Delves

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Delve selection interface

Delves are a solo/small-group pillar of progression introduced in The War Within. An iteration of scenarios from Mists of Pandaria, Delves are role-agnostic mini-dungeons for one to five players that can be completed in 10-15 minutes, with objectives that change daily. Players will tag along with a companion and explore different delves as part of the expansion.[1]

Delves provide experience and gear, all the way up to Mythic+5/Heroic raid-level equipment. Cosmetic and collectible rewards are also available, including customizable mounts with each new season (e.g. the  [Delver's Dirigible] introduced with The War Within Season 1). Delves have difficulty levels, with Tiers 1 and 2 available during the level-up process, and Tiers 3 and above at level 80, with an item level requirement starting at 530 and after completing The War Within campaign on at least one character. There are 11 difficulty levels in total.[2]

Though not queueable, Delve parties can be formed in the Premade Groups tool or by partying up normally. Players will then need to walk through the instance line to begin their delve.

Delves

Each delve cycles through a few story variants, which change daily. Come back on different days for a different iteration of the delve and further achievement progress. Each delve is marked on the world map with a stone door icon (stone door/glowing stone door). Starting in patch 11.2.0, the tooltip displayed when hovering over the delve icon on the world map will indicate which story is active.

The following delves are part of a specific season. They serve only to fight the current nemesis, are not in the rotation to be bountiful, and do not count towards the Great Vault. They have two unique tiers that unlock at specific tier clears: "Tier ?" requires clearing any delve at Tier 7 with revives remaining, and "Tier ??" requires a Tier 10 clear with revives remaining.

Seasonal delve locations
Delve Zone Coords Nemesis Season
Torment's Rise Voidstorm Midnight Season 1
Zekvir's Lair Azj-Kahet [35.0, 78.2] Zekvir The War Within Season 1
Demolition Dome Undermine [50, 10] The Underpin The War Within Season 2
Voidrazor Sanctuary K'aresh [38, 51] Nexus-Princess Ky'veza The War Within Season 3

Affixes

Delves have their own kind of affixes that change what the adventurers encounter and how mobs behave. General affixes apply to any delve. Specific affixes are only used by certain delves or their story variants. Seasonal affixes apply to delves of tier 4 or higher.

For all the affixes in delves including the specific ones, see Category:Delve affixes.

General
Achievement legionpvptier1.png Tier 1 through Achievement legionpvp2tier5.png Tier 11 affixes apply the tier's difficulty scaling.
Inv ore gold nugget.png Bountiful — This delve has an abundance of treasures and will remain bountiful while inside...
Achievement legionpvp2tier5.png Overcharged — Titan machinery has mysteriously reactivated, additional traps and enemies run amuck[sic] in the delve. Season 2 only
Seasonal
 [Zekvir's Influence] (TWW Season 1; removed) — Between one and four encounters are affected with Zekvir's influence, buffing the pack's abilities and health.
 [Nemesis Strongbox] (TWW Season 2 and beyond) — Between one and four encounters are replaced with the nemesis's allies.

Bountiful affix

The golden glow from a delve entrance, indicating it is bountiful.

A Bountiful Delve offers a locked chest of rewards at the end. The bountiful delves rotate from delve to delve within an expansion's zones, and they each offer a bountiful coffer at the end of an adventurer's first run of the day. Only four delves are bountiful any given day, marked on the map with a glowing stone door icon (glowing stone door). Bountiful delves unlock at level 80.

Upon completion, they offer a  [Bountiful Coffer], a chest that can be unlocked with a [Restored Coffer Key]. The key is not needed to attempt or complete the bountiful delve. Additionally, the companion (Brann Bronzebeard in this case) once at level 15+ can only start earning experience from bountiful delves.

Seasonal affix

Delves of tier 4 or higher will have a seasonal affix:  [Nemesis Strongbox] since The War Within Season 2. The affix modifies between one and four encounters during the delve (depending on tier). In The War Within Season 1,  [Zekvir's Influence] would empower affected mob groups, making them stronger, giving them Nerubian powers or even outright replacing them with Nerubians. In The War Within Season 2 and beyond, the  [Nemesis Strongbox] replaces affected mob groups with various allies of the current nemesis. Clearing affected groups increases the rewards at the end of the delve.

