This is the live Midnight Season 2 Delves tier list, built from four weeks of played content rather than pre-season projections. Bountiful Delves, Restored Coffer Keys, Tier 11 and both Azta'rec difficulties have all been open since August 18, and two class-tuning passes have landed since the season opened.
Best solo picks right now: Beast Mastery Hunter is still the best low-stress weekly farmer and has been buffed twice since launch. Guardian Druid remains the easiest high-tier progression choice. For Azta'rec, any tank is a genuine difficulty setting rather than a preference — he moves faster than player run speed, so kiting is impossible and non-tank specs eat his auto-attacks at full value.
The biggest live surprise: healers are far better in Delves than any pre-season list predicted, because Valeera scales aggressively when you are specced into healing. Discipline Priest and Preservation Evoker in particular contribute real damage while she does the heavy lifting.
What Four Weeks of Live Play Changed
Our August version was an honest pre-season projection. Some of it held up and some of it did not. These are the placements the live season actually moved, and why.
The projection undervalued them badly. Valeera scales aggressively when you are specced into healing, which turns a "slow but safe" pick into a genuinely efficient one. Discipline Priest and Preservation Evoker are the clearest risers.
Buffed in both passes, including a large September 1 single-target package. It is now a much stronger Azta'rec option than the B placement we gave it.
Beast Cleave 55% → 70% on August 25, then +7% all damage on September 1. Already the easiest pick, now also one of the fastest.
Two buff rounds: +5% ability damage, +10% auto-attack, +10% Ferocious Bite and Shred. Moves up in both weekly and high-tier lists.
+5% healing and a stronger four-piece. Combined with the Valeera healing interaction, it is now a solid high-tier choice rather than a slow one.
The August 25 four-piece correction (+150% main target on Divine Arbiter) was much larger than the pre-season list accounted for.
We were right to remove its automatic number-one spot, but it has since received no PvE buff while Havoc gained 7% across two passes. Havoc now closes the gap.
Both remain fine for weekly farming and poor for Azta'rec. Live attempts confirm the projection: a spec with thin defensives has almost no margin in the memory phases.
What the projection got right: tanks dominating Azta'rec. This is now confirmed in the clearest possible way — he outruns players, so there is no kiting option, and his tankbuster (Serpent's Strike) is comparatively weak. If you have a tank spec available and want the mount, use it.
Quick Ranking by Goal
| Goal | Best choices | Best default |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Bountiful farming | Beast Mastery Hunter, Fury Warrior, Retribution Paladin, Demonology Warlock | Beast Mastery Hunter |
| Tier 8–11 progression | Guardian Druid, Vengeance DH, Protection Paladin, Blood DK, Demonology Warlock | Guardian Druid |
| Azta'rec Tier ?? | Any tank spec; Vengeance DH, Protection Paladin, Guardian Druid, Blood DK | Vengeance Demon Hunter |
| Fastest easy-tier clears | Fury Warrior, Beast Mastery Hunter, Retribution Paladin, Havoc DH | Fury Warrior |
| Best ranged solo | Beast Mastery Hunter, Demonology Warlock, Affliction Warlock | Beast Mastery Hunter |
| Best healer solo | Discipline Priest, Preservation Evoker, Restoration Druid, Mistweaver Monk | Discipline Priest |
| Easiest for a beginner | Guardian Druid, Beast Mastery Hunter, Retribution Paladin | Guardian Druid |
Do not reroll for one tier. A familiar A-tier spec with the right interrupt, defensive talents and Valeera setup beats an unfamiliar S-tier character every time — especially on Azta'rec, where the fight is a memory test more than a damage check.
Weekly and Speed-Farming Tier List
This ranks routine Bountiful runs and repeated clears, where kill speed and low downtime matter more than maximum survival.
Beast Mastery Hunter · Fury Warrior · Retribution Paladin ▲ · Demonology Warlock
Fast, forgiving, almost no forced downtime. BM is the easiest and has been buffed twice; Fury has the highest chain-pull pace; Ret gained the most from its four-piece correction.
