I've just filled out the survey and rather disappointed that it doesn't have a section for just general notes/feelings on it.
So, for what it's worth, I'll stick my impressions in here!
CORE
Historically I've liked the Artificer concept as a maker and crafter of magical and magi-tech items, but feel that its losing its identity in this UA.
"Magical Tinkering" is...kinda weak. Making a mundane item for one whole hour (many people have pointed out the hilarity of creating a bedroll for one hour!). Most characters would probably have bought the basic gear they need once they're past 1st level anyway or just have spells that make them unnecessary, so this feature is going to be pointless pretty soon.
"Replicate Magic Item" may be simpler than infusions, in that you now don't have to worry about acquiring a base item to enchant first. But it doesn't feel like you are really crafting items if they just appear out of thin air. It loses the theme of manipulating the magic within items, which is the concept I've always liked.
More concerning for me is that this also has weird interactions with later features that require you to destroy these items to fuel the feature, like the "Drain Magic Item" part of "Magic Item Tinker".
Assuming you've created useful items that are actually being used by you or an ally (and why would you not be making useful items that you and others are using?), it means you have to destroy that item completely - not just remove the magic from it but make it completely disappear - to get a spell slot back. An item that you can't re-create until the next day, so you are basically nobbling your core feature for a 1st or 2nd level spell slot. As I said in the survey, making the paladin in your party suddenly fight in their underwear may be amusing, but is it worth a 2nd level spell slot? (maybe don't answer that!). I can't think of any other class that has to reduce the effectiveness of their core feature just to use another class feature.
"Magic Item Adept" and "Magic Item Savant" are basically fine but its a shame you've lost the ability to ignore attunement requirements.
"Spell-storing item" feels weirdly over-powered compared to everything else, given that you can cast just as many 3rd level spells as 1st level spells from it. Given that, why would you use it for anything less than a 3rd level spell? Others have said its not as powerful as it seems, but I'm not convinced. I like the feature, but just feel the number of uses should depend on the spell level.
"Soul of Artifice" . "Cheat Death" is another feature that, again, requires you to destroy your magic items. Its nice that you can do it as many times as you have items to destroy but still feels "meh" for a 20th level feature (other classes get a similar feature at lower levels that may be limited in uses, but don't need to nobble their core feature or destroy magic items). And the "Magical Guidance" aspect is extremely weak for a 20th level feature.
OVERALL
I just wish they had stuck to the theme of magic manipulation around items. This is a purely personal opinion of course, but I would have like some features that, e.g, allow you to change the damage type of a magical item or temporarily suppress the magic in it for some other bonus, or even permanently transfer the magic from one item to another.
ALCHEMIST
It was always considered the weakest subclass, and I don't think they've done much to change that. Personally I don't like the randomness of "Experimental Elixir". I know others like random stuff but this just doesn't fit the theme for me. Why would an Artificer/Alchemist never learn how to make the actual potions they want! Maybe a compromise would be to have a selection of weaker potions they could choose from, and a separate selection of more powerful potions that would be a random roll?
They also don't have any active combat abilities. All other subclasses get something: Weapons built into their armour, cannons, steel defender...the Alchemist gets to shout "Hey guys, don't forget to use those potions I gave you!".
Ok, maybe they can still use weapons though they're never going to be that great at weapons. And since they're only half-casters they don't get that many spells slots to fire off spells every round (other than cantrips of course).
Which brings up the other features "Alchemical Savant" and the Alchemical Eruption part of "Chemical Mastery". These enhance spells that deal acid, fire, necrotic or poison damage. Which is fine...except as mentioned Artificers don't get that many spell slots, and not many of their spells actually do the appropriate types of damage (no necrotic damage spells at all??). Meaning these features aren't really going to be that useful.
Personally, I would like to see the return of alchemical flasks that could be thrown at enemies to deal acid, fire, necrotic or poison damage! It was in the very first Artificer UA way back but got dropped. But if that could be brought back, perhaps as part of Experimental Elixir, and the other features that boost damage could be made to apply to these flasks....then maybe we may be getting somewhere with improving the Alchemist.
ARMORER/ARTILLERIST/BATTLESMITH
Don't have much to say here (you'll be pleased to know!). They do need some balance tweaks I think. The new Dreadnaught armor seems better than the other choices at the moment, though doesn't get as good improvements at the higher level features as the other armor types (and why is the heavy giant Dreadnaught armor the one that gets to fly??).
Battle Smith needs to be able to use magic weapons as a spellcasting focus again.
Various other tweaks needed, but overall I don't mind the direction of these subclasses.
