However, you realistically cap out at about 606 item level by just doing Tier 8, you can get 616 from the vault, but that’s the absolute limit you can realistiaclly get from delves.
Because going past 616, requires crests that do not drop in the Delves.
So to be able to progress in Delve Teirs… you have to do other content? Didn’t Blizzard advertise Delves as being their own Pillar?
You can Raid all the way through all the raids getting the gear you need for each difficulty.
You can Mythic+ as well to get gear for harder mythic+
You can PvP for your PvP gear.
But Delves are capped. You cannot get get to the highest tiers of Delves, just by doing Delves. Once you pass Teir 9 to reach the item level suggestions you have to do other content.
My Ret Paladin has been doing nothing but Delves, Doing Bountiful Delves Daily, I’ve completed the entire Delvers journey and almost have Brann maxed out at level 60, and I’m at 611 item level. Teir 10’s need me to get another 12 item levels.
The next crests I need are runed crests to upgrade my gear, but-- they don’t really drop at all.
Blizzard’s ilvl recommendations are hilarious over exaggerations. Runed crests drop 2 per T8 (Not sure if they need to be bountiful or not) and gilded from map rewards. You can reach 619+ in all slots, as well as a 636 weapon from delves by the end of the season if you keep playing them consistently. Given t11s are closer to 610 and zekvir “??” Around the same (It’s even been done as low as 570 by some specs).
All delve content is well within the reach of a delve only player.
I’ve been doing bountifuls daily. I did not get Runed Crests from Non-bountiful ones last time I ran non-bountiful delves (Assisting husbands alts to get their t8’s on the paladin is the fastest way to do it)
So 8 per entire day, when I need 15 to go up one item level is prettty slow…
I’m not asking for guilded crests in Delves, I just think runed one should be a bit more common. :\
Odd, I’ve definitely gotten runed from non-bountifuls previous weeks (only did a few delves this week though to level Brann). I wonder if they changed something on Tuesday?
They’re going to buff delves later in the season. 9’s and 10’s will start to drop better gear and 11’s will drop mythic. At least that’s what it looks like
If you don’t take an item, which will start being a little more common, yeah. Upgrading something from 606-616 costs 45 crests anyway so they’re effectively the same value given you’re holding gilded for crafts. Unless you had that slot at 610 from a map reward in which case you’d take the coins over the upgrade.
I think their recommendation is about item level where you can comfortably finish it without breaking sweat. I’ve been doing delves 8 way before hitting 600, but at 600 is where I could pull without thinking more or less.
That’s the part of the fun, to challenge yourself for the greater rewards. And I guess with tiers 9+, it’s a flex to do it with the lowest item level possible.
Pretty sure they gave a reason when they told us that the highest levels were mainly for prestige. There’s a reason they stopped the power progression where they did.
Higher level delves lack two core concepts that the content which awards myth track / consistent gilded crests has.
1: Some level of communication between players, either explicit or implicit / reactionary.
2: A focus on spec optimisation or mastery. Nothing in delves requires you actually be able to play your spec efficiently beyond simply continuing to survive.
The first of these can’t be done in delves, but one can argue if it can be substituted for increased mechanical difficulty / lower reaction times. The second though is the kicker. There are no DPS checks, there are no enrage timers, there’s no need for cooldown optimisation, rotation optimisation, risk taking, or anything you’d really associated with higher m+ or mythic raids. It’s the same basic mechanics, they just hit harder and have more hp, and your only goal is to survive until the thing Infront of you eventually dies.
