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In Middle-earth: Shadow Of War, you can explore several regions across Mordor where each has its own unique environment, with orcs from different classes and fortresses for you to conquer. Apart from the main quests, you can also collect Gondorian Artifacts that both provide you with bits of lore and reward you with the Prospector skill upgrade for collecting all of them.
You can begin collecting these artifacts after completing the Seeing Stone quest in Minas Ithil, where you’ll be helping Idril and the other Gondorian soldiers in the fight against the orcs.
How To Locate The Gondorian Artifacts
You can locate every artifact by taking over and using the Haedir towers you'll find in each region. When you start collecting the artifacts, you have the choice of collecting the ones in Minas Ithil and Cirith Ungol before the end of the first Act or waiting until after you complete some of the main quests in Nurnén before you can travel again.
There are 54 artifacts in total, and you can generally find 11 of them in most regions. Gorgoroth has the least, with nine artifacts, and Seregost has the most artifacts, with 12.
Collecting all the Gondorian Artifacts within a region awards you one skill point. If you're just starting out, you might want to grab all the artifacts in Minas Ithil first to unlock an extra skill early on.
Gondorian Artifacts In Minas Ithil
Once the opening cinematic is done, you'll enter Minas Ithil in the midst of battle. There are 11 artifacts in the region.
Bear in mind that Minas Ithil's name changes to Minas Morgul after completing the quests in that region.
Gondorian Artifact #1 |
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You can find your first artifact close to your fast travel point. It's on the top of this archer tower inside this small orc outpost. |
Gondorian Artifact #2 |
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Taking the path that goes along the right side of the mountain will lead you to this one. You can find it on the edge near an orc tent. |
Gondorian Artifact #3 |
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You can find this artifact to the left of the bridge as you enter the city, or to your right as you exit it. It's just a few feet from the bridge, also close to the edge of the cliff. |
Gondorian Artifact #4 |
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You'll be able to find this artifact in a building close to the city's entrance. It's in this passage where the gates are raised. |
Gondorian Artifact #5 |
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This one is much closer to the Haedir tower in the area; you can find it underneath a crosswalk and next to the brazier. |
Gondorian Artifact #6 |
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This artifact can be found in a watch tower that is a relatively short distance from the Haedir tower. You can also see a crossbow propped up against one of the walls once you've reached the top. |
Gondorian Artifact #7 |
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As you travel closer to the amphitheater, you'll see this grand tower; the artifact is next to the torch closest to the mountain wall behind it. |
Gondorian Artifact #8 |
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This artifact is easy to spot from the Haedir tower closest to the fortress. You can see it on this terrace bordered by pillar walls. |
Gondorian Artifact #9 |
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You can find this artifact on top of this ruined tower that has a cable that connects to a smaller building. This tower sits close to the entrance of the amphitheater. |
Gondorian Artifact #10 |
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You'll find this artifact in the amphitheater. You can climb on top of the outer wall and run until you see this collapsed part of the wall. |
Gondorian Artifact #11 |
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Behind the northernmost Haedir tower, you'll find this terrace with the artifact sitting in the corner across the torch. |
Remember that when returning to Minas Ithil after Act II you'll have to deal with higher level orcs. They can be avoided, but you never know when you'll be ambushed or tracked down by a random orc captain. To make it easier for yourself, you can collect the artifacts while you're still in Act I.
Gondorian Artifacts In Cirith Ungol
Cirith Ungol is filled with caverns, caves, and arches. Much of its architecture is built into the rock itself or in the middle of natural openings. You'll find 11 Gondorian Artifacts in this region.
