Keep your artifact weapon until BfA

[rrayy]

AFAIK the pre-launch patch will also contain a lot of the new abilities and such, as well as the balance changes to the world. It would be MORE strange for your artifact abilities to NOT turn off. I suspect the quest is basically just cosmetic. Lore stuff that doesn't effect actual gameplay.

Um...shouldn't we be able to just character copy to the PTR and double check this? The PTR is 8.0, right?

The traits on your weapon are disabled. But, you keep the weapon until you get a weapon drop that is an upgrade. Otherwise you will have no weapon at all.

- - - Updated - - -

Wow did this actually happen?

Don't know about the days part, but players did actually log out in Naxxramus right before the launch of Wrath thinking they would be put in the new one only to be unable to log in to their toons.

[Galaar]

The prepatch heavily nerfs the ilvl of the artifacts.

They are not nerfed, they are squished. My bow on live is 984 without crucible. It equates to a 251 which is inline with the stat squish of BfA.

[SirCowdog]

The traits on your weapon are disabled. But, you keep the weapon until you get a weapon drop that is an upgrade. Otherwise you will have no weapon at all.

That brings up an interest point though: After 8.0, will there be random weapon drops during Legion leveling content, or will it just be relics+artifact? I guess it would a lot of work for Blizzard to create an entirely new set of Legion-themed weapon drops, though, now that I think about it.

[yamilonewolf]

Theres only a 2h and scythe from antorus isn't there? for most classes the artifact is pretty much all they have no? (skipped this teir can't be sure.)

[Ielenia]

My suggestion is, keep your artifact weapon until the day before the expansion releases. That way you will have all your traits until that day!

I am 99.9% certain that, even if you don't do that "artifact retirement" quest, all your artifact traits and relic bonuses will be disabled the moment the expansion hits, since several artifact traits are being made into talents and passives in BfA.

[Jastall]

That brings up an interest point though: After 8.0, will there be random weapon drops during Legion leveling content, or will it just be relics+artifact? I guess it would a lot of work for Blizzard to create an entirely new set of Legion-themed weapon drops, though, now that I think about it.

No reason to. Relic drops from quests/dungeons are enough to keep your artifact going until 110.

[RobertMugabe]

My suggestion is, keep your artifact weapon until the day before the expansion releases. That way you will have all your traits until that day!

The traits won't be working at all when the pre patch hits. The pre patch already includes the class changes. Keeping the artifact traits might brake the game.

[The Anax]

..Nevermind. I'm not shocked at all. People are just that dumb nowadays.

I do not think I am being dumb, though you are entitled to your opinion, but I do appear to be confused. I was thinking the prepatch WAS the patch containing the quest where we get rid of our weapons. (Now I have seen many people saying that in the prepatch the artifacts will just lose their abilities even without doing the quest). But in my confusion, I thought the prepatch was on the PTR and would be going live soon, containing the quest, and that it would stay until the BfA launch. Apparently I was wrong and the quest will be in the prepatch prepatch?

[Kikazz]

Well crap. I had seen no confirmation on that, I guess keep them until the day before the prepatch? Lol

the second i logged into the PTR, and looked at my weapon the traits were disabled regarldess of the quest.

[The Anax]

the second i logged into the PTR, and looked at my weapon the traits were disabled regarldess of the quest.

OH ok, so it is in the prepatch, it's just already lost all its abilities, and ALSO has the quest where you go to Silithus. I see, that clears it up for me.

[FelPlague]

They are not nerfed, they are squished. My bow on live is 984 without crucible. It equates to a 251 which is inline with the stat squish of BfA.

No they are for sure nerfed...

[Jastall]

They are not nerfed, they are squished. My bow on live is 984 without crucible. It equates to a 251 which is inline with the stat squish of BfA.

They are kinda nerfed in relation to the rest of your gear. My 996 weapon is 250 on Beta while the rest of my gear is at 245-250 despite being a mixture of 960 to 975 pieces. That might be just beta scaling being wonky however.

[Whitedragon]

Yes, I do plan on keeping the only weapon (in Legion) until BFA launch provides upgrades.

Ahh the mighty Ashbringer, destroyer of countless undead, demon, and other evils. The blade forged by the some of the strongest light users, the thing that shatterd Frostmorne, and the thing that has absorbed power from countless unique artifacts to further empower it. OOH a battlescard grate blade of the whale EVEN BETTER!

[Thage]

I wonder if the 8.0 world event (Burning of Teldrassil/Battle for the Undercity) will include some weapons to wean us off our depowered Artifacts, so players don't feel like they're just losing out in 8.0.

[vorchun]

They are kinda nerfed in relation to the rest of your gear. My 996 weapon is 250 on Beta while the rest of my gear is at 245-250 despite being a mixture of 960 to 975 pieces. That might be just beta scaling being wonky however.

There's definitely something else going on beside squishing, my 1002 artifact became 253, but 975 Scythe from mythic Argus became 255. Btw, that probably makes Scythe of the Unmaker/Taeshalach 975+ bis for melee until you get something better from quests. Not for casters, though, as there's no Intellect on the Scythe.

[Tech614]

I wonder if the 8.0 world event (Burning of Teldrassil/Battle for the Undercity) will include some weapons to wean us off our depowered Artifacts, so players don't feel like they're just losing out in 8.0.

The undercity quest does give you a weapon but it's pretty worthless compared to anyone with an even remotely high ilvl artifact.

Most won't replace their weapon until 115+ loot and player with really high weapons won't replace until 117+ rewards. Also for people with only 1Hers as a option they need to acquire 2 upgrades before they can be replaced.

- - - Updated - - -

There's definitely something else going on beside squishing, my 1002 artifact became 253, but 975 Scythe from mythic Argus became 255. Btw, that probably makes Scythe of the Unmaker/Taeshalach 975+ bis for melee until you get something better from quests. Not for casters, though, as there's no Intellect on the Scythe.

Crucible was disabled. It's not 1002 being squished it's 987.

It's not an equal squish across the board(for example fully upgraded pantheon trinket drops to 280 but legos drop to 265) but yea, you're automatically losing 15 ilvls just from crucible.

[Jastall]

There's definitely something else going on beside squishing, my 1002 artifact became 253, but 975 Scythe from mythic Argus became 255. Btw, that probably makes Scythe of the Unmaker/Taeshalach 975+ bis for melee until you get something better from quests. Not for casters, though, as there's no Intellect on the Scythe.

Now if only I could get Taeshalach to actually drop after 5 months of killing Aggramar every week on 2 eligible characters...

[The Anax]

The undercity quest does give you a weapon

Are the weapons unique models? That is, can I collect different ones on all my toons for transmog?

[dcc626]

They are not nerfed, they are squished. My bow on live is 984 without crucible. It equates to a 251 which is inline with the stat squish of BfA.

you also lose the 15 ilvls from the crucible.

[Tech614]

Are the weapons unique models? That is, can I collect different ones on all my toons for transmog?

They're pretty generic, quest looking weapons.