Does anyone wield-id weapon artifacts?

[Blobbo]

Contam sucks, so I always use a scroll of ID on them, and any item type that I don't like I just leave on the ground. Am I doing it right?

[nago]

For weapon there's also distortion, which is most of times even worse than *contam.
But yes you're doing right, only ID artefact/egoed weapon that can be a direct upgrade of what you're using - e.g. all shiny hand-axe can stay on the floor if you have a battleaxe and so on.

[tasonir]

I sometimes pick them up/wield them just because "ooo shiny" and I can't help myself. I recognize it's not generally safe and don't recommend it. That said, if you're at least high enough level to survive the abyss, it isn't that terribly likely to kill you

The safe way to do it is to ignore anything that isn't a good base type that you are skilled in (or early enough that you're willing to pick up that skill) and to use an ID scroll on it. Randarts of the right type only are rare enough that this won't cost too many ID scrolls. IDing all randarts is too much.

[byrel]

I've never died to wield-IDing artifact weapons that look like a possible upgrade. I've certainly died to things I wouldn't have if I had a disto branded artifact weapon of my current type. I pretty much always wield-ID artifact weapons that look useful. I know it's possible I get screwed over with the +0 bardiche of Misfortune {Distortion, *Contam, Stlth--, rF-, AC-4} but it hasn't happened yet. Ordinarily they're easy to unequip, and even if they aren't, are on par or slightly better than a plain unenchanted weapon of the same base type.

[daggaz]

Depends on when you find them, actually.

In the early game, you should wield ID glowing or artefact weapons of your chosen type (and no others ever) IF you have a scroll of remove curse identified in your inventory. The chances of getting distortion or contamination are pretty low compared to getting a weapon that will be at least moderately better than what you are carrying at the moment. Its much more likely it will be cursed (and -1 or something), hence the scroll. This also saves you an ID scroll at a time when identifying the potions in your inventory takes the highest priority.

Later on, I would ID artefacts and I wont even look at glowing weapons if I already have a suitable brand.

[jejorda2]

I'll carry around an artifact weapon of the wrong base type if it has rElec or SInv or +Blink. So I'll wield-ID random artifacts until I find those intrinsics somewhere. Somewhere might be other equipment or a spell book. Poison resistance was on the list when you could eat chunks with it.

[byrel]

Oh and flaming. If I'm using edged weapons I'll wield Id to find foo of flaming where foo can be any type.