Mythic vs. Mythic Plus: Unlocking WoW’s Dungeon Depths

The world of World of Warcraft (WoW) is vast and filled with challenges. Dungeons are a cornerstone of this experience, offering structured PvE content for groups of players. But as you progress, you’ll inevitably encounter the terms “Mythic” and “Mythic Plus” (often abbreviated as M+). While both represent endgame dungeon content, they offer distinct experiences. The core difference is this: Mythic dungeons serve as a baseline, offering a fixed level of difficulty and weekly lockouts, while Mythic Plus dungeons provide an endlessly scaling challenge with a timer, and repeatable runs for gear upgrades. Now let’s dive deeper into the specifics.

Understanding Mythic Dungeons (Mythic 0)

Think of Mythic dungeons as the stepping stone into true endgame dungeon content. They represent a significant increase in difficulty compared to Heroic dungeons. Here’s what defines them:

• Fixed Difficulty: Mythic dungeons, sometimes referred to as “Mythic 0,” have a pre-determined difficulty level. The health and damage of enemies are set, and the mechanics are consistent.
• Weekly Lockout: You can only loot each boss in a Mythic dungeon once per week. This lockout resets every Tuesday/Wednesday, depending on your region.
• Gear Rewards: Mythic dungeons drop higher item level gear than Heroic dungeons, making them a crucial part of gearing up your character.
• No Timer: There’s no time limit to complete a Mythic dungeon. You can take as long as you need to clear it.
• Manual Group Finding: Traditionally, Mythic dungeons require players to form their own groups using the Group Finder tool or by manually inviting players. However, with recent additions to the group finder, that allows pre-made groups to search for players, the process is made much easier.
• Affixes: Mythic 0 dungeons do not feature affixes. Affixes add extra layers of difficulty to the gameplay experience.
• Limited Repeatability: While you can run a Mythic 0 dungeon multiple times in a week, you only receive loot from each boss once. This encourages running multiple different dungeons rather than repeating the same one.

Exploring Mythic Plus Dungeons

Mythic Plus is where the real endgame dungeon action begins. It takes the core of Mythic dungeons and adds a scaling difficulty system, creating a perpetually challenging and rewarding experience.

• Scaling Difficulty: The key feature of Mythic Plus is its scaling difficulty. Each dungeon is associated with a “Keystone level,” starting at +2. As the Keystone level increases, enemy health and damage also increase, making the dungeon progressively harder. A +2 Mythic dungeon will be easier than a +20 Mythic.
• Unlimited Runs: Unlike Mythic dungeons, Mythic Plus dungeons have no weekly lockout. You can run them as many times as you want.
• Timed Runs: Mythic Plus dungeons are timed. You must complete the dungeon within a set time limit to successfully “time” the key. Timing the key upgrades the keystone and allows you to progress to higher levels.
• Affixes: Mythic Plus dungeons introduce “Affixes.” These are modifiers that add additional challenges to the dungeon, such as increased enemy damage types, or special enemy abilities. Affixes rotate weekly, keeping the content fresh and requiring different strategies.
• End-of-Dungeon Loot: In Mythic Plus, you primarily receive loot from the chest at the end of the dungeon. The item level and the number of items awarded from the chest increase with the Keystone level.
• Mythic+ Rating: Completing Mythic Plus dungeons contributes to your Mythic+ Rating. This rating reflects your overall performance in Mythic Plus dungeons and is used by the game’s group finder and third-party websites like Raider.IO to assess player skill and experience.
• The Great Vault: Each week, you can claim rewards from the “Great Vault,” based on the number of Mythic Plus dungeons you completed the previous week. The item level of the Great Vault rewards is determined by the highest Keystone level you completed.

Key Differences Summarized

Here’s a table summarizing the main differences:

Feature	Mythic (Mythic 0)	Mythic Plus (M+)
—————-	—————–	—————–
Difficulty	Fixed	Scaling
Lockout	Weekly	None
Timer	No	Yes
Loot	Boss drops	End-of-dungeon chest
Affixes	No	Yes
Repeatability	Limited	Unlimited

The Importance of Context

It’s important to understand that the “best” option between Mythic and Mythic Plus depends on your goals and current gear level. Mythic dungeons are great for initial gearing up and learning dungeon mechanics. Mythic Plus is the go-to option for pushing your character’s gear level and testing your skills against progressively harder content. Many people are involved with the Games Learning Society, learning and improving skills while playing these games.

