When your Artifact inventory starts filling up in Genshin Impact, checking the main stat is one of the fastest ways to decide which pieces deserve a closer look.
But there is an easy mistake to make:
Keeping only ATK%, CRIT, and Elemental DMG Artifacts while automatically getting rid of HP%, DEF%, or Elemental Mastery pieces.
Different characters scale from different stats, and some Artifact main-stat combinations are much harder to replace than others.
So which Artifact main stats should you actually keep?
In general, you should keep main stats that have a realistic use for the Artifact set, your current characters, or potential future builds—especially when the combination is difficult to replace and has useful substats.
You do not need to keep every Artifact with a potentially useful main stat. But understanding which stats deserve extra attention can prevent you from throwing away valuable pieces.
Which Artifact Slots Have Variable Main Stats?
Artifacts have five equipment slots:
- Flower of Life
- Plume of Death
- Sands of Eon
- Goblet of Eonothem
- Circlet of Logos
Flowers and Plumes are simple.
A Flower always has HP as its main stat, while a Plume always has ATK.
That means the main-stat decision primarily matters for:
- Sands
- Goblets
- Circlets
These three slots can roll different main stats, which makes certain combinations much more difficult to obtain.
Which Sands Main Stats Should You Keep?
Sands can have the following main stats:
- ATK%
- HP%
- DEF%
- Energy Recharge
- Elemental Mastery
All five can be useful.
The question is whether the stat makes sense for a character who could use the Artifact.
ATK% Sands
ATK% is useful for many characters whose damage scales primarily with ATK.
That makes ATK% Sands common candidates to inspect.
However, you do not need to keep every ATK% Sands you find.
Once you have several good pieces from the same set, compare their substats and possible users. Average duplicates can become unnecessary quickly.
HP% Sands
Do not automatically discard HP% Sands.
Some characters scale their damage, healing, shielding, or other abilities with HP.
An HP% Sands from a set that makes sense for an HP-scaling character can therefore be highly useful.
The better its substats fit those possible users, the stronger the reason to keep it.
DEF% Sands
DEF% has the same problem as HP%: it can look undesirable if you are evaluating every Artifact as though it were meant for an ATK-scaling damage dealer.
But some characters scale directly from DEF.
For those characters, DEF% can be exactly the main stat you want.
Keep promising DEF% Sands when the set and substats create a realistic build combination.
Energy Recharge Sands
Energy Recharge Sands deserve careful consideration.
Some characters need substantial Energy Recharge to use their Elemental Burst consistently.
For those characters, meeting their Energy requirements can be more important than simply adding another offensive main stat.
An ER Sands with useful substats—especially from a relevant set—is often worth keeping.
Elemental Mastery Sands
Elemental Mastery Sands can be extremely useful for characters and teams that rely heavily on Elemental Reactions.
Do not judge an EM Sands by traditional ATK/CRIT standards alone.
A reaction-focused character may value EM far more than stats that would look stronger on a conventional damage dealer.
Which Goblet Main Stats Should You Keep?
Goblets are where you should generally become more cautious about getting rid of potentially useful pieces.
Possible Goblet main stats include:
- ATK%
- HP%
- DEF%
- Elemental Mastery
- Physical DMG Bonus
- Elemental DMG Bonus
Elemental DMG Bonus can correspond to the different elements in the game.
Because the Goblet main-stat pool contains many possibilities, obtaining the exact combination you want can take time.
That makes potentially useful Goblets worth inspecting carefully.
Should You Keep Elemental DMG Bonus Goblets?
Usually, you should at least inspect them before deciding.
Elemental DMG Bonus Goblets can provide:
- Pyro DMG Bonus
- Hydro DMG Bonus
- Electro DMG Bonus
- Cryo DMG Bonus
- Dendro DMG Bonus
- Anemo DMG Bonus
- Geo DMG Bonus
These are commonly useful for characters whose damage is concentrated in the corresponding element.