Havoc DH ▲ · Devourer DH · Vengeance DH · Guardian Druid · Protection Paladin · Frost DK ▲ · Unholy DK · Balance Druid · Feral Druid ▲ · Devastation Evoker · Marksmanship Hunter · Survival Hunter ▲ · Arcane Mage · Fire Mage · Frost Mage · Brewmaster Monk · Windwalker Monk · Shadow Priest · Assassination Rogue · Outlaw Rogue · Elemental Shaman · Enhancement Shaman · Affliction Warlock ▲ · Destruction Warlock · Arms Warrior · Protection Warrior · Blood DK
Strong weekly choices with slightly more setup, travel time or risk than S tier. Affliction and Survival both moved up on direct damage buffs.
Discipline Priest ▲ · Preservation Evoker · Restoration Druid · Mistweaver Monk ▲ · Holy Paladin · Restoration Shaman · Subtlety Rogue
Safe and now more efficient than projected thanks to Valeera's healing-spec scaling, but still slower per clear than a dedicated damage spec.
Augmentation Evoker · Holy Priest
Group-oriented output or very low personal damage makes routine farming unnecessarily long. Augmentation received nothing in either tuning pass.
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Tier 8–11 Progression Tier List
High tiers reward completion consistency: frequent defensives, recovery after a mistake, a reliable interrupt, and damage that continues while you handle mechanics.
Guardian Druid · Vengeance DH · Protection Paladin · Blood DK · Protection Warrior · Brewmaster Monk · Demonology Warlock
Six tanks with layered survival, plus Demonology for its durable pet, Healthstone and strong sustained damage. Tanks trade kill speed for a very small chance of failing a run.
Frost DK ▲ · Unholy DK · Devourer DH · Havoc DH ▲ · Restoration Druid · Preservation Evoker · Discipline Priest ▲ · Beast Mastery Hunter · Survival Hunter · Mistweaver Monk ▲ · Windwalker Monk · Holy Paladin · Retribution Paladin · Enhancement Shaman · Restoration Shaman · Affliction Warlock · Fury Warrior · Feral Druid ▲
Excellent solo toolkits with one limitation in damage checks, cooldown execution or time to kill. The healers here are safer than their damage suggests because Valeera covers the throughput gap.
Balance Druid · Devastation Evoker · Marksmanship Hunter · Fire Mage · Frost Mage · Shadow Priest · Assassination Rogue · Outlaw Rogue · Elemental Shaman · Destruction Warlock · Arms Warrior
Capable, but a missed interrupt or a weak recovery window is punished much harder at Tier 10 and above.
Augmentation Evoker · Arcane Mage · Holy Priest · Subtlety Rogue
Low solo throughput or a very narrow error margin makes progression harder than it needs to be.
Remember what Tier 11 is actually for. The standard Delve Great Vault reward caps at Tier 8 (Hero 1/6, item level 305). Tiers 9–11 give Hero Mistcrests, Gilded Stashes and achievements — not a higher item level. Do not push Tier 11 expecting better Vault gear.
Azta'rec Solo Tier List
Venomfall Deeps is the Season 2 Nemesis Delve, and four weeks of attempts have confirmed the single most important thing about it: this is a tank encounter. Azta'rec moves faster than player run speed, so kiting is not an option, and his auto-attacks land at full value against non-tank specs. His tankbuster, Serpent's Strike, is comparatively mild. The gap between a tank and a DPS attempt is not marginal.
Vengeance DH · Protection Paladin · Guardian Druid · Blood DK
Best mix of survival, movement, interrupt access and enough damage to beat the Echo on Tier ??. Vengeance has the strongest combination of self-healing and mobility for the memory phases.
Protection Warrior · Brewmaster Monk · Demonology Warlock · Beast Mastery Hunter ▲ · Retribution Paladin ▲ · Frost DK ▲ · Unholy DK · Devourer DH · Fury Warrior · Enhancement Shaman
Real answers to the pressure, but less forgiving and more dependent on gear and Valeera. Frost DK moved up substantially on its September 1 single-target buffs.
Havoc DH · Discipline Priest ▲ · Preservation Evoker ▲ · Restoration Druid · Mistweaver Monk · Feral Druid · Devastation Evoker · Survival Hunter · Marksmanship Hunter · Fire Mage · Frost Mage · Holy Paladin · Shadow Priest · Assassination Rogue · Outlaw Rogue · Elemental Shaman · Restoration Shaman · Affliction Warlock · Destruction Warlock · Arms Warrior · Windwalker Monk
Viable with correct talents and clean mechanics. The healers rose from our projection because Valeera's damage output carries the kill while you survive the memory phases comfortably.
