Season 2 Gearing Overview
Midnight Season 2 introduces a major item level jump from Season 1. The base item levels start 46 levels higher, with the cap now reaching ilvl 337 for the highest tier of gear. This guide covers every gearing path: raid, Mythic+, Delves, and world content to get you raid-ready as efficiently as possible.
Whether you're a fresh level 90 or pushing mythic-ready, there's a specific path to optimize your gearing speed. The key is understanding where each item level tier comes from and prioritizing the highest-value activities for your current gear level.
Complete Item Level Table
Season 2 features five distinct upgrade tracks, each with six progression tiers. Note the 8/6 and 9/6 mythic tiers at the end of the season.
| Track | 1/6 | 2/6 | 3/6 | 4/6 | 5/6 | 6/6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventurer | 259 | 263 | 266 | 269 | 272 | 276 |
| Veteran | 272 | 276 | 279 | 282 | 285 | 289 |
| Champion | 285 | 289 | 292 | 295 | 298 | 302 |
| Hero | 298 | 302 | 305 | 308 | 311 | 315 |
| Myth | 311 | 315 | 318 | 321 | 324 | 328 |
Late Season Tiers: Myth 8/6 gear reaches ilvl 334 via Ascendant Venomstones. Myth 9/6 (ilvl 337) drops from the final two mythic bosses and is extremely rare.
Upgrade Tracks and Mistcrests Explained
Every piece of gear belongs to one of five tracks. You upgrade items within that track using Mistcrests, the primary upgrade currency in Midnight Season 2. Each track has its own source of crests.
Adventurer Mistcrests come from outdoor events and Tier 4 Delves. Use these to upgrade gear from ilvl 259 to 276. This track is primarily for fresh level 90s or as a temporary stepping stone.
Veteran Mistcrests drop from outdoor content, LFR, Heroic dungeons, and Tier 5-6 Delves. You'll use these to push gear from ilvl 272 to 289. Most players cycle through Veteran track for 1-2 weeks before moving up.
Champion Mistcrests are acquired from Normal raid bosses and Mythic+ keys (M+2 to M+3). These upgrade your gear from ilvl 285 to 302. This is where most players spend significant time.
Hero Mistcrests come from Heroic raid, higher Mythic+ (M+4 to M+8), and Tier 11 Delves. These push gear to ilvl 298-315. Competitive raiders and pushers will farm these heavily.
Myth Mistcrests drop only from Mythic raid and Mythic+ 9 and above. These are the scarcest crests and upgrade gear to ilvl 311-328, the final cap.
Each upgrade level costs more crests than the last, scaling upward as your gear improves. A full Heroic trinket now costs 150 Mistcrests, up from 100 in previous seasons.
Great Vault Changes in Season 2
The Great Vault now awards gear at different item levels depending on your difficulty completed. This makes it critical to push the highest difficulty you can manage each week.
LFR completion grants a Champion 1/6 reward (ilvl 285). This is your baseline if you only do raid finder. Normal raid opens up to Hero 1/6 (ilvl 298), a significant jump. Heroic raid vaults drop Myth 1/6 (ilvl 311) gear, and Mythic raid pushes this to Myth 6/6 (ilvl 328).
The final two mythic bosses offer exceptional rewards. Clearing the last two bosses on mythic grants 9/6 Myth gear (ilvl 337), the absolute highest item level available.
You now receive bonus rolls at a reduced cost of just 1 coin per attempt. These were available at the start of Season 2 via the Great Vault. Beginning Week 8, Orin Straylight in Silvermoon will offer a free weekly bonus roll to all players.
Bonus Rolls Are Back
Bonus rolls return with a major quality-of-life change: they now cost only 1 coin per use instead of 2. This cuts your total coin spending in half for the season.
Coins are available immediately from the Great Vault at season start, so prepare by saving them in advance if possible. Beginning in Week 8, Orin Straylight in Silvermoon will distribute a free bonus roll to every player weekly.
Use bonus rolls on bosses that drop pieces you need, prioritizing high-impact slots like weapons, trinkets, and set pieces. On Heroic difficulty, a successful bonus roll gives you Myth-track gear, making it extremely valuable for gearing up quickly.
Best Gearing Path: Fresh 90 to Raid-Ready
Your gearing path depends on your target difficulty. Here's the optimal progression to reach raid-ready status as fast as possible.
Week 1-2: Adventurer and Veteran Gear (ilvl 259-289)
As a fresh level 90, start with outdoor events on the Coiled Isle. These drop Adventurer Mistcrests and starter gear. Concurrently, queue for LFR to grab cheap upgrades and familiarize yourself with the raid mechanics.
Run Tier 4 Delves to earn more Adventurer Mistcrests. Delves scale to your item level, so they remain useful for a few weeks. Upgrade your weapon and trinkets first; these slots give the biggest damage boost.
By the end of Week 2, aim for ilvl 285-289. At this point, normal raid becomes viable. You'll transition to farming Veteran and Champion Mistcrests through Heroic dungeons and lower Mythic+ keys.