A good Elemental DMG Bonus Goblet can also be valuable as an off-set piece.
Because a character does not normally need all five Artifact slots to come from the same set to activate a 4-piece set bonus, the Goblet is often the slot where players use an especially strong Artifact from another set.
For that reason, think carefully before discarding an Elemental DMG Goblet with useful substats simply because its Artifact set appears unrelated.
Should You Keep Every Elemental DMG Goblet?
No.
This is where inventory management matters.
An Elemental DMG Bonus main stat is a good reason to inspect an Artifact, not necessarily a reason to store it forever.
Suppose you already own several strong Pyro DMG Bonus Goblets and obtain another one with weak substats.
If it is clearly worse than your existing alternatives and has no other realistic use, keeping it merely because it says “Pyro DMG Bonus” may accomplish very little.
As your account improves, compare new Goblets against the pieces you already own.
Rare or desirable main stats deserve caution—not unlimited inventory space.
Should You Keep Physical DMG Bonus Goblets?
Keep useful ones if you play or intend to build a character whose damage benefits significantly from Physical DMG Bonus.
Physical builds are more specialized than simply matching one of the seven elements, so you may not need a large collection of Physical DMG Goblets.
A strong one can still be worth keeping for the appropriate build.
Again, potential use matters more than the name of the stat alone.
Should You Keep Elemental Mastery Goblets?
Elemental Mastery Goblets can be valuable for reaction-focused builds and deserve careful evaluation.
If the Artifact belongs to a set commonly used in an EM-focused build, the combination becomes particularly interesting.
Even if the substats do not resemble those of a traditional CRIT DPS Artifact, the piece can still be useful.
Before getting rid of an EM Goblet, ask whether a character who prioritizes reactions could realistically use it.
Should You Keep ATK%, HP%, or DEF% Goblets?
Sometimes.
Elemental DMG Bonus is not automatically the correct Goblet main stat for every character.
Depending on a character’s scaling, kit, team, and available bonuses, an ATK%, HP%, or DEF% Goblet may have a legitimate use.
This is another reason universal rules such as:
“Delete every Goblet that is not Elemental DMG Bonus.”
can cause problems.
Look at the possible character and build first.
If the main stat has no realistic use with the set or substats, you can become more selective.
Which Circlet Main Stats Should You Keep?
Circlets can have main stats including:
- CRIT Rate
- CRIT DMG
- Healing Bonus
- Elemental Mastery
- ATK%
- HP%
- DEF%
CRIT Circlets are obvious pieces to inspect, but they are not the only valuable options.
Should You Keep CRIT Rate Circlets?
CRIT Rate Circlets are worth checking carefully for characters who use CRIT.
A CRIT Rate Circlet can be particularly useful when a character has plenty of CRIT DMG but struggles to reach a balanced CRIT Rate.
Look at the substats as well.
A CRIT Rate Circlet with useful stats such as CRIT DMG, Energy Recharge, Elemental Mastery, or the relevant scaling stat can become a strong piece depending on the character.
But just like other Artifacts, you do not need to keep every CRIT Rate Circlet indefinitely.
Should You Keep CRIT DMG Circlets?
Yes, when they have realistic use.
CRIT DMG Circlets can be valuable when the rest of the build already provides enough CRIT Rate.
Their usefulness depends on the complete character build rather than the main stat in isolation.
A CRIT DMG Circlet is not automatically better than a CRIT Rate Circlet—or vice versa.
The better choice is whichever helps the character reach a more effective overall stat distribution.
Should You Keep Healing Bonus Circlets?
Healing Bonus Circlets can be useful for healers, so do not automatically treat them as failed pieces.
If the Artifact set is appropriate for a healing or support character and the substats provide useful stats such as Energy Recharge or the character’s relevant scaling stat, the piece may be worth keeping.
However, you probably do not need a huge collection of mediocre Healing Bonus Circlets.
Keep the ones with a realistic purpose.
Should You Keep Elemental Mastery Circlets?
