The June 4 update significantly buffed the 'Flat Stat' options on Artifacts. While the May update made stacking Stat% in sub-options the undisputed best choice, Flat Stats are now making a comeback. So, how should you approach upgrading to get that 'end-game' Artifact with a +4 main stat roll?

First, let's look at aiming for a full +4 upgrade on a main stat. For Sung Jinwoo, you want to target Flat Attack as the main stat on the Helmet, Gloves, and Ring, while aiming for Attack% in the sub-options. For other equipment, it is most efficient to have both Attack% and Flat Attack in the sub-options and hope for as many rolls into Attack% as possible. For Hunters, it's simpler: just stack as many Flat Stat upgrades in the sub-options as you can. If a piece allows a main stat on the primary option, choose the Stat% and then upgrade the Flat Stats in the sub-options.

If you are only aiming for about a +3 upgrade on your main stat, there is no need to overthink it. Whether it's for Sung Jinwoo or a Hunter, just upgrade the Artifact, equip it, and see which one gives you a higher stat boost. At the +3 level, the random variance in upgrade values has a much greater impact than the base stat type.

In short, if you are crafting new gear and want to aim for the best possible outcome, follow the +4 upgrade criteria above. If you aren't chasing +4 rolls or are short on upgrade materials and are content with +3, don't worry too much about the main/sub-option synergy; just keep in mind that Stat% might be 'slightly better' for Sung Jinwoo, while Flat Stats might be 'slightly better' for Hunters.

The reason for these results lies in the stat growth values during Artifact enhancement. For Attack, the sub-option Attack% ranges from 5.95% to 7.15%, with the same value added per upgrade. Similarly, Flat Attack adds between 1006 and 1207. Comparing these, the two options are equal when a Hunter's base Attack is 16881. If the Hunter's Attack is higher than 16,881, Attack% has a higher expected value; if it's lower, Flat Attack is better.

Now, let's look at the upgrades. There are two main cases. First, 'parts where the main stat cannot be a main stat.' For these, it is standard to use gear that has both Stat% and Flat Stats in the sub-options and invest in whichever is better based on your current stats. Sung Jinwoo's Attack is well over 20,000, so he benefits more from Attack%, while other Hunters like Cha Hae-in or others have main stats around 13k–14,000, making Flat Attack more valuable.

Cases where the main stat can be a primary option are more complex. If you have Flat Attack as the main stat and Attack% as a sub-option upgraded to +4, the Attack% value is 27.75%, and the Flat Attack is between 5030 and 6035. Conversely, if Flat Attack is the main stat and Attack% is a sub-option at +4, the Flat Attack is 4492 and the Attack% is 29.75%–35.75%. Based on the median values, the difference is 1040 Flat Attack vs. 5% Attack. When Attack is above 20,800, having Flat Attack as the main stat and Attack% as a sub-option becomes superior. Since only Sung Jinwoo meets this condition, for a +4 upgrade, Sung Jinwoo should aim for Flat Attack main/Attack% sub, while other Hunters should aim for Attack% main/Flat Attack sub.

Using the same logic for a +3 upgrade, the comparison comes down to 66 Attack vs. 1.55%. As you can see, the difference is negligible. Because this gap is much smaller than the random variance of a single upgrade, debating which main stat is 'better' is meaningless. The Artifact with better random rolls will perform better, so the best approach is to equip them and compare.

As for Cores, it can be summarized very simply: just wear Stat% for everything. In the case of Defense, it only fluctuates slightly for Hunters whose main stat isn't Defense.

For the Attack-based Hunter Cha Hae-in, using a Lv20 Core, switching the Mind Core from Attack% to Flat Attack results in a loss of 2484 Attack and a combat power drop of over 15k. For the HP Core, switching to Flat HP resulted in a loss of 466 HP. Even for the Defense Core, where Flat Defense was slightly better, the difference was only 104, meaning that as soon as the Hunter level limit increases again, Defense% will likely become the superior choice.

For Sung Jinwoo, wearing Stat% on all parts yields higher combat power. Changing the main stat Mind Core's Attack option to Flat Attack drops combat power by over 30,000, and for the diamond-shaped Energy Core, combat power drops by about 16k. The difference in Defense was smaller, with a combat power gap of less than 1,000, but since Defense% already shows higher values, there is no reason to use Flat Stats.