Getting out of att/def 1 is the hardest step, all high att/def stat artificer equip is required sometimes, the weekly glory packs are another good source for artificer gear. one low stat item is enough to prevent you getting to 2

Nothing wrong. 

You will need max of all purples (they range in values slightly) to get to the next rank. 

It can be frustratingly slow at the moment, but it's a feature of progress that isn't fully implemented yet. Try to keep an eye out for one item that is -1 from the others.