring that every result is a mathematically optimal peak for your specific requirements.

Standard vs. Tactical Mode (Precision)

Choosing the right calculation mode is critical for getting relevant results:

• •Standard Mode (Continuous): This mode uses continuous mathematical models to estimate performance. It is extremely fast and ideal for finding versatile, all-around builds that perform well against high rate-of-fire automatic weapons. It is the best starting point for most players.
• •Tactical Mode (Discrete): This mode runs a high-resolution Monte Carlo simulation for every build it considers. It accounts for the discrete timing of every bullet impact and healing tick. Use this when optimizing for survival against low rate-of-fire, high-alpha weapons like Snipers or Shotguns.

Optimization Modes

• •Survival Mode: Prioritizes Time-to-Kill (TTK) and Effective HP (EHP). The engine will search for combinations that make you as tanky as possible against the currently selected weapon profile.
• •Speed Mode: Focuses on maximizing your Movement Speed and Sprint Speed while maintaining the minimum safety requirements you've set.

Defining Your Requirements

The optimizer is only as smart as the constraints you give it. To find a build that fits your playstyle, you must use the Stat Requirements panel:

• •Combined Speed: Essential for SMG and mobility builds. Setting a minimum of 5-8% ensures you aren't a sitting duck.
• •Healing Effectiveness: If you use high-tier medkits, ensure your build doesn't tank this stat. Healing effectiveness boosts the periodic healing from artifacts but does not affect base health regeneration.
• •Stopping Protection: Crucial for avoiding 'stagger' when being shot. If you find yourself unable to move during a firefight, check this stat.
• •Artifact Locking: If you already own a specific +15 legendary artifact, use the Artifact Requirements section to force its inclusion in all results.

Advanced Mechanics: Scaling and Downsides

Understanding how artifacts scale is the key to high-level building.

Beneficial Stats vs. Hazards

Beneficial stats (like Bullet Resistance or Vitality) scale linearly with rarity and level. They gain a +30% bonus at level 15. However, hazards follow a 'Sawtooth' scaling pattern. While they jump in intensity at specific rarity tiers (Common to Legendary), they also scale within each rarity tier, meaning a high-rolled artifact has more infection than a low-rolled one of the same rarity:

• •Common (100%)
• •Uncommon (101-115%)
• •Special (116-130%)
• •Rare (131-145%)
• •Exclusive (146-160%)
• •Legendary (161-175%)

Inner Protection

Your container's Inner Protection is your most important secondary stat. It reduces the accumulation of hazards from your artifacts.

• •100% Inner Protection means you take the full brunt of the artifact's radiation.
• •Higher Inner Protection (like 60% or 70%) allows you to run "radioactive" builds that would otherwise kill you.
• •Note: Frost accumulation is a special case and is typically not reduced by inner protection, making artifacts like 'Opal' or 'Chilly' particularly dangerous to manage.

Special Artifacts

• •Rubik: A unique artifact that allows you to choose its 4 primary stats. In the optimizer, you can configure multiple Rubik instances with different stat profiles.
• •Bubblegum: Characterized by high Bullet Resistance (~50-60 at max tier) but carries a notable movement speed penalty (~1.7%). It is the 'meta' choice for EHP-focused builds.

Global Pool vs. My Inventory

By default, the optimizer explores every possible artifact in the game (the Global Pool).

Inventory Mode

Switch to My Inventory mode to work with your actual gear. You can add artifacts with their specific rarity rolls and upgrade levels. The engine will then find the absolute best combination possible using only your items.

Build Variety

Choosing how results are grouped can help you explore different strategies:

• •Balanced: Uses 'Jaccard Distance' to ensure the Top 10 results look different from each other (e.g., one speed build, one tank build).
• •Focused: Returns the absolute mathematical peaks. Recommended for Inventory Mode where you want to see every possible slight variation of your best items.

Reading the Results

• •EHP (Effective HP): Calculated as (100 + Bullet Resistance) * (Vitality / 100).
• •TTK (Time to Kill): The average time a shooter takes to kill you with the selected weapon.
• •TTB (Time to Break): How long your armor plate will last.
• •Combat Healing: Remember that in combat, your base regeneration is reduced to 20% of its normal value, making Periodic Healing from artifacts much more valuable.