The reality of M+ pugging from a high ranked healer

2700+ healer (rsham of course) here who reached top 50 NA by timing everything at +11 a couple weeks ago with only pugs. These are just opinions, and they largely only apply to 9+.

1. M+ is unforgiving this season.

As people already know, M+ is hard. Stonevaults is hard. Surgeon Stitchflesh is a one chance fight. Dying takes 15 seconds off the clock. Missing two big interrupts in a row can brick a key. Affix timing can be unlucky. Some healing checks require the use of party defensives. Some frontals will one shot dps. 50% of pulls are also knowledge checks.

2. Most high level keys end in failure.

It took me ~8 attempts to time SV11. That means I have a 12.5% success rate on SV11. When I look at someone with my rating, I know what is lurking behind that 2700. When I see someone 300 points lower than me, I am deeply skeptical about inviting them to my 10+.

3. The best players are now in statics, doing guild runs, or only pugging for vault/crests.

At the top end, we've already gotten the achievement/mount. We've self-selected into the groups who want to do 12+ (no thanks) and the ones who don't. Most of us can't get upgrades from M+ anymore and just want 2-3 vault slots and 90 gilded crests. We're using our rating to get invites into the easy and fast keys. If the key gets scuffed, oh well. We can leave and easily find a different group.

4. You are less likely to get carried at this point.

I was 100% carried through some of my keys because I did them early in the season and even better players needed my keys when there were fewer high level keys available. That's not happening as much at this point, and it's definitely not happening in 9's and below.

To be clear, being carried doesn't mean you get a free ride. Being carried means you contributed less than 1/5th of what was required to time the dungeon, so others had to pick up that slack. That could be hitting key interrupts, it could mean topping the dps meters, or it could be tank/healer combos keeping groups alive when they 100% should have died.

5. Off meta classes/specs are a risk.

If you don't bring a brez, good interrupts, high damage, strong personal defenses, or something else valuable to the table, why would I pick you over an Arcane Mage, a frost DK, and a ret Paladin?

6. 2400 rating is not impressive. 620 gear score is not impressive.

There is a huge jump in difficulty between 9's and 10's. Having all dungeons completed at 9, some timed some not, with maybe a ++9 on City or Dawnbreaker doesn't send the message that you will hold your own in 10's. Likewise, a 620 gear score this many weeks into the expansion is behind the curve for a main, not on or ahead of it. T8 delves, treasure maps, and weekly rewards have made it so that ilvl only equates to skill at 625+, and even then not always.

7. Are you 8/8H? X/8M?

If your M+ rating isn't high, are you signaling that you can do the content in other ways? I am more likely to take a 2400 dps with 8/8H than a 2500 dps without it.

8. You have a reputation.

Between 2400 and 2700, I started recognizing a lot of the same names in group finder. I could recommend players I knew were good and speak up against ones I thought would weigh us down. If a tank died in the last M+, so what maybe it was a bad run. Did he rage at the party then instant quit after dying? Guess who won't be in any more of my groups!

As you push higher level keys, you will run into the same people more and more. How you act when things go poorly can decide if you get to keep playing with other skilled players.

9. Potions, Flasks, and Food

If you aren't using potions, flasks, and food when trying to time a 10+, then you aren't taking it seriously. It can be expensive to run 10's all day trying to time them. But the above can make the difference, especially health potions. If you aren't willing to make that investment, it's going to be that much harder to time 10+ keys. And to be honest, it's unfair to the other players who are doing it.

10. Seems hopeless, what can I do?

If you are someone who is 2000-2400 trying to push to 2500 or even 2700, there are a few things I would recommend. When you find success with a group, try to add them as friends and pug additional dungeons together. If you can't get invited to other keys, use your own and make sure to re-roll it to what you need whenever possible. Use weak auras, mythic dungeon tools, omni CD, and other addons to make the game easier. Understand what needs to be interrupted to avoid a wipe before the first pull. If you aren't 4pc, use your catalysts and get that immediately.

Use your defensive CDs liberally. Try to never rage. If a group is bad just say, "thanks for the group, great attempt everyone!" and leave. Be the person who wants to do the extra stuff (picking up items in Necrotic Wake, offhealing, stunning/interrupting, knowing where the profession buffs are, etc).

11. Okay, but how do I get invited to 10's?

Look, a majority of people are doing the exact same thing you would do. They have a +10 Dawnbreaker key. They want to time it for points/vault/crests. They look for people with obscenely high ilvl and rating to guarantee an easy clear. The same people complaining about gatekeeping are almost always gatekeeping themselves.

Pug during off-hours from when tryhards like me are looking for keys. Play to finish keys, not to top meters (interrupts are always more important than damage). Make sure your name isn't idiotic so that if you find someone you play well with they don't reject your friend request. Recognize that the content is hard and the chance for failure is high and take the positives that you can away from each run. Don't start the run until you are confident in the game plan. If you're brave, use Discord (it will increase your success rate).

12. That's it.

Overall I think blizzard succeeded with the M+ dungeons themselves but failed to make enough classes/specs competitive at the top end. Now I'm bored and waiting for s2. AMA.