There comes a moment in every World of Warcraft season when Blizzard apparently decides that everyone has been behaving far too responsibly with their equipment. For weeks, players have carefully counted their upgrade currencies, studied item-level charts and attempted to determine whether spending twenty precious crests on a pair of boots would be a brilliant investment or a decision they would regret approximately eleven minutes later.
Then the developers arrive, remove the limits and announce that your expensive equipment can become even more expensive.
It is a familiar Warcraft tradition. And as of this week's reset, Midnight Season 2 has officially reached that wonderful stage where the gearing system begins taking the brakes off.
Blizzard has removed the seasonal Mistcrest cap, while Ascendant Venomstones are now available through Patch 12.1.5's new progression system. Players can earn the special upgrade currency from Heroic and Mythic raids, Mythic+ dungeons, high-level Bountiful Delves and Nightmare Prey Hunts, then use it to push selected equipment beyond its normal item-level ceiling.
For players who have spent the past several weeks staring at a fully upgraded weapon and wishing the numbers were slightly larger, this is excellent news.
For anyone who thought their gearing was finally finished, we have some unfortunate information.
The Mistcrest Cap Is Gone – And the Upgrade Grind Has Changed
The first change is straightforward. According to Blizzard's official Patch 12.1.5 notes, the seasonal crest cap is lifted during the week of October 20.
This means players no longer have to stop earning Mistcrests simply because they have reached the season's previous currency allowance. If you have equipment waiting for upgrades, you can continue collecting the appropriate crests through eligible activities rather than waiting for another weekly reset to make progress.
That is especially useful for returning players and alternate characters. Someone who missed several weeks of Season 2 can now work through more of the gearing process at their own pace, without the same restriction on how many crests they can accumulate.
There are still equipment tracks, upgrade costs and activity requirements, of course. Removing the crest cap does not magically transform a Champion item into Myth equipment. It simply allows players to continue earning the resources needed for upgrades without the former seasonal limit.
We saw Blizzard make a similar decision during Season 1, which we covered when the original Midnight crest limits were removed in May. At the beginning of a season, the restrictions help control the pace of progression. Later on, they become an obstacle for people trying to catch up.
Blizzard has apparently decided that Season 2 has reached the point where the obstacle is no longer particularly useful.
And there is another important difference this time. Removing the cap is only half the story.
Ascendant Venomstones Are Finally Available
We first examined Ascendant Venomstones and their new necklace upgrades back in September, when the system was still something players were preparing for rather than actively using.
That has now changed.
During the week of October 13, Blizzard introduced the quest "Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom", allowing players to help Orin Straylight begin another research project near the Catalyst in Silvermoon City.
Following the weekly reset beginning October 20, Orin's research is complete, and the follow-up quest "Ascending with Venomstones" becomes available.
Completing the quest unlocks the ability to collect Ascendant Venomstones from eligible Season 2 activities across your Warband.
This is one of those details worth checking before enthusiastically charging into a Mythic+ dungeon. If you have not completed the relevant questline, visit Orin first and make sure your character has unlocked the system.
Our earlier guide to Orin's weekly research and additional Nebulous Voidcore rewards explains how the Catalyst quest chain connects to Midnight's other late-season gearing systems.
There is something beautifully Warcraft about the arrangement. You have defeated armies, conquered ancient temples and probably helped prevent the destruction of the universe several times.
But before you can make your sword stronger, you must return to Silvermoon and find out whether a researcher has finished his homework.
Where to Farm Ascendant Venomstones
Once the system is unlocked, Blizzard has provided several ways to acquire the new currency. You do not have to be a Mythic raider, although the more difficult endgame activities naturally offer some of the most direct opportunities.
Ascendant Venomstones can be obtained from:
- Heroic raid bosses: Eligible Heroic Season 2 raid boss kills.
- Mythic raid bosses: Eligible Mythic Season 2 raid boss kills.
- Mythic+ dungeons: Completing Keystone dungeons at +10 or higher.
- Bountiful Delves: Completing Tier 11 Bountiful Delves.
- Nightmare Prey Hunts: Opening the eligible Champion gear reward chest.
The variety is important. A player who enjoys Mythic+ can work toward Venomstones without organising a raid. Dedicated raiders have another reason to keep clearing bosses, while experienced Delve players can participate through Tier 11 Bountiful content.
That last option is particularly interesting. We previously looked at how Tier 11 Delves were becoming increasingly important to Season 2 progression, especially with the arrival of the enormous Labyrinth of Kindo'jan.
Blizzard is clearly trying to connect several endgame activities to the same reward ecosystem. Instead of reserving every meaningful upgrade for organised raiding, the developers are allowing different types of players to pursue the same currency through different challenges.
It does not make Tier 11 easy. And completing a +10 dungeon remains considerably more demanding than politely asking the nearest kobold to hand over its treasure.
But the choice is welcome.
Ten Venomstones Can Push Your Best Gear Beyond Its Normal Limit
Here is where the system becomes particularly tempting.
Collect 10 Ascendant Venomstones, and you can empower one eligible, fully upgraded Season 2 weapon, trinket or necklace near the Catalyst in Silvermoon City.
