Understanding Item Level Tracks and Sources
Season 3 uses a gear track system where each piece falls into specific categories with different upgrade potential. Knowing these tracks helps you make smart choices about what gear to target and when to upgrade.
Item Level Breakdown
Explorer Track: 642-665 item level
You'll get this from campaign quests, World Quests, and basic activities. It's perfect for fresh characters but won't take you far into endgame.
Adventurer Track: 655-678 item level
World Quests in K'aresh drop this tier. You can upgrade pieces with Valorstones and Weathered Ethereal Crests.
Veteran Track: 668-691 item level
Weekly activity chests, the World Boss, and your Great Vault from Mythic 0 dungeons all provide Veteran pieces. Ranks 6-8 need Carved Ethereal Crests plus Valorstones.
Champion Track: 681-704 item level
Mythic 0 dungeons, Bountiful Delves, and Normal raid difficulty all drop Champion gear. Higher ranks cost Weathered, Runed, and Valorstones.
Hero Track: 694-710 item level
Mythic+ keys at level 6 or higher, Heroic raiding, and Tier 8+ Delves from your Great Vault reward Hero pieces. You'll need Runed and Gilded Crests for upgrades.
Myth Track: 707-723 item level
The top tier comes from Mythic+ 10 Vault rewards and Mythic raiding. Only the most dedicated players will see these item levels early in the season.
Currency Basics
Valorstones work for all upgrades and drop from every Season 3 activity. You can hold 2,000 max and transfer them between characters (with a 25% loss).
Ethereal Crests come in four types:
- Weathered: Explorer and Adventurer gear
- Carved: Veteran gear
- Runed: Champion and Hero gear
- Gilded: Hero and Myth gear
You can trade down at Vaskarn in Dornogal - 15 lower Crests for one higher tier pouch.
Pre-Season Setup
Before Season 3 officially starts, you've got a full week to build your foundation. Smart preparation here saves tons of time later.
Get Your Reshii Wraps
The K'aresh campaign gives you the Reshii Wraps artifact cloak, and it's absolutely game-changing. This thing starts at 694 item level and eventually hits 730. More importantly, it's required for the new raid and gives role-specific bonuses:
- Tanks get absorb shields
- Healers get extra healing procs
- DPS get AoE damage boosts
The upgrade system is account-wide. Get the materials on your main, and every alt can use them too. They just need to apply upgrades individually.
For alts, there's a skip option. After your main completes "The Tabiqa" quest, other characters can talk to Hashim at 50.3, 36.3 in Overlook Zo'Shuul and grab their wraps instantly.
Customize Your Stats
You can buy basic stat fibers near where you get the cloak, but better ones come from Tailoring. Find a tailor who's hit Renown 5 with the faction to craft superior versions. These swap freely, so you only need one of each stat type per character.
World Boss and Mythic 0 Runs
The World Boss drops guaranteed Champion-track gear, so don't skip it. For dungeons, 6 out of 8 are available in Mythic 0 difficulty during pre-season (Tazavesh opens with the season).
Run Heroics first if you need gear, then hit every Mythic 0 once for loot chances. After that, do two more M0 runs even if you're loot-locked to fill your Great Vault slots.
Delve Strategy
Push Delves to Tier 8 and complete at least 8 runs at that level. This sets up your Great Vault for Hero track rewards next week. All tiers are available, but you still need to progress from Tier 4 to 11 step by step.
Stock Up on Resources
Gather Weathered Crests while questing. These let you craft basic epic gear if other methods fall short. Also visit old quartermasters in Dornogal, Azj-Kahet, and other zones to collect leftover Crests from previous seasons.
Alt Catch-Up Guide
For fresh characters starting around 620 item level, you can get competitive fast without grinding for weeks.
Quick Baseline Options
- Buy greens from the auction house - they'll be around 640 item level and cost some gold, but it's instant.
- Run campaign chapters 1-5 - this guarantees 642 Explorer gear and sometimes blue pieces that are even better.
Legacy Crest Collection
Before doing anything else, visit these quartermaster locations:
- Dornogal (multiple NPCs)
- Azj-Kahet representatives
- Undermine vendors
- Other expansion areas
You can collect hundreds of Crests this way, which translates to immediate crafting opportunities.
