What to Do With Your Mythic Keystone in World of Warcraft
The Mythic Keystone system in World of Warcraft (WoW) offers a challenging and rewarding endgame experience. But what exactly do you do with that keystone burning a hole in your inventory? In essence, your Mythic Keystone is the key (pun intended!) to accessing Mythic+ dungeons, which are significantly more difficult versions of regular Mythic dungeons, complete with scaling difficulty, timers, and enhanced rewards.
You use your Mythic Keystone to activate a designated instance, pushing your team to perform their best while racing against the clock. Success means better loot, a higher-level keystone, and increased progress in your pursuit of greater challenges. Failure, on the other hand, might mean a lower-level keystone, prompting a regrouping and a new strategy for the next attempt. Think of it as a progression system, where you’re constantly testing your mettle and pushing your group’s limits. This constant challenge and pursuit of improvement, along with the substantial rewards, are what makes the Mythic Keystone system so compelling for many WoW players.
Understanding Mythic+ Dungeons
Activating a Keystone
To activate your Mythic Keystone, you’ll need to assemble a team of five players and venture into the specified Mythic dungeon detailed on your keystone. Once inside, locate the Font of Power and place your keystone inside. This action transforms the Mythic dungeon into a Mythic+ dungeon, setting the timer in motion, and enabling additional affixes that enhance enemy abilities and introduce unique challenges. If you skip the Font, the dungeon will only be a regular Mythic difficulty.
The Timer and Affixes
The core concept of a Mythic+ dungeon is to complete it within the specified time limit. Successfully timing a run boosts your Mythic Keystone, allowing you to access higher difficulty levels the next time around. As you progress to higher key levels, additional affixes are introduced which stack on top of existing modifiers, requiring your group to adapt your strategies constantly. These affixes range from increased enemy health to debuffs and additional mechanics.
Progression and Rewards
Successful Mythic+ runs yield substantial rewards, including gear upgrades, Valor Points, and opportunities for greater Mythic+ rating. These rewards make Mythic+ a cornerstone of the endgame loop for many players. The higher the keystone level, the better the loot and the more progress you make, driving players to constantly challenge themselves.
What Happens When You Complete or Fail a Run?
Successful Run
If you complete the dungeon within the timer, your Mythic Keystone is upgraded. You receive a new keystone for a random dungeon at one level higher than the current one, provided you did not finish at too high a level. You will also receive loot that is better, and more often, than a regular Mythic Dungeon. The feeling of accomplishment for timing a difficult key is also a huge driving factor for this content.
Untimed Run
If you complete the dungeon but don’t make the timer, your keystone will downgrade to one level lower for a different, random dungeon. While you will not get the same loot as if you timed it, you will still get better loot than regular Mythic Dungeons.
Failure
If you fail to complete the dungeon within the timer or if the character who used the keystone leaves the dungeon, the keystone is lowered by one level for a different, random dungeon.
Rerolling Keystones
After completing a Mythic+ dungeon, an NPC appears by the final boss who can reroll your keystone to a different one, as long as it is the same level as the dungeon that was just completed or lower. This is a useful option if you want to avoid a particular dungeon or if you want a key that is more suitable to your party’s makeup.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mythic Keystones
1. Where do I get a Mythic Keystone?
The first keystone for each character is obtained after completing a Mythic dungeon. You will be awarded a random key for a level 2 run. As you complete more Mythic+ runs and increase your rating, you will receive better quality and higher level keystone each week.
2. Does everyone need a Mythic Keystone to run a Mythic+ dungeon?
No, only one player in the party needs a Mythic Keystone to activate a Mythic+ dungeon. The other players will still receive rewards, but only the player whose keystone is used will have their keystone changed or upgraded.
3. Can I trade my Mythic Keystone?
No, you cannot directly trade your Mythic Keystone to another player. However, after completing a run, you can reroll your key with the NPC, provided it is the same level or lower than the run that was just completed. If you were to get a key that is higher than the one you used to start the run, this also will not be tradable.
4. Do Mythic Keystones expire?
Yes, Mythic Keystones expire every week with the weekly reset. Make sure to use your keystone to activate a dungeon before reset so it does not go to waste!
5. Can I have more than one keystone at a time?
No, you can only have one Mythic Keystone at a time. If you can’t find your keystone, check your bags, bank, and even your mail. If you had a full inventory when a keystone dropped, the Postmaster will mail it to you.
6. What’s the difference between Mythic and Mythic+?
Mythic is a difficulty level for regular dungeons. Mythic+ dungeons are harder versions of these dungeons, scaled with additional mechanics, a timer and enhanced rewards, activated by using a Mythic Keystone.
7. What is the maximum Mythic Keystone level?
There is no cap on Mythic+ levels, with many players progressing into +25 and higher dungeons. However, the rewards stop scaling at +20, making +20 keys the most efficient to run.
8. Why can’t I change my keystone?
You can only reroll keys of the same level or lower than the key used to start the run. If you have timed the run, then your key will have upgraded and will no longer be the same level as the dungeon you just finished.
9. Do Mythic Keystone dungeons reset daily?
No, Mythic dungeons reset weekly, but Mythic+ dungeons do not. Mythic+ dungeons are reset every time you activate a new keystone, and do not adhere to the Mythic Dungeon weekly reset.
10. How do I get the Keystone Master achievement?
The Keystone Master achievement is a one-time achievement awarded the first time you complete a level 15 or higher Mythic dungeon within the time limit. The Keystone Master Feat of Strength is a seasonal achievement and requires that you obtain a Mythic+ score of 2000 during the Mythic+ season.
11. What is a good Mythic+ score?
While item level is not a requirement, it is recommended you have at least a 230 ilvl for +15 dungeons and higher. It is also recommended that players have a 2000+ Mythic Rating to show they have good mythic plus skill.
12. What happens if I leave a Mythic+ dungeon in progress?
If the person who used their keystone leaves the dungeon before it’s complete, the keystone will be lowered by one level. Leaving also reduces your Mythic+ score.
13. Can I loot a Mythic dungeon more than once a week?
You may only loot bosses in Mythic dungeons once per week. If you have already completed it on Mythic, you must wait until the weekly reset to get more loot. However, Mythic+ dungeons have no loot lockouts, so you can run the same dungeon multiple times in a week for more loot.
14. How do Valor points relate to Mythic+ dungeons?
Every Mythic+ dungeon you complete, you will earn 135 Valor Points, regardless of the keystone level. As of Patch 9.1, you will also receive 65 additional Valor if anyone in the group gained mythic+ rating from the run. These can then be used to upgrade gear that drops from the dungeon.
15. How long does it take to get Keystone Master?
The time it takes to get Keystone Master varies, but generally requires a good understanding of the mechanics of each dungeon, coordinated teamwork and good player skills. It is an ongoing process to improve score. The seasonal Keystone Master Feat of Strength requires the accumulation of Mythic+ score by completing runs.
Conclusion
Mythic Keystones are a core component of the endgame experience for World of Warcraft. Understanding how to activate, run, and manage them is key to unlocking the best gear, progressing, and enjoying the intense and rewarding gameplay that Mythic+ dungeons offer. Remember to communicate with your group, learn the mechanics, and most importantly, have fun!