Gearing guides
Gearing Systems Explained
Every system the game uses to hand you gear, explained from scratch — then what each one is actually worth against the hours you have. New or returning? Start with How Gearing Works.
Start here
The three systems everything else is built on. Read these first if you are new or coming back.
How Gearing WorksThe whole endgame loop in one page, for anyone new or coming back.Item Levels and Upgrade TracksWhat the line under an item means, and why it matters more than the item level itself.Crests and UpgradingThe upgrade currency: what it costs, where it comes from, and the discount that makes alts cheap.The Great VaultOne free item a week, chosen from the content you did. How to fill it and what to pick.
Where gear comes from
Every activity that hands you gear, what it actually pays, and what it costs you in time.
Mythic+Timed dungeons, and the key level worth running rather than the highest one you can survive.RaidingFour difficulties, weekly lockouts, and where the top of the ladder actually drops.DelvesShort solo dungeons that gear you for real — the fastest catch-up if you play alone.World and Seasonal ContentThe outdoor layer, and the best currency-per-minute in the game.Tier Sets and the CatalystSet bonuses, and how to finish the set without waiting on luck.Bonus RollsExtra chances at loot you already earned, and the ranks crests cannot buy.Crafted Gear and SparksThe only gear you choose rather than hope for, and what top players actually craft.PvP GearingA complete gearing path of its own — and the one system we do not optimize.
Playing the season
How a season unfolds week to week, and how to run more than one character through it.
Every number on these pages is read from the current season's live data, so they stay correct across a patch rather than describing the season they were written in.