Dragonflight M+ Guide For Season 1 Dungeons

Mythic Plus dungeons have become an essential part of WoW’s PvE endgame. They challenge players to complete familiar instances at progressively higher difficulties while trying to beat the timer to unlock even harder variants. In additional to bragging rights and greater challenges, the participants earn the unique loot from each dungeon with much higher item levels than the basic drops. WoW Dragonflight has brought some tweaks to the formula, along with an updated roster of fresh and returning instances. Read this article to learn what this activity has to offer in the expansion’s opening season.

Dragonflight Season One Mythic Plus Dungeons Overview

The last season of Shadowlands deviated from the usual Mythic Plus formula by putting together a roster of dungeons from different expansions. Dragonflight continues the experiment, offering four dungeons from the latest expansion and four from previous content, updated and retuned to pose a proper challenge in this mode. The specific instances used will change every season, hopefully keeping the experience fresh for the participants. However, it does place relative newcomers who have no familiarity with legacy content at a disadvantage. We have prepared guides to assist with new and old instances alike, but also offer quick overviews below:

Ruby Life Pools

The first new dungeon is also commonly believed to be the toughest of this season. It takes place in the Waking Shores and consists of two maps with a mostly linear progression and just three boss encounters. Heroes can respawn at a checkpoint after the first one if they die further in. The instance also sports multiple mini-bosses, two of whom show up exclusively on Mythic difficulty or higher. One of them patrols the starting section of the second map and possesses a wide breath attack that may come as a particularly nasty surprise for unwary players. Many lesser foes can be troublesome as well:

• On the first map, adventurers will want to avoid stepping on any eggs, or they will hatch a swarm of Infused Whelps. While individually weak, those foes apply stacking debuffs that culminate in a debilitating freeze effect;
• Primal Juggernauts are very hardy and can overwhelm tanks with their varied attacks;
• There are several dangerous casters near the end, most notably Tempest Channelers who can summon storm elementals, spawn lightning storms, and snipe at random heroes.

However, the true reason why Ruby Life Pools is so feared and hated has to do with its boss mechanics. They rely on a variety of area-of-effect attacks and spawned environmental hazards that can swiftly prove overwhelming for an insufficiently well-coordinated party. This is especially true for the final two encounters, which have caused many wipes. Affixes that spawn additional hazards are especiall dangerous here, since they make attacks very difficult to avoid. Nonetheless, our Ruby Life Pools Dunge Guide can help players figure out an effective strategy.

The Nokhud Offensive

Among all the new dungeons, The Nokhud Offensive stands out as the most inventive. It plays out in an instanced variant of the entire Ohn’ahran Plains zone and consists of four hotspots, each with its own boss encounter. Getting around between hotspots in a reasonable timeframe requires using the Dragonriding mounts introduced in this expansion. Stationary tornadoes provide heroes with a speed boost as they move from one point to another. This set-up is more than a mere gimmick, since it allows players to decide where they will land, giving them unprecedented freedom in confronting their foes. Landing at certain angles is very helpful for avoiding specific mobs and drawing in others.

The party can resolve the first three encounters in any order to unlock the last one, though they will need to land outside the final area before pushing towards its boss. Encounters are nicely varied, albeit with a consistent emphasis on positioning. Fittingly, heroes will need to move around a lot to prevail. There are many dangerous mobs, most notably including Stormcallers who have a dangerous synergy with nearby Stormsurge Totems. Fortunately, players will find many weaker mobs as well, particularly near the Teera and Maruuk encounter, allowing them to pick up the enemy forces count. The Nokhud Offensive Dungeon Guide should make it easier for players to plan their approach.

The Azure Vault

Another instance from the new set, The Azure Vault may be accessed in the Azure Span zone. Heroes must explore the Vault from top to bottom, progressing through five maps in linear order and defeating four bosses. There are several mechanics in play throughout this dungeon. For example, two levels feature a huge floating ring that must be navigated to advance. Whenever heroes teleport to the ring, they might receive random buffs with both positive and negative effects. Another mechanic involves polymorph traps on the floor. Adventurers with at least 25 Dragon Isles Inscription or the Evoker class gain an opportunity to turn those traps on the monsters if they find certain tomes hidden in corners.

If Ruby Life Pools has any competition in terms of difficulty among the newer dungeons, The Azure Vault must be it. A big part of the challenge comes from the timer, which is very unforgiving. The previously mentioned mechanics can help or hinder players, making it harder to plan a fast run. Affixes and a variety of mobs with tricky powers complicate matters further. The boss encounters are not too difficult, with the possible exception of the endboss, but they do all feature complex movesets that players must watch carefully. The Azure Vault Dungeon Guide has all they need to know about it.

Algeth’ar Academy

The final Dragonflight dungeon in this season is relatively simple. It is located in Thaldraszus, quite close to Valdrakken. Most of the run takes place on one map. The three initial bosses are laid out in a circle, allowing players to choose which one of the two closest enemies to confront at the start. After that, they need to pass through a separate map featuring floating islands to fight a mini-boss and the second boss before returning to the main area to resolve the third encounter. Once those fights are done, the heroes will be free to leave the circle and confront the endboss on a separate arena. Players can also choose between several buffs at the start.

There are a few tricky mobs in Algeth’ar Academy, most notably Aggravated Skitterflies, who can jump out of nowhere and kill weaker heroes outright on higher Keystones if precautions are not taken. Each boss encounter is quite inventive and has the potential to get out of hand if not resolved quickly, as many involve mechanics that become more dangerous over time. In brief, players should not become complacent, or else this instance can become much harder very quickly. Our Algeth’ar Academy Dungeon Guide can ensure that the its visitors are prepared for the surprises that await them.