No-Spark Crafting Method
This is huge for alts. You can buy Enchanted Weathered Ethereal Crests from vendors. Use these to craft 675 gear without burning your weekly Spark:
- Go to your armor type's crafting station
- Pick blue items that don't require Sparks
- Add the Weathered Crests in optional slots
- Set your preferred secondary stats
- Post as a public order with a 200g tip
Total cost runs about 700 gold in materials plus the tip. You get 675 gear without touching your Spark.
Weekly Quest Priority
Accept everything you see:
- World Quest objectives
- Dungeon clearing requirements
- Delve goals (need 3 minimum)
These activities give you the weekly Spark plus Carved Crests for upgrades.
Smart Upgrade Targets
Carved Crests can push Veteran and Champion pieces to 691. Focus on weapons and trinkets first since they give the biggest power jumps. A fully upgraded piece costs 45 Carved Crests plus Valorstones.
Backup Gear Sources
- Renown farming - K'aresh Trust at Renown 7 gives a 668 Veteran chest piece, upgradeable to 691.
- Legacy content - Some old activities like Horrific Visions still give scaled rewards despite official statements saying they wouldn't.
- Heroic dungeons - If you're really stuck, queue for specific Heroics. The gear is Adventurer track (can't hit 691), but it'll get you over minimum requirements.
Week 1 Game Plan
The first week of Patch 11.2 sets everything up for Season 3. Focus on preparation and resource gathering.
| Priority | Activity | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| High | Complete K'aresh campaign | Reshii Wraps artifact cloak |
| High | Install stat fibers | Customized cloak stats |
| Medium | Clear every M0 dungeon | Champion gear + Vault slots |
| Medium | Push Delves to Tier 8 | Hero track Vault setup |
| Low | Kill World Boss | Champion gear chance |
Must-Do List
- Complete the K'aresh campaign for your cloak
- Install stat fibers on the Reshii Wraps
- Clear every available Mythic 0 dungeon
- Do extra M0 runs for Great Vault slots
- Push Delves to Tier 8, complete 8+ runs
- Collect weekly rewards and Restored Coffer Keys
- Kill the World Boss
Reshii Wraps Setup
Find a tailor who unlocks the fiber recipes early. These enhanced versions blow away the basic ones you can buy. Your cloak will likely hit Rank 2 (701 item level) during this first week.
Coffer Key Farming
Grab these from:
- Weekly quest turn-ins
- World Quest rewards
- Special assignments in K'aresh
You'll need them for Bountiful Delves when the season starts.
Great Vault Prep
Both dungeon clears and Delve completions count toward next week's Vault. Make sure you're maximizing slots:
- Hit each M0 once for potential loot
- Run 2 more M0s while loot-locked for Vault credit
- Get 8+ Tier 8 Delve completions
Season 3 Launch Week
Everything opens at once when Season 3 goes live. You'll want to coordinate your approach across multiple content types.
Check Your Vault First
Open it but don't grab anything immediately. Tier pieces might be available right away, so look at everything before deciding. Make choices based on your overall gear situation, not just single upgrades.
PvP Weapon Quest
If there's a PvP quest for a higher item level weapon, do it. The throughput boost is worth it until you get raid or M+ replacements.
New Content Priorities
- Finish the campaign to unlock Ecological Succession and its weekly quest rewards.
- Hit the new World Boss for more loot chances.
- Complete all Dornogal weeklies, including the new Tazavesh dungeon quest.
Outdoor Reward Changes
K'aresh gives 2 Veteran chests, Dornogal provides 2-3 more. The first two chests in any area give Veteran gear, while the first four provide full Restored Coffer Keys.
Old content got nerfed. Previous expansion activities now give Adventurer gear and 50 Coffer Key shards instead of Veteran pieces and full keys. Still worth doing if you need the resources.
Delve Updates
The progression system changed. You need 8,400 Delver's Journey points to unlock Delver's Bounties (that's 2 nodes in the season track). There's probably a weekly quest giving 3,000 points starting Week 1.
For maximum efficiency, run Bountiful Delves on multiple alts until you hit milestones. At the third milestone, Tier 9+ Delves let you buy trinkets from vendors using Undercoins. Selection rotates daily.
Crest Farming
Gilded Crests work like Season 2: 21 total from 3 Tier 11 Bountiful clears, plus 10 more if you use Delver's Bounty at that tier.
Mythic+ and Tazavesh
Standard M+ Goals
Push toward +6 for Hero gear and Gilded Crests, then work up to +10 for Myth track Vault rewards. Nothing complicated here.
