Midnight Season 1 Item Level Overview
Gear in Midnight Season 1 follows five upgrade tracks. Each piece drops at a specific track and rank, and you upgrade it using Dawncrests. Every upgrade costs 20 crests. Here is the full ilvl breakdown for every gear source in the game.
Upgrade Tracks
| Track | ilvl Range | Crest Type |
|---|---|---|
| Adventurer | 220 - 237 | Adventurer Dawncrests |
| Veteran | 233 - 250 | Veteran Dawncrests |
| Champion | 246 - 263 | Champion Dawncrests |
| Hero | 259 - 276 | Hero Dawncrests |
| Myth | 272 - 289 | Myth Dawncrests |
Crests are capped at 100 per type per week. Plan your upgrades accordingly.
Gear Sources and Item Levels
| Gear Source | Drop ilvl | Track | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Dungeons | 214 | None | Not upgradeable. Filler gear for fresh 90s. |
| Heroic Dungeons | 230 | Adventurer 4/6 | Upgradeable to 237. Queue requires ilvl 211+. |
| Mythic 0 Dungeons | 246 | Champion 1/6 | Upgradeable to 263. Your first real gear. |
| M+ (key 2-5) | 250 - 256 | Champion 2-4/6 | Scales per key level. |
| M+ (key 6-9) | 259 - 263 | Hero 1-2/6 | Hero-track drops start at +6. |
| M+ (key 10+) | 266 | Hero 3/6 | End-of-run loot caps here. Higher keys = same drops. |
| Normal Raid | 246 - 263 | Champion 1-6/6 | Scales by boss. Final bosses drop highest. |
| Heroic Raid | 259 - 276 | Hero 1-6/6 | Sweet spot for most players. L'ura drops 276. |
| Mythic Raid | 272 - 289 | Myth 1-6/6 | World-first race tier. L'ura drops 289. |
| Delves (Tier 1-4) | 220 - 230 | Adventurer 1-4/6 | Solo/duo content. Easy starter gear. |
| Delves (Tier 5-8) | 233 - 250 | Veteran to Champion | Tier 7-8 give Champion 2/6 (250). |
| Crafted (Hero) | 259 - 272 | Hero 1-5/6 | Requires Spark of Radiance + Hero Dawncrests. |
| Crafted (Myth) | 272 - 285 | Myth 1-5/6 | Requires Spark of Radiance + Myth Dawncrests. |
| PvP Honor Gear | 217 - 276 | Scales with rating | Low floor, decent ceiling. Good for gearing alts. |
| PvP Conquest Gear | 246 - 289 | Scales with rating | Top-end matches Myth. Requires rated play. |
Week 1 Gearing Path (Fresh Level 90)
You just hit level 90. Midnight's gearing is designed to get you raid-ready quickly if you focus on the right activities in the right order.
Days 1-2: Heroic Dungeons and World Content
Skip normal dungeons entirely. Normal dungeon loot is ilvl 214 and not upgradeable. It is a waste of time. Instead, run heroic dungeons as soon as you can queue (requires ilvl 211). Heroic drops ilvl 230 gear (Adventurer 4/6), upgradeable to 237. Run each heroic dungeon once or twice. By day 2, you should be ilvl 225-230.
Fill gaps with world quests and Delve Tiers 1-4 (ilvl 220-230). Both are quick, require no group, and help you hit the M0 threshold faster.
Days 3-5: Mythic 0 Dungeons
Once you hit ilvl 230+, start forming groups for Mythic 0. M0 drops ilvl 246 gear (Champion 1/6), a huge jump from heroic. There are 8 dungeons in the M+ pool: Magisters' Terrace, Maisara Caverns, Nexus-Point Xenas, Windrunner Spire, Pit of Saron, Skyreach, Seat of the Triumvirate, and Algeth'ar Academy. Run all 8 at least once. Each boss has a chance at loot, and you can upgrade Champion gear all the way to 263 with Champion Dawncrests.
Target for end of week 1: ilvl 245-250. You are ready for normal raid.
Days 5-7: Crafting + Delves
Craft a weapon using your first Spark of Radiance. A crafted Hero weapon starts at ilvl 259, which is a massive jump that will carry you for weeks. If you cannot afford Hero crests yet, even a Champion-track craft at 246 beats anything from heroic dungeons.
Run Delve Tiers 5-8 during downtime. Tier 7-8 drops ilvl 250 (Champion 2/6) and contributes to your Great Vault. Delves require no group and scale to solo play.
Mythic+ Gearing
M+ is the most rewarding gearing path for dedicated players. You can run keys infinitely, and every key gives a shot at loot plus Great Vault progress.
