World of Warcraft: Midnight adds 60+ new mounts, including rare drops, renown rewards, Delve exclusives, PvP seasonals, and Mythic raid mounts like Ashes of Belo'ren. This complete collector’s guide covers every confirmed and likely mount, pre-patch removals, farming strategies, and the fastest unlocks to help you prioritize efficiently and minimize RNG before launch.
The Prey system is one of the primary endgame features introduced in World of Warcraft: Midnight. Evolving the concept of the classic “Wanted” quest into a structured hunting activity, it allows players to track down powerful targets across the zones of Quel’Thalas and defeat them for gear, currencies, and cosmetic rewards.
Unlike many other endgame activities, Prey Hunts take place entirely in the open world. Players gradually reveal a target’s location by completing objectives throughout the zone before confronting the prey in a final encounter. In this World of Warcraft Midnight Prey guide, we’ll explain how Prey Hunts work, how to unlock them, and how to farm their rewards efficiently.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- How to unlock the Prey system and access Astalor’s Sanctum
- How the Hunt Table works and how to select targets
- The different Hunt difficulties and how they unlock
- How the Anguish Crystal tracking system works
- The fastest ways to progress Hunts using traps, ambushes, and Riposte mechanics
- The Preyseeker’s Journey seasonal progression system
- All rewards available from Prey Hunts, including gear, currencies, mounts, and cosmetics
- How Prey Hunts contribute to Great Vault rewards
How to Unlock the Prey System in WoW Midnight
Access to the Midnight’s Prey feature is granted upon completing the main campaign. While the initial unlock is tied to the story, the system is account-wide; once unlocked on a single character, the mechanic becomes available to all alternate characters through a short questline. The specific introductory quest is titled “Astalor’s Initiative,” which guides players through the basics of the Hunt.
The central hub for these activities is Astalor’s Sanctum in Silvermoon City, located specifically in Murder Row. Players can locate the sanctum by using one of three entrances, often marked by a distinct Prey icon on the map.
How the Prey Hunt Table Works
Before committing to a contract, the Hunt Table provides several pieces of information about each available target. Selecting a Hunt displays a preview panel containing:
- The zone where the prey is currently active
- The difficulty level of the Hunt
- The active affixes that will affect gameplay
- The reward tier granted upon completion
Because only one Hunt contract can be active at a time, reviewing these details beforehand allows players to choose Hunts that align with other objectives. Many hunters intentionally select targets located in zones where World Quests, rare farming routes, or profession gathering loops are already active to progress multiple systems simultaneously.
Why You Should Always Keep a Prey Hunt Active
One of the defining strengths of the Prey system is how naturally it integrates with normal open-world gameplay. Hunt progress is generated through many of the same activities players already perform while exploring the Midnight zones.
Completing World Quests, defeating rare enemies, looting treasures, gathering profession materials, disarming traps, and triggering ambush encounters all contribute toward revealing the prey’s location.
Because of this overlap, it is generally beneficial to keep a Hunt contract active whenever traveling through the open world. Even routine activities can steadily fill the Anguish Crystal, allowing players to progress the Prey system passively while completing other objectives across the expansion.
Prey Hunt Difficulties: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare
The system features multiple difficulties, each serving a specific role in character development:
| Difficulty | Unlock Requirement | Key Features | Gear Reward Track |
| Normal | Available after unlocking the Prey system | Introductory Hunts designed to teach tracking mechanics. Nearby players may assist during ambush encounters. | Adventurer Track gear |
| Hard | Reach the expansion’s endgame level and complete a Normal Hunt | Adds three active affixes and increases the number of objectives required to reveal the prey’s location. | Veteran Track gear |
| Nightmare | Reach Rank 4 of the Preyseeker’s Journey seasonal track | The most difficult Hunts with all affixes active and more punishing mechanics during the Hunt. | Champion Track gear |
The difficulty level influences how much activity is required before a target’s location is revealed. While lower tiers may only require a few objectives, hard and nightmare difficulty contracts often require surviving multiple Prey Ambushes and completing several world objectives.
How Prey Hunts Work in WoW Midnight
Tracking a target involves filling an Anguish Crystal in the UI. Because extra progress accumulates through World Quests, treasures, and defeating ordinary mobs, Hunts often progress naturally while pursuing other outdoor content.
