Genshin Impact Artifact Conversion Guide: Strongbox Usage

Unlock Your Endgame Potential: The Ultimate Genshin Impact Artifact Strongbox Guide

Let's talk about one of the most universal experiences in Genshin Impact: the feeling of defeat after spending 1,600 Original Resin on a domain, only to walk away with a single, mediocre Crit Rate Circlet and a mountain of artifacts destined for the fodder grinder. You stare at your inventory, capped at 1,500 items, and a sense of dread sets in. Do you really have to manually trash them all? Is there any use for these countless "Defender's Will" flowers or "Prayers for Wisdom" goblets?

Thankfully, there is a brilliant, endgame-saving system designed precisely for this problem: the Artifact Strongbox. This guide is your comprehensive companion to mastering this feature. We will demystify how it works, reveal its strategic depths, and answer every question you've ever had about turning your artifact frustration into powerful, game-changing upgrades.

What Exactly is the Artifact Strongbox?

Think of the Artifact Strongbox as a sophisticated recycling bin. Located in the Crafting Bench menu (the same place you craft Condensed Resin), this feature allows you to sacrifice three 5-star artifacts you don't need to receive one new, random 5-star artifact from a specific, pre-selected set.

It’s not a gacha pull with Primogems; it’s a resource conversion system. You are trading Resin you've already spent for another chance at a great piece, effectively giving your failed runs a second life. This is the core of smart artifact conversion and a fundamental practice for any player looking to optimize their account efficiency.

Why You Should Be Using the Strongbox Right Now

Many players, especially those in the early and mid-game, hoard their artifacts, afraid to "waste" them. This is the biggest mistake you can correct. Here’s why integrating the Strongbox usage into your daily routine is non-negotiable for efficient progression:

It Solves Your Inventory Problem: The most immediate benefit. Instead of letting useless artifacts clog your inventory, you convert them on the spot. This saves you the tedious hassle of manually deleting items and frees up space for new runs.
It Maximizes Your Resin Efficiency: This is the most crucial point. By using the Strongbox, you are getting a new 5-star artifact for the equivalent of 40 Resin (since you get 3 fodder pieces from a 20-Resin run). A domain run costs 20 Resin for a chance at one 5-star, making the Strongbox an incredibly resin-efficient way to farm for specific sets.
It Targets Older, Powerful Sets: Domains rotate their available sets, but some of the most powerful and universal sets in the game are permanently available in the Strongbox. This allows you to farm for a new character in a new domain while simultaneously building characters that need these classic sets.

A Strategic Look at the Available Strongbox Sets

As of Version 4.x, the selection is generous. Your artifact strongbox choices are critical to your success. Here’s a breakdown of the most valuable sets to prioritize:

Noblesse Oblige: An absolute top priority. The 4-piece effect is one of the best support buffs in the game. Almost every team wants a character holding a 4-piece Noblesse. Farming this domain directly is inefficient when you can get pieces passively through the Strongbox.
Gladiator's Finale & Wanderer's Troupe: These are world boss drops, making them notoriously difficult to farm for a specific piece. The Strongbox is the only reliable way to target a good Gladiator's Goblet or a powerful Wanderer's Troupe EM Sands for your Catalysts and Bow users.
Viridescent Venerer: The cornerstone of any Anemo support character like Kazuha, Sucrose, or Venti. The 4-piece Viridescent Venerer (VV) resistance shred is mandatory for most elemental reaction teams. Using the Strongbox to get a full EM (Elemental Mastery) VV set is one of the wisest long-term investments you can make.
Blizzard Strayer & Heart of Depth: The quintessential duo for Freeze teams and Hydro main DPS characters like Ayaka and Childe. If you're building a Cryo or Hydro carry, converting your fodder here is a fantastic plan.
Crimson Witch of Flames & Thundering Fury: Essential for Pyro and Electro reaction-based DPS characters like Diluc, Hu Tao, and Yae Miko. Getting good pieces for these sets is a notorious resin sink, making the Strongbox a welcome alternative.

