WoW Voidforge Guide: How to Use Nebulous Voidcores and Upgrade Gear
The Voidforge is one of the most useful gearing systems added in WoW Midnight Patch 12.0.5.
It gives players two ways to improve gear progression:
- Nebulous Voidcores for bonus loot
- Ascendant Voidcores for upgrading eligible weapons and trinkets
That sounds simple, but a lot of players still waste value by spending Voidcores in the wrong content or at the wrong time. Blizzard says the Voidforge is built around Midnight Season 1 raids, Mythic+ dungeons, Bountiful Delves, and Nightmare Prey Hunts, with separate rules for Nebulous and Ascendant Voidcores.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- how the Voidforge works
- where to use Nebulous Voidcores
- when raids are better than Mythic+
- how the knockout loot system works
- and how to upgrade gear without wasting resources
TL;DR — Best Voidforge Strategy
- Use Nebulous Voidcores on content where you still need several high-value drops.
- Raid rewards cost 2 Voidcores, while Mythic+, Bountiful Delves, and Nightmare Prey Hunts cost 1.
- The knockout system removes items you already got from that activity’s loot pool on a per-difficulty basis.
- Mythic+ Voidforge rewards scale to Great Vault-equivalent item level for that keystone level.
- Ascendant Voidcores are for upgrading eligible fully upgraded Hero, Myth, and maximum-quality Radiance Crafted weapons and trinkets.
Simple rule:
Nebulous is for getting the item.
Ascendant is for making the right item better.
What Is the Voidforge
The Voidforge is a new 12.0.5 gearing system tied to domanaar Decimus.
Blizzard says players help Decimus build the Voidforge, then use it to transmute Nebulous Voidcores into powerful equipment. After that, players can also help craft the Ascendant Nilhammer, which unlocks the second half of the system for Ascendant Voidcores.
That makes the Voidforge more than a simple catch-up mechanic.
It is really two systems in one:
- targeted bonus loot
- late-stage item empowerment
How Nebulous Voidcores Work
Nebulous Voidcores are the bonus-loot side of the system.
After completing eligible content, you can spend a Voidcore to get a random item for your current loot specialization from that activity. Blizzard says this works after:
- defeating a Midnight Season 1 raid boss
- completing a Mythic+ dungeon
- finishing a Bountiful Delve
- completing a Nightmare Prey Hunt
This is why Nebulous Voidcores matter so much.
They help players chase specific loot faster without relying entirely on raw drop luck.
How to Get Nebulous Voidcores
Nebulous Voidcores are not just handed out for free.
Blizzard says Decimus offers them in exchange for valuable resources, including:
- gold
- Voidlight Marl
- Veteran Dawncrests
Blizzard also says the number of Nebulous Voidcores available to each character increases by two every week for the rest of the season. That makes the system stronger as the season goes on, especially for alts and late-season gearing.
There is also one extra detail a lot of players miss:
Blizzard says Vaultkeeper Elysa sells an additional Nebulous Voidcore for six Thalassian Tokens of Merit, and that purchase does not count against the weekly increasing cap.
The Knockout System Explained
This is the most important part of the Voidforge.
Blizzard says that once you receive an item through a Nebulous Voidcore, that item is removed from your loot pool for that activity until all eligible items have been obtained. Blizzard also makes it clear that this works on a per-difficulty basis.
That means:
- getting an item on Normal raid does not remove it from Heroic
- getting one Mythic+ reward does not block other Mythic+ rewards
- duplicate frustration goes down as your pool gets smaller
This is why the system is much better than a normal blind bonus roll.
The more your loot pool narrows, the better your expected value gets. That last point is an inference based on Blizzard’s knockout rules.
Raid vs Mythic+ vs Delves — Where Should You Spend Nebulous Voidcores
This is where most players get stuck.
1. Raids
Raids are best for chasing a very specific boss drop.
Blizzard says raid rewards cost 2 Nebulous Voidcores, which is more expensive than the other content types. At the same time, Blizzard notes that raid loot pools are smaller, so getting a specific raid item can take a similar total number of Voidcores compared to chasing a dungeon item from a larger pool.
Best use case:
- high-impact raid trinkets
- specific weapons
- small boss loot pools
2. Mythic+
Mythic+ is the most flexible option.
Blizzard says Mythic+ rewards cost 1 Nebulous Voidcore, and the item level matches Great Vault-equivalent rewards for that keystone level, including Myth 1/6 at +10 and above.
That makes Mythic+ the strongest overall choice for players who:
- run keys every week
- want more frequent attempts
- are targeting dungeon trinkets, rings, or weapons
- care about efficient gearing over time
3. Bountiful Delves and Nightmare Prey Hunts
These are the more flexible catch-up options.
Blizzard includes both Bountiful Delves and Nightmare Prey Hunts in the Nebulous Voidcore system, which makes them useful for players who are not focused entirely on raid or Mythic+ progression.
