Getting KSM with PUG
Intro
PvP player for 15 years who never did any serious PvE content, I achieved Dungeon Keystone Master (KSM) on during Shadowlands Season 2, only with public groups!
Here is how I did it...
Progressively Increase Mythic+ Key levels
Since I did not know any mechanics, the first problem to solve was to get used to the dungeons. I ran each of them at a certain key level, starting from the bottom, before going to the next tier, building progressively my Mythic+ rating at the same time:
Below Keys lvl 5 |
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Keys Lvl 5 to 6 |
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Keys Lvl 7 to 9 |
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Keys Lvl 10 to 12 |
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Keys Lvl 13 to 14 |
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Keys lvl 15 and above |
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Make own groups with own keys
Running a Mythic+ dungeon with a public group can have a pretty random outcome. Since it put me in control, creating my own group and running my own keys drastically increased chances of success .
A group composition should follow this scheme:
- 1 Bloodlust (BL) - 30% Haste buff : Shaman , Mage , or Hunter
- 1 Battle resurrection (Brez) : Death Knight , druid , or Warlock
- 1 Covenant member for the running dungeon
When forming a group, I picked mates with at least similar experience and equivalent equipment as mine . Here is the table that I used to help me chose partners based on the key level, their Ilvl, and Mythic+ rating:
Key Lvl | Min Equipment Ilvl | Min Mythic+ Rating |
---|---|---|
5 | 213 | 0 |
6 | 216 | 500 |
7 | 220 | 500 |
8 | 223 | 750 |
9 | 223 | 750 |
10 | 226 | 1000 |
11 | 226 | 1200 |
12 | 229 | 1200 |
13 | 229 | 1500 |
14 | 233 | 1500 |
15 | 236 | 1800 |
16 | 240 | 1800 |
Whereas the equipment level does not reflect the player experience, the Mythic+ score does! Chose mates with an equivalent Mythic+ score as yours .
Build character right
Know what is your character stat priority, what legendary and trinket to use, the talents to pick and the covenant/soulbind choose . Fortunately, Murlok.io is the good place to find this:
When looting a new item, here is the priority on how I chose whether I equip it:
- Does it have my character's first stat priority?
- Does it have a better Ilvl than the currently equipped one?
- Doest it have my character's second stat priority?
The reason I chose the first stat priority over Ilvl is that it is what is defining the character gameplay look and feel. My Protection Warrior really feels slow and boring with low haste.
Use Addons
Addons greatly help with mechanics, routes, or targeting. I used the WowUp app to install and manage add-ons. Here are the addons I used:
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) | Live notifications about dungeon fight mechanics, things to do, avoid, or cut. |
WeakAuras | Set up various notifications based on game events. The one useful for Mythic+ dungeons is the one that put an icon to key targets: Mythic+ Auto Marker |
Mythic Dungeon Tool | Tool to simulate what route to take. Pretty useful if you are a tank. |
Be friendly
Mythic+ Dungeon is something done with other people. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. In both cases, I had a better experience by being friendly and polite with others, here is why:
- I made friends with strong fellows that taught me how to play better
- I made friends that ended playing consistently with me
- I made friends who were playing like garbage, helped them get better, and eventually been successful at timing other dungeons
The point is being friendly and polite will contribute to building a pool of players that will help to reach that KSM!
Being mean with less knowledgable or weaker ones brings nothing to the table. If a group is a mess, try to make the best of it, there is still a chance to loot an item, and helping people will increase chances to form better PUG in the future.