This guide covers the Xal'atath's Bargain: Pulsar affix from The War Within Season 2 Mythic+, introduced in Patch 11.1. Though The War Within is now a legacy expansion, this affix remains a useful reference for understanding how orbiting-buff mechanics work in Mythic+.
The Pulsar affix replaced Xal'atath's Bargain: Oblivion, which suffered from orbs phasing through terrain unpredictably. The redesign trades fixed orb paths for a tethering system where void pulsars orbit around players, adding a layer of positioning strategy to every key.
Oblivion dropped static orbs that players had to chase across uneven terrain. Pulsar flips that: the orbs orbit around each player, keeping them in constant range. This makes buff pickup reliable but forces groups to manage cluster positions — stacking too tightly concentrates orb overlap while spreading too far loses the buff window.
Contacting a void pulsar applies Xal'atath's Embrace, boosting Mastery and Leech for 30 seconds. These effects stack, so players who repeatedly intercept orbs across a pull accumulate meaningful secondary-stat gains. Coordination on orb priority during burst windows amplifies this further.
The primary buff, Xal'atath's Gift, increases damage output by 10% and reduces damage taken by 20% for 20 seconds. When multiple stacks overlap, the damage reduction compounds — making Pulsar unusually strong for both damage racing and survivability on punishing pulls.
| Buff | Effect | Duration | Stackable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xal'atath's Gift | +10% damage dealt, -20% damage taken | 20 seconds | Yes |
| Xal'atath's Embrace | +4% Mastery, +2% Leech | 30 seconds | Yes |
Team coordination is the key multiplier. Groups that stack orb contacts during shared burst windows see significantly higher damage output than those who collect individually.
The Pulsar affix rewards spatial awareness and pre-planned positioning. Stack the group tightly during high-value pull windows so each player contacts the maximum number of orbs before the buff timer expires. Coordinate with your Mythic+ team to layer Xal'atath's Gift uptime with your damage cooldowns for the best output. Healers benefit from the Leech component, reducing external healing needed on sustained packs.