M+ End-of-Run Loot Table
| Key Level | End-of-Run ilvl | Track | Vault ilvl | Vault Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M0 | 246 | Champion 1/6 | 256 | Champion 4/6 |
| +2 to +3 | 250 | Champion 2/6 | 259 | Hero 1/6 |
| +4 to +5 | 253 - 256 | Champion 3-4/6 | 263 | Hero 2/6 |
| +6 to +7 | 259 | Hero 1/6 | 266 - 269 | Hero 3-4/6 |
| +8 to +9 | 263 | Hero 2/6 | 269 | Hero 4/6 |
| +10+ | 266 | Hero 3/6 | 272 | Myth 1/6 |
Key fact: End-of-run loot caps at +10 (ilvl 266). Running a +15 gives the same dungeon drops as a +10. The vault also caps at +10 (ilvl 272, Myth 1/6). Higher keys only matter for score, title progress, and the challenge itself.
Great Vault Strategy
The Great Vault is your single most important weekly gear source. Complete M+ dungeons to unlock vault slots: 1 dungeon = 1 choice, 4 = 2 choices, 8 = 3 choices. Your reward ilvl is determined by your highest key completed that week.
The +10 breakpoint is everything. Complete one +10 in a week and your vault reward jumps to ilvl 272 (Myth 1/6). That is the same track as Mythic raid gear. One key per week, one Myth-track piece per week. This is the fastest path to high ilvl for most players.
If +10 is out of reach, even a +7 gives you ilvl 269 (Hero 4/6) from the vault. Still strong.
Maximize your vault options with our Mythic+ Boost service. We guarantee key completions and help you hit the +10 vault threshold.
Raiding for Gear
Midnight has three raids with 9 bosses total across three instances: The Voidspire (6 bosses), The Dreamrift (1 boss), and March on Quel'Danas (2 bosses). Loot ilvl scales by boss position within each difficulty.
Raid Loot by Difficulty
| Difficulty | First Boss | Mid Bosses | Final Boss (L'ura) | Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFR | 233 | 237 - 243 | 250 | Veteran |
| Normal | 246 | 250 - 256 | 263 | Champion |
| Heroic | 259 | 263 - 269 | 276 | Hero |
| Mythic | 272 | 276 - 282 | 289 | Myth |
Normal Raid requires roughly ilvl 240 to be effective. Most organized guilds clear it in week 1-2. You get 2-3 pieces per week plus a Great Vault option.
Heroic Raid is the sweet spot. Early bosses drop ilvl 259, L'ura drops 276. Doable for organized guilds by week 3-4. This is where gear progression starts to feel real.
Mythic Raid is world-first race tier. L'ura drops ilvl 289, the highest in the game. Only for elite guilds with near-perfect execution.
Pro tip: Skip the normal mode grind. Our Midnight Raids Bundle clears all three raids on Heroic so you get maximum tier tokens and gear in a single week. For a single raid, our Heroic Raid Carry works too.
Crafting and Sparks
Crafting in Midnight is gated by Sparks of Radiance, a weekly time-limited reagent. You get one spark per week.
Crafted Gear Tiers
Rare Crafted Gear (no spark): ilvl 220-246, Adventurer to Veteran track. No gating. You can craft and upgrade these immediately. Good for filling gaps in week 1.
Epic Hero Crafted (1 spark + Hero Dawncrests): ilvl 259-272. One Spark of Radiance per piece plus 80 Hero Dawncrests for the crest boost. This is equivalent to early heroic raid gear.
Epic Myth Crafted (1 spark + Myth Dawncrests): ilvl 272-285. Requires 80 Myth Dawncrests. Two weeks minimum: one to earn the spark, another to accumulate Myth crests. Equivalent to mid-tier Mythic raid gear.
What to Craft First
- Weapon: Craft it immediately in week 1. Weapons have the worst drop rates and highest stat scaling. Even a Champion-track crafted weapon (ilvl 246) beats anything from heroic dungeons. If you can afford Hero crests, jump straight to ilvl 259.
- Trinkets: Trinkets with good procs are hard to target. Craft one if you have leftover sparks.
- Armor: Craft last. Dungeons and raids will fill armor slots naturally.
Delves for Gear
Delves are Midnight's solo/duo content. No weekly lockout, no group finder stress. You can chain-run them as long as you want.
Delve Rewards by Tier
Tier 1-4 drops Adventurer gear (ilvl 220-230). Tier 5-6 drops Veteran gear (ilvl 233-237). Tier 7-8 drops Champion 2/6 (ilvl 250) and gives Hero 1/6 (ilvl 259) from the Great Vault. Tier 8 is the cap for Bountiful Delves.
Delves are best for three things: filling gaps, contributing to vault objectives, and gearing alts without group dependency. If you are stuck at ilvl 235 and need a few more points to queue M+, chain Tier 5-6 Delves. If you need extra vault choices, run Bountiful Delves alongside your M+ and raid.
Our Delves Boost clears the highest tiers for maximum rewards, letting you accumulate gear while you focus on other content.
Fastest Gearing Strategy (Summary)
Target: ilvl 272+ (heroic raid ready, Myth-track vault rewards) in 4-5 weeks.