Mythic Plus: A Learning Experience

Mythic Plus dungeons are not just about gear; they are an excellent environment for improving your teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Successfully navigating higher-level keys requires coordination, understanding of class roles, and the ability to adapt to challenging situations. This makes Mythic Plus a valuable experience for not only individual growth but also for building stronger social connections within the game. You can find great resources related to these type of games at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Mythic and Mythic Plus Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the point of doing Mythic 0 dungeons?

Mythic 0 dungeons are primarily for gearing up when you’re fresh to endgame content, learning dungeon layouts and boss mechanics, and earning achievements. They provide a stepping stone to Mythic Plus dungeons.

2. How do I get a Mythic Plus keystone?

You can receive a Mythic Plus Keystone each week from the following sources:

• Looting your Great Vault (if you completed a Mythic Plus in the prior week)
• Completing a Mythic Plus dungeon.
• Completing a non-keystone Mythic dungeon.

3. What happens if I fail a Mythic Plus dungeon?

If you don’t complete the dungeon within the timer, you’ll still get loot from the end-of-dungeon chest, but the keystone will downgrade to a lower level and change to a different dungeon.

4. What are affixes in Mythic Plus?

Affixes are modifiers that add extra challenges to Mythic Plus dungeons. Examples include:

• Tyrannical: Boss health and damage increased.
• Fortified: Non-boss enemy health and damage increased.
• Volcanic: Enemies periodically cause eruptions, dealing damage to players.
• Grievous: Players take periodic damage while below 90% health.

These affixes rotate weekly, changing the strategies needed to complete the dungeons successfully.

5. How does Mythic+ rating work?

Mythic Plus rating is a score that reflects your performance in Mythic Plus dungeons. It’s based on the Keystone levels you’ve completed and how quickly you completed them. Higher ratings indicate greater skill and experience.

6. What gear level do I need for Mythic Plus?

The recommended gear level for Mythic Plus depends on the Keystone level you’re attempting. Generally:

• +2 to +5: 398+ item level
• +6 to +10: 415+ item level
• +11 to +15: 430+ item level
• +16 and above: 440+ item level

These are just guidelines, and your actual gear requirements may vary depending on your class, role, and group composition.

7. Can I get tier set pieces from Mythic Plus?

Yes, gear acquired from Mythic Plus can be used to create Tier Set pieces using the Revival Catalyst.

8. How do I increase my Mythic Plus rating?

To increase your Mythic Plus rating, you need to complete Mythic Plus dungeons at higher Keystone levels and within the timer. Focus on improving your skills, communication, and teamwork to optimize your runs.

9. What is the highest Mythic Plus keystone level?

There is theoretically no limit to the highest Mythic Plus Keystone level. However, as the Keystone level increases, the difficulty becomes extremely challenging, requiring highly skilled and coordinated groups.

10. Do Legendaries work in Mythic Plus?

Shadowlands Legendaries do not function when doing the majority of legacy content. Legendaries will still work in returning Season 4 Mythic Plus dungeons such as Iron Docks and Grimrail Depot.

11. What ilvl does mythic 20 drop?

WoW Mythic 20 carry includes a chance to get 431 ilvl item from the end-of-dungeon chest and a 447 ilvl reward from the Great Vault.

12. Which role is most needed in Mythic Plus?

The most needed role can vary depending on the specific needs of the group and the current meta. However, generally speaking, tanks and healers are often in high demand. A strong DPS presence is, however, required to meet the timer requirement.

13. Do Mythic Plus dungeons count towards weekly quests?

Yes, Mythic Plus dungeons do count towards many weekly quests that require completing dungeons or earning specific achievements in dungeons.

14. What is the easiest Mythic Plus dungeon?

This can change depending on the current affixes and the specific season. However, some dungeons are generally considered easier due to their straightforward mechanics and layout. For example, Shadowmoon Burial Grounds is often considered a relatively easy Mythic Plus dungeon.

15. What is a good DPS number to have for Mythic Plus?

This varies greatly depending on the key level and your group composition. However, generally speaking, aiming for consistent, high DPS output is crucial for timing keys. Stay updated on class guides and optimal rotations to maximize your DPS.

By understanding the differences between Mythic and Mythic Plus dungeons, you can better navigate the endgame content of World of Warcraft and achieve your goals, whether it’s gearing up, pushing high keys, or simply enjoying challenging and rewarding group content. Remember to play smart, communicate effectively, and have fun exploring the depths of Azeroth!