Season 2 is live, so now’s the perfect time to get your characters ready for new adventures. In this guide, we’ll break down the best and most efficient ways to gear up in Patch 11.1 so that when the season starts, you’ll know exactly what to do and be among the first to max out your gear.
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WoW TWW Season 2 Efficient Gearing Tips and Tricks
Run Mythic 0s
Mythic baseline dungeons (Mythic 0 or M0) are now one of the best ways to gear up in the early days of Season 2. With Patch 11.1, they drop 636 ilvl Champion gear from each boss, which is just 3 ilvls lower than BiS pieces from Season 1! That makes M0s a must-do, especially for returning players who didn’t fully gear up last season.
Even if you’re already close to 630 ilvl, these dungeons still offer a ton of value in the first few weeks. The gear you get can be leveled all the way to 658, and running M0 regularly also gives you a good bunch of Carved Crests, so you can upgrade pieces to 645 ilvl without farming the currency anywhere else.
For comparison, Normal raids in Patch 11.1 also drop 636 ilvl gear from the first boss. However, raids come with way more hassle—finding a decent group or a guild, learning mechanics, and hoping your team knows what to do. Sure, raids are essential for high-end gearing, but M0s are a much easier and more efficient way to get started.
Quick note: M0 dungeons now have returned to a weekly lockout, so plan your runs accordingly!
Focus on the Right Mythic+ Keys
Patch 11.1 brings a major rework to Mythic+ rewards, making them more accessible—even for less experienced players. Now, we get more crests per run, and end-of-dungeon drops start at 639 ilvl Champion gear on Mythic +2. With the overall experience becoming more forgiving, it’s important to focus on the right keys based on your skill level and goals.
If you’re new to Mythic+
Stick to +2s—they have no affixes except for a timer, which makes them perfect for learning routes and mechanics while still getting solid rewards: 10 Runed Crests, 639 ilvl Champion gear from dungeon clears, and 649 ilvl Hero-track gear in the Vault.
If +3s are too easy
Your best bet is +6 keys. At this level, there’s only one affix, Xal’atath’s Bargain, but the rewards are significantly better: 18 Runed Crests, 649 ilvl Hero-track gear from the clear, and 655 ilvl Hero pieces in the Vault.
If you can handle harder content
You should focus on +8s. Here’s the thing: at +7, you’ll face two affixes—Xal’atath’s Bargain plus either Tyrannical or Fortified, and at +10, you’ll deal with all three affixes at once, making the runs much tougher. +8 keys strike the perfect balance between reward and difficulty. Loot-wise, +8s drop 652 ilvl Hero-track gear, which is just 3 ilvls lower than the highest Mythic+ end-of-run reward (655 ilvl from +10s). The jump from two affixes at +8 to three affixes at +10 is huge in difficulty and not worth the small loot difference—you can simply upgrade your 652 gear to 655 with Runed Crests instead of struggling with that extra affix.
If you just want max Vault rewards
Cap your runs at +10. Going beyond that isn’t worth it unless you’re chasing rating since the Great Vault loot maxes out at 662 ilvl at Keystone level 10. What’s more, +12 and higher replaces the Bargain affix with the brutal Xal’atath’s Guile that removes 15 seconds from the timer per player death, so those increased crest drops are not really worth the struggle.
Spend Your Crests Wisely
Even with all the loot changes, farming crests still takes time. That’s why you need to prioritize your upgrades instead of spending them left and right. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your crests:
- Spend only on Hero-track or higher items (if you’re not pushing high-end content, you can start with Champ gear).
- Use Gilded Crests only on BiS items.
- Don’t upgrade gear if you’re planning to craft that slot.
- Don’t upgrade gear below what you can get as a drop (to make sure your crests aren’t wasted by future loot).
By managing your crests wisely, you’ll maximize your gear upgrades and avoid wasting resources.
Craft Gear for Your Low iLvl Slots
Crafting in Season 2 is easier and more accessible than ever. The overall cost of crafts has decreased, and now you can buy Enchanted Crests directly from a vendor and just put them into that reagent slot with no extra hassle. If you have characters with crafting professions, the early season is the perfect time to use them to replace low-item-level slots where you haven’t been lucky with drops.
Run Delves to Gear Up Solo
For solo players, Delves are a real lifesaver, especially at the start of the season, as they offer great gear without the need to bother finding a group. Delves loot in Patch 11.1 has been improved, now even dropping crests, and your companion Brann can now tank, giving you more freedom and making the runs significantly easier.
Of course, compared to raids and M+, gearing in Delves is not as rewarding—loot caps out at 639 ilvl Champion gear at Tier 8 Bountiful Delves, and in the weekly Vault, you won’t get higher than 649 ilvl Hero-track pieces. However, as a way to speed up your gearing, especially for solo sessions, Delves are still a great option in the early weeks of the season.
