Difficulties and Expeditions
In Runes of Midgard, each difficulty is a monster level bracket. Monster level follows the hero’s, but stays locked within the difficulty’s bracket; bosses are +2 levels higher. Each difficulty unlocks by beating the previous one and is chosen at Heimdall.
| Difficulty | Monster level | Unlocked by | Greater Affix ★ | Ancestral | Max. gem | Runes low/mid/high | Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1–15 | always | — | — | Chipped | 95 / 5 / 0% | ×1 |
| Heroic | 15–30 | beat Normal | — | — | Rough | 80 / 18 / 2% | ×1 |
| Mythic | 30–45 | beat Heroic | 2% | — | Cut | 65 / 28 / 7% | ×1 |
| Ragnarök | 45–60 | beat Mythic | 5% | — | Flawless | 50 / 35 / 15% | ×1.5 |
| Ragnarök Expedition | 60 | beat Ragnarök | 5.5% | 1% | Flawless | 40 / 38 / 22% | ×1.5 |
Rarity of dropped items
Chance of each rarity for an item dropped by an enemy, without Magic Find bonuses.
| Difficulty | Enemy | Common | Magic | Rare | Epic | Legendary | Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Common enemy | 62% | 30% | 7.5% | 0.5% | — | — |
| Normal | Champion | 31.47% | 38.07% | 28.55% | 1.9% | — | — |
| Normal | Boss | — | 18.52% | 74.07% | 7.41% | — | — |
| Heroic | Common enemy | 45% | 35% | 16% | 3.5% | 0.5% | — |
| Heroic | Champion | 15.93% | 30.97% | 42.48% | 9.29% | 1.33% | — |
| Heroic | Boss | — | 8.95% | 65.47% | 21.48% | 4.09% | — |
| Mythic | Common enemy | 30% | 36% | 24% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| Mythic | Champion | 8% | 24% | 48% | 14% | 4% | 2% |
| Mythic | Boss | — | 5.26% | 56.14% | 24.56% | 9.36% | 4.68% |
| Ragnarök | Common enemy | 20% | 34% | 30% | 10% | 4% | 2% |
| Ragnarök | Champion | 4.44% | 18.89% | 50% | 16.67% | 6.67% | 3.33% |
| Ragnarök | Boss | — | 3.59% | 50.74% | 25.37% | 13.53% | 6.77% |
| Ragnarök Expedition | Common enemy | 14.96% | 31.9% | 31.9% | 11.96% | 6.18% | 3.09% |
| Ragnarök Expedition | Champion | 3.03% | 16.17% | 48.51% | 18.19% | 9.4% | 4.7% |
| Ragnarök Expedition | Boss | — | 2.83% | 45.33% | 25.5% | 17.56% | 8.78% |
Ragnarök Expeditions by tier
Unlocked by defeating Ragnarök; clearing a tier unlocks the next. Enemies stay at level 60 and gain life and damage with every tier — and the loot improves with them.
| Tier | Life and damage | ★ per affix | Ancestral | Max. gem | Legendary | Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ×1.06 | 5.5% | 1% | Flawless | 6.18% | 3.09% |
| 5 | ×1.3 | 7.5% | 5% | Flawless | 6.9% | 3.45% |
| 10 | ×1.6 | 10% | 10% | Royal | 7.77% | 3.88% |
| 20 | ×2.2 | 15% | 20% | Royal | 9.43% | 4.72% |
| 30 | ×2.8 | 20% | 30% | Royal | 11.01% | 5.5% |
| 50 | ×4 | 20% | 50% | Royal | 13.91% | 6.96% |
Ragnarök Expeditions
Section titled “Ragnarök Expeditions”Past level 60, progression continues in the Expeditions, in tiers (1, 2, 3…, with no cap). With each tier, monsters grow stronger and the odds of Greater Affixes ★, Ancestral items and Royal gems go up — see the per-tier table above.
Ancestral items count as level 65, have at least one ★ and their own red-gold frame — they are the pinnacle of loot.
Stronger monsters
Section titled “Stronger monsters”- Elite (Champion): 3× the life and 1.4× the damage of a regular monster, with a blue aura and better loot.
- Each species’ weaknesses and resistances become 50% stronger in Ragnarök and the Expeditions. See the Bestiary.
When should you move up?
Section titled “When should you move up?”A new difficulty starts at the bracket’s minimum level. If the hero keeps falling, drop back one difficulty, gather gear and materials, and try again. Replaying the previous difficulty above its bracket’s cap yields less experience (see Levels and points). Reference pace, at about 5 minutes per expedition beta:
| Level bracket | Total playtime | Where you play |
|---|---|---|
| 1–15 | ~1.7 h | Normal |
| 15–30 | ~10 h | Heroic |
| 30–45 | ~30 h | Mythic |
| 45–60 | ~70 h | Ragnarök |
| 60+ | no cap | Ragnarök Expeditions |