Heroes!

Big changes arrive to support Mythic+! From bonus rewards to smoother dungeons, here’s everything you need to know. These changes are just the start of more improvements coming to Mythic+ as Ascension charges ahead!

Baseline Changes/Features

The following features improve the baseline functionality of Mythic+.

• Increased the amount of Mythic Coins awarded the first time a Keyholder completes that Key Level

When completing a Key Level for the first time, the entire group will receive 100 Mythic Coins, up from 50. This amount is additionally increased by how many chest levels you obtain in the key. Completing a 3 chest Mythic+ will now award 300 Mythic Coins.

• You can now upgrade Mythic+ items based on the highest key you have ever completed, rather than your current key level

This QoL change properly takes into account your highest achievement, rather than your current climb. This will require the completion of a higher level key to update, as previous highest key completion was not stored. This will ensure you can jump in with your party and push to more difficult keys without having to redo low level keys for every person in the party.

• Overhauled Mythic+ Upgrade System

Upgrading your Mythic+ items will now be ~70% cheaper, and scale up by roughly 6% per upgrade. This makes Mythic+ Upgrades much more obtainable, and makes upgrading lower-level Mythic+ Equipment viable. With this new system, even mythic level 40 upgrades will be cheaper than they are currently.

This overhaul aims to make it feel great to upgrade any Mythic+ you get. Whereas before, the pervasive strategy was to wait until you found a high level item you wanted before beginning to upgrade.

Additionally, Mythic+ Keys are now uncapped on both Area 52 and Thrall! 

Area 52: Uncapped Mythic+ Keys for leaderboard pushing: though you cannot obtain higher level Mythic+ gear yet, you can get big numbers to look real cool.

Thrall: You can now run higher level keys than the currently released ones for gear progression. These uncapped Mythic+ levels allow Heroes to push difficulties and stay in the flow zone to earn more rewards for higher difficulties, instead of having to farm and get bored.

Finally, a new Mythic+ Callboard quest requiring the completion of any Mythic+ key for that day is live on the Call Board! This encourages more Heroes to get involved with Mythic+ content, and helps more Heroes realize they’re ready to tackle Mythic+.

Scholomance Dungeon Split:

Scholomance has been split into two different dungeon instances for Random Group Finder and Mythic+: these instances are now denoted as Upper Scholomance and Lower Scholomance.

Upper Scholomance

Upper Scholomance now requires Ras Frostwhisper as its final boss. The Mythic+ boss count has been updated to 5 bosses total. The champion count has been updated to 4 champions.

Additionally, the following changes have been implemented:

• Reduced the health of Vectus, and Marduck Blackpool by 33% in all difficulties. These two count towards 1 boss completion and have had their health adjusted to compensate.
• Removed the deep freeze effect from Ras Frostwhisper. This has been replaced with a damaging frost aura that increases its damage done over time.
• Reduced the number of champions in Upper Scholomance. Many of the rooms in Upper Scholomance contained 2 or 3 champions. this change reduces the amount of extra champions you might accidentally pull along the way, while still allowing you the freedom  to skip champions of choice.

Lower Scholomance

Lower Scholomance now requires Darkmaster Gandling as its final boss. The Mythic Plus boss count has been updated to 7 bosses total. The champion count has been updated to 2 champions.

The goal of this change was to make this section of Scholomance more consistent with other Mythic+ Dungeons, as many Heroes were choosing to avoid it and do weird stuff to make it viable.

The following changes have also been implemented:

• Added two unique patrolling mobs in Darkmaster Gandling's room to serve as champions in Mythic+
• Added two additional boons to this instance. It previously only had two boons. This brings the total boons in the instance up to 4.
• Darkmaster Gandling will now impose his will on those who he sends into the Shadow Realm and into one of the previous 6 boss rooms. 
  • Heroes will be unable to use effects like Leap of Faith on targets afflicted by Darkmaster’s Will.
  • While under the effects of the Darkmaster's Will, you gain significant damage and movement speed for a short period and will heal 15% of your maximum health every second for the duration. 
    • This change eliminates the need to circumvent the mechanic, and instead provides a buff to overcome it

Holy Champions:

Holy Champions have been reworked:

[Holy Champion] - Devotion is now called Anointed Strength. Devotion previously reduced all damage taken by all allies within 40 yards by 25%. Anointed Strength causes nearby allies to deal a bonus 15% of their weapon damage as Holy Damage on their attacks.