The item must already be at the maximum of its normal Hero or Myth upgrade track, or be a maximum-quality eligible Tidal Crafted item. Ascendant Venomstones do not replace the ordinary Mistcrest process. They add another improvement after that process has been completed.
According to Wowhead's updated October 20 gearing guide, the resulting item levels are:
| Eligible Item | Item Level After Ascension |
|---|---|
| Fully upgraded Hero-track gear | 328 |
| Fully upgraded Myth-track gear | 340 |
| Maximum-quality Hero Tidal Crafted gear | 325 |
| Maximum-quality Myth Tidal Crafted gear | 338 |
Those figures also clear up some of the uncertainty that surrounded the system during PTR testing. Ordinary Myth-track equipment reaches item level 340 through ascension, rather than automatically matching the item level 344 rewards available from certain elevated Mythic raid drops.
Items already at item level 344 on the Elevated Myth track are not eligible for this additional upgrade.
That may disappoint anyone hoping to turn a spectacular Mythic raid weapon into something powerful enough to frighten the expansion's final boss merely by opening their character sheet.
Blizzard does, occasionally, draw a line.
Which Items Should You Upgrade First?
This is where things become more interesting than simply collecting ten shiny stones and clicking the largest weapon in your inventory.
Weapons will be an obvious priority for many damage-dealing specializations, particularly when additional item levels improve important offensive statistics. But the best choice depends on the character, the item and the alternatives available.
Trinkets deserve special consideration because their value is often determined by unique effects rather than ordinary secondary statistics. An exceptional trinket with a particularly strong effect may remain more valuable than a higher-level alternative with an underwhelming ability.
We have already seen how unpredictable that can become. Our earlier coverage of Preternatural Antivenom's unusual healer bug demonstrated that even apparently desirable Season 2 trinkets can behave differently from expectations.
Necklaces introduce another calculation. They often derive much of their value from the distribution of secondary statistics, which means a well-itemized necklace may remain desirable for a long time. Being able to upgrade that particular item beyond its normal ceiling reduces the pressure to replace it simply because another necklace has a more impressive number attached.
And do not forget that there are other ways to target the items you actually want before committing your Venomstones.
We previously examined why choosing a Nebulous Voidcore instead of Great Vault equipment can sometimes be the better decision. Blizzard also reduced Season 2 raid Bonus Roll costs to one Voidcore, making targeted loot attempts considerably more affordable.
The combination is important. A player can pursue a particular high-value item, upgrade it through the ordinary system and eventually invest Ascendant Venomstones to extend its usefulness.
That makes selecting the right equipment more important than simply upgrading the first available piece.
For a game about slaying enormous monsters, Warcraft continues to require a suspicious amount of financial planning.
What About Players Who Are Still Behind on Gear?
The good news is that removing the Mistcrest cap helps players who are nowhere near ready to spend their first ten Venomstones.
A returning player can now concentrate on acquiring and upgrading appropriate Season 2 equipment without the previous seasonal currency ceiling. The normal distinctions between upgrade tracks still apply, but players have greater freedom to progress through them.
There are also useful catch-up opportunities that may have been overlooked earlier in the season. For example, we covered the Cracked Keystone quest that rewards 20 Hero and 30 Myth Mistcrests after completing its requirements.
That quest was particularly valuable when the seasonal cap was still active. With the cap now removed, its fixed currency reward remains useful, even if the old advantage of receiving crests outside the limit is no longer quite as remarkable.
For established players, the new system provides another layer of optimisation. For latecomers, it provides a way to narrow the equipment gap before the season ends.
And for the small group of people who somehow maintain six fully geared characters and still claim they have nothing to do, Blizzard has kindly provided another reason to spend the weekend inside a dungeon.
Midnight Season 2 Has Entered Its Final Gearing Stretch
What makes this update interesting is not simply that Blizzard has introduced another currency. World of Warcraft has enough currencies to establish its own international banking system, complete with exchange rates, complicated regulations and a goblin charging a handling fee.
The more important change is how the various systems are beginning to work together.
Mistcrest limits are gone. Ascendant Venomstones let carefully chosen equipment grow beyond its normal ceiling. Bonus Rolls provide more opportunities to target important loot, and several different endgame activities contribute to the same progression.
We already saw Blizzard move in this direction with Patch 12.1.5's broader mid-season refresh. What was initially presented as an update built around Kith'ix, Labyrinths and additional world activities has also become a significant turning point for character power.
That should make the coming weeks interesting, particularly for Mythic+ players pushing higher keys and raiders still working through difficult encounters.
More importantly, it gives returning players a chance to participate without feeling that every missed weekly reset has permanently condemned them to mediocrity.
There is one last piece of advice worth remembering before spending your newly acquired Venomstones.
Make sure the item is actually worth keeping.
Because while Blizzard has removed the cap on Mistcrests, it has not removed World of Warcraft's oldest and most reliable gearing tradition.
Upgrading a weapon, feeling terribly pleased with yourself, and then watching a better one drop five minutes later.
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