Quests

Hunting for Zek'vir
  1. N [70-73] Delve into the Earth
  2. N [70-80] Delves: The Waterworks
  3. N [70-80] Threats of Zekvir
  4. N [70-80] Delves: The Waterworks
  5. N [70-80] Delves: Nightfall Sanctum
  6. N [70-80] Delves: The Underkeep
Season 1
  1. N [80] To Delves!
  2. N [80] Seasonal Start
  3. N [70-80] Delve Hunter
  4. N [70-80] Zekvir, Hand of the Harbinger
Bountiful Delves
  1. N [80] Bountiful Delves
  2. N [80] Ship It!
Delve breadcrumb quests
Weekly quests
Season 2
  1. N [70-80] Undermined Delves
  2. N [70-80] Seasonal Refresher
  3. N [70-80] I Want My Hat Back
  4. N [70-80] Defeating the Underpin
Season 3
  1. N [80] Ethereal Delves
  2. N [80] Seasonal Reminder
  3. N [80] Repossessed!
  4. N [80] Defeating Ky'veza

Tiers

A  [Bountiful Coffer] waiting for a [Restored Coffer Key]

Delves have 11 tiers. Normal (non-bountiful) delves award ilvl 623 gear that is not on the upgrade track system. A  [Bountiful Coffer] from bountiful delves requires a [Restored Coffer Key], which is rewarded from world content. Starting at Tier 4, delves have a life counter, which affects the rewards from the end of the delve. Additionally, ranking up requires having lives left on the counter.

The suggested item level in the table below is what the UI recommends, but is not enforced by the game. Seasonal delves ? difficulty is equivalent to a Tier 8 delve, and ?? is equivalent to Tier 11.

Quality colors in the table below indicate the upgrade track: Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, and Myth:

Delve tiers (Season 3)
Tier Sug. iLvl Loot Map Vault Crests
1 626 655 A1 n/a 668 V1 Weathered 2
2 629 658 A2 n/a 671 V2 3
3 632 662 A3 n/a 675 V3 4
4 636 665 A4 671 V2 678 V4 5
5 645 E2 668 V1 678 V4 681 C1 6
6 652 E4 671 V2 684 C2 688 C3 Carved 3
7 668 V1 681 C1 691 C4 691 C4 5
8 678 V4 684 C2 694 H1 694 H1 Runed 2 (+2)
9 684 C2 4 (+3)
10 691 C4 6 (+4)
11 703 H4 8 (+5)
Extra crests from Tiers 8+ are from the Nemesis chest.
Tier 11 Bountiful delves award
7 Gilded Crests up to 3x weekly.

Flickergates and Ethereal Routing Station

A Flickergate

In The War Within Season 3, Flickergates can start appearing for players who have upgraded their  [Reshii Wraps]. Open Flickergates to spawn of Flickering Spoils which contains [Resonance Crystals], [Undercoin], delve reagents (like  [Profaned Tinderbox]), delve and open-world consumables, a chance at the  [Shadowguard's Phasebound Visor] and Brann XP. Flickergates can also open a Flickering Ethereal Portal to the Ethereal Routing Station, or can have one of Ky'veza's Shadow Clone pop out! Killing the Shadow Clone will upgrade the Flickering Spoils to a Shadowed Flickering Spoils that has a chance to drop weapons.

The Ethereal Routing Station connects all delves during the season and changes the delve objective. Should players complete the objective (which can be one of five tasks like facing off against Zekvir and the Underpin, or dodging lines of energy balls), they will shortcut the delve and receive all the usual rewards, including a fully maxed-out Nemesis Chest. A Ethereal Portal may still appear statically in a delve, allowing immediate access to the routing station without relying on the possibility one may spawn from a Flickergate.

Flickergates and Ethereal Portals appear on all difficulties.

Overcharged

Main article: Overcharged Delves
Overcharged Titan Console

Overcharged delves, added in patch 11.1.7 and lasting until the launch of patch 11.2.0, and introduced to players in the quest chain starting with N [70-80] Titanic Rumblings, add new difficulty to six delves with commensurate rewards, starting with the customizable and upgradeable ilvl 691-701 belt, the  [Durable Information Securing Container], and the  [OC91 Chariot] flying mount:

Two bountiful delves will be Achievement legionpvp2tier5.png Overcharged each day, and will be overcharged even if the delve is no longer bountiful. There are significantly more traps and area-denial effects powered by Overcharged Pylons and Electric Sapper mines, as well as new enemy types. The new titan constructs, which join existing spawn packs, drop  [Titan Disc Shards]. More shards spawn in the end-of-delve chests.

The DISC belt, OC91 Chariot, and  [Redeployment Module] toy will remain available in 11.2 and beyond, with the mount costing 15,000 [Undercoin] and the Redeployment module costing 5,000 Undercoin.

