Super Fast Alt Gearing: Achieve ilvl 685 in Under 2 Hours!

Key Takeaways

A level-capped alt in The War Within Season 3 can reach ilvl 685 in under two hours by chaining Dornagal quest rewards, delve completions, and crafted blue gear.
Rashirap's Cloak from Locus Walker in Dornagal is upgradeable to ilvl 730 immediately if your main character has kept current with the weekly campaign content.
Three Tier 1 Fungal Folly delves complete the Delve weekly, the Titan Archive quest, and two belt upgrade requirements in a single run.
270 Enchanted Weathered Crests buy nine pieces of crafted ilvl 675 blue gear; always include a missive in every crafting order to target your secondary stats.
Four Fractured Sparks of Starlight combine into two Sparks of Starlight, which with an Enchanted Runed Crest commission a crafted ilvl 704 weapon after completing the Demensius story quest.
The ethereal vendor sells delve trinkets at ilvl 681 for Undercoins, bridging the trinket gap while you push toward higher-tier drops.

With those six steps mapped out, here is how each one fits into the two-hour run.

Fast Gearing for Alts in Season 3

As Season 3 of The War Within progresses, many players find themselves turning to their alternate characters for a fresh experience. Beginning the gearing journey anew can be daunting. This guide covers a strategy to gear a level-capped alt to item level 685 or higher in under two hours, preparing you for all types of endgame content.

Steps to Upgrade Quickly

Acquire and Upgrade Rashirap's Cloak

Start by obtaining Rashirap's cloak from Locus Walker in Dornagal. Engage with the story quests, proceed to Tazesh, and simply skip the campaign quests. Then fly to Overlook Zoshul and request your cloak from Hashim. If you have been keeping up with your main character's threads, you can immediately upgrade your alt's cloak to item level 730, covering your cloak slot for the rest of the expansion.

Prioritize Weekly Quests in Dornagal

Collect the World Soul weekly quest, Titan Archive weekly quest, and Delve weekly quest. These quests yield essential rewards: gear, currencies, restored copper keys, and fractured sparks. If prompted with a choice, prioritize the Delve option.

Collect and Upgrade Your Disc Belt

Obtain the disc belt quest, notable for its utility in Season 3. Despite recent nerfs, it remains valuable for many classes and specs until a higher-tier belt becomes available. Complete the required delves for its upgrades.

Quick Delve Completion

Choose your favorite delve, preferably Fungal Folly for its efficiency, and complete three tier-one delves promptly. After each delve, return to Dornagal to progress your belt quest. This repetition speeds up the upgrade process, maximizing the proximity advantage of nearby delves.

Completing three tier-one delves accomplishes the following:

Fulfills the three delves quest and the Titan Archive quest.

Upgrades your belt twice, securing another gear piece.

Provides a chance to loot fractured sparks for later use.

Those three completions set up the rest of the session and keep you close to the Dornagal vendors.

Efficient Use of Available Resources

Check your warband bank for warband-bound gear. This gear, accumulated from endgame content or world boss activities, is designed to expedite alt gearing. Avoid letting it accumulate dust between seasons.

Unlocking Reputation Rewards

Check for unclaimed reputation rewards with the six major factions in The War Within. Key rewards include:

Weathered crests, allowing bypassing of initial gearing stages.

Valor stones and restored coffer keys for future adventures.

Renown boosts from a Midnight pre-order help maximize Warband levels, unlocking comprehensive rewards more quickly. Be sure to visit all relevant vendors to maximize your alt's gearing potential. The Council of Dornagal, Assembly of the Deeps in Dornagal, Ash'adar, and others have valuable rewards awaiting collection.

Getting Your Gear Crafted

Once you obtain a good stockpile of Enchanted Weathered Crests, head over to the Enchanted Crest vendor in Dornagal. Here's a simple process to follow:

Count the gear pieces you need — excluding trinkets.
Purchase Enchanted Weathered Crests (e.g., 9 pieces of gear require 270 crests).
Order the crafting of blue crafted gear suited to your armor class. Enlist help from trade chat or rely on public orders for quick results.

This crafted gear can easily reach item level 675, with options for rings and necklaces crafted in a similar manner. Always include a missive in your crafting orders to tailor your stats. A tip range of 100 to 500 gold per item is recommended to expedite the process.

Acquiring Trinkets and Additional Gear

While waiting for crafted orders, tackle the raid story quest for Demensius. This quest, achievable in story mode, rewards an Enchanted Runed Crest necessary for crafting item level 704 gear. For those crafting two-handed weapons, you'll need Fractured Sparks of Starlight. These can be sourced from different endgame contents such as delves, dungeons, and raids.

