1 What Is Mythic+ Mode?
Mythic+ is an endgame dungeon system that layers difficulty modifiers called affixes onto existing dungeons. Every Mythic+ run is timed, and your performance determines whether your keystone upgrades or downgrades for the next run. The higher your keystone level, the more affixes activate simultaneously, the harder enemies hit, and the better your rewards become.
Unlike standard dungeon runs, Mythic+ has no cooldown. You can run as many keystones as you want per day. The limiting factor is the keystone itself — fail a run and your keystone downgrades, forcing you to rebuild momentum. Success breeds success; failure compounds.
Mythic+ is available for all 10 dungeons (D1–D10). However, the leaderboard is most competitive on D8, D9, and D10, where the affix combinations create the greatest strategic depth and the rewards scale highest. Most serious Mythic+ players focus on D10 (Blood Moon Temple) for maximum leaderboard points.
Mythic+ mode requires level 60+ and at least one normal-mode clear of the dungeon you want to run on Mythic+. Your first keystone is granted by completing any D8+ dungeon on normal difficulty.
2 Keystone System
Your keystone is a persistent item that tracks your current Mythic+ level. It starts at level 1 and upgrades or downgrades based on your run performance. Here is how the keystone progression works:
- 3-star clear (under 70% of time limit): Keystone upgrades by +3 levels
- 2-star clear (under 100% of time limit): Keystone upgrades by +2 levels
- 1-star clear (completed but over time): Keystone upgrades by +1 level
- Failed run (party wipe or abandoned): Keystone downgrades by -1 level (minimum level 1)
The keystone level determines two things: the number of active affixes and the overall enemy scaling multiplier. At keystone level 1, enemies have a modest stat boost and only basic affixes are active. At keystone level 15+, enemies are brutally overtuned and up to 5 affixes stack simultaneously, creating chaotic combat encounters that demand precise execution.
Your keystone is not dungeon-specific. A level 12 keystone can be used in any dungeon. This means you can practice on easier dungeons (D1–D5) to upgrade your keystone safely before attempting D10 at the same level. Experienced players call this "key farming" — running low dungeons for fast 3-star clears to upgrade their keystone before a D10 push.
3 All 15 Affixes Explained
Affixes are difficulty modifiers that activate at specific keystone thresholds. There are 15 affixes in the current version, divided into three tiers based on when they activate. Understanding each affix is essential for planning your approach to every run.
Tier 1 Affixes (Keystone 2+)
These are the base-level affixes that apply to every Mythic+ run from keystone 2 onward. One of these two will always be active:
| Affix | Effect | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Fortified | Non-boss enemies have +30% HP | Brings AoE damage and prioritize trash clear speed. Boss fights are normal difficulty. |
| Tyrannical | Boss enemies have +40% HP and +20% ATK | Bosses become the primary challenge. Save cooldowns and potions for boss encounters. Trash is normal. |
Tier 2 Affixes (Keystone 5+)
At keystone level 5, a second affix activates alongside the Tier 1 affix. These introduce mechanical challenges that change how you approach combat:
| Affix | Effect | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Bolstering | When a non-boss dies, remaining enemies gain +10% ATK | Kill enemies evenly. Never focus one target while ignoring others, or the last enemy standing becomes lethal. |
| Sanguine | Dead enemies leave pools that heal the boss 5%/sec | Kite bosses away from corpse pools immediately. Positioning is critical — never fight where enemies died. |
| Necrotic | Enemy hits reduce your healing by 3% (stacks) | Kite periodically to drop stacks. Life steal and regen builds are significantly weakened by this affix. |
| Explosive | Enemies spawn orbs dealing 20% party HP | Target orbs immediately when they spawn. They have low HP but one-shot potential if ignored. |
Tier 3 Affixes (Keystone 10+)
A third affix activates at keystone 10. These are more punishing and require specific counterplay:
| Affix | Effect | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Raging | Enemies below 30% HP enrage (+100% ATK) | Burst enemies from 30% to 0% in one turn. Never leave an enemy at low HP between turns. |
| Spiteful | Dead enemies spawn shades that fixate a player | Shades deal 50% ATK-based damage. Kite them or burst them down quickly after each kill. |
| Volcanic | Random fire zones deal 15% HP per tick | Stay mobile. Do not stand in one position for multiple turns. Ranged builds have an advantage. |
| Quaking | Party members periodically AoE pulse (ally damage) | Spread out during quake windows. The 8% HP ally damage stacks quickly in tight formations. |
