Mythic vs Heroic Amirdrassil: WoW’s Toughest Test

With the launch of the Amirdrassil raid “The Dream’s Hope” in World of Warcraft, top progression guilds and ambitious players have begun pushing into the raid’s most challenging Mythic difficulty. Mythic mode completely revamps boss fights by adding new mechanics, amping up damage, and increasing health pools well beyond the Heroic version. 

Here we will analyze the key differences between Heroic and Mythic for each boss in The Dream’s Hope to see just how much harder Mythic gets.

For a ranking and overview of all the bosses, see our guide Ranking the Boss Fights in Amirdrassil. 

Valithryss, Dreamsbane

On Heroic difficulty, Valithryss has two phases and requires managing several adds that spawn throughout the fight. On Mythic, she gains a whole new third phase at 35% health that players must contend with. This phase adds the “Nightmare Essence” debuff that must be dispelled and deals increasing raid damage over time.

Heroic mechanics like Orbs of Creation are made more punishing on Mythic. Orbs explode for lethal damage if not soaked so coordination is key. The Nightmare Meteor also targets multiple players on Mythic forcing spread positioning. 

Valithryss has 40% more health on Mythic compared to Heroic. While hit point values vary by raid size, she generally goes from around 140 million HP on Heroic to 190 million HP on Mythic.

Ysondre, Corrupted Druid Spirit

Ysondre on Heroic requires managing several dragon abilities like Vile Spit and Corrupted Breath while killing adds that spawn. Mythic Ysondre retains these mechanics but adds a deadly twist – one random player is debuffed with Essence of Corruption which must be cleansed within 5 seconds to avoid a raid-wiping explosion.

In addition to more health and damage, Ysondre also gains the ability to Cursed Winds on Mythic. This summons tornadoes players must avoid that silence and pacify anyone they touch for 6 seconds. Mistakes lead to chaotic interrupts and deaths.

Emeriss, Tormented Protector

Aside from increased damage and health, the Heroic to Mythic transition for Emeriss is characterized by the doubling of all major mechanics. Spawns two essences that create Chaotic Growth zones instead of one. Targets two players with Putrid Spit instead of one.

The most punishing addition is Volatile Infection, which applies a dispellable dot on three players instead of one. If not dispelled it explodes and chain reacts, potentially wiping the raid in seconds if improperly handled.

Lethon, Corrupted Shade

Much of Lethon’s Mythic difficulty comes from the Critical Mass debuff applied to tanks that ramps up nature damage taken by 10% per stack. Tanks need to taunt swap every 2-3 stacks making coordination and awareness vital.

Call Defiled Spirit also summons adds 50% faster on Mythic requiring quick DPS focus. Lethon’s shadow whip attack Shadow Burst now targets the whole raid instead of just one player, necessitating constant movement and repositioning.

Taerar, Tormented Shaper 

Aside from more health and damage, the Mythic version of Taerar has one major added mechanic – Manifest Nightmares. This summons shadow copies of Taerar’s shade which cast devastating Shadow Breath attacks on the raid. If allowed to rampage uncontrolled, they will quickly wipe the group.

Seeping Fog zones also spawn more frequently forcing the raid to be hyper aware of positioning. On Mythic, Taerar feels like you are fighting multiple dragons at once thanks to the added shades.

Trash Encounters

Mythic doesn’t just amp up the bosses, but trash mobs gain new mechanics as well. Some examples include:

• Apprentice Nightfae gain Polymorph enabling them to sheep stray DPS or healers.
• Dreadbears now cast Bone Spike on the tank increasing physical damage taken.
• Faerie Guardians cast Tormenting Eye beam that will one-shot players hit by the end of the cast.
• Satyrs summon more difficult void walker minions from portals that must be killed quickly.

In addition to new mechanics, trash also hits 20-30% harder on Mythic requiring kiting and crowd control. Larger packs with elites take extreme coordination.

Loot Differences

Defeating bosses on Mythic difficulty rewards item level 233 gear, a noticeable bump up from the maximum 210 Heroic gear. This alone provides a major power leap. However, the true prize comes from the special Mythic-only bonuses that can appear on gear.

These bonuses include effects like:

• Equip: Increase critical strike damage by 3%.
• Equip: Your attacks have a chance to trigger Cosmic Explosion for Arcane damage.  
• Equip: Standing still grants Staunch Resolve, absorbing damage.
• Equip: Release 7 Shadow Barrages on cast finishing spells.

These powerful procs add a whole new layer of damage and survivability in Mythic. Heroic gear lacks access to these, putting Mythic raiders far ahead.

Achievements

Mythic difficulty adds achievements for defeating each boss as well as the meta achievement Glory of the Dream’s Hope Raider rewarded for completing the entire raid on Mythic. This awards the Armored Frostbrood Vanquisher mount.

There is also the Demise’s End achievement for defeating Lethon, Emeriss, Ysondre and Taerar on Mythic without any deaths.

Strategy Differences

The strategy differences between Heroic and Mythic come down to focus and precision. Heroic allows for some mistakes and is more of a mechanics check. Mythic is a razor’s edge DPS/healing check requiring perfect execution.

On Mythic, there is no margin for a single death. Enrage timers become a factor in the lengthier Mythic encounters. Mitigating damage to reduce healing strain is crucial.

The raid must function as a well-oiled machine with each player intimately knowing mechanics and executing properly. React instantly to new Mythic-only mechanics. Basically, Mythic raiding demands flawless teamplay and performance.

Preparation Requirements

To even enter Mythic difficulty requires achieving a Balance of Power achievement from clearing Heroic. Heroic raid gear and some Mythic dungeon farming are expected.

The recommended average item level to start is around 220. Anything lower strains survivability and DPS requirements. Utilize gems, enchants, consumables, and legendaries to maximize character power.

Mastering the intricacies of your specialization is also key. Research proper talent builds, and ideal stats, and refine your rotation for optimal throughput.

The Dream Awaits on Mythic 

The jump from Heroic to Mythic difficulty is massive for The Dream’s Hope raid. Every boss sees new mechanics introduced that will push guilds to their limits. Loot gains provide huge boosts in power to reward the effort.

While extremely challenging, mastering Mythic provides a true feeling of achievement in overcoming WoW’s hardest PvE content. The dream awaits.