Once your gear is ready, aim for trinkets by running a Tier 9 delve. Utilize restored coffer keys for additional champion gear and potentially secure fractured sparks. The ethereal vendor offers delve trinkets at item level 681, purchasable with Undercoins. These trinkets might not be an ideal stat match, but their higher item level is beneficial.

Crafting and Equipping Weapons

For weapons, collect four Fractured Sparks and combine them into two Sparks of Starlight. Use these, along with your Enchanted Runed Crest, to commission weapon crafting. Consider adding an embellishment, referencing class-specific resources for the best options.

Sending the order as a public request often yields satisfactory results, with crafting generally reaching rank three or four, guaranteeing a quality weapon enhancement.

Bringing It All Together

After gathering and crafting all necessary gear, your character should reach an item level of 685. While random luck can influence outcomes, persistence pays off with this strategy. Continue with Tier 8 bountiful delves, Mythic Plus runs, and other activities to further enhance your champion gear, gradually building a powerful setup.

Advanced Strategies for Alt Gearing

For players looking to upgrade beyond the initial stages, solo-friendly options provide a consistent path. Engaging in Tier 8 delves and utilizing the weekly vault can yield a piece of hero gear each week. Additionally, the delve's bounty map offers another opportunity, with one map available weekly. These methods are especially helpful for those who prefer solo play.

For a more enhanced gear acquisition strategy, elevating your activities to Tier 11 is beneficial. Completing three Tier 11 bountiful delves weekly can reward you with gilded crests, essential for fully upgrading hero gear.

Focus on the weekly vault for consistent hero gear.
Use the delve bounty map to acquire another piece weekly.
Push to Tier 11 delves for gilded crests and complete upgrades.

For those inclined towards multi-player content, Mythic Plus dungeons offer a faster path to gear. Completing Mythic Plus six keys provides a reliable source of hero gear, while advancing to plus seven keys unlocks consistent access to gilded crests.

Push Mythic Plus six keys for regular hero gear.

Aim for plus seven keys for additional gilded crests.

By leveraging these strategies, reaching item level 685 and beyond is achievable in under two hours, aiding the advancement of multiple characters in Season 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start gearing a new alt quickly in The War Within Season 3?

Begin in Dornagal: collect Rashirap's Cloak from Locus Walker, pick up the World Soul, Titan Archive, and Delve weekly quests, then run three Tier 1 Fungal Folly delves. These steps alone cover multiple gear slots and weekly currency requirements in roughly 30 minutes.

What is Rashirap's Cloak and how do I upgrade it?

Rashirap's Cloak is a story-quest reward obtainable from Locus Walker in Dornagal. If your main character has completed the weekly campaign content, you can immediately upgrade the alt's cloak to item level 730 using your accumulated progress — skipping the normal upgrade track entirely.

Which delve is best for fast alt gearing?

Fungal Folly is the recommended starting delve for its efficiency and proximity to Dornagal. Three Tier 1 runs complete the weekly Delve quest, the Titan Archive quest, and two belt upgrades simultaneously, making it the highest-value delve for the first two hours.

What are Enchanted Weathered Crests used for?

Enchanted Weathered Crests are purchased from the Enchanted Crest vendor in Dornagal and used to commission crafted ilvl 675 blue gear. Each gear piece costs 30 crests (270 for nine non-trinket slots). Always add a missive to target your preferred secondary stat.

Where do I get Fractured Sparks of Starlight?

Fractured Sparks of Starlight drop from endgame content including Tier 1 delves, Mythic Plus dungeons, and raids. Collect four sparks, combine them into two Sparks of Starlight, and use them with an Enchanted Runed Crest to commission a crafted ilvl 704 weapon.

Can a fresh alt reach ilvl 685 without raiding or Mythic Plus?

Yes. The combination of Rashirap's Cloak (ilvl 730), crafted blue gear (ilvl 675), and the Demensius story quest weapon (ilvl 704) can push most alts to 685 or above using only delves, weekly quests, and crafted orders — no raids or Mythic Plus keys required.

What is the Disc Belt quest and is it still worth doing?

The Disc Belt quest is a Season 3 quest chain that rewards an upgradeable belt through delve completions. Despite receiving nerfs to its stat values, it remains a strong option for many classes and specs until a hero-tier or higher belt becomes available from other content.