Content:
Mid to High Keys at a Glance
Rechecked on 12 October 2026, a day before patch 12.1.5 brings Mythic+ dungeon tuning, so expect small shifts. This URL began as a patch 12.0.5 tier list; Season 1 ended with patch 12.1 on 11 August, and every placement below is for Season 2.
This page is about keys from +10 upward, where the choice of spec starts to matter. According to Method, Myth-track gear appears in the Great Vault from +10, so +10 is where most players start to look at what the group brings. Below that, almost any spec with decent gear can time the key.
| Question | Answer on 12 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Safest tank | Blood Death Knight: S on Icy Veins and Method, first by damage on wow.gg |
| Safest healer | Holy Paladin: S on both tier lists, reached +23 in the wow.gg sample |
| DPS that all three sources place high | Elemental Shaman, Arms Warrior, Arcane Mage, Assassination Rogue |
| Biggest disagreement | Demonology Warlock: first by damage on wow.gg, A+ on Icy Veins, B on Method |
| Weak at the top, per every source | Augmentation Evoker (C on both lists, last by damage) |
| Next big event | Patch 12.1.5 on 13 October: targeted dungeon tuning and the Keystone Myth achievement at a 3,600 rating |
Sources and dates: Icy Veins (DPS 6 October, tank and healer 24 September), Method (5 October) and wow.gg, which averages the top 100 players by rating (week 8, 10 October). The three do not measure the same thing: the tier lists weigh utility and survivability, wow.gg shows only damage or healing.
Tank Picks for +10 and Higher
Icy Veins wrote in September that all tanks can finish about 99% of keys, and that Blood, Guardian and Brewmaster are the best at the highest ones. At +10 to +15 the real question is how much damage your tank survives without perfect cooldown planning.
| Tank | Icy Veins (24 Sep) / Method (5 Oct) | wow.gg: damage rank, best key |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Death Knight | S / S | 1st of 6, +23 |
| Guardian Druid | A+ / A | 2nd of 6, +23 |
| Brewmaster Monk | A+ / B | 6th of 6, +22 |
| Vengeance Demon Hunter | A / A | 3rd of 6, +22 |
| Protection Paladin | A / B | 4th of 6, +22 |
| Protection Warrior | A / B | 5th of 6, +22 |
- Blood Death Knight heals itself with Death Strike and was overtuned in August, according to Icy Veins. It is the default pick in all three sources.
- Guardian Druid is second everywhere. Icy Veins said in August that it was one small buff away from S tier. It brings Mark of the Wild to the group.
- Brewmaster Monk is the tank to recheck. Icy Veins describes it as consistently good but seldom the best, and a Blizzard hotfix on 6 October buffed its defenses: Quick Sip now clears 8% of the current Stagger pool for every 3 seconds of Stagger duration gained instead of 5%, and Pretense of Instability grants 10% dodge for 8 seconds instead of 5. Both tank lists predate that change.
- Protection Warrior gets an Execute buff in 12.1.5 (+30%, with Execute and Revenge costing 10 less Rage).
A longer breakdown of each tank is in our Midnight Best Tank guide.
Healer Picks for +10 and Higher
Healers show the widest spread between sources, because Icy Veins and Method rank utility and externals while wow.gg measures average healing per second of the top 100.
| Healer | Icy Veins (24 Sep) / Method (5 Oct) | wow.gg: healing rank, best key |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Paladin | S / S | 3rd of 7, +23 |
| Restoration Shaman | S / A | 7th of 7, +23 |
| Restoration Druid | A+ / B | 2nd of 7, +22 |
| Mistweaver Monk | A / B | 4th of 7, +22 |
| Preservation Evoker | A / B | 6th of 7, +21 |
| Holy Priest | B / B | 1st of 7, +22 |
| Discipline Priest | B / B | 5th of 7, +22 |
Only Holy Paladin tops both tier lists. Restoration Shaman is S on Icy Veins alone, and Icy Veins also points out that it is the only healer that can interrupt (Wind Shear). Holy Priest heals the most on paper but sits at B on both lists, which fits Icy Veins’ description of it as a reactive healer. A raid-focused hotfix on 6 October lifted Mistweaver Monk as well: Invigorating Mists and Enveloping Mist heal 15% more, a change that postdates both lists. See Midnight Best Healers for spec profiles.
DPS Picks for +10 and Higher
There are 27 DPS specs, and our Midnight DPS tier list has every one of them. For mid to high keys, start with the specs that Icy Veins rates A+ or better and Method rates A or better. The table lists the specs that pass both filters, with their wow.gg damage rank for comparison.
| Spec (alphabetical) | Icy Veins / Method | Rank by wow.gg damage |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Mage | S+ / A | 4th of 27 |
| Arms Warrior | S+ / S | 9th of 27 |
| Assassination Rogue | S+ / A | 3rd of 27 |
| Beast Mastery Hunter | A+ / A | 8th of 27 |
| Devourer Demon Hunter | A+ / A | 11th of 27 |
| Elemental Shaman | S+ / S | 5th of 27 |
| Frost Death Knight | A+ / A | 10th of 27 |
| Outlaw Rogue | S / A | 17th of 27 |
| Retribution Paladin | S / A | 7th of 27 |
| Subtlety Rogue | A+ / A | 13th of 27 |
| Windwalker Monk | S / A | 6th of 27 |
Where the sources split, the reason is usually what they measure:
- Demonology Warlock is first by damage on wow.gg (393K) and A+ on Icy Veins, but B on Method. Icy Veins noted on 1 September that Demonology became the highest-damage Mythic+ spec after buffs, possibly unintentionally.