Your Step-by-Step Strongbox Strategy: How to Convert for Success

Knowing what to convert is only half the battle. Here is a practical, step-by-step artifact conversion guide to ensure you're always making the right decision.

Step 1: The Initial Purge Lock every artifact that has even a hint of potential (a starting Crit Rate/Crit Damage substat, an Elemental Damage Goblet, an ER/EM Sands, etc.). Everything that remains unlocked is your conversion fuel.

Step 2: Fuel Management Use your "bad" 5-star artifacts as your primary fuel. Never use 4-star or lower artifacts in the Strongbox; they are far more valuable as experience fodder for leveling your good artifacts. The only exception is if your inventory is completely full and you have no Mora to level anything.

Step 3: Choosing Your Target Set This is where your artifact strongbox strategy comes into play. Ask yourself:

Which character am I currently building?
What is the most universally useful set for my account? (Noblesse, VV)
Am I trying to complete a 4-piece set or just find a good off-piece?

A common and highly effective strategy is to farm the newest, most resin-efficient domains (like the one for your newest 5-star character) and feed all the bad pieces into the Strongbox for a universally needed set like Noblesse or Viridescent Venerer.

Step 4: The Conversion Mindset - Managing Expectations The Strongbox is still subject to RNG (Random Number Generation). You will get bad pieces. The key is to view every conversion as a bonus. You are turning something completely useless into a lottery ticket for a potential upgrade. This mindset prevents burnout and helps you appreciate the slow but steady progress.

Answering Your Burning Strongbox Questions

Let's consolidate and solve all related queries in one place.

Is it worth it to use the Artifact Strongbox? Absolutely, 100% yes. The resin efficiency and inventory management benefits are too significant to ignore. For any player at Adventure Rank 45+, it is an essential tool.
When should I start using the Strongbox? The moment you have a steady supply of 5-star artifacts you don't need, which is typically right after reaching AR 45 and starting to farm level 90 domains.
What artifacts should I use as fodder for the Strongbox? Any 5-star artifact that is unlocked and has no potential. This includes pieces with main stats like DEF% or HP% on DPS sets, and pieces with all four starting substats being flat DEF, flat HP, and flat ATK.
Should I roll an artifact to level 4 or 20 before deciding? The general rule is: if an artifact has at least two promising substats (e.g., Crit Rate + Crit Damage), lock it and level it to 4 to see the 4th substat. If it's good, keep going. If it rolls into a bad stat, you can consider it for the Strongbox. Never level a clearly bad artifact to 20 just to fodder it; the experience loss is too great.
What are the best artifact sets to strongbox? For overall account strength: Noblesse Oblige and Viridescent Venerer. For specific DPS characters: Blizzard Strayer, Crimson Witch of Flames, and Heart of Depth. For filling difficult slots: Gladiator's Finale and Wanderer's Troupe.

Advanced Tips for the Discerning Player

Once you've mastered the basics, here are some expert artifact strongbox tips to elevate your game:

The Off-Piece Hunter: The Goblet is almost always your "off-piece" because getting the correct Elemental Damage bonus on the right set is so rare. Use the Strongbox to farm for a near-perfect Sands, Circlet, or Flower for a 4-piece set, allowing you to use your best off-piece Goblet.
Focus on the Foundation Pieces: Flowers and Feathers have fixed main stats (HP and ATK), making them easier to get with good substats. Prioritize getting a perfect Flower and Feather for your core sets first, as this forms a solid foundation for any character.
Don't Neglect Supports: It's tempting to only chase big Crit numbers for your main DPS. However, using the Strongbox to build a 4-piece Noblesse or a 4-piece Viridescent Venerer with the correct main stats (like ER Sands and EM everything for VV) can provide a larger overall damage increase for your entire team.

The Artifact Strongbox is more than just a menu option; it's a philosophy of efficient resource management. By embracing this system, you shift from being a passive victim of RNG to an active strategist, steadily building your account's power one conversion at a time. So, open that Crafting Bench, feed those disappointing artifacts into the machine, and unlock a world of new possibilities. Your next perfect Crit Damage Circlet is waiting.