Tier 4 Affixes (Keystone 15+)
The most challenging affixes in the game. At keystone 15+, a fourth and potentially fifth affix stack on top of everything else. These are designed to push even the best-geared players to their limits:
| Affix | Effect | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Grievous | Players below 90% HP take DoT until healed above 90% | Maintain HP above 90% at all times. Any chip damage starts a bleed that compounds fast (3% HP/tick). |
| Bursting | On kill: party takes 5% HP per kill (stacks) | Stagger kills. Never AoE down 5 enemies simultaneously or the stacked burst will kill you. |
| Inspiring | Some enemies buff nearby allies (immune to CC) | Kill Inspiring enemies first. Their +15% ATK buff and CC immunity aura makes adjacent enemies unkillable by control builds. |
| Storming | Random tornadoes move through rooms | Tornadoes deal 10% HP on contact. Watch movement patterns — they follow predictable paths after spawning. |
| Infernal | Boss gains 3 phases instead of 1 | The most brutal affix. Every boss becomes a multi-phase endurance fight. Bring maximum sustain and consumables. |
Infernal is widely considered the hardest affix. At keystone 15+ with Tyrannical + Infernal, bosses have +40% HP, +20% ATK, and 3 full phases. This combination makes D10 bosses harder than most raid encounters. Do not attempt this combo without full Legendary or Mythic gear.
4 Affix Combinations by Level
Affix combinations follow a structured pattern based on your keystone level. Here is the breakdown:
| Keystone Level | Active Affix Tiers | Total Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | None (base scaling only) | 0 |
| 2–4 | Tier 1 | 1 (Fortified or Tyrannical) |
| 5–9 | Tier 1 + Tier 2 | 2 |
| 10–14 | Tier 1 + Tier 2 + Tier 3 | 3 |
| 15+ | Tier 1 + Tier 2 + Tier 3 + Tier 4 | 4–5 |
The specific affix within each tier rotates weekly. Every Monday at server reset, the active Tier 2, 3, and 4 affixes change. This weekly rotation prevents players from optimizing a single build permanently — you must adapt your strategy, gear, and skill loadout to whatever combination the week presents. Check the in-game Mythic+ panel on Mondays to see the current rotation.
Some weeks produce easier affix combinations than others. Weeks with Fortified + Bolstering + Volcanic are considered "push weeks" because none of the affixes directly counter sustain builds. Weeks with Tyrannical + Necrotic + Grievous are "wall weeks" where even top players struggle. Plan your leaderboard pushes around favorable rotation weeks.
5 Timer Strategies: 3-Star, 2-Star, 1-Star
Every Mythic+ run has a time limit that scales with the dungeon. Your star rating depends on how quickly you complete the run relative to that limit. Stars determine keystone progression, leaderboard score, and weekly chest quality.
3-Star Clear (Under 70% of Time Limit)
A 3-star clear is the gold standard. It upgrades your keystone by 3 levels and provides maximum leaderboard points. Achieving 3-star consistently requires knowing the dungeon layout perfectly, pulling enemies efficiently, and minimizing downtime between rooms. On Fortified weeks, AoE builds that clear trash quickly have an advantage. On Tyrannical weeks, boss burst builds compensate for slower trash clear by eliminating the boss phase rapidly.
2-Star Clear (Under 100% of Time Limit)
A 2-star clear means you beat the timer but not by the 3-star margin. This is a solid result — your keystone upgrades by 2 levels and you receive good leaderboard points. Most players pushing at their keystone limit will achieve 2-star clears consistently. This is the target for progression runs.
1-Star Clear (Over Time but Completed)
A 1-star clear means you finished the dungeon but exceeded the time limit. Your keystone still upgrades by 1 level, but leaderboard points are minimal. If you are consistently 1-starring runs, your keystone level is above your current gear capability. Consider farming at a lower keystone level for faster 3-star clears to build rewards before pushing higher.
6 Leaderboard: How Scoring Works
The Mythic+ leaderboard ranks players based on their best run across all dungeons. The scoring formula weights three factors:
- Keystone level — higher keystone = more base points (exponential scaling)
- Star rating — 3-star runs multiply base points by 1.5x, 2-star by 1.2x, 1-star by 1.0x
- Dungeon difficulty — D10 awards more points than D1 at the same keystone level (multiplier by dungeon tier)
The leaderboard updates in real time. Your displayed score is your single best run — not an average. This means one exceptional run at a high keystone can vault you up the rankings even if your other runs are mediocre. Focus on perfecting a single peak run rather than grinding many average runs.
