You’re staring at your workbench in Once Human. The sun is setting over the Chalk Peak, and you’ve got about forty different things you need to smelt, craft, or cook. It feels like a chore. You probably think the only way to speed this up is to grind more levels or build more machines. Honestly, you're missing the most broken mechanic in the game: the Once Human Artisans Touch Memetic Specialization. It is a total game-changer.
Most players just click through their specialization rewards. They see "Artisans Touch" and think it’s some minor buff for making furniture look pretty. It isn't. It’s actually one of the most powerful utility perks for anyone who wants to stop spending five hours a day hitting rocks.
What Artisans Touch Actually Does to Your Gameplay
If you’ve played Once Human for more than a few hours, you know the "material bottleneck" is real. You need Copper. Then Bronze. Then Steel. Then suddenly you need thousands of Aluminum and Tungsten. The Once Human Artisans Touch specialization fundamentally alters the math of your resource management.
Basically, this specialization focuses on two things: durability and yield. When you have this perk active, the items you craft—specifically tools and weapons—gain a massive boost to their base stats. But the real "secret sauce" is the repair efficiency. Normally, repairing a high-tier pickaxe feels like a punch in the gut. You spend almost as many resources fixing the tool as you would just making a new one. Artisans Touch cuts that cost down significantly.
It makes your gear last longer. A lot longer.
Think about it this way. If your pickaxe lasts 30% longer and costs 20% less to repair, you are effectively gaining hours of your life back. You aren't constantly running back to your base because your gear broke halfway through a Tungsten run. It’s about momentum.
The Controversy: Why Some Players Skip It
There is a huge debate on the Once Human Discord and Reddit communities about whether Artisans Touch is "meta." Some players swear by the "Solar Drill" or the "Electric Furnace" specializations instead. They aren't necessarily wrong, but they are looking at the game differently.
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If you're a solo player, you need self-sufficiency.
The Solar Drill is great, sure. It recharges in the sun. But guess what? It breaks. And when it breaks, it’s expensive. If you have the Once Human Artisans Touch buff applied to your crafting benches, the high-tier tools you produce are simply better than the "naked" versions.
I’ve seen people argue that "Artisan" perks are for roleplayers. That’s a mistake. In a survival-crafting MMO, efficiency is power. If you can stay in the field longer than your rival, you get the better loot spawns. You get the Prime War materials first.
How to Get It (And What to Do if You Missed It)
Specializations in Once Human are a bit of a gamble. Every five levels, you get a choice of four random perks. If Artisans Touch doesn't show up in your level 20, 25, or 30 slots, you might feel like you're stuck.
You aren't.
- Memory Fragments: You can find or trade for specialization fragments.
- Specialization Cleansers: Use these to reroll your slots.
- The "Friend" Method: This is the big one. If your friend has the Once Human Artisans Touch specialization, they can come to your base, use your materials, and craft the tools for you. The buff stays on the item even after they leave your hive.
This is why "Artisans" are the most popular people in any Warband. They are the designated crafters who keep everyone’s gear at peak performance. Honestly, if you don't have it, find someone who does and pay them in Acid or Energy Links. It's worth it.
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The Math Behind the "Touch"
Let's get technical for a second. In Once Human, every item has a "Quality" tier. Most players focus on the tier of the material (Tier 1 to Tier 5). Artisans Touch effectively acts as a hidden Tier 6 for durability.
When a "Master" crafter with this specialization touches a workbench, the internal "Repair Cost" variable is modified. Instead of a linear scaling of cost-to-durability, it becomes logarithmic. You're saving roughly 15-25% on rare ores over a long play session.
If you are farming for a Base expansion, that 25% adds up to thousands of Ingots.
Stop Making These Crafting Mistakes
I see so many players making the same three mistakes with their gear:
- They repair items at 50% durability. Don't do that. Wait until it's nearly broken to get the most value out of your repair kits.
- They ignore the "Artisan" tag on items. If an item was crafted with Once Human Artisans Touch, it will often have a small icon or slightly different stat range. Check your inventory.
- They don't specialize their benches. Even if you have the perk, you need to make sure you're using the right facility to get the bonus.
It’s easy to get distracted by the flashy combat perks. Everyone wants to do 10% more damage with a sniper rifle. But you know what’s better than 10% more damage? Having a sniper rifle that doesn't break in the middle of a Silo run.
Actionable Next Steps for Survivalists
If you want to maximize the Once Human Artisans Touch potential, stop what you're doing and check your Memetic screen.
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First, look at your level 20-35 specialization slots. If you see it, take it. No questions asked. If you don't see it, save your Specialization Cleansers. Don't waste them on low-level perks. Wait until you're level 40+ to start hunting for the perfect Artisan roll.
Second, check your Hive or Warband. Ask in the world chat: "Who has the Artisans Touch for Steel/Tungsten tools?" Usually, someone will be happy to help for a small fee.
Third, build a "Master Crafting" station. Keep this workbench separate from your "scrap" workbench. Only use the Master station when you are crafting your primary tools or weapons that you intend to keep for a long time.
Lastly, stockpile your repair materials now. Even with the discount, you’ll still need a steady supply of Vanadium Crystals and specialized parts. The Once Human Artisans Touch makes things cheaper, but it doesn't make them free. Get your infrastructure ready so that when you finally land that specialization, you can immediately upgrade your entire arsenal.
Start looking at your gear as an investment, not a consumable. That is the real secret to dominating the late-game grind.