Midnight Season 2 Alt Gearing Guide
Fast-track your fresh alt from level 80 to full Myth-track gear. Follow the streamlined 4-phase route: Warbound gear & Nightmare Preys, M0 World Tour, Tier 8 Delves & Nemesis Azta’rec, +10 Mythic+, Heroic raids, and optimal Bonus Rolls.
Last updated: 2026-08-19
Season 2 Raider’s Strategic Playbook (Larias’ Core Rules)
Key system changes in Midnight Season 2 that determine the fastest route to maximum item level:
Heroic Raid Vault yields Myth 1/6 (317). Mythic Raid Vault drops fully upgraded Myth 6/6 (324), saving 80 free Myth Crests per week!
Take a Bonus Roll as your default Vault choice. Never roll a dungeon while raid upgrades exist—Heroic roll gives Myth 1/6; Mythic roll gives Myth 6/6!
Always upgrade the Hero-track item in a slot to 6/6 Hero BEFORE upgrading a Myth item in that slot. This eliminates lower Myth crest costs, saving 20-40 Myth crests per slot!
Season 2 Item Level (ilvl) Reference Matrix
| Activity | Track | End-of-Run ilvl | Great Vault ilvl | Strategic Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patch Week M+0 Dungeons | Veteran | 292 | N/A (Week 1) | Weekly lockout per dungeon during Aug 11-17 pre-season week. |
| Tier 8 Bountiful Delves | Champion | 298 | 304 (Hero 1/6) | Requires Restored Coffer Keys from weekly activities & world events. |
| +2 to +5 Mythic+ | Champion | 298 - 301 | 304 - 308 | Infinite farmable end-of-dungeon drops for Champion gear & crests. |
| Normal Venomous Abyss Raid | Champion | 298 - 304 | 298 - 304 | Drops tier tokens & Champion track gear. Weekly boss lockout. |
| +6 to +9 Mythic+ | Hero | 304 - 308 | 311 - 314 | +6 key level unlocks Hero track end-of-dungeon drops. |
| Heroic Venomous Abyss Raid | Hero | 311 - 317 | 311 - 317 | Primary source for Hero-track tier pieces and weapons. |
| +10 Mythic+ | Myth | 308 (Hero 3/6) | 317 (Myth 1/6) | +10 key completion unlocks highest Myth-track Great Vault option. |
Filter Gearing Phases
Alt Gearing Steps
- 1Explorer / VeteranPhase 1279 - 285 entry
Equip Warbound Gear, Hunt 3 Nightmare Preys & Collect 4 Sparks
Send over Warbound-until-equipped gear from your Warband bank. Defeat 3 weekly Nightmare Preys across the zones for fast gear caches and crests. Complete or skip the Coiled Isle intro campaign to unlock World Quests, and pick up the 2x weekly Spark quests to quickly obtain 4 Sparks.
Why this matters: Warbound gear, Nightmare Preys, and sparks provide an instant item-level cushion, open-world gear drops, and crafting reagents without replaying repetitive intro questlines.Account Shortcut: Transferring Warbound caches and using the campaign skip removes 2+ hours of setup. - 2Explorer / VeteranPhase 1292 ilvl baseline
Clear a World Tour of all 8 Mythic 0 Dungeons
Run all 8 Season 2 dungeons on Mythic 0 difficulty. M0 drops 292 ilvl Veteran gear on a weekly lockout, replacing any leftover leveling greens or low blues across all slots in a single sweep.
Why this matters: A solid 292 ilvl baseline ensures your character has the health pool and throughput to comfortably push Tier 8 Delves and low M+ keystones. - 3HeroPhase 1298 - 304 (Hero 1/6)
Push Tier 8+ Delves, Use Delve Map & Kill ?? Nemesis Boss (Azta’rec)
Climb Delves to Tier 8+. Run a Tier 8 Delve with a Delve Map for a guaranteed 1/6 Hero item (304 ilvl). Then defeat the Nemesis ?? Delve boss (Azta’rec) in a 5-man group for 60 uncapped Hero Crests and 30 uncapped Myth Crests. Complete a T11 delve with map + the Season 2 Cracked Keystone quest for another 20 uncapped Hero & 20 uncapped Myth Crests.
Why this matters: Yields 80 uncapped Hero Crests and 50 uncapped Myth Crests right away, fueling high-tier upgrades and early 5/6 Myth crafting before pushing higher keys.Pro Tip: Use the SnakeSays addon on Azta’rec for automatic boss callouts; organized groups can easily one-shot the encounter. - 4ChampionPhase 2298 - 304 ilvl
Run LFR & Normal Raid; Catalyze 2-Set and 4-Set Immediately
Queue LFR and clear Normal Venomous Abyss for tier tokens and Champion gear (298-304). Use the Revival Catalyst on any eligible Champion or Hero armor pieces to immediately unlock your 2-set, then 4-set tier bonus.
