01Choose an evolution that matches your weapon
For Sword & Shield, work toward Faded Shield Crest while practicing Perfect Guard. For Blade, use Rusty Tsuba when Sheath or Unsheath is already part of your defense. For Crossbow, Stiff Crank rewards the reload cycle you are using anyway. Dull Resonance Stone is the stat-threshold option: check Move Speed before deciding how much inventory space to spend reaching its trigger.
The practical choice is the route that fits your current run, rather than the evolved item with the most attractive final text. A reload requirement does little for a weapon without that action, and normal blocks are not a substitute for Perfect Guards. When choosing an evolving Artifact, read the action name first, then decide whether you can perform it while still surviving the rooms ahead.
| Starting Artifact | Evolution trigger | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Faded Shield Crest | 50 successful Perfect Guards | Crest of the Iron Wall |
| Rusty Tsuba | Block 30 enemy attacks with Sheath or Unsheath | Master’s Tsuba |
| Dull Resonance Stone | Move Speed reaches 140% or more | Resonance Stone |
| Stiff Crank | Complete Reload 50 times | Marksman’s Crank |
02Check the payoff before committing inventory space
Shield Crest and Tsuba support weapon damage, but their evolved benefits serve different defense loops: the Crest reduces Block cost, while Tsuba extends Blade’s invincibility window. Resonance Stone raises Highest Elemental Damage after its movement threshold. Marksman’s Crank adds a short damage window after a Reload, so plan to attack during that window rather than immediately retreating without using it.
These are the recorded value sequences, not an assumed level range. The numbers below follow the order in the official notes. Check which step your inventory currently displays before comparing two setups; an evolved name alone does not tell you the current strength of the item. For Tsuba, use the 1.0.33 percentage bonus rather than the older duration measured in seconds.
| Evolved Artifact | Recorded benefit | Play around this |
|---|---|---|
| Crest of the Iron Wall | Weapon Damage: 15 / 20 / 25; Block cost reduction: 20 / 30 / 40% | Sustained guarding |
| Master’s Tsuba (1.0.33) | Weapon Damage: 5 / 10 / 15; invincibility duration increase: 40 / 70 / 120% | Sheath / Unsheath timing |
| Resonance Stone | Highest Elemental Damage: 8 / 10 / 12 / 14 | An elemental damage route |
| Marksman’s Crank | Reload Speed: 10 / 20; Normal and Special Attack Damage: +30 / 40% for 10 seconds after Reload | Reload, then use the attack window |
TEAM HORAY · 1.0.31 UpdateTEAM HORAY · 1.0.33 Update
03Evolution not happening? Check the action, then the threshold
Start with the item actually equipped in your active inventory. Spare items in the Side Bag are inactive, so bring the candidate into the working board before building a run around it. Then check the exact trigger: Perfect Guard for the Crest, enemy attacks blocked with the two named Blade actions for Tsuba, completed Reload for the Crank, or the displayed Move Speed threshold for the Stone. An action with a similar animation is not automatically the action the tooltip names.
For Resonance Stone, look at the displayed percentage rather than adding together item descriptions in your head. For the Crank, let Reload complete before checking the transformation; starting the animation is not the stated trigger. After an item changes, read the new name and effect before rearranging your board. This is a better checkpoint than assuming a visual flash means the full build is ready.
TEAM HORAY · Sephiria 1.0 UpdateTEAM HORAY · 1.0.31 Update
04Keep leveling and evolution as two separate decisions
Tablet placement improves the supported Artifact level; evolution changes the Artifact into its named follow-up after a condition is met. Work on both without confusing them. First select an evolution your weapon can trigger. Then allocate your strongest usable board support to the Artifact whose current value helps the next fight. You can sketch the arrangement in the Planner and save it as a reference before trying it in-game.
Before a boss, ask two concrete questions: has the name changed to the evolved item, and what benefit does the current tooltip show? If the trigger is still unfinished, use the starting item’s actual benefit when deciding whether to keep it. For a fresh save, use Comprehensive Training Grounds to examine items you have already unlocked, then return to a live run for progression; the room is a useful inspection tool rather than an assumed shortcut for every unlock.