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The Weekly Route: Pulsar, Fortified

Welcome to The War Within Season 3, Week 2!
We’ve updated our initial routes to reflect the pull patterns showing in our Mythic+ Heatmaps feature. Although Mythic+ Heatmaps can show us what people are pulling in each dungeon most often, it can take time to translate that into “what does this mean for my route as a whole”. We eliminate the guesswork and give you tried-and-true routes!
A big thing to note about Season 3 is that all players have access to Shadowmeld now through the Umbral Essentia potion, meaning that it’s no longer a requirement to bring a

The weekly-alternating affixes are Xal’atath’s Bargain: Pulsar in keystone levels +4 to +11, and Fortified in keystone levels +7 to +9. Tyrannical is added at keystone level +10, and Xal’atath’s Guile replaces Xal’atath’s Bargain: Pulsar at keystone level +12. Here’s a refresher on The War Within’s affix system:
So, which dungeons may be easier to target for rewards? The graphs below will update throughout the week to show the relative difficulty of all of the dungeons, as well as spec popularity so far this Season:
The dungeon timers and requirements for +2 and +3 rewards for each dungeon in The War Within Season 3 are shown in the table below:
Dungeon | Timer | +2 | +3 |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 30:00 | 24:00 | 18:00 |
![]() | 31:00 | 24:48 | 18:36 |
![]() | 31:00 | 24:28 | 18:36 |
![]() | 33:00 | 26:24 | 19:48 |
![]() | 32:30 | 26:00 | 19:30 |
![]() | 30:00 | 24:00 | 18:00 |
![]() | 35:00 | 28:00 | 21:00 |
![]() | 31:00 | 24:48 | 18:36 |
All set? Grab our dungeon routes + boss guides below and start grinding that IO!
Bookmark The Weekly Route for our updates to top routes every Tuesday!

