It’s impossible to get into M+ groups in SL. I’ve never had such a hard time pugging. My main this patch is a 218 SP with an io of 1030. I’ve literally spent 4 hours applying to every group running a 13 or 14 over the last day and a half and have gotten into 1 group.
I’ve tried running my key - a 13 DoS, and have wasted 2 hours trying to fill a group, no luck.
M+ is a big part of what keeps people playing this late into a patch, but the state of M+ is terrible for anyone who wasn’t ahead of the gear curve. I don’t understand why Bliz is so intent on maximizing gear spread this patch - when the best patches have always created diminishing returns on gear that lower spread and created a healthier game environment.
Sucks to hear you’ve been having a hard time but I’m assuming the character you’re posting on is also the one you’re trying to get into keys on so –
Your highest DoS timed is a 5. You might want to try timing a higher DoS before using your key. People will IO check the leader of groups.
You also might want to make sure you complete everything at a 10 first, if you apply to something you’ve never done a 10 for, you’re unlikely to get accepted for a key above a 10. Try some 11’s of the things you’ve timed 10’s on, etc. etc.
you’ll have a tough time trying to get invites to pug groups as a spec generally viewed as not-as-good.
you’ll probably have a better time if you use your own keys. Also join one of the m+ discords. there’s one specifically for GD floating around, as well as larger community discords.
edit: my bad, I missed the part where OP said their main was a shadowpriest. so all of that up there? ^^^ not really applicable. except the “you’ll have a better time if you use your own keys” bit.
Stop pugging. Make friends and you can actually succeed more easily at M+. There are a few who have pugged their way through to KSM, but they are few and far between, have had some luck and are likely exceptional players. It isn’t meant to be pugged and is not well suited for pugs.
Also, if you are feral, that explains a lot of the difficulty getting into groups well. No way around that one, I’m afraid.
One more thing. If you don’t have +12s done on the instance you are applying to (as well as several others to show consistency), don’t expect to get into 13s.
The only 14+ groups you’re going to get invited for are being organized by people who don’t know what they’re doing and are likely to fail.
You should be focused on content appropriate to your experience. If I were you I’d focus on clearing De Other Side and Sanguine Depths on harder difficulties first. You should have no trouble getting invited into groups that improve your rating for those.
Trying to focus on increase your rating by a level or two per dungeon is going to be a lot easier than trying to jump right into 14s. When you run a keystone at the 14+ level you will literally get 20 applications within a minute of posting. Why is anyone going to take you when they can take a more experienced player?
Also, once you have a 14+ keystone, start running your own keys (I find it a pain to run your own key below 14).
I don’t think it’s a gear issue exactly. If you’re behind on io, it’s a real grind to catchup. While you should be leveling keys one at a time after a 10, it’s tougher to even do that now. There’s no shortage of players with higher io’s applying for every key that you are. You’ll probably need to host some of your own keys until you close the gap.
Making friends for KSM is not easy. Only people who already have friends in this game give that as an answer. That isn’t the norm.
Pugging your own key also can take forever.
I gave up… literally just gave the eff up but I wanted the dang mount, so I just dipped into my gold reserves and paid for friends with gold. Finished up half my runs with gold, and plan to do it next patch as well. Much easier than pugging for HOURS each day to get 1 run in, trying to add people or even being added myself, but never to get into groups with those people again.
TLDR: People who say “stop pugging” already have an established group, likely from a group they’ve had for years.
You do realized that your first FIVE answers all say “play something else.”
This is probably the best accidental indictment on this game’s design that I’ve ever seen. You are literally telling this person “in order to get KSM, don’t play what you want to play.”
I’ve pugged practically every run and am on the verge of KSM. Pugging isn’t hard. My two big tips are:
Focus on clearing dungeons a level or two at a time below 14. These groups take a while to fill and it’s not hard to get into them. Be patient and always track your mistakes.
Once you’re ready for 14s, start running your own key.
It is very simple. The game developers are not good at class balance. Take healers, for example. Holy paladins, if venthyr, can do as much or more damage than some dps only classes/specs. They bring a ton of utility to any key they heal. They also have zero mana issues when some other healer specs/classes have to drink nearly every second pull. I have made multiple threads trying to get a handle on various aspects related to the issue from a healer perspective.
There’s some truth to that, but the game is balanced where the gear ends…and that’s in the 14-15 range. Class and spec isn’t stopping you from doing those keys.
I’m gonna go ahead and let you in on a little secret, the key choice is vindictive. Well, can be. Imagine if you will running a 15, being barely over time due to a few mistakes only to get the key you are really after, but as a 14. Be prepared, this will likely happen.
