Since the Season 1 launch on March 18, 2026, Delves have been rebalanced. This guide covers the exact item levels, crest drops, and the most efficient way to grind your Delver’s Journey.
🛑 The “Handicaps”: Essential Caps
- Daily XP Soft Cap: The first 4 Bountiful Delves per day grant full Delver’s Journey XP. After 4 runs, XP gains drop by 95%. This cap is Warband-wide.
- Item Level Cap: End-of-run loot from Bountiful Chests (using a key) caps at Tier 8. Higher tiers do not yield higher base ilvl from the chest.
💎 Loot & Crest Table (Season 1)
| Activity Level | Bountiful Chest (Key) | Great Vault (Weekly) | Crest Type Dropped |
| Tier 1-2 | ilvl 215 (Explorer) | ilvl 224 (Adventurer) | Weathered Crests |
| Tier 3-4 | ilvl 228 (Adventurer) | ilvl 235 (Veteran) | Weathered Crests |
| Tier 5-6 | ilvl 238 (Veteran) | ilvl 247 (Champion) | Veteran Dawncrests |
| Tier 7-8 | ilvl 250 (Champion) | ilvl 259 (Hero 1/6) | Champion Dawncrests |
| Tier 9-10 | ilvl 250 (Champion) | ilvl 259 (Hero 1/6) | Champion Dawncrests |
| Tier 11+ | ilvl 250 (Champion) | ilvl 259 (Hero 1/6) | Gilded Dawncrests (Limited) |
Note: Tier 11 is currently only worth it for the Gilded Dawncrests (used to upgrade Hero gear to Mythic track) and the seasonal “Preyseeker” achievements.
📊 Journey XP vs. Buddy Progress
- Delver’s Journey XP: Shared across your Warband. Hits a massive penalty after 4 runs daily.
- Buddy Level (Brann/Valeera): Individual progress. No daily cap. Higher tiers grant significantly more Buddy XP to unlock powerful “Curio” abilities.
⚔️ Class & Buddy Optimization
| Tier | Specs | Buddy Role | Strategy |
| S-Tier | BDK, Prot Pal, Demo Lock, BM Hunter | DPS | Mass AoE pulls; Buddy cleaves them down. |
| A-Tier | Ret Pal, Havoc DH, Fury War, Shadow Priest | Healer | High burst; Buddy keeps you topped off. |
| B-Tier | Mage, Rogue, Balance Druid | Tank | Tactical CC; let Buddy take initial aggro. |
💡 The “Golden” Daily Grind Plan
- Spot Zekvir’s Influence: Clear the Delve with the purple glow first for a massive Journey XP bonus.
- Complete 4 Bountiful Runs (Tier 8): This is the most efficient way to hit your daily XP cap and secure ilvl 250 gear.
- One Tier 11 Weekly: Complete at least one Tier 11 per week for your Gilded Crests and to max out your Great Vault contribution.
- Alt-Utility: Swap to alts only to use their personal Coffer Keys for more ilvl 250 drops. Do not expect to bypass the XP cap; it stays “depleted” for your entire Warband until the daily reset.
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