Temple of the Jade Serpent

This Mists of Panderia dungeon is the oldest instance in the current roster and has received the largest changes to its original form. Several encounters have been streamlined, becoming a little more predictable if also harder than before. Quite a few enemies and abilities were added to the mix, so returning players should not assume they already know how it goes. That said, it is still a comparatively simple dungeon. Players can decide which opening boss to tackle first and there are opportunities to avoid some tough enemies, but for the most part, it should be a straightforward run. After killing the first two bosses in the left and right corners, the party will need to overcome the third in the middle and then confront the endboss.

Although its layout may be simple, Temple of the Jade Serpent makes up for it with the variety and complexity of its foes. There are several mini-bosses and lesser unique enemies that can give players trouble with their unusual abilities. Boss encounters have fairly elaborate and varied mechanics that demand coordination and adaptability from the party. Of note, this instance showcases the season’s only three-phrase boss fight. Our Temple of the Jade Serpent Dungeon Guide contains all the necessary information for the players to prevail in it and other challenges.

Shadowmoon Burial Grounds

Originally seen in Warlords of Draenor, Shadowmoon Burial Grounds is surely the easiest dungeon in the active roster. Players must overcome four boss encounters in a largely linear progression across two maps. While there are no special dungeon-wide mechanics, players will have to contend with some tricky environmental features. In the first map, undead attackers can be awakened by Shadowmoon Exhumers’ spells or by heroes stepping on their tombs. Adventurers crossing the second map might get thrown into waters that block spellcasting, though they can escape by finding waterspouts.

There are a few mobs with abilities that can confuse players and throw off their plans, such as Shadowmoon Dominators or Carrion Worms. Boss encounters are generally manageable so long as the party know how the powers involved work and can coordinate an effective response. Overall, this is indeed a relatively easy opportunity for advancing through the mode, but that is no reason to relax. A few mistakes can still result in a wipe. By reading our Shadowmoon Burial Grounds Dungeon Guide, players can ensure that there will be no embarrassing surprises on their run.

Halls of Valor

Brought over from Legion, Halls of Valor is the longest instance in this season. It consists of five boss encounters split between three maps. After killing the first boss, players can decide the order in which they will attack the second and the third. While one is easy to confront, the other can spawn in one of two locations on the outdoor map and will run away during the encounter, forcing adventurers to give chase. After the first three bosses are killed, the way to the final area shall be opened and heroes will receive a speed buff to help them retrace their steps. Before confronting the last two bosses, the party must overcome a quartet of mini-bosses that inherit the others’ abilities when they are slain.

Players will also have to deal with quite a few other dangerous mobs in this instance. Fortunately, there are often ways to bypass them, whether by sneaking around or by bribing them with Mead (although that item can also be employed to accelerate the skirmish with the mini-bosses). The boss encounters have fairly varied and complicated mechanics that reward quick thinking and paying attention to the battlefield. Planning and adaptation will both be required to resolve this instance efficiently. Our Halls of Valor Dungeon Guide will help with that.

Court of Stars

The other Legion dungeon is also the most complicated and unpredictable entry in this roster. Although it only involves three encounters, it takes place in a sprawling urban environment full of threats and opportunities. The latter tend to take the form of interactable items available to characters based on their race, class, or professions. Most of those opportunities are selected randomly for each run through this instance. Depending on which ones happen to spawn and the details of party composition, the run can prove surprisingly easy or extremely challenging.

Two initial boss encounters allow players to take advantage of character-specific opportunities or more roundabout approaches to make them easier. The second encounter in particular would be extremely hard to pull off if the heroes do not lure away and kill off the three mini-bosses that would appear there otherwise. The endboss cannot be made easier, is preceded by a social mini-game that might cost valuable time if not resolved correctly. Players also must contend with a large number of patrolling foes between and around the encounter areas. Victory here requires coming up with a plan on the fly and executing it with precision. Our Court of Stars Dungeon Guide presents the easiest way through, though it will need to be adapted for each run.

Mythic Plus Mode Changes in Dragonflight

In addition to new dungeons, players should be aware of several important alterations to the Mythic Plus system starting with this season:

• The comparative difficulty of each Keystone has been raised in comparison to the previous expansion, with mobs and bosses hitting harder and having greater durability. However, each Keystone after Mythic Plus 10 also gives more score;
• Players will need to beat a dungeon at Mythic Plus 20 to obtain the highest-level versions of its unique loot and the ability to teleport to its entrance (though veterans may already have the latter for older dungeons). While they are harder to get, the ultimate gear prizes are superior to the ones from the previous expansion. The best Mythic Plus prizes from the Great Vault are now only three levels below the finest loot from the latest Mythic raid;
• In addition to unique gear and the Valor upgrade currency (which works like it did in Shadowlands), heroes can earn unique crafting reagents by completing Mythic Plus instances, with better ones appearing at higher Keystones;
• The Affix rotation has been shortened from a dozen weeks to ten;
• Necrotic and Inspiring modifiers have been retired for now, replaced by the new Thundering Affix. It is active all season and causes heroes to occasionally receive Mark of Lightning or Mark of Wind power buffs. After 15 seconds, those heroes will be stunned and receive damage over time. Before that happens, each buff can be removed safely by moving past a character with the other buff.