At any one time, each player is only allowed to use a maximum of three artefacts, of which only one can be account-scope.
Village-scope artefact overrides the account-scope artefact of the same effect. Therefore those effects do not stack.
Players may hold more than 3 artefacts. In such case, the time when artefacts were gained matters, and the artefacts gained earlier have a preference.
Only the oldest account-scope artefact and the 2 oldest village-scope artefacts can be active. If there are no account-wide artefacts, then the 3 oldest village-scope may be active.
When the situation changes, the artefacts are activated/disabled as needed to follow the rules mentioned above. This is especially important in case of the fool artefacts, which can change between village-wide and account-wide scope.
The player may also manipulate the situation to their benefit by conquering their own artefact or the whole village. This updates the time when the artefact was gained, so it becomes the youngest.
Example
A player owns 5 artefacts.
- A - small, fool's, village-scope faster training, conquered day 1.
- B - large, better spies, conquered day 2.
- C - small, better spies, conquered day 3.
- D - small, stronger buildings, conquered day 4.
- E - small, village-scope, faster troops, conquered day 5.
It is day 10, the three oldest artefacts are active:
B which has account-scope, and A & C which are village-scope.
Since B and C have the same effect type, in the village affected by C, it provides the power (with higher bonus), while in all other villages, the effect from B works.
On day 11 the situation changes because the fool's artefact changes its scope. So now it is:
- A - small, fool's, account-scope, stronger buildings, conquered day 1.
- B - large, better spies, conquered day 2.
- C - small, better spies, conquered day 3.
- D - small, stronger buildings, conquered day 4.
- E - small, village-scope, faster troops, conquered day 5.
Now there are 2 account-scope artefacts amongst the oldest 3, but only one can be active. So the active artefacts are:
A (account-scope), C and D (both village-scope).
In the village affected by D, it provides the stronger buildings effect, while in other villages A provides a similar effect.
Now the player decides he doesn't want the C effect anymore and instead wants E to be active. The player conquers his artefact C from another village. Now the situation is the following:
- A - small, fool's, account-scope, stronger buildings, conquered day 1.
- B - large, better spies, conquered day 2.
- C - small, better spies, conquered day 11.
- D - small, stronger buildings, conquered day 4.
- E - small, village-scope, faster troops, conquered day 5.
So now the active are:
A (still account-scope), D and E (village-scope).
C is now inactive because the other 2 village-scope are now older.