I am Level 39, pre-first ascension, and have an interesting quandary regarding my next upgrade(s) of artifact(s). There was a 2021 thread on this topic, but it references artifacts being "nerfed" and/or adjusted upward by Fizzer, so wondering the latest advice given that changes occur, and considering what I got (background: I spent a few bucks and purchased bundles of artifacts so have done more upgrading than typical for my level):

Epic: Alloy Values
Rare: Army Camp Boost, Territory Money Boost, Bonus Money Boost, Mine Boost, Supercharge Army Camp, Market Raid, Time Warp
Uncommon: Bonus Money Boost (dup of a rare)
Common: Item Values, Mine Discount
Poor: Idle Time

So there was consensus in 2021 that passives are much better, considering the 16h lag time with actives. So some of the Rares to burn for an upgrade to Epic are clear: Supercharge AC, Market Raid, Time Warp

But what's the fourth Rare to sacrifice, and which Epic would be best? I like market strategies--Alloy Values helps alot with that--but others seem to prefer smelting, or crafting, or mining, any of which theoretically 'works' with market focus, but what's the best synergy (given what I got, of course)?

Territory Money Boost feels the most potent of the lot currently. It impacts income more than, say, ACB impacts armies accumulation. But armies are what I always need most in terms of finishing levels.

Mine Boost entices me as an upgrade Epic candidate. At Epic it might make expensive mine upgrades superfluous that otherwise might tempt me. Small increases in the production of precious metals is sometimes all you need to unlock achievements in reasonable order. So those are my best current candidates for upgrading to Epic. I'd welcome expert--or more expert than me--opinion.

Edited 10/27/2022 05:14:13

recommendation is to focus on getting your alloy value to legendary as soon as you can. besides that, hospital boost is commonly held at rare since it was nerfed above that. army cache boost would be by recommendation to you for 2nd epic. you can play around with different strategies depending on how you play. but I think you'll find that AV is best to focus on first followed by army cache boost. in the long run, if it appears your bottleneck to superascension will digging for artifacts vs AP needed then I would also recommend upgrading time warp earlier in your journey (maybe your 3rd epic/legendary)

posted this in discord recently but more advice for later in your journey:
Currently the meta is:
-SAC at any rarity for clan requests and sprinting to early markets
-Hospital Boost at rare due to nerf above this level
-Army Cache Boost and Alloy Values both as high as possible, Alloy Values first since makes bigger difference for those in early game (pre-phase 4)
-High Time Warp when your bottleneck for superascension will be digs vs. AP
-Legendary TS or QS (especially in superascension)
-Legendary or Insane IM (primarily in superascension)

Others depend on playstyle/preference but tend to be the following (at rarish levels):
-Army Camp Boost (less useful once IACP adv> 300% or so)
-BMB/TMB
-Merc Discount
-Resource Cache Boost
-Cache Boost
-Both Speedys
-Mine Boost
-Ore Values
-Item Values

Edited 10/27/2022 04:18:13

I appreciate the general advice TR-8R.

But I presented a specific situation. I am in no position to upgrade AV further.

What I am in position is to make an upgrade from Rare to Epic. I provided the specifics, I was seeking input on my particular situation, what I have right now, what I should do right now.

Thanks again TR-8R!

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Doing this because so many kind and smart people are already here.

I am currently choosing on what dig to do next. Currently at Africa level I have available:
- C33/U67 for 178m and 23 hours
- C42/U58 for 375m and 21 hours
- P97/E3 for 96m and 1 day 1 hour

Please dont redirect me to the Master Jz's guide.
I provided the specifics, and I am seeking input on my particular situation, what I have right now, what I should do right now.

I have only 3.5 hours left at my current dig, and really running out of time.
Thanks in advance for your help, guys!

Edited 10/27/2022 05:42:47

@JDB.

Let me try to bring TRs message a bit more to the point. Whatever you do in your situation, it does not make no difference. Whatever you do, it will just be an intermediate step towards upgrading your AV. Any upgrade of any artifacts you listed will have no or just minor effect. Bringing the AV to the next level will, however, significantly increase your map clearing speed.

Do whatever you want, throw a dice, but just focus on the AV.


@fivesmith: there is no U58 dig on africa. Therefore I would say take that one. :P

@otto, there is!


Yet I understand, where you got your assumption. Seems like rounding stuff. :) (quite unexpected though)

Edited 10/27/2022 05:59:01

Well, it is my first ever natural upgrade from Rare to Epic, so it is a bit discouraging to think 'doesn't matter until 20 upgrades from now, when you can upgrade AV.'

I don't want to play the game so nihilistically so long? "Oh this next upgrade, and the next, and the next, and the next, are meaningless," which is no exaggeration of the time-line we're talking until I can trade AV up to Legendary.

What I should do is what started the thread, an answer to that is still what I seek.

Thanks to all contributors.

Edited 10/27/2022 06:19:24

I would keep the time warp, army camp boost, and supercharge armp camp and use the others to upgrade of those three. Which one of the is down to personal prefference. Time warp will accelerate the rate at which you get new artifacts and finish levels as well as let you cycle other active artifacts more frequently. Supercharge army camp is useful to help get you out of the early stage of a level. Army camp boost is just passive clear levels faster. If it was me I would be upgrading time warp.
Additionally I would keep those 4 army camp boost, aloy value, super charge army camp, and time warp as the artifacts in active use and wait until I had 4 additional rares before upgrading the next one to epic.
But that is just what I feel would be good mostly based on how I prefer to play idle.