Best use case:
- alt gearing
- casual endgame progression
- players using outdoor and small-group content as part of their weekly routine
Best Time to Spend Nebulous Voidcores
There are two smart ways to use them.
Spend early
Best for players with obvious weak slots and a real need for fast power.
Spend later
Best for players who want better value after natural drops have already removed some bad outcomes from the loot pool.
Because the Voidforge uses a knockout system, later spending often becomes more efficient once your remaining pool is tighter. That is an inference from Blizzard’s loot-pool removal rules, not a separate official recommendation.
Simple rule:
The cleaner your remaining loot pool, the better your Voidcore value.
How Ascendant Voidcores Work
Ascendant Voidcores are the second half of the Voidforge.
Blizzard says that after the Voidforge is built, players can help Decimus craft the Ascendant Nilhammer. Once that is done, Ascendant Voidcores start dropping from raids, Mythic+, Bountiful Delves, and Nightmare-difficulty Prey Hunts.
These are not for bonus loot.
They are for powering up already-good items.
Blizzard says Ascendant Voidcores can be used on:
- fully upgraded Hero weapons and trinkets
- fully upgraded Myth weapons and trinkets
- maximum quality Radiance Crafted weapons and trinkets
Once upgraded, the item becomes Ascendant Voidforged and cannot be upgraded further through this system.
Best Voidforge Strategy by Player Type
For raid players
Save Nebulous Voidcores for boss drops that are hard to replace.
For Mythic+ players
Use them on dungeons with strong trinkets, rings, or weapons.
For alt players
Lean on Mythic+, Delves, and Prey Hunts first for cheaper attempts and more flexible gearing.
For casual players
Use Voidcores only on content you already complete regularly.
That last point is practical advice, not an official rule. The logic is simple: the Voidforge only pays off when you are spending into content that already fits your weekly routine. The eligible content types and cost differences come from Blizzard’s patch notes.
Common Voidforge Mistakes
These are the biggest mistakes players will make:
Spending without a target
A random Voidcore spend with no loot plan usually means weak value.
Using raids casually
Raid rewards cost more, so careless raid spending hurts more.
Ignoring the knockout system
This is the whole reason the system is strong.
Confusing Nebulous and Ascendant Voidcores
They do very different things. Blizzard separates Nebulous for bonus loot and Ascendant for item empowerment.
Forcing content you do not normally farm
A great system still loses value when it does not match your real playstyle.
Is the Voidforge Worth Using
Yes.
For most players, the Voidforge is one of the best gearing additions in Midnight 12.0.5 because it gives more control over loot progression instead of leaving everything to normal drops. It is especially strong for:
- mains chasing a few BiS pieces
- Mythic+ players farming key items
- alts catching up later in the season
- players trying to get more value from content they already run
Blizzard’s own design explains why: weekly Nebulous availability increases over time, the loot system has duplicate protection through knockout rules, and Ascendant Voidcores create a second layer of item progression for high-end weapons and trinkets.
Want Faster Gear Progress in Midnight Season 1?
The Voidforge works best when you already have access to the content and loot pools that matter for your character.
That is where Mythic-Store.com fits naturally.
For players pushing Mythic+, progressing through raids, gearing alts, or stocking up on WoW Gold for seasonal systems, the right support makes the Voidforge much more valuable because it gives you more real chances to target the gear you actually care about.
Final Thoughts
The Voidforge is actually pretty easy to use once you understand the logic behind it.
Use Nebulous Voidcores to target loot.
Use Ascendant Voidcores to improve the best eligible items.
Respect the knockout system.
Spend smarter in the content you already run.
And do not waste raid rolls unless the target is really worth it.
That is the fastest way to get real value out of WoW Midnight 12.0.5 Voidforge.
FAQ
What is the Voidforge in WoW Midnight 12.0.5?
It is a new gearing system in Patch 12.0.5 that uses Nebulous Voidcores for bonus loot and Ascendant Voidcores for upgrading eligible weapons and trinkets.
How do Nebulous Voidcores work?
After eligible content, you can spend one or more Nebulous Voidcores to receive a random item for your loot specialization from that activity’s loot pool.
Where can you use Nebulous Voidcores?
Blizzard says they work on Midnight Season 1 raid bosses, Mythic+ dungeons, Bountiful Delves, and Nightmare Prey Hunts.
Is it better to use Nebulous Voidcores on raids or Mythic+?
That depends on your target. Raids cost more but have smaller loot pools. Mythic+ costs less and gives more flexible repeat attempts. Blizzard explicitly notes this tradeoff.
What is the knockout system in the Voidforge?
It removes items you already got through Nebulous Voidcores from that activity’s loot pool until all eligible items are obtained, and it works per difficulty.
What is the difference between Nebulous Voidcores and Ascendant Voidcores?
Nebulous Voidcores help you get gear. Ascendant Voidcores help you improve eligible top-end weapons and trinkets after you already have them.