Anguish Crystal Guide: Hidden, Revealed, and Attuned
The Anguish Crystal displayed on the user interface serves as both a progress meter and a tracking indicator during a Hunt. As players complete objectives within the Hunt zone, the crystal gradually shifts through several visual states representing how close the Prey is to being revealed.
- Hidden: At the start of a Hunt, the target’s location is completely unknown. The crystal appears dim and inactive, indicating that the Prey is still hidden somewhere within the zone. During this stage, players must generate progress by completing world objectives such as defeating enemies, looting treasures, disarming traps, and triggering Ambush encounters.
- Revealed: As enough Hunt progress accumulates, the crystal begins to glow and pulse with red energy. This indicates that the prey is becoming easier to track and that only a small amount of additional progress is required. Ambush encounters and Riposte interactions become particularly valuable during this stage because they can rapidly push the Hunt toward completion.
- Fully Attuned: Once the crystal becomes fully saturated with red energy, the Prey’s hideout is revealed on the map. At this point, players will see a new marker indicating the target’s exact location. Interacting with the large blood crystal at that location summons the Prey for the final confrontation, completing the tracking phase of the Hunt.
Prey-Specific World Quests
While most Hunt progress is generated through normal open-world activities, the system also introduces Prey-specific World Quests tied directly to active Hunts.
These quests appear within the target zone and often involve Hunt-related mechanics such as defeating special enemies, interacting with prey objects, or surviving environmental hazards created by the Prey. Completing these objectives provides significant progress toward revealing the target’s location and can accelerate the tracking phase more quickly than standard world activities.
Fast Prey Hunt Strategy: Traps and Remnant of Anguish
The fastest method of gaining extra Hunt progress is typically disarming traps. These frequently spawn in clusters near the Prey icon marker on the map.
One of the most important rewards tied to these interactions is Remnant of Anguish, the primary Prey currency. Looting Remnant of Anguish provides an immediate, concentrated burst of bonus Hunt progress. Because traps appear in dense clusters, localized disarmament can fill the crystal much faster than traveling between traditional objectives.
Prey Ambushes and Riposte Mechanics Explained
Prey Ambushes are intentionally disruptive and can occur while the player is already engaged with other enemies. Successfully managing these yields substantial extra progress. During an Ambush, the target cannot be killed and will retreat once reduced to 50% health.
Disarming traps occasionally rewards consumable “Disarmed Trap” items. Using these against an ambusher immediately forces them to retreat, avoiding extended combat while still granting the full progress reward. To maximize efficiency, players should follow the blood mist trail left behind by a retreating target. This leads to a spectral image or echo of the creature. Interacting with the fleeing target at this moment triggers a Riposte.
Executing a Riposte delivers a large burst of Hunt progress and is one of the fastest ways to advance the tracking phase. Experienced hunters often search the immediate area after forcing a retreat, following the red mist trail to locate the prey’s lingering presence before continuing normal objectives.
Fastest Way to Complete Prey Hunts
While Prey Hunts can be completed through normal open-world gameplay, experienced hunters often use a more focused strategy to dramatically reduce completion time. By prioritizing trap interactions and ambush mechanics, a full Hunt cycle can often be completed in roughly five to ten minutes.
Focus on Trap Clusters
The fastest source of Hunt progress is typically disarming traps. These traps frequently spawn in clusters near the Prey World Quest marker within the Hunt zone. Rather than traveling across the entire map, completing multiple objectives, players can remain within these high-density areas and repeatedly disarm traps as they appear.
Disarming traps can trigger several different outcomes:
- Spawn additional enemies tied to the Hunt
- Spawn Remnant of Anguish that grants bonus progress when looted
- Trigger a direct ambush from the prey target
- Create a delayed ground explosion beneath the player
Because these traps respawn quickly, cycling through a single area often generates progress faster than completing scattered objectives across the zone.
Force Ambushes for Faster Progress
Ambush encounters are one of the most efficient ways to gain progress. During an ambush, the prey target cannot be killed and will retreat after losing roughly half of its health.