Gondorian Artifact #12 |
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This is likely the first artifact you'll find upon entering Cirith Ungol. It's to the left of the path that goes to the fortress inside this orc tent. |
Gondorian Artifact #13 |
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Following along the edge of the cliff toward the fortress, you could probably spot this artifact from the other side of the gap to the right of a stack of crates and grog barrels. |
Gondorian Artifact #14 |
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This artifact sits at the very top of the fortress; all you have to do is climb up the walls. The artifact is in the middle of a few crates stacked on top of each other. |
Gondorian Artifact #15 |
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From the Haedir tower, you'll see a passage just on top of a ledge looking out at the cliff you're on. Go past the three huts and turn left, then you'll find the artifact. |
Gondorian Artifact #16 |
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By fast traveling to this particular Haedir tower, you'll find that the artifact resides in a broken tower across the Haedir, to the right. |
Gondorian Artifact #17 |
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The artifact is on top of the highest platform that sits across four others. There isn't any scaffolding that leads directly to this spot, so you have to climb up to the hanging walkway first. |
Gondorian Artifact #18 |
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This one is in the same area, but at its lowest level. It's directly under a bridge, against the wall that's parallel to the other four platforms. |
Gondorian Artifact #19 |
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This artifact is on top of a pole that can be seen from a ledge on the other side. This ledge has a crane and a cage that looks directly at the pole. |
Gondorian Artifact #20 |
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You can locate this artifact by going to the same Haedir tower you used to find artifact #16, but go to the left. There's a large empty cage sitting at the top of a ledge. The artifact is on the roof of this cage. |
Gondorian Artifact #21 |
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The artifact here sits on top of a walkway where you can usually expect a few archers to be patrolling it. The walkway is on the other side of the wall from the five high-rise platforms. |
Gondorian Artifact #22 |
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This one is close to the fight pit, in the passage behind it. It's on a platform that's generally guarded by an archer. |
Gondorian Artifacts In Núrnen
Núrnen, home to Carnan's forest, and where you'll be introduced to Shadow Of War's game mechanic called Fight Pits. This is where orcs fight against each other to rise up the ranks and partake in their favorite pastime - murder. You'll also be able to send your followers to the pits as well.
Gondorian Artifact #23 |
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On the fortress' left-hand side, you can find the artifact sitting behind this particular rock that's facing the cliff. |
Gondorian Artifact #24 |
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Go across to the fortress' right-hand side; you'll find this artifact close to both the edge and a tree. |
Gondorian Artifact #25 |
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At the center of the fortress, you have to find the building that has a small platform on the side of it that connects via a cable to another building. |
Gondorian Artifact #26 |
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Moving away from the fortress to the east where another Haedir can be seen near a waterfall. To cross the gap, you'll have to jump across these rock columns. You'll find this artifact on the smaller column. |
Gondorian Artifact #27 |
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On top of the Haedir tower, you'll be able to see a large, natural arch that leads to the fight pit. The artifact is underneath this arch and next to this small building made of stone. A tree sits directly across it. |
Gondorian Artifact #28 |
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There are three waterfalls you'll be able to see from the fight pit. You can climb the wall next to the third waterfall and then go in a cave. You'll find the artifact next to a torch and a few puddles to the left. |
Gondorian Artifact #29 |
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To the south of the fight pit, you can find another cave's entrance to your right. Once you go inside you'll see the artifact on top of the ledge. |
Gondorian Artifact #30 |
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Further south, just above the small harbor, you'll find a tower that's decorated with large animal bones. The artifact is on the second floor. |
Gondorian Artifact #31 |
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For this artifact, you need to go to the center of the forest, which is in the middle of the map. The artifact is behind the tree against the side of the structure in the middle. |
Gondorian Artifact #32 |
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You can find this artifact on top of this wooden deck next to the flagpole. This is next to the fight pits, or behind it when facing the waterfalls. |
Gondorian Artifact #33 |
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This crane sits on the other side of this small mountain and is close to the fortress. The crane is between two buildings; the artifact is on top of this crane. |
Gondorian Artifacts In Seregost
Seregost has 12 Gondorian Artifacts, although you won't be able to find the last one. That's because you acquire the last one by completing the main quests that appear in the region.
