Advanced Artificer Tips & Tactics

Hi everyone, 

I love the artificer and am looking for ways to spice it up or amp the power. For those who have also played an artificer, what are some unique build options (feat/multiclass combos) or replicated magic items you were surprised by (i.e taking multiple elemental gems at level 10, getting the magen bell or cube of force at level 14)?

I think armorer is the best power builld subclass. 

Cartographer is probably the best support subclass.

All artificers start off a bit weak though. 

Magic item replication can give you a bag of holding and other neat items in early levels. (You will probably dump strength and an armorer subclass plate armor weighs a LOT, so you will always be close to being encumbered, meaning you will need that bag of holding). But an armoer's access to more rare items tapers off by level 10 or so. If you are playing in a high-magic world, by level 10 you can probably buy better magic items than you can replicate.

The spellcasting item at level 11 is probably the big power jump. You can put a level 3 artificer spell in the item after each long rest and cast that spell 10 times.

Keep in mind artificers are half casters and dont get firrball by default. So if you want to use spellcasting item to cast fireball 10 timrs a day, you have to choose artillerist subclass since thats the only subclass that gets access to fireball.

You will also run out of attunement slots quickly. The best replicate item plans require attunemnt, but by level 8 or 10, you can buy better items than you can replicate, so you will end up replicating non attunement items, like helm of awareness that gives you advantage on initiative.

Things to look for are magic items that dont require attunement and tend to be single use and then dispose. Like the Elemental Gem will allow you to summon an earth elemental for one hour, and then the gem loses its power. As an artificer, you can build that gem every morning after a long rest, giving you a earth elemental a day.

Most features rely on intmod, so max your int to 17 at level 1 and take half feats that increase int whenever you can.

One thing to not overlook is traditional crafting (DMG p221), especially with the "Enspelled Weapons/Armor/Staff" in the DMG (p258).

For 200 gold and 5 to 10 days of crafting (depending on the item type) you can give yourself six free uses of a spell.  False Life, Cure Wounds, or Shield can greatly increase your survivability.  Or if you have Magic Missile from Magic Initiate Wizard, you have a solid ranged attack without having to swap weapons.  This works with any cantrip or level 1 spell you know.  Higher level spells can also be used, but the gold & time go up (DMG p221).

For my low, level 3 party, our DM gave us a month of downtime between adventures.  I used the time to make an enspelled item for each party member and it made a world of difference when we headed out again.

And besides Enspelled items, there's a long list of Common & Uncommon magic items that are ripe for a brief stint of crafting. Cloak of Protection, Gloves of Thievery, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Wand of the War Mage... but your DM will have to agree to know how to make it.

Have a plan for how to use your down time.  If you play something like an Elf that only needs 4 hours of rest, then you could spend 4 hours of each long rest working on something (like carving a wand / staff / rod).

If you are playing a 2025 Artificer, I highly recommend considering Sage with the Magic Initiate feat. The two cantrips are handy and the extra first level spell is nice as well.

The Battle Smith is probably the most flexible subclass - you have so many options with how to build it and even reframe it especially at level ups. 

Max out your int and acquire permanent magic items whenever you can so you can have maximal flexibility with your replicated items. And the homunculus servant is a great little buddy.

I once tried Battle Smith paired with War Caster + Sentinel and found it extremely effective at holding positions and supporting the team; I wonder if anyone has any builds that utilize Cube of Force or Spell-Storing Items in an unconventional but effective way?

If you're going to being playing to 20(which I know few people do), I wouldn't advise multiclassing at all. As they have the 2nd best capstone feature in the game.

That said, for lower level campaigns, a dip into Fighter can offer quite a bit to a Battle Smith, and a dip into Wizard can likely offer a fair bit to Artillerist as well.

I'm far more partial to Battle Smith myself, and it's what I'm currently playing. I like their ability to use a Hand Crossbow and Shield together, thanks to Repeating Shot. It allows for nice damage(with Sharpshooter), as well as high defense; in addition to all the support you can offer.

Figure of power. Any of the items that summon a friend but only once a day (or longer). 

At level 10 you can get the robe of useful items and make your wizard bard and rogue love you forever. 

If you picked alchemist you can make +3 weapons for 5000 gold.