Week 3-4: Champion Track (ilvl 285-302)
Start your normal raid clears. Normal raid bosses drop Champion Mistcrest and Champion-track gear. Run Mythic+ keys at M+2 to M+3 difficulty; these are efficient for Champion Mistcrests and offer faster clear times than dungeons.
Target ilvl 300-302 before pushing Heroic raid. This usually takes 2-3 weeks of consistent farming. Prioritize slots that impact your survivability most for raid encounters.
Use Great Vault to grab a guaranteed piece each week. If you complete Normal raid, you'll get a Hero 1/6 item; use your bonus roll on the slot you need most.
Week 5+: Hero and Myth Tracks (ilvl 298-328)
Once you hit ilvl 302-305, Heroic raid opens up. Heroic bosses drop Hero Mistcrests and Myth-track gear. Push Mythic+ to M+4 and above for consistent Hero Mistcrest farming.
Your goal is ilvl 315-320 before attempting Mythic raid. This usually requires 4-6 weeks from fresh 90, depending on time invested and RNG. Cap your Hero Mistcrests each week and upgrade your weakest slots.
For Mythic raid, you need ilvl 325+ on most classes and specs. Focus on consistent Heroic raid clears and M+8-9 keys to farm Myth Mistcrests. Each additional upgrade becomes exponentially slower as the costs rise.
Gearing Through Mythic+
Mythic+ dungeons are one of the fastest ways to gear up, especially if you can push high keys early. Eight dungeons are available in Midnight Season 2: Altar of Fangs, Murder Row, Den of Nalorakk, The Blinding Vale, Voidscar Arena, King's Rest, Temple of Sethraliss, and Ruby Life Pools.
M+2-3 keys drop Champion Mistcrests and Champion-track gear. These keys are accessible as soon as you hit ilvl 285-290 and provide consistent weekly rewards. Clear one to three per week for steady progression.
M+4-8 keys yield Hero Mistcrests and Hero-track loot. These are significantly harder but offer better rewards and are essential for pushing past ilvl 310. Plan your key routes and coordinate with your group to optimize clear times.
M+9 and above drop Myth Mistcrests. These are the hardest keys to push but necessary for the final tier of gearing. Most players only run these once or twice a week when they're confident in their rotation and gear.
Prioritize fixing your worst-geared slots first. A well-geared weapon or trinket provides more value than a marginal upgrade to an already-strong slot. Use your weekly vault runs to round out your gear set.
For detailed strategy, see our Midnight Mythic+ guide.
Gearing Through Raids
Raid gearing is more predictable than Mythic+ but requires larger time commitments and coordination. The Venomous Abyss contains eight bosses across Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties.
LFR Raids (ilvl 285) are the easiest entry point but offer the slowest gearing. Most players skip straight to Normal if possible. Use LFR only for target farming specific pieces or as a last resort for fresh characters.
Normal Raids (ilvl 298) should be your main focus from Week 2-3 onward. Normal bosses drop Champion Mistcrests and Champion-track gear consistently. One full clear grants 8 pieces of loot plus vault rewards. Schedule two to three clears per week to maximize progression.
Heroic Raids (ilvl 311) become viable at ilvl 305-310. Heroic bosses are mechanically challenging but offer Hero Mistcrests and Myth-track gear. Your guild or raid team's consistency here will determine how fast you climb ilvl tiers.
Mythic Raids (ilvl 328 / 337) are for hardcore guilds pushing cutting-edge. These require ilvl 325+ and carry substantial mechanical demands. Only attempt Mythic if your guild is organized and you're committed to complex fight mechanics.
Bonus roll every Heroic and Mythic boss on pieces you need. A lucky roll can save weeks of farming. Use your weekly great vault to grab an additional guaranteed piece and cap out your Mistcrest gains.
See our Venomous Abyss raid guide for boss strategies and loot tables.
Gearing Through Delves
Delves are open-ended dungeons you can run solo or in small groups. Three new Delves launched in Midnight Season 2: Ring of Glory, Gnarldor Isle, and Venomfall Deeps Nemesis.
Tier 4 Delves drop Adventurer Mistcrests. These clear quickly and are ideal for fresh characters. Run them for your first 1-2 weeks to establish a baseline ilvl of 280+.
Tier 5-6 Delves reward Veteran Mistcrests and Veteran-track gear. These become efficient once you hit ilvl 280. The difficulty ramps significantly, but they're soloable for most specs with proper kiting and cooldown management.
Tier 11 Delves drop Hero Mistcrests. These are mechanically punishing and require ilvl 310+ to clear reliably. They're worth running once you're pushing Heroic raid content, but not before.
Delves scale with your item level, so they remain relevant throughout the season. They're particularly good for casual players who can't commit to raid schedules. One run takes 15-30 minutes depending on tier.
For in-depth strategies, check out our Midnight Delves guide.
Ascendant Venomstones: Late Season Upgrades
Ascendant Venomstones appear later in Midnight Season 2 and allow you to upgrade maxed Hero and Myth gear to the tier above. Each upgrade costs 10 Venomstones.
Venomstones drop from Heroic+ raid, Mythic+ 10 and above, Tier 11 Delves, and Nightmare Prey events on the world map. They're relatively scarce, so use them strategically on items that persist season-to-season, like weapons and trinkets.