Why this matters: Tier set bonuses provide the single largest DPS/HPS power spike in the game (often 10-15%+ throughput), vastly exceeding raw secondary stats. - 5HeroPhase 2304 - 311 (Hero 3/6)
Climb Mythic+ Keys: Farm +10s for 311 ilvl Hero 3/6 End Drops
Climb through +2 to +5 keys for Champion drops (298-301), +6 to +9 for initial Hero drops (304-308), and farm +10 keys for repeatable 311 ilvl (Hero 3/6) end-of-dungeon drops in every non-tier slot while capping weekly crests.
Why this matters: +10 keystones are the ultimate repeatable gear source for alts: they drop Hero 3/6 loot at end-of-dungeon, fill Great Vault slots with Myth 1/6 choices, and yield Hero and Myth crests. - 6HeroPhase 2311 - 317 (Hero 6/6)
Full Clear Heroic Raid & Upgrade 3 Key Items to 6/6 Hero
Clear Heroic Venomous Abyss for Hero-track tier tokens, weapons, and trinkets (311-317). Before entering Mythic raid, spend 180 Hero Crests to upgrade three 3/6 Hero items directly to 6/6 Hero (60 crests per item).
Why this matters: Reaching 6/6 Hero on 3 critical slots pushes your average item level to ~315+, maximizing throughput and survivability for Mythic progression. - 7MythPhase 3320 (Myth 5/6)
Craft a 5/6 Mythic Item (320 ilvl) Using 4 Sparks & 80 Myth Crests
Use 4 Sparks and 80 Myth Crests to craft a 5/6 Mythic item (320 ilvl). A 2H weapon is the biggest single upgrade, but if tuning patches or spec swaps are possible, craft a high-stat BiS armor slot, jewelry, or embellishment.
Why this matters: Crafted gear at 5/6 Mythic provides deterministic, perfectly itemized stats and embellishments at the highest base power level without relying on RNG drops. - 8MythPhase 3Crest Efficiency
Master the Crest Discount Rule: 6/6 Hero BEFORE Upgrading Myth
Golden Rule from Larias: Always upgrade the Hero-track item in a specific equipment slot to 6/6 Hero BEFORE upgrading a Myth-track item in that slot! Upgrading the slot to 6/6 Hero unlocks the upgrade crest discount, eliminating the lower-rank Myth crest cost and saving 20 to 40 Myth Crests per slot.
Why this matters: Myth Crests are hard-capped. Burning raw Myth Crests on 1/6 or 2/6 Myth upgrades without the Hero discount permanently wastes crests that could have crafted another Myth item. - 9MythPhase 4317 - 324 (Myth 1/6 to 6/6)
Master the Great Vault & Bonus Roll Rule: Never Roll Dungeons Over Raid
In Season 2, Great Vault raid rewards jump to the next track: Heroic raid vault slots give 1/6 Mythic (317), while Mythic raid vault slots drop fully upgraded 6/6 Mythic (324, saving 80 crests!). Take a Bonus Roll from your Vault as default. LARIAS’ RULE: Never, ever bonus roll a dungeon while raid upgrades exist. Only take a Vault item over a Bonus Roll if: (1) it is a high-value piece from a boss you won’t bonus roll, (2) it is the last item needed from a boss with bad remaining loot, or (3) an ultra-rare BiS M+ item of equal simmed value.
Why this matters: Bonus rolling a Heroic raid boss awards a 1/6 Mythic item; bonus rolling a Mythic boss awards a 6/6 Mythic item. Rolling dungeons gambles away guaranteed Mythic raid power. - 10MythPhase 4327 - 344 (Myth 9/6)
Target Venomcursed 9/6 Myth Items & Cantrip Effects
The final two raid bosses drop Venomcursed 9/6 Mythic items with powerful Cantrip effects and unique 2-set weapon/trinket bonuses. Catalyzing these pieces preserves both their secondary stats and their cantrip effects! Hold a Bonus Roll for your guild’s Mythic kills on these bosses to guarantee 9/6 Myth drops.
Why this matters: Venomcursed 9/6 items with cantrip effects are +10 item levels above standard Mythic gear and provide massive passive throughput bonuses that define top-tier builds. - 11MythPhase 4Account Discount
(Optional / Advanced) Degen Alt Crest Sacrifice for Account-Wide Discount
For hardcore min-maxers: Farm 900 crests on a sacrifice alt, downgrade all Myth crests to Hero crests, and upgrade all 15 gear slots to 6/6 Hero to unlock the "Hero of the Mist" achievement. This unlocks an account-wide Hero crest discount, allowing your main and future alts to upgrade Hero items for pennies.
