Antosha

Antosha (Anton Stepanov)

NextTier Guides Author

Antosha has played World of Warcraft for over 15 years, across PvP, raids, and seasonal content. He's an 11-time Rank 1 Gladiator and a regular competitor in Blizzard's official PvP tournaments, and a former official Blizzard tournament caster who called Arena matches live for the WoW community.

Away from arena, he's raided at a high level for years, with deep experience in modern Mythic progression and the endgame eras before it. On NextTier he writes guides about what wins games at the top of the ladder: meta picks, comps, real cutoffs, and the small things most guides skip past.

Articles by Antosha (73)

WoW Catalyst Charges Season 2: Venomblight Manaflux Guide
WoW Catalyst Charges Season 2: Venomblight Manaflux Guide

Complete WoW Midnight Season 2 Catalyst Charges guide: how Venomblight Manaflux fragments replace Dawnlight Manaflux, every source on the 12.1 PTR, the Serpent Scion achievement's three paths, the removed 4-piece gate, and what's still TBD before launch.

~13 min read
WoW 12.1 Flat 20-Crest Gear Upgrade Cost Guide (Season 2)
WoW 12.1 Flat 20-Crest Gear Upgrade Cost Guide (Season 2)

Complete WoW Midnight Patch 12.1 gear upgrade guide: flat 20-crest per rank cost system (confirmed after PTR scaling-cost reversal), full ilvl breakdown per track from Adventurer to Myth 9/6, weekly cap, the 50% alt discount, raid Vault tiers, Bonus Roll changes, Catalyst updates, Ascendant Venomstones, and how to spend your crests.

~15 min read
PoE 2 0.5.4 Patch Guide: Expedition Tree, Orb of Sacrifice, Uniques
PoE 2 0.5.4 Patch Guide: Expedition Tree, Orb of Sacrifice, Uniques

Complete Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.4 guide for the Runes of Aldur league: the new Expedition Atlas Passive Tree, Orb of Sacrifice currency, Liquid Verisium, unique level scaling, The Master's Reach gloves, pinnacle boss tuning, every notable bug fix, and what 0.5.5 brings next.

~15 min read
Diablo 4 Season 14: Complete Season of Death Awakening Guide
Diablo 4 Season 14: Complete Season of Death Awakening Guide

The complete Diablo 4 Season 14 guide: release date, every new system (Pandemonium Ruptures, Mythic Unique 3.0, Solo Self-Found, Corrupted Reaper boss), the PTR class tier list, the best build per class, the fastest leveling route, key patch fixes, Season 13 stats, the Overwatch crossover, and Season 15 expectations.

~19 min read
Diablo 4 Season 14 Release Date: Season of Death Awakening Guide
Diablo 4 Season 14 Release Date: Season of Death Awakening Guide

Diablo 4 Season 14 (Season of Death Awakening) launches June 30, 2026. The full release timeline, every new mechanic, the Mythic Unique 3.0 rework, the Solo Self-Found mode, the new Corrupted Reaper boss, the Overwatch crossover skins, free Warlock trial, class balance, and Season 15 expectations.

~13 min read
Best WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP Comps: 3v3, 2v2, Solo Shuffle, Blitz
Best WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP Comps: 3v3, 2v2, Solo Shuffle, Blitz

The best 3v3, 2v2, Solo Shuffle, and Battleground Blitz comps in WoW Midnight Season 1: full tier list, every comp's game plan and counters, a complete 2v2 partner matrix for all 27 DPS specs, and how to pick a comp by your rating bracket.

~25 min read
PoE 2 League Start Gearing Guide (Runes of Aldur): Runic Ward, Crafting, and Resistances
PoE 2 League Start Gearing Guide (Runes of Aldur): Runic Ward, Crafting, and Resistances

A complete PoE 2 league start gearing guide for the Runes of Aldur league (patch 0.5): cap resistances, add Runic Ward with Verisium Runeforging, craft with Runic Alloys and the reworked Divine Orb, learn what to roll in every slot, and pick a smart map-tier farming plan.

~10 min read
Best DPS Specs in WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP: Tier List for Arena and Solo Shuffle
Best DPS Specs in WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP: Tier List for Arena and Solo Shuffle

Our WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP DPS tier list ranks all 27 damage specs for arena and Solo Shuffle, from S-tier Subtlety Rogue, Windwalker Monk, and the Mages down through A+, A, B, and C, with a bracket-by-bracket breakdown, the gap between editor lists and the live ladder, best comps, and gearing tips.

~11 min read
Best Healers in WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP: Healer Tier List, Comps, and Rankings
Best Healers in WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP: Healer Tier List, Comps, and Rankings

Our WoW Midnight Season 1 PvP healer tier list ranks all seven healer specs for arena and Solo Shuffle, from S-tier Mistweaver Monk and Discipline Priest down through the A and B picks, with the best comps for each healer, a bracket-by-bracket breakdown, and gearing and rating tips.

~8 min read
WoW Midnight Rank 1 PvP Cutoff Rules (Season 2): Solo Shuffle and Blitz Top 8 Per Spec Explained
WoW Midnight Rank 1 PvP Cutoff Rules (Season 2): Solo Shuffle and Blitz Top 8 Per Spec Explained

A complete breakdown of World of Warcraft Midnight's reworked Rank 1 PvP cutoffs: Solo Shuffle and Battleground Blitz now hand Galactic Legend, Marshal, and Warlord to the top 8 players of each specialization per region, with no rating or win threshold, while 3v3 Arena's Galactic Gladiator title stays on the old top 0.1% rule.

~6 min read
WoW Patch 12.1 Curse of Ula'tek and Midnight Season 2: Release Date, Raid, Dungeon, and Everything New
WoW Patch 12.1 Curse of Ula'tek and Midnight Season 2: Release Date, Raid, Dungeon, and Everything New

Everything coming in World of Warcraft Patch 12.1 Curse of Ula'tek and Midnight Season 2: the expected release window, the new Coiled Isle zone, the eight-boss Venomous Abyss raid, the Altar of Fangs dungeon, Lairs, three new Delves, the Season 2 Mythic+ pool, Player Housing blueprints, and UI updates.

~10 min read
WoW Midnight Season 2 Class Changes (Patch 12.1 First PTR Build): Every Spec Explained
WoW Midnight Season 2 Class Changes (Patch 12.1 First PTR Build): Every Spec Explained

A complete breakdown of every class change in the first WoW Patch 12.1 (Curse of Ula'tek) PTR build that opens Midnight Season 2: the 25% health and enemy-damage increase, the DPS cooldown smoothing, the new missed-interrupt indicator, and condensed per-spec tuning for all 13 classes. These are first-PTR-build changes and are not final.

~14 min read