Balance Druid · Augmentation Evoker · Arcane Mage · Holy Priest · Subtlety Rogue
Thin defensives against an enemy you cannot kite, or damage too low to finish the Echo inside the intermission.
Azta'rec: Unlock, Item Level and Rewards
The most common reason players cannot fight him is not gear — it is that the door will not open because the unlock condition was never met. Running higher-tier Delves does not substitute for it.
- Find Venomfall Deeps
Northern part of The Coiled Isle at /way #2512 51.2 31.0, inside one of the snake buildings.
- Unlock Tier ?
Complete a Tier 7 or higher Delve with lives remaining. Burning all your lives does not count, even on a successful clear.
- Unlock Tier ??
Complete a Tier 10 Delve with lives remaining. This is the version that awards the mount.
- Gear check
Roughly item level 290 for Tier ? and 309 for Tier ??. These are practical targets, not hard requirements.
- Set Valeera to Healer
For most specs this is the correct choice: her healing counters his sustained damage and her dispel handles poison effects.
- Take Corrosive Bilespear
Of the three Curio choices it gives the most usable damage. Ouroboric Curse is risky because much of the encounter's damage can one-shot you.
The reward most people miss: Azta'rec drops uncapped Mistcrests — they do not count against your weekly ceiling. The first kill alone awards 30 Hero Mistcrests. Even if you never intend to chase the mount, one clear is worth doing purely for the currency.
The title window has closed. Fabled Vanquisher of Azta'rec required a solo Tier ?? kill during the first week of Season 2 and is no longer obtainable. The Apophic Soul Crusher mount is tied to the seasonal solo achievement instead and remains available until the season ends.
What actually kills attempts
- The memory phases at 90%, 60% and 30%. Sermon of Ula'tek telegraphs and then detonates three of the room's four quadrants, repeating in quick succession. Move toward the centre before each intermission and track the safe quadrant each time.
- Soul Extinction. Keep your interrupt available for it. This is the single most important reason not to drop your kick for a small damage talent.
- The Echo on Tier ??. Save major damage cooldowns for it. A tank that survives everything but cannot kill the Echo in time still fails the attempt.
Full mechanics are in the complete Azta'rec and Venomfall Deeps guide.
Easiest and Fastest Delves for Tier 8+ Farming
Which class you play matters less than which Delve you pick. At Tier 8 and above the reward is identical across all of them, so there is no reason to run a long one when a short one pays the same. Bountiful rotation permitting, take from the left column first.
- Sunkiller Sanctum
- Atal'Aman
- Twilight Crypts
- Collegiate Calamity
- The Ring of Glory
- The Darkway
- Parhelion Plaza
- Shadowguard Point
- The Grudge Pit
- The Gulf of Memory
- The Shadow Enclave
- Gnarldor Isle
Season 2 has 12 regular Delves. Patch 12.1 added The Ring of Glory (home of the Crushfoot encounter) and Gnarldor Isle on the Coiled Isle; Venomfall Deeps is the Nemesis Delve and sits outside this ranking. Existing Delves also received serpent- and venom-themed story variants.
Save your Restored Coffer Keys for the short ones. A key spent in Gnarldor Isle returns the same reward as one spent in Sunkiller Sanctum, for noticeably more time.
How the August 25 and September 1 Passes Changed Delves
Our previous version was built on the August 18 pass. Two more have landed since. Only changes that apply outside PvP affect Delves.