Using a Disarmed Trap consumable on the target immediately forces it to retreat, granting the same progress reward while avoiding unnecessary combat. This allows players to quickly trigger multiple ambushes during a single Hunt.
Follow the Blood Mist and Riposte
After the prey retreats, it leaves behind a faint red mist trail that leads to a spectral image or lingering presence nearby. Following this trail allows players to interact with the prey again and perform a Riposte.
Ripostes provide a large burst of Hunt progress and can rapidly push the Anguish Crystal toward completion. Skilled hunters often prioritize locating this spectral image immediately after every ambush before returning to trap interactions.
Maintain a Localized Farming Loop
The most efficient Hunts typically follow a simple loop:
- Enter the Hunt zone and travel to the Prey World Quest area
- Disarm nearby traps as they spawn
- Defeat any spawned enemies and collect the Remnant of Anguish
- Trigger ambushes and force retreats with Disarmed Trap items
- Follow the blood mist trail to Riposte the prey
- Repeat the trap cycle until the Anguish Crystal becomes fully attuned
By maintaining this localized loop rather than traveling between distant objectives, players can consistently complete Hunts much faster than the traditional exploration approach.
Prey Hunt Affixes and Combat Strategy
Higher tiers introduce dangerous affixes that make the open world increasingly hostile. In Nightmare difficulty Hunts, players must contend with the Bloody Spirit, a stalking phantom that deals massive damage on contact. Another challenge is “Bloody Command,” where Astalor demands a kill within a short window; failure results in a nasty DoT bleed that can be lethal.
Combat Tip: Prey targets are often susceptible to traditional Crowd Control, which simplifies encounters for many classes. Adapting defensive cooldowns is essential for survivability, especially when other players are not nearby to assist. Rested area locations like inns, act as safe spaces where these torments are suppressed.
The Final Confrontation and Return
Once the Anguish Crystal is fully attuned, the target’s location is revealed. Players must interact with a large blood crystal at the site to spawn the target. In Hard and Nightmare difficulties, the encounter occurs in a locked arena. After completingHunts, a portal appears to allow for a quick return to Astalor’s Sanctum, reducing downtime before initiating the next contract.
Preyseeker’s Journey and Weekly Hunt Strategy
The system is governed by the Preyseeker’s Journey seasonal track.
- The Weekly Breakpoint: The first four Hunts each week grant 1,000 progress points each; subsequent hunts drop to 50 points. The priority should be completing these four early in the reset to maximize the Great Vault.
- Randomized Hunts: Players can initiate randomized Hunts through Astalor to farm currency or anguish runes (Inscribed, Infused, or Permeated). These are useful for targeting specific cosmetic unlocks after weekly targets are met.
- Custom Hunts: Reaching Preyseeker’s Journey Rank 10 allows players to create custom Hunts to target specific bosses needed for achievements.
Prey Hunt Rewards and Gear Progression
First Completion vs Repeated Rewards
Completing a Hunt grants a Preyseeker’s Adventurer Chest, which contains gear and several currencies tied to the Prey system. The gear item scales with Hunt difficulty:
- Normal Difficulty: Adventurer Track gear
- Hard Difficulty: Veteran Track gear
- Nightmare Difficulty: Champion Track gear
If players repeat Hunts at the same difficulty level, the reward structure changes. Instead of another gear piece, repeated completions grant a Preyseeker’s Adventurer Sack.
These sacks contain the same resource rewards found in the chest—such as gold, crests, and crafting materials—but do not include additional gear. This system encourages players to pursue different difficulty tiers while still allowing repeated Hunts to remain valuable for farming currencies and progression.
Anguish Rune Guide: Currency Conversion Explained
In addition to standard Hunt rewards, Prey Hunts can drop Anguish Runes, which act as a flexible conversion currency within the system. Rather than being spent directly on vendor cosmetics, these runes can be exchanged at Construct V’anore in Astalor’s Sanctum for several different resources used throughout the Midnight expansion.