Leaderboard rewards are distributed at the end of each monthly season. The top 100 players receive exclusive cosmetic titles, and the top 10 receive unique profile badges. Leaderboard placement is the primary competitive metric in Vampires vs. Werewolves' endgame, alongside Infinity Tower progression and raid boss rankings.
7 Best Mythic+ Builds
Mythic+ demands versatility — the weekly affix rotation means no single build dominates permanently. That said, certain equipment sets and strategies are consistently strong.
Vampire: Crimson Emperor (Offensive) / Blood Sovereign (Sustain)
For Tyrannical weeks, the Crimson Emperor Set excels. Its kill-based Crimson Feast stacks (+10% ATK per kill, stacks 5 times) build momentum through trash rooms and carry into the empowered boss fight. The blood nova AoE on every 5th attack clears multi-enemy rooms efficiently. For Necrotic or Grievous weeks where sustain is challenged, swap to Blood Sovereign for its life steal and blood shield mechanics that help maintain HP thresholds.
Werewolf: Alpha Predator (Speed) / Moon Guardian (Survival)
Werewolves benefit from Alpha Predator on push weeks — its combo damage and Savage Rend procs give strong sustained DPS that Mythic+ timers reward. On hard weeks with Grievous or Bursting, the Moon Guardian Set provides the survivability to stay above HP thresholds. The Moonquake stun at 10 Lunar Charge stacks is particularly valuable against Raging enemies, as the stun prevents their enraged attacks from landing.
Universal: Void Touched for Debuff Weeks
When Inspiring is the active Tier 4 affix, the Void Touched Set bypasses CC immunity through its Void Erosion mechanic (DEF reduction, not CC). The 6-piece bonus ignoring 50% of target DEF and dealing 10% max HP as bonus damage per hit is devastating against Fortified trash packs with inflated HP pools.
8 Weekly Chest Rewards
Every Monday, the Mythic+ weekly chest spawns based on your highest keystone clear from the previous week. The chest quality scales with your keystone level:
| Keystone Level | Chest Reward Tier | Guaranteed Loot |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Rare | 1 Rare item + 500 gold |
| 5–9 | Epic | 1 Epic item + 1,500 gold |
| 10–14 | Legendary | 1 Legendary item + 5,000 gold + 20 gems |
| 15+ | Mythic | 1 Mythic item + 10,000 gold + 50 gems |
The weekly chest is the single most important source of high-rarity gear in the game. Even a player who can only manage a single keystone 10 clear per week receives a guaranteed Legendary item every Monday. This makes Mythic+ the most efficient gearing system for endgame players, surpassing even Infinity Tower token farming and raid boss drops in terms of consistency.
Your weekly chest only counts your single highest clear. Clearing keystone 10 once and keystone 5 twenty times still gives a keystone-10 chest. Prioritize one good push run per week over many mediocre runs — then use remaining time to farm gold and XP at comfortable keystone levels.
9 Frequently Asked Questions
When does Mythic+ unlock?
Mythic+ requires level 60 and at least one normal-mode clear of the dungeon you want to run. Your first keystone is granted upon completing any D8+ dungeon.
Can I run Mythic+ on D1?
Yes. All 10 dungeons support Mythic+ mode. However, D1 at keystone 10 awards fewer leaderboard points than D10 at keystone 10 because the dungeon difficulty multiplier is lower. Competitive players focus on D8–D10 for leaderboard purposes, but using easier dungeons for keystone farming is a valid strategy.
What happens if my keystone downgrades to level 1?
You can still run keystone 1. There is no further downgrade below level 1. A keystone 1 run has no affixes — just a modest stat boost to enemies and the standard timer. 3-star a keystone 1 run to jump back to level 4 quickly.
Do affixes change mid-run?
No. The affixes active when you start a run remain constant throughout. Even if the weekly rotation changes during your run (e.g., you start at 11:59 PM Sunday), the affixes are locked at the moment you insert your keystone.
Is there a maximum keystone level?
There is no hard cap. However, enemy scaling becomes extreme above keystone 20, and the affix combinations above keystone 15 are designed to be nearly impossible without perfect execution and full Mythic gear. The current global record is keystone 23 on D10.
Can I choose which affix rotates in each week?
No. Affix rotations are server-wide and predetermined. All players face the same affix combination each week. This ensures leaderboard competition is fair — everyone faces the same challenge.