- Feral Druid and Outlaw Rogue are S on Icy Veins, but Feral is B on Method and 12th by damage, and Outlaw is 17th by damage. Icy Veins’ criteria include utility and mobility, not damage alone.
- Augmentation Evoker is C on both lists and last by damage (257K). Icy Veins calls it the lowest-damage spec in the game; the tier lists do not credit it for the damage it adds to others.
- Windwalker Monk is S on Icy Veins and A on Method, but Icy Veins also calls it likely the hardest DPS spec, especially Conduit of the Celestials.
The 6 October hotfixes changed several of these specs: Unholy’s Blightfall damage went from 200% to 100%, Devourer’s The Hunt got +8% and Voidblade +10%, and Enhancement got +4% with Lava Lash +35%. Icy Veins’ DPS list is dated the same day; wow.gg’s week 8 data is from the days around it.
What the Group Needs: Bloodlust, Battle Res and Physical Comps
At +10 and above the tier list is the second question. The first is whether the group has what the dungeon asks for.
| Need | Classes that bring it |
|---|---|
| Bloodlust or Heroism | Evoker, Hunter, Mage, Shaman |
| Battle resurrection | Death Knight, Druid, Paladin, Warlock |
Wowhead’s Mythic+ guide says a strong group usually has at least one of each, that no composition is strictly required, and that consumables can stand in for a lust or a brez for classes without one.
Icy Veins also uses the term “physical comp” for Restoration Shaman, Arms Warrior, Windwalker Monk, Outlaw Rogue, Retribution Paladin and Feral Druid together. Its tier list rates damage and utility, survivability, mobility and self-sustain, not damage alone, which is one reason some of these specs rank above their raw damage.
A short checklist for filling the last slot:
- If the group has a Druid tank or healer, a Balance Druid adds less than it would otherwise, because the Mark of the Wild buff is already there.
- If nobody can bring a lust, look at Elemental Shaman, Arcane Mage or Beast Mastery Hunter before anything else. All three rank A or better on both lists.
What Changed Since Patch 12.0.5
Season 1 ran under patches 12.0.5 and 12.0.7 and ended with patch 12.1 on 11 August. Mythic+ Season 2 began on 18 August with a new dungeon pool, which our Patch 12.1 overview lists. These are the class moves our sources document since then, so a spring list should not be trusted for any of them:
| Spec | What moved | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Paladin | Reworked in 12.1. Icy Veins says it struggled with output for several expansions and is now back near the top of the healing meters | Icy Veins, 1 October |
| Mistweaver Monk | Patch 12.1 nerfed several of its throughput auras and buffed almost every other healer | Icy Veins, 3 September |
| Windwalker Monk | Started Season 2 weak, then recovered, which Icy Veins ties to the 4-piece set bonus | Icy Veins |
| Demonology Warlock | Became the highest-damage Mythic+ spec after buffs, possibly unintentionally | Icy Veins, 1 September |
| Blood Death Knight | Described as slightly overtuned in August, with direct changes expected | Icy Veins, August |
| Brewmaster Monk | Stagger and dodge buffs in the 6 October hotfix, after the tank list was written | Icy Veins hotfix summary |
What to Watch After Patch 12.1.5
Blizzard’s 12.1.5 announcement lists no class changes, but weekly tuning continues: the 6 October hotfixes already touched Unholy, Devourer, Enhancement, Subtlety, Brewmaster and Mistweaver. Specifically:
- Keystone Myth returns in 12.1.5 as a second-half challenge: the achievement “Midnight Keystone Myth: Season 2” needs a Mythic+ rating of 3,600. The patch also adds targeted tuning for dungeons that are outliers.
- Ascendant Venomstones drop from Mythic+ at +10 and higher, among other sources. Ten of them, used near the Catalyst in Silvermoon, raise the item level of a fully upgraded Hero or Myth item. The research for them completes in the week of 20 October.
- Brewmaster and Mistweaver need fresh data: both got buffs after the 24 September and 5 October lists were written.
If you want to enter this season with a group-ready character, our Season 2 preparation guide and the Season 2 Mythic+ tier list cover gear, crests and the dungeon pool. Players who prefer to skip the climb can look at our Mythic+ 3+1 Bundle (four keys from +10 to +21).
Mid to High Keys FAQ
What is the best tank for Mythic+ at +10 and higher?
Blood Death Knight: S on Icy Veins and Method and first by average damage on wow.gg. Guardian Druid is second on all three.
What is the best healer for high keys?
Both tier lists give Holy Paladin an S. Restoration Shaman is S on Icy Veins and, like the Paladin, reached +23 in the wow.gg sample.
Which DPS should I play to get invited?
Elemental Shaman, Arms Warrior, Arcane Mage and Assassination Rogue are rated high by every source. Specs that bring Bloodlust (Shaman, Mage, Evoker, Hunter) also help when the group has none.
Is Augmentation Evoker worth playing in Season 2?
Not for invites. It is C tier on both lists and last by damage on wow.gg.
Do tier lists matter at +10?
Less than group composition and execution. Method says the best player usually beats a more meta spec, and Wowhead’s Mythic+ guide says no composition is strictly required, though a Bloodlust and a battle resurrection are usual.
When will this page change?
After the first tuning that follows patch 12.1.5 (13 October). Dates next to each source show how old its data is.