[Holy Champion] - Sanctuary is now called Divine Consecration. Sanctuary used to periodically place a healing ground consecration under your allies. Healing 5% of their Maximum HP every 1 second and reducing damage taken by 25% while in the consecration. Divine Consecration now deals small to medium Holy Damage every two seconds and inflicts you with a stack of Holy Reckoning. 

Holy Reckoning increases holy damage taken by 6% per stack, stacks up to 250 times and lasts for 8 seconds.

[Holy Champion] - Previously, Holy Champions would cast Divine Prayer upon reaching 20% health. Divine Prayer was a cast protected by an undispellable Divine Shield for 67% of its cast time. If not interrupted in the final 33% of its cast, Divine Prayer would heal all allies and the champion to full health.

Divine Prayer has been reworked: it is now called Divine Wrath. Divine Wrath is still protected by Divine Shield for 67% of its duration, and is still interruptible in the final 33% of its cast time. However, it now deals medium to severe damage to targets within 15 yards of the casting champion if uninterrupted.

Before these changes, Holy Champions were nothing more than a defensive bulwark for the packs that they guarded: they were not dangerous, and felt like their only function was to add time to your key. This is the exact opposite of how Holy Champions should contribute to Keystones and their progression.

The above changes transform Holy Champions in a way that keeps their intended flavor, while allow you to play and pull at your own pace! They now not only serve to buff and defend allies, but allow for skill expression and counter-play to take them down. Think you can handle the extra pack with the Champion? Go for it! Just be sure to manage your consecration stacks, be mindful of the extra damage that pack will contribute and make sure to get that kick/stun/knockback/kill off at 20% health before the cast finishes!

Misc Changes:

•  [Convention of Elements] - Greatly Increased tank threat during Convention of Element affix weeks.

• Moved the start and respawn locations of Lower Black Rock Spire, Upper Black Rock Spire, Dire Maul North, Dire Maul East, And Dire Maul West. T
  • This helps prevent Heroes from respawning and accidentally running straight out of the instance.

• Fixed an issue where the Bountiful Boon would not increase your active health to match the percentage of your new health. This means if you popped this boon at 80% HP and gained 20% stamina, your new health would be 60% HP. This was problematic in the design space of Mythic+ with certain affix combinations, such as Grevious Wounds where gaining that extra health could cause your party members to gain stacks of Grevious Wounds.

• + [Black Rock Depths Upper city] - Reduced the number of champions in Upper Scholomance. Requiring a pull of two specific champions as to progress through the dungeon does not fit with the design of Mythic+. Therefore, the two Fireguard Destroyers guarding the Shadowtorch Braziers in the Lyceum have had their champion status removed.

Misc Boss/Monster Changes:

• The Crystallize effect on the spiders in the Skitterweb Tunnels has been reworked. It now increases damage taken by 6%, stacking up to 5 times.
• Added a cast time to the Rockwing Screecher's Terrifying Howl. This was previously an instant cast AoE fear, and has been added to increase counterplay options for savvy heroes.
• Fixed an issue where one Acolyte would always evade on pull until you met him on his platform.
• Fixed an issue with the Eldreth Spectre that could prevent you from receiving kill credit for bosses.
• Anvilrage Guardsman no longer stun a random target in range. This has been replaced with a hamstring effect.
• Removed the stun effect from Emperor Thaurissan. The effect now applies a damage over time effect.

Group Finder:

Heroes can now find others looking to tackle Mythic+ using the new Group Finder! Check out the full article right here:

https://ascension.gg/news/group-finder-is-live-find-your-party/400