As more and more players reach max level in World of Warcraft: Midnight, it’s time to shift focus from leveling to gearing. Increasing your item level (ilvl) will make every type of content easier, whether you plan to raid, push Mythic+, or simply enjoy open-world activities in Season 1.
However, during the first two weeks of Midnight, gear sources are somewhat limited. Getting the highest item level possible before the season begins will give you a much smoother start once Season 1 launches. This guide, shared by Kelani on his YouTube channel, explains how to gear efficiently and reach item level 240 or higher during the preseason.
Understanding the Midnight Gear Upgrade System
One of the biggest changes in Midnight is the gear upgrade system. Nearly every piece of gear you obtain can now be upgraded. You’ll often see gear labeled with tags like 1/6 Adventurer, 1/6 Veteran, 1/6 Champion, 1/6 Hero, or 1/6 Myth. Each gear track has six upgrade levels, meaning a 1/6 item can be upgraded to 6/6 for a significant item level increase.
There are also five crest currencies, one for each gear track: Adventurer Crests, Veteran Crests, Champion Crests, Hero Crests, or Myth Crests. Each upgrade costs 20 crests, so upgrading an item from 1/6 to 6/6 costs 100 crests total. You can typically earn up to 100 crests of each type per week, though some activities may allow you to exceed this cap.
Another major change is that Valorstones have been removed. Now you only need crests and a very small amount of WoW gold to upgrade gear.
The Crest-Saving Upgrade Trick
The new system introduces a clever trick that can save you a lot of valuable crests. The game tracks the highest item level piece of gear you have ever equipped for each slot. If you try to upgrade another item in that slot that is below your highest recorded item level, the crest cost becomes free. This becomes powerful because gear tracks slightly overlap. For example, 5/6 Adventurer gear = same item level as 1/6 Veteran gear. Since they use different crest types, you can exploit this overlap.
Example
Imagine you have 1/6 Adventurer gear equipped, and you obtain 1/6 Veteran gear to upgrade. Since now the game records the higher item level (let’s say 233 ilvl) for that slot, you can then:
- Upgrade the Adventurer piece for free up to 5/6
- Upgrade it to 6/6 using Adventurer crests
- Your Adventurer item now surpasses the Veteran piece
- The first Veteran upgrade becomes free
In practice, this means you effectively spent Adventurer crests instead of Veteran crests to push your Veteran item to 2/6. This trick works across all gear tracks and can save 20 crests per slot, which adds up quickly across your entire character. The key requirement is keeping lower-tier gear pieces, since you need them to perform the overlap upgrade.
Skipping Early Gearing Steps
When you first reach level 90, your immediate goal should be reaching around item level 220. A quick way to boost your gear is by buying crafted equipment from the Auction House. Many crafted pieces range between item level 201 and 214, and the lower tiers are usually quite affordable. These items are not meant to last long, but they can help replace weak leveling gear and quickly push your item level high enough to begin more rewarding activities.
If you’re missing trinkets, the new Darkmoon Card decks are also available at item level 220 and are usually reasonably priced.
Reaching Item Level 230 with Adventurer Gear
The next step is collecting Adventurer gear, which can be upgraded up to item level 237. There are several sources for this gear:
World Quests
World quests are one of the most reliable ways to obtain Adventurer gear. Some rewards reach item level 230, and the best part is that you know exactly what slot the reward will be. If a world quest offers the piece you need—such as boots or gloves—it’s a guaranteed upgrade.
Prey Hunts
Normal-mode Prey Hunts reward Adventurer gear and crests. Since you’ll already be exploring the world, these hunts are an easy way to pick up extra gear.
Rare Monsters
Rare mobs throughout the world can also drop Adventurer gear. While the drops are random and may not match your class, they are still another potential source of upgrades.
Heroic Dungeons
Heroic dungeon bosses can drop item level 224 Adventurer gear, though queue times—especially for DPS—can be long. Because the loot is not guaranteed, many players prefer other gearing methods first.
Delves
You can currently run Delves up to Tier 7. During the preseason, Delve rewards are capped at Adventurer gear and crests, but higher tiers (6 and 7) tend to drop gear frequently.
Weekly Caches
The first two Pinnacle caches you open each week—earned through weekly events or quests—can also contain Adventurer gear.
Farming Veteran Gear (Item Level 240+)
Once you’re mostly equipped with Adventurer gear, the next major upgrade comes from Veteran gear, which can reach item level 250 when fully upgraded. There are two primary sources in the preseason.
Hard Mode Prey Hunts
After unlocking Hard Mode Hunts, you’ll receive four targets per week.
- The first two hunts reward a box containing random Veteran gear
- The next two hunts provide materials and 10 Veteran crests
Even if you don’t get gear, the crests are valuable for upgrades.
Mythic 0 Dungeons
Mythic 0 dungeons are the main source of Veteran gear. Each boss has a chance to drop item level 240 Veteran gear, making them a major upgrade over Adventurer equipment. There are eight Mythic 0 dungeons with 28 total bosses, giving you many chances at upgrades. Mythic 0 runs also reward Veteran crests, which help upgrade your gear further. Because Mythic 0 uses a weekly lockout, each dungeon can only be cleared once per week per character before Season 1 begins. A good strategy is forming groups with players who share your armor type, allowing unwanted drops to be traded within the group.
Filling Gear Gaps with Crafted Equipment
Crafting can also help fill weaker gear slots. Blue-quality crafting recipes can be upgraded using crests:
- Adventurer Crests → crafted gear up to ilvl 233
- Veteran Crests → crafted gear up to ilvl 246
Each crafted upgrade costs 80 crests, which is expensive, but it can instantly replace a very low item level piece.
Crafted gear also allows you to:
- Choose optimal stats using Missives
- Add powerful Embellishments
- Request high-rank crafts through crafting orders
Champion Gear from Renown Factions
During the preseason, you can obtain four pieces of Champion gear from the new Midnight factions. These items start at item level 246 and are unlocked through Renown levels:
- Silvermoon Court (Renown 9) – Headpiece
- Amani Tribe (Renown 9) – Necklace
- Hara’ti (Renown 8) – Belt
- The Singularity (Renown 7) – Trinket
While you cannot choose the gear slot, these pieces are still excellent upgrades early on.
Crafting a 259 Item with Sparks of Radiance
The highest item level gear available before Season 1 is item level 259 crafted gear. To craft it, you need Sparks of Radiance, a limited resource. You can earn them from Unity against the Void weekly quest in Silvermoon and a one-time campaign quest called “Midnight World Tour”. This allows players to obtain two sparks during the first week, which is exactly enough to craft one item.
What Should You Craft First?
Because sparks are limited, choosing the right crafted item is important. Class guides from sites like Wowhead usually recommend weapons first, because they provide the biggest power increase, or gear pieces that enable powerful Embellishments. However, some players prefer to save their sparks until Season 1 begins, allowing them to craft gear that fills weaker slots after early raid or dungeon drops. Both strategies are valid.
Final Thoughts
By combining all of these gearing methods—world quests, hunts, Mythic 0 dungeons, crafted gear, and reputation rewards—you can realistically reach item level 240 or higher before Season 1 begins.
Taking advantage of the crest-saving upgrade trick, efficient dungeon runs, and smart crafting choices will help you enter the season fully prepared for raids, Mythic+, and other endgame challenges.