Gondorian Artifact #34 |
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This artifact can be found by following the path to your right when you spawn at the fast travel point. Keep following the path until you reach a group of ledges that lead to the frozen lake. The artifact is next to the broken barrel. |
Gondorian Artifact #35 |
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You'll find the artifact at the top of this tower that's in the center of the fortress. It's another artifact that is fairly close to the fast travel point. |
Gondorian Artifact #36 |
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On the other side of the fortress, at the top of the wall covered in ice, you'll find an artifact near the edge to your left. |
Gondorian Artifact #37 |
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There's a cave entrance close to the edge of the cliff where the ice ends. Going inside you'll find that there's a dugout to the left and the artifact you're looking for. |
Gondorian Artifact #38 |
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South of the Haedir, to the right of the fortress, is a ledge that runs parallel to the edge of the map. You will find an old cage and a workbench across a small group of buildings. The artifact can be found here. |
Gondorian Artifact #39 |
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At the edge of the map to the east, there's a shallow cave where you can expect to find a Graug. The artifact is behind a large rock that blocks the cave from view. |
Gondorian Artifact #40 |
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There are a few ledges that are located in a passage down and to the left from the Haedir. The artifact is next to a few crates that are neatly stacked on top of each other. |
Gondorian Artifact #41 |
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There's a large cave further south from the previous Haedir tower. The artifact is between a pile of crates and a large hut. |
Gondorian Artifact #42 |
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There's an archer's platform at the center of the large cave. You can find the artifact on top of that platform, which will be on your right as you come in from the top of the cave. |
Gondorian Artifact #43 |
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This artifact can be found to the left as you're going to the cave's southern exit. It's in a dugout pocket, just a few feet away from the southern opening. |
Gondorian Artifact #44 |
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To the right of the ice-wall you'll see ledges that are being used to hoist materials to the top of the ledge. The artifact is on top of the crane on the second floor. |
Gondorian Artifacts In Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth has the lowest number of artifacts, with only nine Gondorian Artifacts in the region. You'll find most of these artifacts inside the mining pits and caves throughout Gorgoroth.
Gondorian Artifact #46 |
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The artifact sits on top of this wooden pole, just outside the fortress walls. On the side that's closest to the fast travel point. |
Gondorian Artifact #47 |
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An artifact sits on the cables that connect to this building over the lava canal. You can see the building as you approach it from the fortress gate. |
Gondorian Artifact #48 |
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This artifact sits near the edge of a cliff between two small trees. You're able to see it from the Haedir on the cliff next to it. The fight pit in this region is just north of this artifact. |
Gondorian Artifact #49 |
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This artifact is on this walkway inside a burrow, which is also one of the larger pits in Gorgoroth. Go down into the pit, and you'll see a dugout with this platform to the left-hand side. |
Gondorian Artifact #50 |
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This artifact is in a cave that is situated relatively close to the fortress. You can see the artifact on the right-hand side right after going inside the cave. |
Gondorian Artifact #51 |
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The cave where you'll find this artifact has a space with a high ceiling. You'll find the artifact on top of this particular platform. |
Gondorian Artifact #52 |
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You can find this artifact next to the mine cart after crossing the lava bridge. It's shortly after entering this cave that you'll be able to see it. |
Gondorian Artifact #53 |
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An artifact can be found on this archer tower that stands closest to the rock wall. |
Gondorian Artifact #54 |
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This artifact is on an archer tower that stands across the Haedir on the opposite end of the area. |
After gathering all the Gondorian Artifacts, you'll be rewarded five skill points and the Prospector skill upgrade. The skill allows you to pick up higher-quality gems as you carry on through the game.
The gems add bonuses to your character, which you can assign to each piece of your equipment. Unlocking a gem slot will cost you 1,000 Mirian. There are three gems that you can equip, namely the Wealth, Vitality, and Potency gems. They are also color-coded accordingly - white, green, and red.
You can also fuse gems of the same property to create higher-quality ones, which have better bonuses.