Tazavesh Hard Mode
This is the big change. Tazavesh opens in Hard Mode only when Season 3 starts. No attunement needed, just grab your group and go.
The recommended item level is 707 and it drops Hero gear, which seems weak compared to +6 keys. However, completion counts as a +10 for your Great Vault. That means Myth track rewards.
If your group can handle consistent Tazavesh clears, it might be faster than pushing keys early in the season. You could even clear just the first few bosses for gear and call it good.
There's definitely going to be a carry market for this content. Just make sure you understand lockout mechanics before getting involved.
Tazavesh Difficulty Comparison
Manaforge Omega Raid
Entry Requirements and Structure
You need the Reshii Wraps to get in, period. The raid has its own Renown track with 15 levels (down from 20) and includes nerfs to trash mobs for faster clears later.
Week 1 opens with 3 bosses and tier token chances for legs and gloves. The Catalyst system should be available right away, giving charges every other week.
Special Gear Interactions
The raid is the only place to get boots that boost your Reshii Wraps proc rate. These are massive upgrades that we're not sure will show up in other Vault tables.
Some trinket and weapon combos for casters and healers might be really strong, which could affect your crafting decisions.
Resource Management Strategy
Valorstone Rules
Only upgrade gear with Runed Crests or higher. Skip Weathered and Carved upgrades completely.
The only exception is when you're close to the 2,000 Valorstone cap. Then use whatever you need to avoid wasting currency.
This approach saves resources for high-level gear while preventing shortages due to Crest limits. It works equally well for mains and alts.
When Crest caps get lifted later in the season, you can convert your stockpiled lower Crests into higher tiers for better upgrades.
Upgrade Discounts
The milestone system didn't change. Once you don't need a certain Crest type for any gear upgrades, you can trade those Crests up to higher tiers. Your alts get discounts on upgrades, making this strategy even better for multiple characters.
Priority Upgrade Order
Advanced Strategies
Pre-Season Checklist
- Complete campaign and get Reshii Wraps
- Find early tailor access for good fibers
- Clear World Boss for guaranteed Champion gear
- Hit Tier 8 Delves, complete 8+ runs for Vault
- Finish each M0 once, plus 2 extra for Vault slots
- Stock up on Coffer Keys from all sources
Season Launch Execution
- Check for PvP weapon quest
- Review Great Vault before selecting (watch for tier pieces)
- Hit these in order:
- Raid Finder wing for tier and Veteran gear
- World Boss for more Champion chances
- K'aresh weeklies for Veteran gear and keys
- Dornogal weekly series
- Legacy activities until Coffer Shards stop dropping
Delve Power Farming
Start with basic Tier 8 clears and use Bountiful keys for quick Champion gear. If possible, push for Delver's Bounty unlocks.
Hunt for Nexus-Princess Ky'veza or buy summoning items. The sequence is: clear multiple Tier 8s, apply Bounty, clear Tier 11 for 31 total Gilded Crests that week.
Long-Term Planning
Once you've got solid baseline gear, focus on your preferred endgame:
- Delves for solo progression
- M+ for group content and weekly Vault rewards
- Organized raiding for tier sets and Myth gear
- Tazavesh farming as an alternative group activity
Keep alts one step behind your main to benefit from Crest discounts. Conservative upgrade spending means you'll never run out of Valorstones or need to farm them specifically.
Your routine will shift over time. You'll do less Veteran track farming and more Champion/Hero activities as the season progresses. Some players might make Tazavesh their main group content instead of traditional M+.
Player Type Advantages
Late-game players get the biggest benefits in Season 3. Tazavesh provides easier access to Myth track gear early in the season compared to traditional key pushing. The combination of accessible Hard Mode and Great Vault integration creates faster advancement for organized groups.
Content Release Timeline
Season 3 Release Schedule
K'aresh zone • Reshii Wraps system • Eco-Dome Al'dani dungeon • New Delve Assault • Campaign chapters 1-3 • Normal, Heroic, M0 difficulties • Great Vault credit starts
Manaforge Omega raid • Mythic+ season begins • Tazavesh Hard Mode • New Delver's Journey • Nexus-Princess Ky'veza • Season 3 World Boss and PvP • Campaign chapter 4 and expansion finale
This approach gives you sustainable progression throughout Season 3 while keeping resource management simple and effective.