Maps

 [Hidden Trove]

Players will occasionally have a  [Delver's Bounty] map drop from a Bountiful Heavy Trunk at treasure room of delves or a guaranteed drop from Ky'veza's Etheric Cache that Nexus-Princess Ky'veza drops during a delve invasion. Use it to gain a buff that guarantees a  [Hidden Trove] at the end of the delve.

As of Season 2, the drop rate has been increased, but characters can only loot one map per week. Should players wish to force a nemesis spawn, purchase the  [Shrieking Quartz] for 2,000 [Undercoin] from Sir Finley Mrrgglton and use it in any delve at the mid-delve respawn point.

At Tier 8, the Hidden Trove contains:

During Turbo Boost, the gilded crest reward doubled. Players can earn 20 gilded crests by using a map in an 11, up from 10 normally.

Delver's Bounty
Tier Loot Crests
4 671 V2 Carved 5
5 678 V4 10
6 684 C2 Runed 5
7 691 C4 10
8 694 H1 Gilded 4
9 6
10 8
11 10

Companions

Companions tag along in delves, providing tank, DPS, or healer support. Brann Bronzebeard tags along as the companion in The War Within and his level can be tracked in the reputation interface or the Delve Dashboard. Companions earn XP from enemy kills, looting mislaid curiosities, and delve completions. Beyond level 15, companions will only earn XP in Bountiful delves, which can be run regardless of whether a [Restored Coffer Key] is available or not.

There originally were going to be a fresh new companion with each season, however this ended up not being the case.[3] Valeera Sanguinar will be the Midnight delves companion.

Companion abilities

The following are Brann Bronzebeard's abilities since The War Within Season 1, with the tank specialization being introduced with The War Within Season 2.

Curios

Curios provide specific abilities that can be useful in combat. They are unlocked by finding them as items from end-of-delve chests. Higher-quality versions of a curio's item teach a higher rank: Common for rank 1, uncommon for rank 2, rare for rank 3, and epic for rank 4.

Only 1 combat and 1 utility curio can be equipped at a time. Curios will change with each season.

Combat
  •  [Ethereal Energy Converter] — When a party member drops below 60% health an Ethereal Energy Converter materializes, dealing moderate damage to nearby enemies and taunting them for <4/4/6/6> sec. Once the taunt expires the Converter releases an Etherwave healing nearby allies for <20/30/40/50>% of their health. Can be triggered every 2 min. Killing enemies reduces the cooldown of this effect by <2/4/6/8> sec.
  •  [Hatarang] — Brann takes a hat out of his bag and throws it at a target, dealing medium damage and applying <1/1/2/2> debuff(s) to <2/3/4/5> target(s). Possible debuffs include a <20/25/30/35>% damage taken increase, <20/25/30/35>% damage dealt decrease, and <20/25/30/35>% attack and cast speed decrease.
  •  [Mana-Tinted Glasses] — Brann dons mana-tinted glasses while in combat, periodically increasing his damage done by <4/4/5/5>% and damage taken by 5% every 5 sec up to 10 times. Dispelling the glasses will heal Brann for <25/40/55/70>% of his maximum health and stun nearby enemies for <2/3/4/5> sec. Otherwise this effect is automatically dispelled when Brann drops below 30% health which prevents the stun from occurring.
  •  [Nether Overlay Matrix] — During combat Brann has a chance to manifest a <60/50/40/30>% weaker ethereal copy of himself to fight by your side for 1 min.
  •  [Quizzical Device] — Brann has a chance to grant players a <5/10/15/20>% bonus to health, damage, or healing for 20 sec base on his selected specialization. Players have a chance to grant Brann a <5/10/15/20>% bonus to health, damage, or healing for 20 sec base on their selected role.
Utility
  •  [Audio Amplification Crystal] — Brann's voice is <slightly/moderately/significantly/tremendously> amplified with Arcane magic causing his words to potentially grant the party a buff based on what was spoken.
  •  [Battered Aegis] — While the Aegis is equipped, all party members deal <3/6/9/12>% increased damage and healing. Every 10 sec during combat, you and Brann heal for <5/10/15/20>% of the damage you've taken during that time. When a player dies, the Aegis grants them <1/2/3/4>% damage reduction and 2% increased healing received upon revival, but reduces their damage and healing dealt by <1/2/3/4>% stacking up to 3 times.
  •  [Sands of K'aresh] — When Brann uses Gathering Tools, sands begin swirling around party members, granting 6% Critical Strike up to 10 times and slowing nearby enemies by <6/8/10/12>%. Dealing a Critical Strike creates a Sand Devil at the target's location for 6 sec that periodically pulls enemies to its center. Can only occur every 45 sec.
  •  [Tailwind Conduit] — Generates a burst of speed on exiting combat, increasing your Movement speed by <40/60/80/100>% for 10 sec decaying over time. Using a defensive cooldown while in combat has gusts of wind surround you, applying a shield for 8 sec equal to <20/30/40/50>% of your missing health.
  •  [Temporal Decelerator Crystal] — Damaging an Elite at 80% or above and at 20% or below health causes Brann to trigger the crystal's energies, reducing the Elite's attack and cast speed by <20/30/40/50>% for 30 sec. Killing the targeted Elite while the debuff is active grants the party an <2/4/6/8>% stacking Haste buff.

