The best early artifacts in Minecraft Dungeons 2 are the Firework Arrow and the Humbling Horn together, and most players who’ve tried that pair say it carries you through the first regions. Add a Picnic Basket or a Banner if you’re in co-op, and keep TNT for when your friends aren’t standing in it.
Which early artifacts are worth a slot?
Artifacts are the active abilities. They cost souls and sit on a cooldown, unlike talismans, which are always on. Here’s what players keep reaching for early.
| Artifact | What it does | Why players like it |
|---|---|---|
| Firework Arrow | Fires an explosive rocket arrow from your bow (20 souls, 5s cooldown) | Everyone just says “the rocket”. Great when a target won’t let you close in. |
| Humbling Horn | Horn blast that knocks enemies down | Buys you room. Players describe it as taking a crowd out of the fight for a moment. |
| Picnic Basket | Shares healing food with allies (15 souls, 15s cooldown) | Handy in boss fights, since food on the floor beats hunting for potions. |
| Banner | Buffs teammates’ melee attacks | A pure team artifact. |
| Creeper Candle | Lit candle that detonates after a short fuse (25 souls, 5s cooldown) | Comes from a quest and works as a placed bomb. |
| TNT | Thrown explosive | Strong, but it hurts teammates too, so watch the blast. |
Rocket and Horn: the loadout everyone keeps recommending
“Rocket and horn is the way to go” is close to what players say. The idea is simple: knock the pack down with the horn, then land rocket arrows while they’re stuck. Both work at range, which matters for the blue empowered mobs that shrug off melee. Our poison and empowered mobs guide goes deeper on why range wins those fights.
Equip the rocket in your first artifact slot and fire it from the bow. Arrows recharge on their own now, and a starter bow holds 15, so you aren’t rationing shots the way you did in the first game.
When does the second artifact slot unlock?
After the lost-merchant quest in Howling Woods. Until then you’re on one slot, and the rocket sits there fine. Most groups do that quest as soon as they reach Little Howl, and the campaign walkthrough shows where it falls in the region order.
Combos players are trying
- Rocket and Horn. Knock down, then blast. The default recommendation.
- Banner and a melee weapon. Your friends’ swings get stronger. Best when someone in the group is playing tank.
- Honey and anything ranged. The bees do the annoying work of slowing a target while you hit it.
- Basket in boss fights. Drop it before the hard phase, not during it.
For weapon pairings that suit these, the build plans guide has three shapes to start from.
Friendly fire: the TNT problem
TNT is the only thing in the game that hurts your own team. One developer put it as the only friendly fire there is, so use it for good things. Groups call “fire in the hole” before every throw, and players joke that the best moment is when your friends are distracted. Even so, one group said not a single person managed to use it without hurting somebody. If you’re new to a party, hold off on TNT until you know where everyone stands.
Quick checklist for your first hour
- Equip the Firework Arrow first.
- Finish the lost-merchant quest for slot two.
- Add the Humbling Horn as your second artifact.
- Swap in the Basket or Banner once you’re grouping up.
- Check the gear database for names and cooldowns as you find new ones.
Not confirmed yet
Soul costs and cooldowns for some artifacts come from the community wiki and may shift with patches. The honey artifact’s exact in-game name isn’t settled, and how strongly the Horn’s effect scales with level hasn’t been documented.