Mythic+ DPS Guide for Midnight Season 2
Good DPS in Mythic+ is measured in timed keys, not in damage meters. In Midnight Season 2 a DPS who kicks the right cast, kills the priority target first and survives the big hit is worth more than one who tops the meter and dies, because from +12 every death costs 15 seconds. Below you'll find what separates good Mythic+ DPS from the rest, when to use Bloodlust and cooldowns on each week's affixes, every must-interrupt cast and priority target in the eight Season 2 dungeons, your job on each Xal'atath's Bargain affix, and how interrupt tracking works after Midnight's addon changes.
Why Pumping Damage Isn't Enough in Mythic+
Your damage only counts if the group survives the pull. Most failed keys come from a missed kick, a priority target left alive or a DPS who died to an avoidable ability. A strong Mythic+ DPS does five things besides damage:
- Kill the priority target first. Casters, healers and buffers often have to die well ahead of the rest of the pack. Swap to them even if it lowers your damage on the meter.
- Interrupt and stop casts. Agree on a kick order before the pull, and use stuns and knockbacks on the casts nobody can kick.
- Use your defensives. Press them before big damage, not after. At high keys, the healer can't save a player who takes a hit with no defensive.
- Avoid damage. Dodge circles and frontals first; damage done while standing in fire is damage the healer must replace.
- Bring your utility. Raid buffs, dispels, purges and movement tools all speed up the key.
About 40% of Mythic+ combat is spent on bosses, so single-target damage matters as much as area damage. The best Mythic+ comps guide shows what utility each class brings.
When to Use Cooldowns and Bloodlust
There's no single rule for Bloodlust: it depends on the week's affixes and the dungeon. Line up your own damage cooldowns with the tank's pull, since that's when the most targets are in range.
- Fortified weeks (+7 to +9): non-boss enemies have 20% more health and hit up to 20% harder. Many groups use Bloodlust on the hardest trash pull and bring more crowd control.
- Tyrannical weeks (+7 to +9): bosses have 25% more health. Save Bloodlust and big cooldowns for the hardest boss.
- +10 and higher: both are active, so timing depends on your comp. Many top groups use Bloodlust on the first big pull in Murder Row, Kings' Rest and Temple of Sethraliss, and on the 50% to 0% phase of bosses like Ikuzz the Light Hunter in The Blinding Vale.
From +12, Xal'atath's Guile adds 90 seconds to the timer but makes every death cost 15 seconds, so use defensives during big damage instead of relying on the healer.
Must-Interrupt Casts in Every Season 2 Dungeon
These are the casts worth saving a kick for in each Season 2 dungeon. Agree in the group who covers which caster before each pull, and keep a stun or knockback ready for the ones your kicks miss.
| Dungeon | Casts to interrupt |
|---|---|
| Altar of Fangs | Piercing Hiss; The Writhing Coil's Toxic Atrophy, cast three times in a row; Mass Envenom |
| Den of Nalorakk | Scavenge; Healing Breeze; Frigid Roar; Sentinel of Winter's Winter's Shroud; Arc Lightning |
| Murder Row | Fel Missiles; Seduction; Kystia Manaheart's Felstorm; Fel Rage; Health Funnel; Lithiel Cinderfury's Chaos Bolt |
| The Blinding Vale | Light Bolt Volley; Light Bolt; Disorienting Screech; Lightwarden Ruia's Warden's Wrath; Ziekket's Lightspore Shot |
| Voidscar Arena | Demoralizing Shout; Shadowbolt Volley; Violent Sand; Mad Shriek; Mending Void |
| Ruby Life Pools | Ice Shield; Melidrussa Chillworn's Frigid Shard; Fiery Blast; Kokia Blazehoof's Blaze Volley |
| Temple of Sethraliss | Poisoned Cheap Shot; Addle Mind; Merektha's Poison Spit; Essence Disruption; Flame Shock |
| Kings' Rest | Hex Volley; Bind Soul; Unholy Mending; Wretched Discharge; Hex; Zanazal the Wise's Poison Nova; Reban's Deathly Roar |
On packs with more casters than kicks, let the least dangerous cast through and have your poison or magic dispeller clean up after it.
Priority Targets and DPS Jobs in Season 2
Besides kicks, each Season 2 dungeon gives DPS a few jobs that decide the key. Know them before you zone in:
- Altar of Fangs: use a stun on the High Evolutionist's Evolve cast and break the Empowered High Evolutionist's shield fast. Everyone must run out to break Death Rattle at The Writhing Coil, or the group wipes.