Yes, particularly when you use reaction-focused characters that want an EM main stat.
Like EM Sands and Goblets, these pieces should not be judged solely by whether they have impressive CRIT substats.
The main stat itself may be one of the most important parts of the build.
A useful EM Circlet from an appropriate set can therefore be worth keeping even when it looks unusual compared with a standard CRIT build.
Should You Keep HP%, DEF%, and ATK% Circlets?
Keep them selectively.
These main stats can be useful when they match the scaling or role of a particular character.
For example:
- HP% can matter for HP-scaling characters
- DEF% can matter for DEF-scaling characters
- ATK% can be useful in builds that benefit heavily from ATK
But these pieces should have a reason to exist in your inventory.
If you cannot identify a realistic user, the Artifact set does not support the combination, the substats are poor, and you already have stronger alternatives, there may be little reason to keep it.
Which Main Stats Deserve the Most Caution Before You Get Rid of Them?
There is no universal “never delete” list, because Artifact value changes with characters, sets, and your account.
However, be especially careful when evaluating pieces such as:
- Elemental DMG Bonus Goblets with useful substats
- Useful Physical DMG Bonus Goblets
- Elemental Mastery Sands, Goblets, and Circlets
- Energy Recharge Sands with useful substats
- CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG Circlets with useful substats
- Main stats that strongly match the purpose of their Artifact set
- Unusual main-stat and substat combinations that fit a specific character particularly well
The key word is useful.
A desirable main stat does not rescue every terrible Artifact, but it can justify taking a closer look before deciding.
Main Stat or Substats: Which Matters More?
For Sands, Goblets, and Circlets, getting the appropriate main stat is often the first requirement.
Excellent substats usually cannot compensate for a main stat that does not work for the intended character.
Once the main stat is appropriate, the substats help determine how good the Artifact can become.
A practical evaluation order is:
Main stat → possible user → Artifact set → substats → comparison with existing pieces
This prevents you from keeping an Artifact merely because it has attractive CRIT substats when its main stat makes it difficult to use.
Should You Keep a Bad Artifact Because Its Main Stat Is Rare?
Sometimes temporarily—but not forever.
Suppose you finally obtain the main stat you need on a particular Goblet, but the substats are poor.
If you have no better option, that Artifact may still be useful.
Equip it or keep it while continuing to search for an upgrade.
Once you obtain a clearly better replacement, the old piece becomes much easier to remove.
A difficult-to-obtain main stat should make you more patient, not convince you that every piece with that stat must remain permanently locked.
A Simple Main Stat Checklist
When looking at a Sands, Goblet, or Circlet, ask:
1. Is this main stat useful for any realistic character or build?
If no, the piece becomes much easier to reject.
2. Does the main stat make sense with the Artifact set?
Good synergy increases its potential.
3. Are the substats useful for the type of character who wants this main stat?
Look for stats that work together rather than simply counting CRIT rolls.
4. Is this combination difficult for me to replace?
Be more patient with pieces you rarely obtain.
5. Do I already have clearly better versions?
Your inventory should become more selective as your Artifact collection improves.
Quick Answer: Which Artifact Main Stats Should You Keep?
There is no Artifact main stat that you should automatically keep every time, and there is no stat that is universally useless.
For Sands, ATK%, HP%, DEF%, Energy Recharge, and Elemental Mastery can all be valuable on the right character.
For Goblets, be particularly careful with Elemental DMG Bonus, Physical DMG Bonus, and Elemental Mastery pieces, while remembering that ATK%, HP%, and DEF% can also be appropriate for certain builds.
For Circlets, CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG are important for many damage-focused characters, while Healing Bonus, Elemental Mastery, ATK%, HP%, and DEF% can serve other roles.
The safest rule is:
Keep a main stat when you can identify a realistic build that wants it, the Artifact’s other stats support that purpose, and the piece is good enough to compete with what you already own.
The rarer the useful combination is, the more carefully you should think before getting rid of it.