Why this matters: Accelerates subsequent alts and mains into full 6/6 Hero and Myth upgrade readiness, maximizing crest efficiency across your entire Warband.
Mix and match your PVE activities
Solo & Delves, Mythic+, and Raid rewards complement each other. Play any combination you enjoy and switch whenever another activity offers a faster upgrade.
Delves, Nightmare Preys & World Bosses
Combine weekly Nightmare Prey hunts, weekly world events, and Bountiful Delves. Defeat 3 Nightmare Preys for fast weekly gear caches, then push Tier 8 Delves.
Useful target
3 Nightmare Preys + Tier 8 Delve + ?? Azta’rec
- Defeat 3 Nightmare Preys each week for fast outdoor gear and crests.
- Tier 8 Delves + Nemesis Boss: Champion 298 drops, Hero 304 Vault & 80 uncapped crests.
Mix Delves with Mythic+ or Raid whenever either offers a faster upgrade path.
Mythic+ Dungeons
Start with M0 World Tour (292), climb +2 to +9 keys, and farm +10 keys for repeatable 311 Hero 3/6 end drops and Myth 1/6 Vault.
Useful target
M0 (292) → +10 for Hero 3/6 & Myth Vault
- +6 to +9 drops 304–308 Hero gear; +10 drops 311 Hero 3/6.
- +10 weekly completion unlocks a Myth 1/6 (317) Great Vault choice.
+10 is the alt farming sweet spot, dropping Hero 3/6 loot with zero lockout.
Venomous Abyss Raid
Clear LFR/Normal for tier sets, Heroic for 311–317 Hero gear and Myth 1/6 Vault, and Mythic for fully upgraded 6/6 Myth gear (324+).
Useful target
Heroic for 311–317 & Mythic for 324+ (6/6M)
- Heroic Vault awards Myth 1/6 (317); Mythic Vault drops Myth 6/6 (324).
- Final bosses drop Venomcursed 9/6 Myth items with Cantrip effects.
Bonus roll Heroic/Mythic raid bosses; never bonus roll dungeons over raid.
PVE Alt Gearing FAQ
How fast can a fresh alt reach Myth-track gear in Season 2?
Extremely fast. By clearing an M0 World Tour (292 baseline), doing Tier 8 Delves + the ?? Nemesis Delve boss (80 uncapped crests), farming +10 keys for 311 Hero 3/6 gear, and crafting a 5/6 Myth item with 4 Sparks + 80 Myth Crests, an alt can enter Heroic/Mythic raid within days of hitting max level.
Should I take an item from the Great Vault or a Bonus Roll?
Take a **Bonus Roll as your default option**. In Season 2, rolling a Heroic raid boss gives a 1/6 Mythic item, while rolling a Mythic boss gives a fully upgraded 6/6 Mythic item (+80 free crest value). Only pick an item from the Vault if: (1) it is a high-value piece from a boss you won’t roll, (2) it is the last needed item from a boss with bad remaining loot, or (3) an ultra-rare BiS M+ item of equal simmed value.
Why should I NEVER bonus roll a dungeon?
As Larias highlights: **never bonus roll a dungeon while consistent raid upgrades remain**. Raid boss bonus rolls award Mythic-track items (Heroic roll = Myth 1/6; Mythic roll = Myth 6/6), whereas dungeon bonus rolls cap at lower tracks and waste your weekly roll currency.
How does the Crest Discount Golden Rule work?
Always upgrade the Hero-track item in a specific gear slot to **6/6 Hero BEFORE upgrading a Myth-track item in that slot**. Upgrading a slot to 6/6 Hero unlocks the discount for all future upgrades in that slot, eliminating the lower-rank Myth crest cost and saving 20 to 40 precious Myth Crests.
What are Venomcursed 9/6 items and how do they work with the Catalyst?
The final two raid bosses drop **Venomcursed 9/6 Mythic items** featuring powerful Cantrip effects and 2-set weapon/trinket bonuses. Catalyzing these pieces retains both their secondary stats and cantrip effects, making them the absolute highest-power items in Season 2 (+10 ilvls above standard Mythic).
Do I have to commit to one progression lane?
No. Delves, Mythic+, and Raids are completely interchangeable gear sources. You can mix and match any combination you enjoy at whatever difficulty your group clears consistently.
Optimization & PvP
Once gearing is no longer the bottleneck, optimize your secondary stats and gems or take your alt into PvP.