Question on how artifact substat guarantee works?

Basically for rerolling or defining artifacts you're guaranteed 2 (or more) to go on your chosen substats but how does Genshin's rng work?

My question is whether or not the guarantee only comes in after you have sufficient upgrades that went to the bad stats. I've had a few artifact definitions where I end up with a lv 12 piece with no enhancements on the chosen substats. Does the guarantee only kick in after lv12 to ensure that I have at least 2 good upgrades?

For example, when I do the feather reroll that guarantees 4 substats which happens?
1. 4 are guaranteed and only the 5th substat is a 50/50
2. If I want all 5 substats to be on the preffered stats I still need to win all 5 50/50s

Any help would be much appreciated 🙏🙏

Commentaires

ArceusHQ2026-01-22 08:18

You can only use the Feather (dust) on a Max level artifact.

Artifacts will drop as either, what we call, 3-Liners or 4-Liners. This refers to the number of Substats on the Artifact when it drops. 3-Liners will gain their 4th line as a guarantee (and it is shown as slightly greyed out) and can only gain 4 total rolls into Substats (starting from lvl4)

4-Liners have all 4 Substats upon drop. This means you get a total of 5 rolls. This can be seen in the Circlet in your picture.

The initial rolls when leveling are completely random, there's no guarantees. The Glowing Substats are a QoL addition to show what stats the character the artifact on wants.

So every 4lvls, the game will roll a 1/4 to a random substat. Very simple.

Once you use the Feather (Dust of Enlightenment) at max level, you get 2 Guaranteed rolls into the Substats you Selected. This number of guarantees increases if you're hitting the full Golden Circle thingy where on the very last Circle you get 4 rolls into the artifact you select.

To answer your initial thought: No, the game does not explicitly roll guarantees first and then random. It will roll random, but give you your guarantees. There is no order to the rerolls.

Your Circlet is amazing with the 3 rolls in to Crit. I've also received some advice that rerolling 4-Liner Flowers and Plumes are the most cost-effective for f2p, so don't look to spend 2 Dust if you are. But spend your resources how you want, nobody can stop you. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Playful_Highlight_192026-01-22 09:10

Ooh I had no idea about that recommendation

Thanks for your advice!!

Would it be more worth it to use the 3 and 4 reroll guarantees on something rarer like a Pyro dmg bonus goblet or something? Since those are super expensive to try and get with elixers

Oh also, not sure if this is fallacious thinking or not but using the 4 reroll guarantee on a 3 liner would technically be the same as using it on a 4 liner since the chances of getting all 5 on the 4 liner isn't boosted by the 4 reroll guarantee at all? So I may as well use it on the 3 liner...?

ArceusHQ2026-01-22 11:17

My guess is as good as yours, I'd say that's sound reasoning; using the higher guarantee on a better potential artifact that went a little wrong.

Getting good goblets and sands is always a pain, so if you believe you can alleviate that punishment with a couple feathers, should be no problem!

Lastly, I'd say always go for 4-Liner rerolls, it's just more stats. 4 Substats rolls Vs 5 Substats rolls, there's always crazy potential. But once again, it's your choice, I'm not against using the Dust on 3-Liners, especially if you have overall better Substats (sometimes a little extra ER can be nice)

PhyrexianRogue2026-01-22 08:19

Option B.

It's all random, the guarantee only kicks in if you'd roll worse than the minimum. Your odds of getting better are as small as ever.

In a rough analogy, imagine it was a d20. Normally you'd have

25% of getting 16-20.

25% of getting 11-15

25% of getting 6-10

25% of getting 0-5.

With a '10+ guaranteed' like reroller gives, that'd turn into

25% of getting 16-20.

25% of getting 11-15.

50% of getting 10.

Still same low odds of getting 11+, just no risk of getting below 10.

Playful_Highlight_192026-01-22 09:10

I had a suspicion that was gonna be the case π_π

Thanks for your help! 🙏

Medyanka2026-01-22 08:36

Yes, it works like a gacha pity in genshin - guarantee doesn't activates as long as you don't have appropriate amount of "failures".

Standard one with 2 stats guarantee is completely useless, since if it activates - it means that you are now owner of exactly 2 stat roll artifact. If after rolls you have 3 stats rolls - it means that guarantee wasn't even activated, since you rolled "not as bad".

Just treat it as "reroll"... guarantees aside, reroll is still useful.

Playful_Highlight_192026-01-22 09:11

I see, thanks for your help!

Cold-Fall2026-01-22 11:01

tldr it chooses absolutely random substats, and if it doesn't land on 2 substats of your choosing enough times, it forces those substats.
FE you rerolled a piece with 5 substat rolls, first three missed, because your default guarantee is 2, next 2 rolls would be randomised between two substats you chose. If your guarantee is 3 or 4, this guarantee kicks in faster and for more rolls.
You'd need to win a 50/50 5 times in a row for your 5 substat piece to roll all 5 times into what you chose, regardless of how much guarantees you have (can't have 5). 3,125% of this happening.