Powers

Main article: Delve power

Much like anima powers, delve powers are temporary buffs acquired during a delve run which are obtained from various sources such as chests, Strange Disturbances, and more.

Strange disturbances

Main article: Strange Disturbance

Strange Disturbances are bonus objectives that appear inside any delve that, once defeated, provide a specific delve power.

Delver's Journey

The [Delver's Journey] is a seasonal rewards track for delves, found on the Delve Dashboard. Journey progress is granted at the end of Bountiful delves, as well as the quest N [70-80W] The Key to Success.

Current Delver's Journey progress can be checked with the following macro: 

/run local t=C_MajorFactions.GetMajorFactionRenownInfo(C_DelvesUI.GetDelvesFactionForSeason());print("Journey Stage:",t.renownLevel,"Progress:",t.renownReputationEarned,"/",t.renownLevelThreshold)
Season 3 Delver's Journey
Rank Reward Vendor Cost
1  [Delver's Mana-Skimmer Schematic: Canister] Reno Jackson 10 Resonance Crystals
2  [Delver's Bounty] drops from Bountiful delves n/a n/a
3 Reno Jackson
  • n/a
  • 10 Resonance Crystals
4  [Delver's Mana-Skimmer Schematic: Energy Thrusters] Reno Jackson 10 Resonance Crystals
5 2x [Restored Coffer Key] per week Sir Finley Mrrgglton 2,000 Undercoin
6  [Delver's Mana-Skimmer Schematic: Quad Glider] Reno Jackson 10 Resonance Crystals
7  [Delver's Mana-Skimmer Schematic: Void Paint] Reno Jackson 10 Resonance Crystals
8 Toy:  [Delver's Mana-Bound Ethergate] Reno Jackson 10 Resonance Crystals
9 Warbound Veteran 1 equipment set Sir Finley Mrrgglton 500-2,500 Undercoin
10 Reno Jackson
  • n/a
  • 10 Resonance Crystals
  • 10 Resonance Crystals

After the season, these rewards will be sold by Reno Jackson with no unlock requirement, but a much higher cost in Resonance Crystals.

Vendors

Two vendors at Delver's Headquarters in Dornogal sell delve-related gear: Sir Finley Mrrgglton and Reno Jackson. After the season, most items sold by Finley will move over to Reno's stock, and any season items sold by Reno will have their requirements removed, but will sell for significantly more [Resonance Crystals] or switch to [Undercoin].

Notable rewards

Memories and deaths

A memory found in a delve.

Since patch 11.2.0, players may encounter Forgotten Gravestones and an Adventurer's Echo in the delve. They represent other adventurers (aka players) who had died in that delve. The gravestones can be interacted with to note what killed them, what difficulty, and when it happened. It is possible for an alt to see a gravestone for a character on the same account.

Dying will spawn a gravestone in their place, however this gravestone will not be interactable to the same player but will show up for other players as the Forgotten Gravestone.

Additionally, players may encounter normal mobs with a "red aura" surrounding them. These mobs have killed a player and have showed up in the delve. Some may have a <Slayer of <name-realm>> title and killing them will provide the  [Spirit of Cooperation] buff.

Players may also encounter memories and place them for others to interact with. Interacting with a memory will make the player say the quote and also play the related voice sound. These memories can be purchased from Dip Stickshift at the Delver's Headquarters for 50s.

Achievements

Main article: Delves achievements

Much like Dungeons & Raids, delves have their own section of achievements which are separated based on generic delve-related achievements and expansion-related. For the list, see Delves achievements.

Feats of Strength

In addition to the regular achievements, there are also available feats of strength, most being tied to a specific season.

Videos

Load video
Video Link

Patch changes

References

 
  1. ^
    Delves – Feature Overview Delves – Feature Overview 
  2. ^ Paryah 2024-04-29. The War Within - Creator Summit Group Interview - Michael Bybee and Sean McCann. Wowhead.
  3. ^ Uncover the Secrets of Delves in The War Within. Blizzard Entertainment (2024-06-05).
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