A maxed Hero 6/6 item (ilvl 315) upgrades to a Myth 8/6 equivalent (ilvl 334) using Venomstones. This bridges the gap between Heroic raid and mythic raid loot, allowing more players to reach competitive ilvls without running mythic dungeons.
Prioritize upgrading necklaces, weapons, and trinkets. These slots don't change between tiers as often and maintain value across seasons. Armor pieces are lower priority since raid gear rotates more frequently.
Catalyst Changes
The Catalyst allows you to convert raid gear into set armor for your class. In Midnight Season 2, catalyzed set pieces inherit the secondary stats of the item being converted, allowing stat optimization for your spec.
Any Cantrip effects on the original piece are maintained after conversion. This means you can craft hybrid pieces with exactly the stats you need while preserving special item properties.
Use the Catalyst to fill set piece slots that raid RNG hasn't provided. Convert high-roll secondary stat pieces into set armor to perfect your stat distribution.
Tips for Efficient Gearing
Plan Your Week: Map out which activities reward the Mistcrests you need most. If you're on Champion track, do M+2-3 and Normal raid three times weekly. If you're pushing Mythic, prioritize Heroic+ content.
Cap Your Crests: Most players have weekly caps on Mistcrest rewards. Front-load your runs early in the week so you hit the cap, then switch to activities for fun or additional vault rolls.
Target Specific Slots: Don't upgrade evenly; upgrade in order of impact. Weapon and trinkets first, then ring and necklace, then chest and shoulders (if part of your set bonus), then remaining pieces.
Save Bonus Rolls: Bank your bonus roll coins early. Use them only on bosses that drop high-priority slots. Bonus rolling the weakest link in your gear has multiplied value compared to upgrading already-strong pieces.
Join a Guild or Community: Solo gearing is possible but slow. A guild running regular raids and keys accelerates your progression significantly. Many guilds have multiple raid tiers or key-pushing groups.
Use DPS Tier Lists: Know your class and spec's power level. Some classes spike earlier in the season or benefit from specific gear more than others. Check our Midnight DPS tier list to prioritize your main character wisely.
Track Your Weekly Routine: Consistency beats sporadic heroic attempts. Clearing Normal raid weekly plus two M+5 keys provides more reliable progression than hoping for lucky Mythic drops.
Need Gear Faster?
If you don't have time to grind crests and raid weekly, professional gearing services can jumpstart your season. Our full gearing package gets you from fresh 90 to raid-ready in days, not weeks.
We also offer specialized services: Mythic+ key boosting to lock in consistent Hero Mistcrest farming, and Venomous Abyss raid carries for players behind on gear progression.
Related Guides
Deepen your Midnight Season 2 knowledge with our comprehensive guide collection:
- Midnight Season 2 Complete Guide - Hub for all season content
- Mythic+ Dungeons Guide - Strategies for all eight dungeons
- Venomous Abyss Raid Guide - Boss tactics and loot tables
- Delves Guide - Solo and group strategies
- DPS Tier List - Class and spec rankings
- Weekly Gearing Routine - Optimize your daily schedule
FAQ: How to Gear Up Midnight Season 2
What's the fastest way to gear up in Midnight Season 2?
Run Normal raid weekly plus M+2-3 keys. This combination gives you Champion Mistcrests, Champion-track gear, and great vault rewards. Most players reach ilvl 305 in 2-3 weeks this way. Heroic raid and higher keys accelerate the timeline if your group is ready.
Can I skip LFR entirely?
Yes. LFR rewards are slow compared to Normal and Heroic. Start with Normal raid as soon as you hit ilvl 285-290, which takes 1-2 weeks of outdoor and Delve grinding. LFR is only useful for target farming specific pieces if Normal RNG fails you.
How many Mistcrests do I need to upgrade a full set?
Upgrading 10 items from 1/6 to 6/6 on any track costs roughly 400-500 Mistcrests total, accounting for scaling costs. With weekly caps, this takes 4-6 weeks per track. Prioritize high-impact slots (weapon, trinkets, set pieces) first and upgrade the rest gradually.
When should I farm Ascendant Venomstones?
Only after you're pushing Mythic+ 10+ or Heroic raid consistently. Venomstones are rare early season. Save them for weapons and trinkets, which have the longest lifespan. Upgrading a weapon from ilvl 315 to 334 provides more value than any armor piece.
Is it worth pushing Mythic+ 9+ for Myth Mistcrests?
Only if your goal is Mythic raid. M+9+ is mechanically demanding and time-consuming for the Mistcrest reward. Most players reach ilvl 325+ faster through Heroic raid plus Venomstone upgrades than through M+9 grinding. Push high keys for the challenge and vault rewards, not just Mistcrest farming.
What if I have limited playtime?
Focus on your weekly guaranteed drops: Normal raid clear (8 pieces), Heroic raid clear if geared (8 pieces), and one Great Vault claim. This takes 4-6 hours per week and is more efficient than scattered key runs. Slot in one M+5 if time allows for additional vault loot.