It involves mounting up, riding in circles and collecting glowing objects while Valeera somehow becomes more experienced from the entire affair.
So essentially:
Training.
Valeera Sanguinar's Delve companion level cap increases from 60 to 80 for Season 2, giving her additional damage and healing as she levels. With the harder Delve content and Azta'rec approaching, players have started farming Mislaid Curiosities to push her toward the new cap as quickly as possible.
The trick itself is not completely new.
Players used Mislaid Curiosities to power-level Valeera during Season 1 too.
What makes the Patch 12.1 version considerably faster is a new Utility Curio called Dundun's Favor.
And Dundun appears to be very much in favor of not stopping.
Dundun's Favor Removes the Annoying Part of the Farm
Mislaid Curiosities can grant Valeera experience when collected inside Delves.
Previously, farming them involved repeatedly stopping to interact with each Curiosity and dealing with enemies before you could safely collect everything.
Dundun's Favor changes that.
With the curio equipped, simply walking over a Mislaid Curiosity automatically loots it. It can also be collected while you are in combat. The curio can additionally create Mislaid Spirits during combat, and walking over either type of object triggers Volatile Sprites that attack nearby enemies.
That turns an awkward stop-and-start farming method into something much closer to a racing game.
Ride.
Collect.
Continue riding.
Try not to examine too closely what Warcraft has become.
Ring of Glory Is Currently the Best General Farming Spot
The most popular location for the strategy is The Ring of Glory on the Coiled Isle.
The reason is beautifully simple.
It is an outdoor Delve.
Which means you can use your mount inside it.
Combine mounted movement with Dundun's Favor automatically collecting Mislaid Curiosities and the entire route becomes considerably faster than repeatedly stopping to interact with them.
Wowhead currently recommends the Open Night story as the cleanest version for this strategy, although Mislaid Curiosity farming works with other Ring of Glory stories as well.
The basic loop is therefore:
- Enter The Ring of Glory.
- Equip Dundun's Favor.
- Mount up.
- Ride through the Delve collecting Mislaid Curiosities.
- Reset and repeat.
It may not be the most heroic chapter in Valeera Sanguinar's distinguished career.
But experience is experience.
Higher Delve Tiers Can Make the Farm Better
Player discussion around the strategy indicates that higher Delve tiers award more Valeera experience from Mislaid Curiosities, with Tier 11 being the obvious target for characters capable of moving through it efficiently.
That does not mean everybody should blindly farm Tier 11.
If the enemies are constantly killing you, forcing resets or slowing your route, dropping to an easier tier may produce more experience over time simply because you are actually moving.
Dead characters have traditionally poor experience-per-hour statistics.
This is also worth remembering alongside our guide to getting Hero-track gear from a Patch 12.1 Delve before Season 2.
Delves are currently doing double duty as both a gearing system and a way to prepare Valeera for the harder content arriving with the new season.
Stealth Classes Have Another Good Option
If you play a class capable of moving through enemy packs without attracting half the Delve, The Grudge Pit remains a strong alternative.
It has higher enemy density, which makes ordinary movement considerably more dangerous but can also produce a compact Mislaid Curiosity farming route. Wowhead specifically recommends it as an alternative for stealth classes.
Rogues and Druids naturally have an easier time here.
Everyone else may discover that attempting to ignore forty angry enemies produces a slightly different leveling guide.
Usually one beginning at the graveyard.
Why Get Valeera to Level 80?
Valeera is more than a decorative Rogue who follows you around Delves commenting on your decisions.
Her effectiveness increases as she levels, improving the damage or healing she contributes depending on the role you assign her. Blizzard originally introduced Valeera as Midnight's Delve companion, capable of operating across multiple support roles alongside the player.
Normally, a few companion levels are not going to transform an easy Delve into completely different content.
The real reason players are suddenly interested in maximizing her is Azta'rec.
The Season 2 Nemesis encounter is designed as the new high-end Delve challenge, and additional companion power becomes much more attractive when you are attempting content where small improvements can matter.
We have already covered one particularly unusual reason to fight him in our look at how Azta'rec can reward Crests beyond the normal weekly cap.
If you were already planning to take him seriously, Valeera is probably worth preparing too.
You Do Not Need Level 80 for Ordinary Delves
This is also where a little perspective is useful.
You do not need to spend hours grinding Valeera to 80 just to continue playing Delves.
Players on Blizzard's forums point out that a level 60 Valeera is already perfectly functional for ordinary content and can even participate successfully in Nemesis practice depending on your character and setup.
So treat this as optimisation.
Not homework.
If you enjoy Delves naturally, Valeera will continue progressing through Season 2 content anyway.
If you intend to push the hardest versions immediately, getting those extra levels ahead of time becomes considerably more appealing.
There is a difference between:
“This is useful.”
And:
“You have ruined your character because Valeera is level 67.”
The second sentence is how spreadsheets become religions.
Dundun's Favor Is Useful Beyond the XP Farm
Dundun's Favor is not technically an XP item.
Its actual Utility Curio effect is broader.
While in combat, Mislaid Spirits can appear nearby. Walking over a Mislaid Curiosity or Mislaid Spirit triggers a volley of Volatile Sprites at nearby enemies, while Mislaid Curiosity contents are automatically looted when activated.
The Valeera-leveling strategy simply takes advantage of those quality-of-life properties.
You are not creating experience from nowhere.
You are making an existing source substantially quicker to collect.
That distinction is worth mentioning because some players immediately began asking whether the method should be considered an exploit.
There is currently no Blizzard statement describing it as one. The behavior matches the published curio effect and uses normal Delve mechanics.
Obviously, Blizzard can still change anything it decides is producing results too quickly.
This is World of Warcraft.
Never develop an emotional dependency on an efficient farming method.
This Fits Into a Much Bigger Season 2 Preparation List
Valeera leveling is only one of several useful things players can do immediately before Season 2.
We have already found a guaranteed Champion 1/6 item hiding behind Venom-Cursed Fragments.
There are also four refreshed Renown quests offering easy catch-up gear.
And Blizzard has already adjusted several Season 2 tier sets before The Venomous Abyss even opens.
In other words, the traditional quiet week before a new season has become strangely busy.
Check gear.
Check Sparks.
Check Vault rewards.
Level companion.
Update spreadsheet.
Remember that this is technically entertainment.
Ring of Glory Is the Route to Try First
If you want to push Valeera toward level 80 quickly, the current community strategy is straightforward.
Equip Dundun's Favor.
Enter The Ring of Glory.
Use the Open Night story if available.
Run the highest tier you can move through efficiently.
Mount up and sweep through the Delve collecting Mislaid Curiosities without stopping.
Stealth classes can consider The Grudge Pit instead.
Everyone else can enjoy the deeply dignified spectacle of riding around an ancient magical arena collecting glowing objects so a legendary blood elf assassin learns faster.
Season 2 preparation comes in many forms.
This one has excellent movement speed.
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