I've just filled out the survey and rather disappointed that it doesn't have a section for just general notes/feelings on it.
So, for what it's worth, I'll stick my impressions in here!
CORE
Historically I've liked the Artificer concept as a maker and crafter of magical and magi-tech items, but feel that its losing its identity in this UA.
"Magical Tinkering" is...kinda weak. Making a mundane item for one whole hour (many people have pointed out the hilarity of creating a bedroll for one hour!). Most characters would probably have bought the basic gear they need once they're past 1st level anyway or just have spells that make them unnecessary, so this feature is going to be pointless pretty soon.
"Replicate Magic Item" may be simpler than infusions, in that you now don't have to worry about acquiring a base item to enchant first. But it doesn't feel like you are really crafting items if they just appear out of thin air. It loses the theme of manipulating the magic within items, which is the concept I've always liked.
More concerning for me is that this also has weird interactions with later features that require you to destroy these items to fuel the feature, like the "Drain Magic Item" part of "Magic Item Tinker".
Assuming you've created useful items that are actually being used by you or an ally (and why would you not be making useful items that you and others are using?), it means you have to destroy that item completely - not just remove the magic from it but make it completely disappear - to get a spell slot back. An item that you can't re-create until the next day, so you are basically nobbling your core feature for a 1st or 2nd level spell slot. As I said in the survey, making the paladin in your party suddenly fight in their underwear may be amusing, but is it worth a 2nd level spell slot? (maybe don't answer that!). I can't think of any other class that has to reduce the effectiveness of their core feature just to use another class feature.
"Magic Item Adept" and "Magic Item Savant" are basically fine but its a shame you've lost the ability to ignore attunement requirements.
"Spell-storing item" feels weirdly over-powered compared to everything else, given that you can cast just as many 3rd level spells as 1st level spells from it. Given that, why would you use it for anything less than a 3rd level spell? Others have said its not as powerful as it seems, but I'm not convinced. I like the feature, but just feel the number of uses should depend on the spell level.
"Soul of Artifice" . "Cheat Death" is another feature that, again, requires you to destroy your magic items. Its nice that you can do it as many times as you have items to destroy but still feels "meh" for a 20th level feature (other classes get a similar feature at lower levels that may be limited in uses, but don't need to nobble their core feature or destroy magic items). And the "Magical Guidance" aspect is extremely weak for a 20th level feature.
OVERALL
I just wish they had stuck to the theme of magic manipulation around items. This is a purely personal opinion of course, but I would have like some features that, e.g, allow you to change the damage type of a magical item or temporarily suppress the magic in it for some other bonus, or even permanently transfer the magic from one item to another.
ALCHEMIST
It was always considered the weakest subclass, and I don't think they've done much to change that. Personally I don't like the randomness of "Experimental Elixir". I know others like random stuff but this just doesn't fit the theme for me. Why would an Artificer/Alchemist never learn how to make the actual potions they want! Maybe a compromise would be to have a selection of weaker potions they could choose from, and a separate selection of more powerful potions that would be a random roll?
They also don't have any active combat abilities. All other subclasses get something: Weapons built into their armour, cannons, steel defender...the Alchemist gets to shout "Hey guys, don't forget to use those potions I gave you!".
Ok, maybe they can still use weapons though they're never going to be that great at weapons. And since they're only half-casters they don't get that many spells slots to fire off spells every round (other than cantrips of course).
Which brings up the other features "Alchemical Savant" and the Alchemical Eruption part of "Chemical Mastery". These enhance spells that deal acid, fire, necrotic or poison damage. Which is fine...except as mentioned Artificers don't get that many spell slots, and not many of their spells actually do the appropriate types of damage (no necrotic damage spells at all??). Meaning these features aren't really going to be that useful.
Personally, I would like to see the return of alchemical flasks that could be thrown at enemies to deal acid, fire, necrotic or poison damage! It was in the very first Artificer UA way back but got dropped. But if that could be brought back, perhaps as part of Experimental Elixir, and the other features that boost damage could be made to apply to these flasks....then maybe we may be getting somewhere with improving the Alchemist.
ARMORER/ARTILLERIST/BATTLESMITH
Don't have much to say here (you'll be pleased to know!). They do need some balance tweaks I think. The new Dreadnaught armor seems better than the other choices at the moment, though doesn't get as good improvements at the higher level features as the other armor types (and why is the heavy giant Dreadnaught armor the one that gets to fly??).
Battle Smith needs to be able to use magic weapons as a spellcasting focus again.
Various other tweaks needed, but overall I don't mind the direction of these subclasses.