- Week 1: Heroic dungeons (ilvl 230) + M0 all 8 dungeons (ilvl 246). Craft a weapon with your first Spark (ilvl 259 Hero or 246 Champion). Run Delve Tiers 5-8. Target: ilvl 240-250.
- Week 2: Normal raid for Champion-track drops. Push M+ keys to +7 if possible (vault gives Hero 4/6 = 269). Start upgrading M0 drops with Champion crests. Target: ilvl 250-260.
- Week 3: Push for your first +10 key. One +10 completion = ilvl 272 Myth vault reward. Continue normal raid. Craft second piece (Hero track). Target: ilvl 255-265.
- Week 4-5: Weekly +10 key for Myth vault. Heroic raid if your guild is ready. Each week adds one ilvl 272 piece from vault plus heroic raid drops (259-276). Target: ilvl 268-275.
This assumes a guild or static group. If you are guild-less, substitute raids with more M+ keys and Delve Tier 8 runs for vault choices.
Want to skip weeks of grinding? Our Fast Gearing Service gets you raid-ready in hours, not weeks. We boost your keys, clear raids, and help you farm crests.
Patch 12.0.5: Voidforge and New Gearing Paths
Patch 12.0.5 added three new gearing sources that change the weekly routine. If you are not using these, you are leaving free gear on the table.
Voidforge: Targeted Loot
The Voidforge lets you target specific gear drops instead of relying on RNG. NPC Decimus sells Nebulous Voidcores (2 per week, costs gold, Veteran Dawncrest, or Voidlight Marl). Spend a core after killing a boss or completing content to roll for a specific piece matching your loot spec.
- 1 core per roll in M+, Bountiful Delves, and Nightmare Prey Hunts
- 2 cores per roll on raid bosses
- M+ Voidcore rewards match Great Vault ilvl (key 10+ = Myth 1/6 gear at 272)
- Once you get an item via Voidcore on a difficulty, it is removed from that difficulty's pool. Your odds improve every week.
Ascendant Voidcores are the endgame chase. Complete a warband-wide questline to craft the Ascendant Nilhammer, then use Ascendant Voidcores to upgrade fully-upgraded weapons and trinkets to ilvl 298. That is 9 levels above the current Myth 6/6 cap of 289. Eligible items: fully upgraded Hero, Myth, or max-quality Radiance Crafted weapons and trinkets.
Field Accolades: Catch-Up Gear
Earn Field Accolades from Void Assaults and Ritual Sites. Spend them at vendors on the second level of The Bazaar in Silvermoon City:
- Champion gear (ilvl 246+): 75 Field Accolades
- Hero gear (ilvl 259+): 500 Field Accolades
This is the fastest catch-up path for alts or returning players. No RNG, no keys required. Just do world content and buy upgrades.
Ritual Sites: Great Vault Credit
Ritual Sites are 1-5 player instanced scenarios that count toward the World content row in the Great Vault. Run them alongside Delves and Prey Hunts for extra vault choices. Higher tiers with challenge modifiers give bonus rewards.
For the full 12.0.5 breakdown, see our Patch 12.0.5 Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What item level do I need to raid in Midnight?
Normal raid is doable at ilvl 240. Heroic needs roughly ilvl 255+. Mythic requires ilvl 275+ recommended, though there is no hard gate. Most guilds enforce soft minimums above these numbers to ensure smooth progression.
What item level does Mythic 0 drop?
M0 drops ilvl 246 (Champion 1/6). You can upgrade it to 263 with Champion Dawncrests. M0 is the first major ilvl jump after heroic dungeons (230).
What key level gives the best vault reward?
Key +10. At +10, your Great Vault reward is ilvl 272 (Myth 1/6). There is no higher vault tier. Running a +15 or +20 does not increase your vault ilvl beyond 272. One +10 per week is all you need for maximum vault rewards.
What should I craft first?
Weapon. Always weapon first. Weapons have the highest stat budget and the worst drop rates. A crafted Hero weapon at ilvl 259 in week 1 will carry you through the first month.
Is Mythic+ or raiding better for gear?
Both, for different reasons. M+ gives unlimited runs and a guaranteed Myth-track vault piece per week at +10. Raiding gives specific drops (tier sets, trinkets) and scales higher at the top end (Mythic L'ura = 289). The fastest path is doing both: raid weekly, push one +10 key, collect vault rewards from both sources.
Can I gear entirely through Delves?
Partially. Bountiful Delve Tier 8 drops ilvl 250 and gives ilvl 259 vault rewards. That caps you at Champion/Hero track. To reach ilvl 272+, you need M+ keys (+10) or heroic raid.
What is the max item level in Midnight Season 1?
289 from Myth 6/6 (Mythic raid last boss L'ura, or fully upgraded Myth gear). With the Voidforge Ascendant upgrade, weapons and trinkets can reach 298.
Boost Your Progress
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