- Den of Nalorakk: Spirits of Hunger are dangerous; kill them one pack at a time.
- Murder Row: interrupting Fel Rage removes a big damage reduction from the Wrathguard Flayers. At Zaen Bladesorrow, use the first Fire Bombs on one Fel Barrel and save the second barrel to hide behind.
- The Blinding Vale: Sporeblight Belchers are the priority target in their packs, and Lightgorged Lashers heal nearby enemies while their shield is up, so break the shield first.
- Voidscar Arena: kill the mob a Devouring Brutalizer is about to devour, burst the Protective Turtle when its shield drops and don't let a Mad Shriek go off.
- Ruby Life Pools: kill the dragon Kyrakka whenever it's in range during the last boss.
- Temple of Sethraliss: at the Avatar of Sethraliss, DPS should soak the purple zones, and faster area damage on the adds speeds up the healing phase.
- Kings' Rest: Minions of Zul die instantly to a purge or when their shield breaks, so deal with them first. Kill the Healing Tide Totems in the hallway before boss three quickly.
What DPS Do on Each Xal'atath's Bargain
From +5 to +11, one Bargain affix is active each week. Each one rewards the group for handling it and punishes it for ignoring it, and most of the work falls on DPS.
| Bargain | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| Xal'atath's Bargain: Ascendant | Every minute, orbs cast Cosmic Ascension in waves of 3, 3 and 4; finished casts make enemies faster | Stop every cast with kicks, stuns, knockbacks or purges; assign who covers each wave |
| Xal'atath's Bargain: Voidbound | A Voidbound Emissary casts Dark Prayer, stacking damage reduction on enemies | Swap to the Emissary and stop each Dark Prayer; killing it gives 20% Versatility and faster cooldowns for 30 seconds |
| Xal'atath's Bargain: Pulsar | Pulsars orbit players and empower enemies after 15 seconds | Drag the pulsar over a party member in time for a Mastery and Leech buff |
| Xal'atath's Bargain: Devour | A Devouring Rift healing absorb lands on each player | Clear your own with a dispel or an ability like Cloak of Shadows or Stoneform within 15 seconds |
Our Mythic+ affixes guide explains each affix and its rewards in detail.
Interrupt Tools and Addons in Midnight
Midnight limited what addons can see in combat, and party interrupt trackers stopped working in Patch 12.0.5. Blizzard's own tools, such as the Cooldown Manager and Boss Warnings, cover part of that, but your group has to coordinate kicks more by talking.
Three habits replace most of what the old trackers did:
- Set a focus target on your assigned caster and use a focus-interrupt macro.
- Agree on a kick order in chat or with raid markers before each pull.
- Use nameplate addons such as Plater to make dangerous casts stand out.
The addons that still help in Mythic+ are in our best Mythic+ addons guide.
Which DPS to Play in Season 2
Subtlety Rogue, Arms Warrior, Arcane Mage, Elemental Shaman and Assassination Rogue are the strongest and most played Mythic+ DPS after Patch 12.1.5, with Augmentation Evoker at the bottom. Rankings below the top shift with each hotfix, so play the spec you know well and bring what your group is missing.
The full ranking is in our Mythic+ DPS tier list.
More Guides for Season 2 DPS
Compare every spec in the DPS tier list, see what your tank and healer handle in their role guides, and set up your interface with the addons guide.
Mythic+ DPS FAQ
These are the questions DPS players ask most about Season 2 keys.
Agree before each pull. Give each caster in the pack to one player, and keep a stun or knockback for the cast nobody can kick.
On Fortified weeks many groups use it on the hardest trash pull; on Tyrannical weeks, save it for the hardest boss. From +10, it depends on your group and the dungeon.
Party interrupt trackers stopped working after Midnight's addon changes in Patch 12.0.5. Use focus-interrupt macros and agree on a kick order instead.
Usually from avoidable abilities or from waiting on the healer. Dodge first, press a defensive before big hits and use your health potion and Healthstone.
Xal'atath's Guile replaces Xal'atath's Bargain. The timer gets 90 extra seconds, but every death costs 15 seconds.
No. Kicks, priority targets and staying alive decide whether a key is timed far more often than a few percent of damage.
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