What delves are

Delves are bite-sized, mostly solo World of Warcraft adventures introduced as a third endgame pillar alongside dungeons and raids. Each delve is a short instanced zone you clear with the help of your companion, Brann Bronzebeard, who can be set to tank, heal or deal damage to fit how you play. They were designed so that players who don't want to organise a group can still earn meaningful gear.

How the difficulty tiers work

Delves scale through numbered tiers. The lower tiers are gentle and meant for fresh characters, while the higher tiers demand real gear, cooldown management and clean play. As you climb, two things change: the enemies hit harder and have more health, and the gear reward at the end of the run goes up in item level.

  • Low tiers are ideal for alts and players just hitting max level. They're forgiving and fast.
  • Mid tiers start to reward gear comparable to lower Mythic+ keys, and they're where most players spend their time.
  • High tiers (Tier 8 and up) reward the best delve gear in the game and require a properly geared, well-played character to clear consistently.

Brann and the companion system

Brann levels up the more delves you run, unlocking better abilities and curios that meaningfully change how survivable you are. A high-level Brann set to heal can carry a squishy character through a tier that would otherwise be a wall, which is why progressing him is part of progressing your delve power.

What delves reward

Delves pay out in two main ways:

  • Direct gear from the chest at the end of each completed delve, with item level tied to the tier you cleared.
  • Great Vault progress. Completing delves through the week unlocks options in your weekly vault, giving you another shot at high-end loot on top of dungeons and raids.

Delves also drop crests and currencies used to upgrade gear, so they slot neatly into a wider gearing plan rather than being a dead end.

When a delve boost is worth it

Most low and mid-tier delves are easy enough to solo, so paying for them rarely makes sense. A delve boost earns its value in specific situations:

  • High-tier clears your character can't yet survive. If you're chasing the top item level but your gear isn't there, a booster clears the tier and you walk away with the reward.
  • Maxing your weekly vault fast. If you're short on time but want full delve vault slots, a boost completes the required runs in one sitting.
  • Gearing a fresh alt quickly. Skipping the slow early grind on a second or third character can be worth it when your main is your priority.

Delves vs Mythic+ for gearing

Delves are the better choice when you want reliable solo progress without group scheduling, while Mythic+ pushes higher item levels and tougher content for those who enjoy organised play. Most efficient players use both: delves to top off the vault and fill gaps on their own time, dungeons to chase the highest gear. A boost in either pillar simply removes the bottleneck that's slowing you down.

Bottom line

Delves made solo gearing a real path in modern WoW. Learn the tiers, level Brann, and use the vault tie-in every week. Save a boost for the high tiers you can't yet clear or the weeks you simply don't have time to grind, and you'll keep your character progressing without burning out.