Most Mythic+ affixes in World of Warcraft are things you survive. Xal’atath’s Bargain in Midnight Season 2 is different. Each version asks the group to do something, and if you do it well, you get a buff that makes the dungeon easier. If you ignore it, enemies deal more damage and take less damage for 20 seconds. That makes the Bargain one of the few affixes where good play is rewarded rather than simply required.
The Bargain becomes active at Keystone level 5 and rotates every week between four versions: Ascendant, Voidbound, Pulsar and Devour. At +12, it is replaced by Xal’atath’s Guile. Here is how each version works and what your group should focus on.
Why the Bargain Matters More This Season
Season 2 raised enemy health pools on purpose. Blizzard wanted target priority and damage checks to matter more, and to take some of the immediate pressure off tanks and healers. That makes the Bargain buffs more valuable. Extra Haste, Versatility or Critical Strike at the right moment is often the difference between a pack that dies cleanly and one that drains your cooldowns.
It also means a failed Bargain hurts more. When enemies take reduced damage for 20 seconds in a season built around damage checks, a failed mechanic can cost you the timer.
Ascendant: Stop the Orbs
About every minute, Xal’atath summons ten Orbs of Ascendance that cast Cosmic Ascension. Players can stop those casts with interrupts and crowd control. Every orb you stop grants bonus Haste and movement speed for 30 seconds. If the orbs finish their casts, enemies get stronger for 20 seconds.
Ten orbs is a lot for five players, so this is a coordination check. Assign interrupts by direction or by orb, and remember that stuns, knockbacks and other crowd control count too. Classes with short-cooldown area stops are worth a lot on Ascendant weeks. The Haste buff also makes Ascendant one of the best weeks to push keys if your group communicates well.
Voidbound: Break the Shield
Xal’atath summons a Void Emissary that channels Dark Prayer onto nearby enemies. To kill it, players need to break its shield with damage. Defeating the Emissary grants increased Versatility and faster ability cooldowns for 30 seconds. If the shield is still up when the cast ends, enemies gain a damage buff and damage reduction based on how much shield was left.
Voidbound is a pure damage check, which fits the season’s design. Your damage dealers need to swap to the Emissary immediately, even if it means a short delay on the pack. Save a burst cooldown for the Emissary if your group struggles with it.
Pulsar: Catch Each Other’s Orbs
Void Pulsar orbs tether to players and orbit around them for 15 seconds. To clear them, players need to intercept each other’s orbs by walking into them. Every orb intercepted grants Mastery and Leech for 30 seconds. Missed orbs make enemies stronger for 20 seconds.
Pulsar is a movement and awareness check. It is easier for groups that stack tightly, and harder for groups with ranged players spread around the room. A simple rule helps: when Pulsar orbs appear, everyone moves toward the tank for a few seconds.
Devour: Heal or Dispel the Shields
Devour places Devouring Rift shields on all five players, slowing them for 15 seconds. The shield can be removed by healing or by any dispel, including Magic, Poison, Curse and others. Removing a shield grants Rift Essence, which increases Critical Strike and maximum health for 30 seconds. Failing to remove it makes enemies stronger.
The important detail is that the shield is not a healing absorb. Healing removes it while also restoring missing health. That means healers can treat Devour as a normal healing event, and any player with a dispel should help. Groups with several dispel types have a much easier time.
Xal’atath’s Guile at +12
At Keystone level 12, the Bargain is replaced with Xal’atath’s Guile. Every death subtracts 15 seconds from the remaining time, until the final minute. Gear drops from Mythic+ are capped at +12, so this is mainly about rating and Resilient Keystones from this point.
Some groups actually prefer +12 to +10 because the weekly Bargain disappears. If your group dislikes a certain Bargain, and many groups dislike Pulsar, pushing to +12 can feel cleaner, as long as nobody dies.
How to Plan Your Week Around the Bargain
The Bargain rotates on the weekly reset, along with whether Fortified or Tyrannical is active at +7. A good weekly routine looks like this:
- Check the active Bargain and the +7 affix on reset day.
- Agree on a simple plan for the Bargain before the first pull, such as interrupt order or stacking rules.
- Push keys on the weeks that suit your group, and run safer keys on the weeks that do not.
If your group is short on time or keeps losing timers to the same mechanic, a Mythic+ carry is one way to secure a weekly +10 for the Great Vault while you work on the harder weeks with your own team.
The Bargain is the most interesting affix design Mythic+ has had in a while. Learn the four versions, and you will start to look forward to some weeks instead of just surviving them.