Every relic in Counter Knights comes from one place, a clean three-star stage clear, and most players walk past dozens of permanent buffs because they never go back to finish stages the right way.
Artifacts Storage is the heart of long-term power in Counter Knights, yet the game barely explains it. Relics are not bought, traded, or pulled from a gacha. You earn each one by clearing a stage with a full three stars, and every relic you store adds a buff that stays with you for good. Counter Knights is a counterattack action RPG built by 235Soft, and this storage is the quiet engine behind a strong knight. If your damage feels stuck after dozens of clears, your relic collection is almost certainly the gap.
What Is Artifacts Storage in Counter Knights?
Artifacts Storage is the in-game collection where every relic you earn is kept, and each stored relic grants a permanent buff. It is not a shop and not a loot crate. The system rewards how well you play a stage, not how much you spend, which makes it one of the fairest progression paths in the game.
The storage has a second job beyond stats. Relics also unlock pieces of the world’s story, so filling it slowly reveals the secret behind the knight’s universe. As of the {{version}} build, the mechanic works the same way it has since earlier versions like 1.2.37, so any guide that points you toward three-star clears still applies.
How To Get Relics: The Three-Star Clear Rule
You earn a relic by clearing a stage with all three stars, not just by beating it. A simple clear pushes the story forward, but it adds nothing to your Artifacts Storage. The three-star result is the only gate, so a stage you rushed through once is still owed a relic until you return and perfect it.
This is good news for grinders. Many stages run short, often around 30 to 45 seconds, so a replay costs very little time. Going back through early levels with a stronger knight is the fastest way to bank relics you skipped, and those buffs then make the harder stages easier to three-star in turn.
What Relics Actually Do: Permanent Buffs And Lore
Each relic you place in storage gives a lasting boost that applies to every run, not just one fight. Because the buffs are permanent and stack as your collection grows, Artifacts Storage becomes a compounding power source. A player with a near-complete storage is simply stronger at the same character level than one who only beats stages once.
The exact value of each relic depends on the specific artifact, and the game shows that detail in the relic’s own description rather than in any public list. So the honest approach is to read each entry in storage as you unlock it. Treat the buffs as the main reward and the lore as a bonus that makes the grind feel less repetitive.
Weapons Hidden Inside Ancient Relic Boxes
Not every relic is a passive stat. Some ancient relic boxes hold weapons you can equip, enhance, and shape around your playstyle. This is where the relic system feeds directly into combat, because the weapon you pull changes how your whole run feels.
Each weapon carries its own enhancement bonus and passive skills, so the build choices matter more than raw numbers. For a safe grinding run, stamina level-ups paired with life-steal weapons keep you alive through long sessions. For a rampage style, weapons that turn basic attacks and skills into area attacks clear crowds faster. Empire weapons fill an enemy’s knock-down gauge twice as fast, which helps when a tough foe needs to be disarmed quickly.
If you want the complete picture of Counter Knights in one place, including the latest {{version}} build and the modded version, the full guide hub covers it. Modded builds can change how in-game resources behave, but they come from outside the official store, so use only sources you trust and remember that altered apps can put your account and progress at risk.
How To Three-Star Stages Faster
The quickest way to fill Artifacts Storage is to master the counter, because a clean counter makes you invincible for that moment and protects the no-damage star. Star ratings reward control, not speed, so a player who reads patterns will out-collect a player who just mashes attacks. These habits make the difference:
- Time your counter to the enemy’s attack windup. The invincibility window cancels the hit and keeps your damage-free star intact.
- Study each boss before you grind it. Every boss uses a unique pattern, so a few practice runs save you many failed star attempts.
- Build for stability first. Prioritize stamina level-ups and a life-steal weapon so you can finish runs without dying.
- Replay the short early stages once your knight is stronger. They give quick relics and warm you up for the harder three-star targets.
One small warning from player feedback. Leveling purchases cannot be reset in the current build, so plan your stat investments before you commit gold to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do relics ever disappear from Artifacts Storage?
No. Once a relic is earned through a three-star clear, it stays in storage and its buff stays active permanently. You do not need to re-equip or re-clear anything to keep it.
Can I get a relic without three stars?
No. The three-star result is the only trigger. A one-star or two-star clear lets you progress the story, but it leaves that stage’s relic locked until you return and clear it cleanly.
Are weapons and relics the same thing?
They overlap but are not identical. Most relics are permanent buffs in storage, while some ancient relic boxes contain weapons you equip and enhance separately. Both come from the relic system, so it pays to chase three stars for either reward.
Does the modded version unlock relics for me?
Earning relics the normal way always depends on three-star clears. Modded builds may alter resources or unlock content, but they carry the usual risks of unofficial files, so weigh that before installing one. The guide hub explains what each version actually changes.
Final Take
Artifacts Storage is the part of Counter Knights that turns a stuck knight into a strong one, and it costs nothing but skill. Go back and three-star the stages you rushed, read each relic buff as you unlock it, and build a stable counter setup before chasing harder clears. Do that consistently and your storage, not your wallet, becomes the reason your knight keeps getting stronger.
