The official launch of World of Warcraft: Midnight is almost here. With early access soon behind us and Midnight’s full release happening in just a few hours, a lot of players are going to hit Level 90 very soon and then jump straight into endgame.
If that is you, this quick mini-gearing guide focuses only on one thing: increasing your item level fast and as efficiently as possible, before Season 1 begins on March 17 (raids like The Voidspire open then, Mythic+ the week after on March 24). This is not going to be a full activity checklist or information on side content; just the cleanest gearing path for new Level 90 characters.
How Gearing Works In Midnight
Gearing is much simpler now than it was in the War Within. 
Valorstones are gone. Yay!
Instead, you upgrade gear using Dawncrests (and Gold) for your different upgrade tracks:
Adventurer Dawncrest -> 
Veteran Dawncrest -> 
Champion Dawncrest -> 
Hero Dawncrest -> 
Myth Dawncrest
Each item can only be upgraded up to the cap of its track:
Adventurer caps at 237, Veteran caps at 250, Champion at 263, Hero at 276, and Myth at 289.
You will not see Hero or Myth track gear immediately after finishing the campaign on your very first character. Those unlock through higher difficulty Season 1 content. On top of that, fully upgrading one item from rank 1 to max rank costs 100 crests. Since the weekly crest cap is also 100, that usually means one fully upgraded piece per week.
A fresh Level 90 usually starts around item level 190. You can realistically reach:
- 200-220 very quickly through world content (including Dungeons)
- 230+ with weeklies and stronger sources such as the Prey system
If possible, save your higher-tier crests for proper Season 1 pieces instead of upgrading low-value pre-season gear. Check out our full Midnight Gear Upgrading Guide on Icy Veins.
Best Early Gearing Sources At Level 90
Focus on these sources once the campaign (including Voidstorm) is done and world quests unlock. Most of this content is solo-friendly with Follower Dungeons or Companions.
| Source | Track / Item Level Range | How to Get It | Notes/Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quest Rewards (Fresh 90) | 190-220 (Starter gear) | Campaign/Voidstorm completion | Disenchant drops you will not use if you have the Enchanting profession |
| World Quests / Events | 220-237 (Adventurer) | Daily world quests + weekly zone events (Saltheril’s Soiree, Stormarion Assault, etc.) | Easy early upgrades; upgradeable Adventurer track gear |
| Prey Hunts | 220-263 (Adventurer to Champion) | 4 per week in any zone; Nightmare difficulty unlocks post-launch | Can reward Veteran and Champion track gear depending on difficulty |
| Delves | 233–276 (Champion to Hero, depending on tier) | Complete higher-tier runs, especially Bountiful versions | Strong early sources of Champion and higher-tier gear. Contributes to weekly reward slots (Great Vault). Quick for alts too |
| Dungeons (Normal/Heroic/Mythic 0) | 220-250 (Adventurer to Veteran) | Via Follower Dungeon or group finder | Slot fixes and early Pre-raid BiS |
| Weeklies / Caches | 233-263 (Veteran to Champion) | Silvermoon tent quests + event rewards | Steady crests and materials |
| Renown Vendors | 220-263 (Adventurer to Champion) | Faction rep from side quests/world content | Rewards include 4 pieces of Champion gear at higher Renown |
| PvP Tokens | 233-250 (Veteran) | War Mode quests/events in Voidstorm | Quick with BGs; good early PvP gear |
If you follow this order, your item level climbs naturally without wasting much time.
Once you have a few Season 1 pieces, you can upgrade gear at vendors like Cuzolth in Silvermoon with crests and gold. Later on, try to get a 4-piece raid bonus through LFR raids, or join “farm” groups for bind-on-equip (BoE) pieces to sell or use yourself.
Early Gearing Path In 3 Simple Steps
Step 1: Fix Your Weakest Slots First
Right after hitting Level 90, focus on replacing the worst pieces.
Check your:
- Weapon
- Trinkets
- Rings
These give the biggest noticeable power jumps. World Quests and early Prey Hunts are perfect for this stage. Early gearing is about item level first. Fine-tuning comes later.
Step 2: Push Renown For Guaranteed Upgrades
Renown is one of the safest ways to increase your item level and replace your old gear early on.
Instead of relying on random dungeon drops, you work toward fixed rewards. Early Renown breakpoints hand out useful gear that can help increase your overall item level and replace your weakest pieces.
Focus on one faction at a time and secure those guaranteed upgrades!
Step 3: Run Delves And Dungeons
Delves, especially Bountiful ones, are strong early sources of Champion and higher-tier gear. They also contribute to weekly reward slots, which becomes more important once Season 1 begins.
Dungeons should be used to:
- Complete dungeon quests
- Replace specific weak slots
- Prepare for Mythic+ and raid content
Do not endlessly farm low difficulty content for small upgrades. Once most of your gear is around ilvl 220+, focus on higher value activities.
Upgrade Strategy And Crest Management
One of the most common mistakes fresh Level 90s make is upgrading low-value gear too aggressively or too early on.
Try to avoid heavily upgrading pre-season filler gear that will be replaced quickly. Save your higher-tier crests for Season 1 raid and/or Mythic pieces, and pay attention to weekly caps.
Once you got lucky with a few Season 1 pieces, upgrade those instead of random outdoor drops.
Season 1 Preparation
Season 1 of Midnight will add harder Prey difficulty (Nightmare), full Bountiful Delves, raids, and a much better crest flow. So, your goal before then is simple:
- Reach around 220–230 item level
- Replace your weakest pieces
- Stockpile useful crests
That way, you enter Mythic dungeons and raid week ready, not scrambling. Make sure to keep an eye on our Icy Veins’ Midnight To-Do List for updates:
Gearing a fresh Level 90 character in Midnight is pretty straightforward if you focus on the right sources. So, to reiterate again, just keep the following points in mind:
- Do world content to replace early gear.
- Increase your Renown for guaranteed pieces.
- Complete Prey Hunts and Delves for strong upgrades.
- Run Dungeons for targeted slot fixes.
Talking about targeted slot fixes, make sure to check out the pre-Season 1 Best in Slot gear for your class specialization. Just click on the spec you play and head to the Gear and Best in Slot part of the guide.
Of course, the most important part is to have fun. But as you adventure through all the new zones Midnight has to offer, try to keep it efficient and manage your crests carefully so that you will be in a very good spot when Season 1 opens on March 17.
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