A timed Mythic+ run awards 12 crests of the tier that matches its key level. Finish over the timer and the payout drops to 10 crests; a clear that runs far past the timer pays out even less. Key level sets the tier: low keys give Carved, mid keys give Runed, and the top bracket (+7 and up in recent seasons) gives Gilded.
Crests per Mythic+ run at a glance
| Result | Crests awarded |
| Key completed in time | 12 |
| Key completed over the timer (not by much) | 10 |
| Key completed far over the timer | Reduced further, but you still get something |
| Key abandoned / not completed | 0 |
- Which tier you get depends on the key level, not on how fast you were. Timing only changes the amount.
- The bracket cutoffs shift a little between seasons. The pattern that has held recently: +2 to +3 pays Carved, +4 to +6 pays Runed, +7 and above pays Gilded. Check the keystone tooltip in your bag or the Great Vault panel for the current season's exact split before you plan a farm.
- Each season's crests carry a fresh name prefix, so old crests do not roll over into the new season.
- Heroic raid bosses drop Runed-tier crests and Mythic raid bosses drop Gilded-tier crests, so raiders and dungeon runners feed the same upgrade pool.
- Crests sit under a season-wide cap that rises every week. If you fall behind, the cap does not lock you out; it just means you can catch up later.
How many crests does one upgrade cost?
One upgrade step on a piece of gear costs 15 crests of the right tier plus a chunk of Valorstones. That is why a single timed key feels short: 12 crests is not quite one upgrade. Five timed runs bank 60 crests, which is four upgrade levels on one item, or one level each on four different pieces.
Rule of thumb for planning: divide the crests you need by 12 for timed keys, or by 10 if your group tends to finish just over the timer, and round up.
Do higher keys give more crests?
Not more of the same tier. A +2 and a +6 both pay the standard amount when timed; what changes is which currency lands in your bag. The reason to climb is that only the top bracket hands out Gilded crests, and Gilded is the only currency that pushes gear into the final upgrade track. If your goal is item level rather than rating, the efficient move is to sit on the lowest key level that still pays the tier you need and time it consistently.
Do you still get crests if the key is depleted?
Yes. A depleted key that you finish still pays crests, just fewer than a timed one, and the tier is still set by the key level you started at. The only zero-crest outcome is leaving before the final boss dies. So a group that knows it will miss the timer is usually better off finishing the run than resetting.
Can you turn spare crests into a lower tier?
Extra crests from a higher bracket are not wasted. The upgrade vendors in the season hub let you exchange them down a tier, so a player farming Gilded keys for one slot can still top up Runed upgrades on off-pieces. The exchange only goes downward; you can never trade up to a better crest.
How many keys to fully upgrade a piece?
- Check how many upgrade steps the item has left in its track (hover the item and look at the upgrade line).
- Multiply the remaining steps by 15 to get the crest total.
- Divide by 12 for timed keys. A six-step climb, for example, is 90 crests, or eight timed runs with a little left over.
- Confirm the key level you need for that tier before you start, so you are not stacking Runed when the item wants Gilded.
If you would rather have the crests than grind for them, PewPewShop runs Mythic+ dungeons with vetted human players, from EUR 11.99 per run, with bulk packages from EUR 54 for players filling an entire upgrade track. You play alongside the team, time the key, and the crests land in your bag the same way they would in any pug, just without the depletes.