I just hit 90. When do I start keys?
Sooner than you think, but not on day one. Use delves and the early gear upgrades to bring your item level to a comfortable place, and learn your rotation on a target dummy until your hands do it without you. Then try a low keystone with a group that says “learning” in the description. The first few runs are about the route and the people, not the timer.
A good sign you are ready: you can survive an unplanned pull without panic and you know what your interrupt is.
What is the difference between a delve and a key?
A delve is a small, scaled adventure for one player or a very small party, and a companion can help. A Mythic+ run is a five-player dungeon with a keystone, a time limit and a modifier that changes how packs behave. Delves teach you to read the room alone; keys teach you to read it together. Both give gear tracks, and both use crests, though the details of each are best checked in the game itself.
What gear do I need before the first key?
Enough to avoid dying to ordinary damage, and no more. Delves and the early upgrade track will carry you to a decent place, and crafting orders can fill the odd empty slot. Do not wait for a perfect set. Gear gets you into low keys; knowledge of the route and your own class gets you through them.
Do I need to know every dungeon before I apply?
No. You need to know two or three, and to be willing to say “I’m new to this one” in the group chat. Almost everyone replies with a tip. If you do not want to say it, spend ten minutes on a short video or a text guide, and write the route in two lines.
Which role is easiest to start with?
Damage dealing, probably, because you can learn by watching. But the queue likes tanks and healers, so if the role appeals to you, you will get invites quickly. Healers have a lot to keep in mind but a lot of freedom, and tanks have the most control over the group’s mood. Pick the one you want to be in the room with at ten at night.
What are crests for, in plain words?
They are the currency that turns an item into a better version of itself, up to a limit. You earn them from group content and delves, and spend them at the upgrade vendor. The sensible habit is to save a few for the slot you care about most instead of spreading them thin. If you find the vendor menu confusing, open it once, read the tooltips slowly, and close it again. It makes sense on the second visit.
Should I use crafting orders?
If you are missing a piece, yes. You place an order, leave the materials or tip the crafter, and receive the item. It is gentler than waiting for a drop, and it teaches you how the market for crafted gear works. Many players also craft pieces to fill a gap before the season’s good drops arrive.
What do people mean when they ask about a “carry”?
You will hear it in guild chat and in group finder. In short, some players choose to pay for help on dungeons or raids, and a service like WoW Mythic Carry is one of the names that comes up. Others strongly prefer to play every run themselves. Neither group is wrong, and neither should lecture the other. The question is just how you want to spend your limited evenings.
Is the group finder worth the trouble?
Yes, with one habit: read the description before you apply, and write a good one when you lead. Listings that mention tone, plan and level fill quicker and end happier. If a listing is a single line with only a number, expect a quiet group. That can be fine, but you should know in advance.
Can I practice without wasting other people’s time?
You can. Use delves to practice your rotation and positioning, and a low keystone for the route. Tell the group you are learning. Most players are patient with someone who says so and tries to improve. It is the player who stays silent and repeats the same mistake who tires everyone out.
A quick glossary for the confused
Keystone: the item that starts a run and sets its level. Affix: a modifier that changes how enemies behave. Vault: the weekly reward chest. Crest: the upgrade currency. Delve: a small scaled adventure. Craft order: a request for a crafted item. Those six words cover most of the chat you will read in a guild channel.
How long should a first key take?
As long as it takes. Do not chase the timer in your first few runs. The timer tells you about pull efficiency; early runs are for finding the route and getting used to the voice of the group. If you finish below the time, great. If not, you still learned the dungeon, and the keystone often has a way of coming back to you the next week.
What about raids?
Season 2 has the older raid, The Voidspire, and the newer eight-boss Venomous Abyss from patch 12.1. Dungeon habits carry over: reading casts, using defensives early, moving out of the bad stuff. If you can handle keys, raids are less intimidating than they look, especially in a guild that explains fights.
What should I say when a run goes badly?
Something short and useful. “I’ll watch that cast next time.” Then do it. Nobody remembers apologies; they remember adjustments. And if somebody is rude, leave the group, requeue, and move on. One bad run is not a reflection on your whole season.
How do I find a friendly group at night?
Write a listing of your own. Include the level, the plan, and one line of tone. “Second key of the week, will explain pulls” gets you five applicants in a few minutes. Also befriend people from good runs: a short whisper, a friend request, and next time you have a ready group.
What if I am worried about being the weakest in the group?
Somebody always is, and it is rarely the person who thinks so. Players tend to notice their own mistakes far more than anyone else’s. Focus on one improvement per run, such as an earlier defensive or a better interrupt, and your confidence will come with the results.
How do I know when to push a level higher?
When two consecutive runs at your current level end with time to spare and no panic moments. Move one step, not three. If the next run feels cramped, stay there for a few more runs. The keystone is a dial, not a test.
One last note for the nervous
Everyone you meet in a key started with a first one. The person tanking now probably messed up a pull in a way you can barely imagine. Show up, learn the route, and keep the questions coming. The guild chat is a decent place to ask them.
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