Table of Contents









Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
In Ara-Kara, the two biggest decisions you have in terms of routing are whether to go right or left after the first boss, and down a side or the middle towards the last boss.
According to our Mythic+ Heatmaps, most players in the +2 to +11 range go right (up) after the first boss, but after Week 1, even the PUG groups in the lower keystone ranges started opting to kill trash on the side(s) towards the final boss instead of going down the middle like they were in the beginning of the week. As early as keystone levels +8 and up, we already start to see players shift towards conventions seen in the higher keys.
By keystone level +12, players are going left after the first boss. This is arguably the biggest change from lower keystones into what will be expected in push groups as you work your way up in IO, so our recommendation is to start using our “Expert” route as soon as you get comfortable with Ara-Kara.
Click the Mythic+ Heatmap tabs below to see how routes start changing per keystone level range!
Bloodlust Timings
Pull 1, On Cooldown, and Ki'katal
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Jabbing Flyer | Bleeding Jab |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
POISON | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Engorged Crawler | Venomous Spit |
Atik | Poison Bolt |
Bloodstained Webmage | Revolting Volley |
Blood Overseer | Venom Volley |
Ki'katal the Harvester | Cultivated Poisons and (Waves) |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Druid → | Evoker → | Monk → |
Paladin → | Shaman → | ![]() |
Eco-Dome Al’dani
In Eco-Dome Al’dani, the main difference between +2 to +11 routes vs. the +12 and up routes seems to be that some players in the lower keystone ranges play the mobs to the left (down) after the second boss instead of going to the right (up), but it’s a small discrepancy that seems to shift by keystone levels +12 and up. Currently, the biggest differences between an Eco-Dome Al’dani PUG route vs. an “Expert” route seems to be less about which mobs are pulled, but rather how the mobs are pulled (i.e. how many per pull, and whether anything gets CC’d or chained, etc.). This is the only new addition to the Mythic+ dungeon pool in The War Within Season 3, so give yourself some time to get acquainted and iterate from there!
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
A’wazj | Rift Claws |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Eco-Dome Al’dani.
View full playlist »
Halls of Atonement
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Bloodlust Timings
Pull 1, Pull 8, Inquisitor Sigar
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Stonefiend Anklebiter | Ankle Bite |
Vicious Gargon | Gushing Wound |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Halls of Atonement.
View full playlist »
Operation: Floodgate
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice commsReference:
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Venture Co. Diver | Harpoon |
Venture Co. Architect | Nailed |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Operation: Floodgate.
View full playlist »
Priory of the Sacred Flame
The biggest decision in Priory of the Sacred Flame routes is whether to go up the left or right stairs towards the first boss. According to our Mythic+ Heatmaps, we’re seeing most people go left in keystones +2 to +11, and right in keystones +14 and up. By keystone level +15, we see all the recorded routes going right side, which is an indicator that the right side will become the convention once you start pushing higher keystones to move up the Leaderboard.
TLDR; If you’d like to start learning to go up the right side in preparation for what people will expect of you in PUG push keys, we’ve included a PUG route for the right side. If you just want to know what route to expect in a sub-11 PUG key and look like a seasoned pro, prepare to go up the left side.
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
- You prefer going left towards first boss, as was common in Season 2
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Reference:
Bloodlust Timings
Pull 1, Pull 5, Sir Braunpyke
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
- You like going left towards first boss instead of up the right side
Bloodlust Timings
Pull 1, Pull 7, Sir Braunpyke
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
- You like going right towards first boss instead of up the left side
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Fervent Sharpshooter | Caltrops |
War Lynx | Grievous Rip |
Sergeant Shaynemail | Lunging Strike |
Captain Dailcry | Pierce Armor |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Priory of the Sacred Flame.
View full playlist »
Tazavesh: So’leah’s Gambit
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
So' Cartel Assassin | Shuriken Blitz |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Tazavesh So’leah’s Gambit
View full playlist »
Tazavesh: Streets of Wonder
The one thing we’d like to mention about Tazavesh: Streets of Wonder this week is that we are seeing some players kill the four Market Peacekeepers near the Commander Zo’far miniboss instead of hugging the right wall like we have in our route. Our PUG route’s small “skip” allows you to kill the miniboss solo when you’re heading to the final boss, which will probably be necessary the higher you go in keystone level. Expert routes tend to skip the miniboss entirely, but this is not advised for PUG routes.
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Frenzied Nightclaw | Frantic Rip |
Cartel Skulker | Quickblade |
Venza Goldfuse | Chains of Damnation |
P.O.S.T. Worker | Letter Opener |
So’azmi | Phase Slash |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
CURSE | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Ancient Core Hound | Ancient Dread |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Druid → | Evoker → | Mage → |
Shaman → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in Tazavesh Streets of Wonder.
View full playlist »
The Dawnbreaker
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You want to keep things as simple as possible for your PUG without going too far over enemy forces. Press W
- You are not in voice comms
Bloodlust Timings
Choose this route if:
- You are in a coordinated group, ideally in voice comms
- You are eager to grind up IO ASAP
Dispels to Bring
BLEED | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Nightfall Commander | Tainted Slash |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Evoker → | Paladin → | ![]() |
CURSE | |
---|---|
NPC | Ability |
Nightfall Shadowmage | Ensnaring Shadows |
Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
Druid → | Evoker → | Mage → |
Shaman → | ![]() |
Quick Boss Guides
In a hurry? Get the mechanics of each boss in The Dawnbreaker.
View full playlist »
Links
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About the Author
VitaminP (VP) is the Content Manager of Raider.IO. VP holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and has worked for Raider.IO since the formation of its News Section in November 2018. VP specializes in tanking classes and has loved doing competitive Mythic+ on and off since early Legion.
About the Editor
Gogogadgetkat has been playing WoW since late BC, and has been the GM of her guild Propaganda since its creation in 2014. As a career healer, Kat has a number of CEs and old-school heroic kills under her belt, all on a variety of healing classes and specs—she’s a serial altoholic! In addition to Mythic raiding and a little Mythic+, creating safe, inclusive spaces in gaming is her longtime passion; Kat has been an admin for the Perky Pugs community since late BfA, and is also a founding council member and the Executive Director for the DEIBAJ initiative VISAGE. She is excited to bring her wealth of experience and love of writing to the Raider.IO team.
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