| Spec | Change | Delve impact |
|---|---|---|
| Frost DK | Aug 25: +6% all damage, Obliterate +15%. Sept 1: Howling Blast +15%, Obliterate +15%, Frost Strike +20%, melee +10%. | The largest cumulative gain of any spec. Frost is now a legitimate Azta'rec choice, not a compromise. |
| Beast Mastery Hunter | Aug 25: Beast Cleave 55% → 70%. Sept 1: all player and pet damage +7%. | Already the easiest solo spec; now also among the fastest. Holds S tier for weekly farming. |
| Feral Druid | Sept 1: +5% ability damage, +10% auto-attack, +10% Ferocious Bite and Shred. | A real correction. Feral moves up in both weekly and high-tier rankings. |
| Retribution Paladin | Aug 25: Divine Arbiter four-piece main target +150%, secondary +75%. | Much larger than it looks. Ret is now firmly S tier for weekly farming with the set. |
| Mistweaver Monk | Sept 1: +5% healing, four-piece proc chance 20% → 25%. | Combined with Valeera scaling, a solid high-tier progression pick rather than a slow one. |
| Survival Hunter | Aug 25: +4%. Sept 1: +7% player and pet damage. | +11% cumulative. Clear improvement to both farming speed and boss time. |
| Havoc DH | Aug 25: +3%. Sept 1: +4%. | +7% cumulative while Devourer received no PvE buff. The two are now close. |
| Affliction Warlock | Aug 25: large increases to Agony, Corruption, Unstable Affliction, Wither and Hellcaller effects. | Better sustained multi-target and boss pressure. Moves up for weekly farming. |
| Demonology Warlock | Aug 25: Shadow Bolt, Demonbolt, Wild Imps, Felguard and Dreadstalkers buffed — roughly 12.5% in AoE. | Reinforces an already safe pet-based profile. Stays S tier in both lists. |
| Restoration Druid | Aug 25: Rejuvenation and Germination +15%, Wild Growth +10%. Sept 1: +4% healing. | Still an excellent solo healer, though Discipline and Preservation now match it on efficiency. |
| Balance Druid, Windwalker Monk | Sept 1: +4% ability damage each. | Helpful but not enough to change either placement. |
| Augmentation Evoker | No PvE changes in either pass. | Remains the weakest solo option in the game. |
Full numbers are in the Season 2 class-changes hub; set bonuses are in the tier-set guide.
All 40 Specializations Compared
Scores describe practical solo play on live servers. "Weekly" measures routine speed; "High" and "Azta'rec" measure progression safety.
| Specialization | Weekly | High | Azta'rec | Survival | Damage | Ease |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Death Knight | A | S | S | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Frost Death Knight ▲ | A | A | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Unholy Death Knight | A | A | A | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Devourer Demon Hunter | A | A | A | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Havoc Demon Hunter ▲ | A | A | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Vengeance Demon Hunter | A | S | S | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Balance Druid | A | B | C | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Feral Druid ▲ | A | A | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 |
| Guardian Druid | A | S | S | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Restoration Druid | B | A | B | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Augmentation Evoker | C | C | C | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Devastation Evoker | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Preservation Evoker ▲ | B | A | B | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Beast Mastery Hunter | S | A | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Marksmanship Hunter | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Survival Hunter ▲ | A | A | B | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Arcane Mage | A | C | C | 2/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Fire Mage | A | B | B | 2/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Frost Mage | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Brewmaster Monk | A | S | A | 5/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Mistweaver Monk ▲ | B | A | B | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Windwalker Monk | A | A | B | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Holy Paladin | B | A | B | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Protection Paladin | A | S | S | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Retribution Paladin ▲ | S | A | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Discipline Priest ▲ | B | A | B | 4/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Holy Priest | C | C | C | 5/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 |
| Shadow Priest | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Assassination Rogue | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Outlaw Rogue | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 |
| Subtlety Rogue | B | C | C | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Elemental Shaman | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Enhancement Shaman | A | A | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Restoration Shaman | B | A | B | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| Affliction Warlock ▲ | A | A | B | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Demonology Warlock | S | S | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Destruction Warlock | A | B | B | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Arms Warrior | A | B | B | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Fury Warrior | S | A | A | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Protection Warrior | A | S | A | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Best Valeera Role for Solo Delves
Valeera fills Damage, Healer or Tank and equips two Curios plus a poison. Her role should cover your weakness, not duplicate your strength. One live finding worth knowing: she scales notably harder when you are specced into healing, which is the main reason healer specs outperform their pre-season projections.
| Your spec | Default Valeera role | Switch when |
|---|---|---|
| Fragile DPS with no sustain | Healer | Damage only once incoming pressure is fully controlled |
| Pet DPS | Healer | Damage when you and the pet stay stable without help |
| Tank | Damage | Healer for an unfamiliar boss or undergeared progression |
| Healer | Damage | Tank only if she can reliably hold the specific target |
| High-sustain DPS | Damage | Healer after a failed attempt caused by attrition |
| Any spec vs Azta'rec | Healer | Her dispel handles his poison effects; keep it unless damage is your failure point |
Do not default to Tank Valeera just because you play DPS. Her threat and durability are inconsistent across multi-target pulls. Healer is the safer general partner; Damage is faster once survival is solved.