There are three tiers of runes, each representing a higher reward value. Higher-tier runes generally convert into larger amounts of currency or higher-track upgrade materials.
| Rune Tier | Typical Conversion Options |
| Anguish-Scribed Rune | Remnants of Anguish, Voidlight Marl, lower-tier Dawncrests |
| Anguish-Infused Rune | Remnants of Anguish, Coffer Key Shards, mid-tier Dawncrests |
| Anguish-Permeated Rune | Remnants of Anguish, Coffer Key Shards, higher-track Dawncrests |
Because these runes can be converted into multiple resource types, they provide players with significant flexibility. Hunters focusing on cosmetics and vendor unlocks typically convert runes into Remnants of Anguish, while players prioritizing character progression often exchange them for Coffer Key Shards, Voidlight Marl, or Dawncrests to accelerate gear upgrades.
This conversion system ensures that even repeated Hunts continue to provide meaningful value long after the initial gear rewards have been obtained.
How Prey Hunts Contribute to the Great Vault
Prey Hunts also contribute to the World Activities row of the Great Vault, allowing players to earn weekly gear upgrades through open-world gameplay. The quality of Vault rewards depends on the highest difficulty of Hunts completed during the week.
| Hunt Difficulty Completed | Great Vault Reward Tier |
| Normal Difficulty Hunts | Veteran-track Great Vault rewards |
| Hard Difficulty Hunts | Champion-track Great Vault rewards |
| Nightmare Difficulty Hunts | Hero-track Great Vault rewards |
Because of this scaling system, completing at least one Nightmare difficulty Hunt each week significantly improves the potential quality of Great Vault rewards. Many players combine Nightmare Hunts with Delves and other world activities to unlock all available Vault slots while minimizing time spent in instanced content.
All Prey Vendor Rewards, Mounts, and Cosmetics
The primary currency, Remnants of Anguish, is Warband-transferable. Beyond gear, the system is a source of unique collectibles available from Construct Ali’a and Construct V’anore.
Vendor Collectibles
Construct V’anore offers a large selection of cosmetic rewards and collectibles tied to the Preyseeker’s Journey progression track.
Available rewards include:
Mounts
- Preyseeker’s Hubris – unlocked at Journey Rank 5
- Preyseeker’s Wrath – unlocked at Journey Rank 10
Companions and Toys
- Voldy – available immediately from the vendor
- Lil’ Preyseeker – unlocked at a later Journey rank
- Preyseeker’s Hearthstone – a cosmetic teleport toy obtained through the Journey track
Transmog Ensembles
Players can purchase these as they progress through the Journey ranks:
- Preyseeker’s Refined Armor
- Preyseeker’s Sleek Armor
- Preyseeker’s Rugged Armor
- Preyseeker’s Polished Armor
- Preyseeker’s Polished Armor
- Skilled Preyseeker’s Plumed Helm
- Skilled Preyseeker’s Shoulder-spikes
- Famed Preyseeker’s Shoulder-spikes
- Famed Preyseeker’s Knapsack
Nightmare Completion Mount
Players who defeat every unique prey target on Nightmare difficulty unlock the mount Preyseeker’s Nightmare, a rare golden variant of the mana-worm mount family.
This reward serves as one of the ultimate completion goals of the Prey system and represents full mastery of the expansion’s most difficult hunts.
Profession Recipes
Construct V’anore also sells several profession recipes tied to both combat enhancements and housing decoration.
These recipes require:
- Remnants of Anguish
- Profession-specific Artisan Moxie currency
Available recipes include:
Enchanting formulas:
- Enchant Shoulders – Nature’s Embrace
- Enchant Boots – Farstrider’s Hunt
Inscription techniques:
- Restful Bronze Bench
- Ren’dorei Sturdy Cask
- Wild Hanging Scroll
These crafted items contribute to the expansion’s player housing system and allow scribes and enchanters to create decorative objects rather than purely combat-oriented items.
Prey Hunt Housing Rewards and Trophy Achievements
Many housing decorations are tied to defeating specific prey targets on higher difficulties.
Each prey target has associated achievements that reward decorative trophies:
- Hard difficulty victories unlock Preyseeker Busts, smaller commemorative statues of the defeated enemy.
- Nightmare difficulty victories unlock Preyseeker Effigies, larger and more elaborate versions of the same trophies.