Edited 10/27/2022 07:34:37

@JDB
Otto isn't wrong. If you're in the game for the LONG TERM (going to do at least 5+ Ascensions [MEDIUM TERM], or 2+ Super Ascensions [LONG TERM]) then artifacts up to Epic really don't matter much and everything is just a matter of how you get the ones that matter to Insane. So it's not even a matter of the next 20 upgrades, it's actually more a matter of the next 2000+ upgrades. WZI Long Term is like planning a trip to Andromeda. But you're still on a freeway somewhere in the UK, driving a car, with no plans to buy a spaceship yet. So don't worry about Andromeda yet. You'll get there much later (or you won't, and that's fine too).

In the SHORT TERM though, to answer you question, it depends on your playstyle. If you upgrade Army Camps a lot, Army Camp Boost can be useful. Or if you do the SAC+FC tactic, this is useful. If you do a lot of money earning through bonuses/territories, Territory Money Boost & Bonus Money Boost are good. Mine Boost is likely not a great choice unless you do a lot of smelting or ore selling. Supercharge Army Camp is an excellent iff you do the SAC+FC tactic, so combine with Army Camp Boost for added effect. Market Raid is useless, get rid of it - at the lower levels, it returns far too little to warrant keeping it around nor the cooldown, Time Warp is excellent BUT only when you get it to Legendary or Insane - for the purpose of cooling down Active Artifacts (and completing hospital upgrades, smelting/crafting notably if you're doing a Tech Run, etc). And of course Alloy Values is a universally good arti.

BUT this is all short term. In the LONG TERM, you're going to want the following at either Legendary or Insane:
- Triple Strike or Quad Strike
- Time Warp
- Inspire Mercenaries
- Alloy Values
- Army Cache Boost
- Supercharge Army Camp
- a handful of others than suit your playstyle
- everything else is fodder for upgrading these

But there is a long way between the SHORT TERM and the LONG TERM. So Otto is right, but he's talking about the very very very far future. Like IRL it's 2-3 career changes from now. To be proficient in your current role, see "SHORT TERM" above. You have lots of time to get to LONG TERM and may as well enjoy the ride along the way. And the part about "it doesn't matter" means you have 2500+ upgrades to "adjust" (fix) any artifacts along the way. The choices you make now aren't going to materially impact the LONG TERM strategy, they are just a means of getting there - if you even ever do (maybe quit before that point b/c it does get awfully repetitive, you're literally clearing the same levels 20+ over again just with more stuff [Advancements, Artifacts, knowledge, experience] than last time).

looks like you want the short answer:

would recommend time warp to epic for instant hospital upgrade finishes as well as having potential of doing good in warzone idle battles with that + SAC

army camp boost to epic is worthy alternative too

best of luck

Another aspect which has not been brought up yet. Artifacts are the LONG TERM goal, true. But for a very very long time, you can remember the rule:

Advancements are superior to artifacts.

They have much more impact early on and you can do much more wrong. Maybe you should start a thread to describe which advancements you have and get hints on where to go next. If you have not yet read the Master JZ idle guide (https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1EHCM-n_4vq_Hv7V1wo9QSTcRP2ba4qRqBh8fOh5PiKk/mobilebasic), do it! It can save you from a lot of trouble.

Edited 10/27/2022 15:34:56

Interesting bundle of feedback, thanks to all.

Otto, yes, I did redistribute my Advancedment points, maxing joint strike and in process of upgrading number of merc, +50% by now, I did seven or eight army camp upgrades as well. I used that guide to help me, and am more or less following the recs there.

I was surprised at the enthusiasm for my actives artifacts, prior thread on newbie-type upgrade recommendations leaned more toward passives as more effective overall. So the consensus I assumed does not exist.

Time Warp to Epic is tempting, mainly for making hospital upgrades immediately effective. That is a good argument, TR-8R. I will keep it at Rare for now and won't sacrifice it to this upgrade. And yeah, I did want the short version--given what I have, what is my best move right now. 200 upgrades down the road is too long of a time-frame for me, I prefer to at least pretend the choices I am making on artifact upgrades in the meantime have SOME consequence in terms of making the game more fun.

SAC is great in the early game, but as you gain army camps the impact of one being supercharged lessens. A fast start is fun, but the game is exasperating late,, not early, so I will keep it but not upgrade it (now.

Three great passives, plus my Alloy Values to swap in when I am selling stuff, and a couple juicy actives like SAC and Time Warp, looks like the best I can do with what I've got.

Ultimately what I'm always gasping for is armies in the mid and late game. Army Camp Boost to Epic, plus more advancement points into army camps and mercs looks like the closest thing to a consensus that makes sense to me.

For armies in mid to late game, you need mercs.

You get them by:

(1) upgrading Additional Mercs to +150%
(2) one of the following method:
(a) using IM powers
(b) using IM artifact @ Leg or Insane
(c) buying them using money via the Market strategy (Alloy Values artifact/Adv/Techs are key)
(d) buying them using money via smelting/crafting (some people swear by this, I swear against it)
(e) buying them using money via the SM+MR strategy (see "Church of MR" forum for details - works for some, but I could never quite get the hang of it)

Imho (c) is the best answer for pre-Super Ascension, pre-High Level artifacts play

(a) is a good boost, and you should do this pre-Super Ascension or early post 1st Super Ascension (ie: when your Adv's/Artifacts are at their weakest); you need powers less the more you play

(b) is a post Super Ascension, post High Level artifacts play