All feat Artificer

[Waazraath]

The Artificer has the rather unique ability to get an effective 18 or even 20 in ability scores, without ASI's: they can infuse stat raising items. Intelligence and strength can be raised to 19 at level 10; constitution can be raised to 19 and strength to 21 at level 14.

These infusions are pretty damn good to begin with. But with the way 5e is designed, a character is perfectly viable to skip all stat increases and use them for feats. If you start with a 16 in your main stat(s), this will be more than enough up to level 10, when you can start increasing. And a str based (Battle Master) Artificer will get a main stat even up to the normal maximum (+5 bonus).

Leading to the conclusion that you can spend all your ASI's on feats and end up with 5 or 6 of them!.

Help me out playground: how to make the best use of this?
- Battle Smith has extra attack, Sharpshooter and Crossbow Expert are nobrainers there, as are Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master.
- the usual "good feats" can be added in the build: Alert, Lucky, Resilient (something), Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate for versatility, maybe Tough...
- from Xanathar's Elven Accuracy is always a nice way to increase damage, though Artificer lacks obvious ways to get advantage on attacks (besides Radiant Weapon)

But are there any specific combinations that are better than "just pick all the obvious top feats"? Help me out playground :)

[Misterwhisper]

The Artificer has the rather unique ability to get an effective 18 or even 20 in ability scores, without ASI's: they can infuse stat raising items. Intelligence and strength can be raised to 19 at level 10; constitution can be raised to 19 and strength to 21 at level 14.

These infusions are pretty damn good to begin with. But with the way 5e is designed, a character is perfectly viable to skip all stat increases and use them for feats. If you start with a 16 in your main stat(s), this will be more than enough up to level 10, when you can start increasing. And a str based (Battle Master) Artificer will get a main stat even up to the normal maximum (+5 bonus).

Leading to the conclusion that you can spend all your ASI's on feats and end up with 5 or 6 of them!.

Help me out playground: how to make the best use of this?
- Battle Smith has extra attack, Sharpshooter and Crossbow Expert are nobrainers there, as are Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master.
- the usual "good feats" can be added in the build: Alert, Lucky, Resilient (something), Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate for versatility, maybe Tough...
- from Xanathar's Elven Accuracy is always a nice way to increase damage, though Artificer lacks obvious ways to get advantage on attacks (besides Radiant Weapon)

But are there any specific combinations that are better than "just pick all the obvious top feats"? Help me out playground :)

Gnome armorer
At level 3 becomes proficient with heavy armor and takes no penalties for it
Armor attacks use INT

Buy a 17 int
Take: telekinetic, telepathic, and fade away.

You now have a 20 int by level 12 with 3 good feats powering it.

Level 16 and 19 take magic initiate wizard for green flame blade and find familiar, then squat nimbleness just for the heck of it.

[Taboomantis]

Artificer gets ritual casting already. Don't need to burn a feat.

[MeeposFire]

Artificer gets ritual casting already. Don't need to burn a feat.

But do you have the rituals you want? For instance ritual casting wizard would give you ritual access to spells you do not have such as find familiar.

[iTreeby]

A small race battle Smith could use the mounted combat feat to ride their defender so they could redirect attacks to themselves and have the defender use defensive pounce to avoid the attack, weapon master so you can use a Lance and or whip, sentinel to stop people (or I guess hit people attacking your mount for some reason?)

[Contrast]

Artificer gets ritual casting already. Don't need to burn a feat.

In addition to the points others have made, you also need to have them prepared to ritual cast them as an artificer, which ritual caster helps avoid.

[Amechra]

Would Heavy Armor Master be worth it on an Armorer? I'm leaning towards "no", but if you're literally going for all feats, no ASIs...

[Quietus]

Would Heavy Armor Master be worth it on an Armorer? I'm leaning towards "no", but if you're literally going for all feats, no ASIs...

You'd have to weight it against the other feat options available, but damage reduction of 3 against nonmagical physical damage would certainly make your THP shield last longer.

[Makorel]

Be a Dex Battle Smith. You're just gonna use a headband of Intellect at 10th level no need to dump worthless points into int. Max out Dex Wis and Cha, then hang back and fire crossbow bolts until you get your stat boosting items.