Because each prey target has its own achievement and associated decoration, collectors often pursue hunts across every zone in order to complete the full trophy set.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Prey system in World of Warcraft: Midnight?
The Prey system is an open-world hunting activity where players track elite targets across the Midnight zones and defeat them for gear, currencies, and cosmetic rewards. It acts as a solo-friendly endgame activity that progresses the Preyseeker’s Journey track and contributes to Great Vault rewards.
How do you unlock the Prey system in WoW Midnight?
To unlock the Prey system, players must reach level 90 and complete a short questline from Magister Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon City. After completing the introduction quests, the Hunt Table in Astalor’s Sanctum becomes available.
Where is Astalor Bloodsworn located in Midnight?
Astalor Bloodsworn is located in Murder Row within Silvermoon City. He serves as the central NPC for the Prey system and provides access to hunt contracts and the Preyseeker’s Journey progression.
How do Prey Hunts work in WoW Midnight?
Players accept a contract from the Hunt Table and travel to the designated zone. By completing world activities such as World Quests, killing rares, looting treasures, and disarming traps, they generate Anguish progress until the prey’s location is revealed.
What activities give progress toward revealing the prey?
Progress toward locating a prey target can be earned by completing World Quests, defeating rare enemies, looting treasures, disarming traps, and defeating special enemies like Coalesced Anguish.
What are the difficulty levels for Prey Hunts?
Prey Hunts have three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. Each difficulty introduces additional mechanics, affixes, and improved rewards.
How do you unlock Hard difficulty in Prey Hunts?
Hard difficulty unlocks after reaching the expansion’s endgame level and completing an initial hunt on Normal difficulty. This tier introduces additional affixes and more challenging encounters.
How do you unlock Nightmare difficulty in the Prey system?
Nightmare difficulty becomes available after reaching Rank 4 in the Preyseeker’s Journey seasonal progression track.
Can other players help with Prey Hunts?
In Normal difficulty, other players in the zone can assist during encounters. However, higher difficulty hunts culminate in a solo encounter where players must defeat the target without outside assistance.
What is the Anguish Crystal in Prey Hunts?
The Anguish Crystal is the tracking interface that displays hunt progress. As players complete activities in the zone, the crystal fills until the prey’s location is revealed.
What happens when the Anguish Crystal becomes fully attuned?
Once the Anguish Crystal reaches full progress, the prey’s hideout appears on the map. Players must travel there and interact with a blood crystal to summon the target and begin the final fight.
What are Prey ambushes in WoW Midnight?
Prey ambushes occur randomly while players are completing hunt objectives. The target attacks the player mid-activity and retreats after losing a portion of its health.
What is the Preyseeker’s Journey?
The Preyseeker’s Journey is the seasonal progression track tied to the Prey system. Completing hunts earns Journey progress that unlocks rewards such as mounts, cosmetics, and new hunt features.
How many Prey Hunts should you complete each week?
The first four hunts each week grant significantly increased Preyseeker’s Journey progress. After these four hunts, progress gains are drastically reduced.
What rewards do Prey Hunts give?
Rewards include gear, gold, upgrade materials, Remnants of Anguish currency, cosmetic items, and progress toward the Great Vault outdoor reward track.
What is Remnant of Anguish used for?
Remnant of Anguish is the primary currency obtained through Prey Hunts. It can be spent on mounts, cosmetics, profession recipes, and other rewards at vendors in Astalor’s Sanctum.
Do Prey Hunts count toward the Great Vault?
Yes. Completing Prey Hunts contributes to the World Activities row of the Great Vault, allowing players to earn weekly gear rewards through open-world gameplay.
What are Prey affixes in WoW Midnight?
Prey affixes, also known as Torments, are special mechanics added to Hard and Nightmare hunts. These effects increase difficulty by introducing hazards like damage pools, tracking spirits, or stacking damage penalties.
What is the fastest way to complete Prey Hunts?
The fastest strategy typically involves staying in the hunt’s World Quest area, disarming traps frequently, triggering ambushes, and following the prey’s blood trail to perform Riposte interactions.
Is the Prey system solo-friendly?
Yes. The Prey system is designed as a solo-friendly open-world activity that allows players to earn meaningful gear and seasonal progression without participating in raids or group content.
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