Dragonflight Endgame Pt. Three: How to do Mythic+ dungeons

No aspect of World of Warcraft in the past decade has become more contentious than Mythic+ dungeons. One part speedrun, another part esport, it also appears that Mythic+ brings out the best and worst in WoW players. On one hand, it is the most true test of a player's skill in this game. On the other, it's full of min/maxing jerkholes who only care about results. Worse yet, Blizzard doesn't provide info in-game on how to get into Mythic+ dungeons.

As per usual, Dragonflight Endgame is here to help. We're going to give you the lowdown on what Mythic dungeons are all about, how to find groups, and best practices for being a good party member. Stick with this guide and you'll be complaining about affixes like the rest of us in no time!

Mythic is the designation in World of Warcraft used to signify its toughest content. Once only used as a difficulty modifier for raids, Mythic dungeons first appeared around Legion. Meant as an alternative to raiding while still providing an endgame challenge, Mythic+ dungeons is perhaps the toughest--and most rewarding--content in the game.

It's simple: A group of five players attempt to roll through a dungeon at an increased difficulty. On what's called Mythic 0 there is no timer, affix modifiers, and a Keystone doesn't get used. On Mythic+1 and up a number of modifiers are applied and change each season, ranging from DOT effects to percentage-based enemy health increases.

One of the things that makes Mythic+ stand out is that, unlike in raiding, everyone must contribute equally for the group to succeed. In a raid you're at best providing only a specific percentage of healing or damage. However, Mythic+ dungeon success requires all five players to know the layout, play their role, and react to any given situation at-hand.

Honestly, this is probably why people find getting into Mythic dungeons so daunting. When you die in a raid you're just another dumb Hunter that stepped in some fire. If you die in Mythic it very well could lead to a whole team wipe and lost time.

That said, I truly think Mythic dungeons provide the most satisfaction and rewards to players looking for a test of their skills. In many ways it's a lot like playing golf: You're just as much competing against yourself as you are other groups or the people around you and it's often a reflection of your own abilities.

Even if you're not looking to become a hardcore dungeon runner, doing the lower levels of Mythic keys has its own rewards. Doing low-level Mythics nets easy, high ilvl armor and offers a diverse set of gear each week through the Great Vault.

So, where do we start? Let's talk gear and M0.

We talked about how to get geared during this series already, so check that out if you're not sure where to start. For the purposes of how to get started in Mythic+ dungeons you'll want to aim for a minimum 350 ilvl. This is more than enough to get started in M0 (that is, Mythic without a timer or affixes). This also means that the loot drops will be significant upgrades, so try and do all the M0 dungeons that you can. Even better if you have a group or guild that's also in on the fun.

The biggest hurdle in Mythic and, sadly this never changes if you're a DPS player, is finding a group. There's a supply and demand issue going on in that Tanks and Healers are rare and DPS is plentiful. So, if you're a DPS-only player you need to get creative if you're going to find groups, raise your season score, and prove your worth.

Here's some tips to getting into groups.

Once you clear an M0 dungeon you'll receive a Keystone. This unlocks higher difficulties of Mythic+ dungeons and is what players are talking about when they say something like "+8" or "doing keys." The Keystone lists what dungeon the key is for, what it's difficulty level is, and what Modifiers will happen.

If you're struggling to find groups for a low-level key you aren't alone. Everyone wants to do groups but few want to wait. If you aren't tanking or healing then your best bet for finding a group is to use your own Keystone. You can do this by hitting the Group Finder button, going to Premade Groups, hitting Dungeons, and clicking Start a Group.

From here you'll be able to set what type of run you're looking for, whether it's Standard, Completion, or Beat the Timer. If you want to be sure about what kind of group you want then this is the best way of accomplishing that goal.

Sure, you can sort through the Premade Groups listings and hope you get picked. In fact, as your Mythic Rating goes up over the season you probably will have an easier time getting groups. However, if you're like me and a Hunter main--a class with no short supply of competition--you might just want to start your own groups and skip the wait. I've waited up to two hours for a group before realizing that my own Keystone is the path to play and victory.

So, what do you do once you find a group? No matter your class or spec, here are some tips to being a good party member and finding success.

There's a number of things that players must be aware of when learning how to run Mythic+ dungeons. Each player is responsible for minimizing deaths and knowing the mechanics. But even past that, there are a number of things you can do in order to keep the group chill, do your part, and make each run a success.

First things first: Doing lower level Mythic truly embodies the old Blizzard motto of "bring the player, not the class." Anything below a +10 key can be done by any group makeup. So, don't become tilted if some annoying pumper DH tank cries about not having Dispels or a Lust. This isn't to say that anything under +10 doesn't come with challenges, but the group makeup just matters far less at low difficulty.

It's when you get into those higher keys that, yes: You will want to take into consideration things such as Dispels, Enrage removals, mass heals, and consider which classes make things easier. For instance, my Survival Hunter is currently struggling in a week that features the Storming and Thundering affixes. This is a prison of my own making, playing a melee spec and not just switching to Marksmanship.

And speaking of personal responsibility, remember that it's your job in Mythic to minimize deaths as much as possible. This means knowing your defensive cooldowns and helping the Tank and Healer to keep the group going. Complaining that you aren't getting healed enough while standing in a blood pool and not using your CDs is no excuse.

Likewise, come prepared to a dungeon group the same way you would a raid. This includes personal food, flasks, having a repair option handy, and maybe even bringing some Drums along if a Bloodlust isn't available. This can mean some extra work and grinding if you don't just want to pay the gold for these items, but every little bit helps.

It also shows effort on your part, which goes a long way to keeping the group calm when things inevitably go sideways. Yes, there is a timer running and everyone wants to win, but one of the most important parts about how to survive in Mythic+ dungeons is not tilting. If someone dies, don't start blaming each other and just keep moving forward. This is why communication is also key. If you don't understand a strategy or pull, or if you need to stop for mana, be sure to speak up.

One of the big difference between dungeons, raiding, and Mythic+ includes that you cannot ignore or facetank boss mechanics in Mythic. So, if you don't understand something going on don't stay quiet and hope it gets better.

And sometimes it will feel impossible to keep the peace. One person is typing obscenities, the Tank is pulling too fast, the Healer can't keep up. Just remember to be responsible for yourself and your own actions and you've done all you can do.

The golf comparison I made earlier is apt, as progressing in Mythic+ dungeons is as much about personal growth as it is good groups. Taking a look at your damage numbers, successes, and failures is a solid way of figuring out where there's room for improvement.

Because of this, I cannot recommend using Raider.IO enough. The addon and service tracks your statistics and progression throughout the season while also giving other Raider.IO players in-game a quick look at how well you're doing. This can sometimes be a fast pass into a group, as tons of people use Raider.IO.

And, if we're being honest, there's a motivation factor at work as well. My own progress in Mythic is now based on wanting to get better and find ways to shave time and deaths down. This is what I meant earlier by getting as much out of Mythic+ as you put in. Success is contextual, so find your own fun and figure out what you're getting out of running these dungeons.

And if you're looking for information week-to-week on affixes and what to expect, be sure to checkout the cheat-sheet website mythicpl.us. This site updates and gives info on what affixes will be up during the week, along with composition tips and tricks to keep you motivated.

Follow these tips and you'll be on your way in no time to dominating Mythic+ dungeons.

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