Solo Delve Build Checklist
- Take the interrupt. A small simulation gain is never worth losing the kick that stops Soul Extinction or a lethal trash cast.
- Prefer two short defensives over one long emergency cooldown. Delve mechanics repeat.
- Add self-healing or passive mitigation. Lower downtime improves safety and clear speed at the same time.
- Keep boss damage. A pure AoE build stalls on Tier 10 bosses and the Azta'rec Echo.
- Bring backup control. Stuns, fears, knockbacks and roots cover the windows when your interrupt is down.
- Set Valeera for your failure condition. Healer for attrition, Damage for time to kill.
- Re-check after four-piece. Several buffs moved power between baseline abilities and Season 2 sets.
Class-specific talents and rotations belong in the class-guide hub.
Season 2 Delve Rewards
| Item | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apophic Soul Crusher | Solo Azta'rec kill on Tier ?? | Still available for the rest of the season |
| Delver's Starter Kit | One-time Midnight Delve reward | Warband-limited — choose the character deliberately |
| Restored Coffer Key | Opens a Bountiful Delve coffer | Spend on the short Delves listed above |
| Coffer Key Glue | Toy that combines Coffer Key Shards | Convenience only; Naleidea or entering a Delve also works |
Season 2 Delves FAQ
What is the best solo class for Season 2 Delves?
Beast Mastery Hunter for routine weekly farming — it is the easiest to play and has been buffed twice since launch. Guardian Druid is the easiest high-tier choice, and for Azta'rec any tank spec is significantly easier than any DPS spec.
Are tanks really better for Azta'rec?
Yes, and by a wide margin. He moves faster than player run speed so kiting is impossible, and his auto-attacks hit non-tank specs at full value. His tankbuster, Serpent's Strike, is comparatively weak. If you have a tank spec and want the mount, use it.
Why won't the Azta'rec door open?
Because the unlock condition was not met. Tier ? requires completing a Tier 7 or higher Delve with lives remaining, and Tier ?? requires a Tier 10 Delve with lives remaining. Clearing higher tiers does not substitute for this — players who have cleared Tier 11 still find the door sealed.
Can I still get the Fabled Vanquisher title?
No. It required a solo Tier ?? kill during the first week of Season 2 and that window has closed. The Apophic Soul Crusher mount is tied to the seasonal achievement and is still obtainable.
What item level do I need for Azta'rec?
Around 290 for Tier ? and around 309 for Tier ??. These are practical targets rather than hard gates — the fight is far more a mechanics test than a gear check, particularly the memory phases.
Is Tier 11 worth running?
Only for Hero Mistcrests, Gilded Stashes and achievements. The standard Delve Great Vault reward caps at Tier 8 (Hero 1/6, item level 305), so Tiers 9–11 do not give better Vault gear.
Which Delves are fastest to farm?
Sunkiller Sanctum, Atal'Aman, Twilight Crypts, Collegiate Calamity and The Ring of Glory are the shortest. The Shadow Enclave and Gnarldor Isle take noticeably longer for identical rewards, so avoid spending Coffer Keys there.
Are healers good in Delves this season?
Better than expected. Valeera scales aggressively when you are specced into healing, so she carries much of the damage. Discipline Priest and Preservation Evoker stand out because they still contribute meaningful damage themselves.
Which Valeera role should I use?
Healer for most DPS specs and for Azta'rec, Damage for tanks and healers. Tank Valeera is situational — her threat is inconsistent across multi-target pulls, so it is not a safe default.
Does the Corrosive Codex work in Delves?
Yes. Corrosive Powers are active in Delves and outdoor content but disabled in raids, dungeons, Mythic+, Arena and Battlegrounds. See our Corrosive Codex guide for the best powers and combos.
Related Season 2 Guides
- Azta'rec and Venomfall Deeps Guide
- Season 2 Delve Loot Table
- Corrosive Codex Powers Guide
- Season 2 Gearing Guide
- Season 2 Class Changes
