WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in specific statistics. Each upgrade increases the level of the item by +3. A random extra substat is also increased with each upgrade.
Upgraded gear generally sees more value in trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or a very high stat variation (like Eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. The item used to upgrade the Best item upgrader will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create the enchantments.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities and is accessible at any time to upgrade your gear. To ensure that your equipment is up-to-date it is recommended you visit the upgrader each couple of weeks.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the item upgrade level, but they will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to upgrade tools, armor, weapon, and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for a variety of currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased, it can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor using a The button will show the preview of an item's next upgrade level in the event that there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs differ based on the slot for the item and the current item level. For instance weapons cost more than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with certain upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or crests that are used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currencies.
Item upgraders can be found at many locations including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of obtaining the latest recipe. The upgrade discount increases as more items are upgraded. It can be increased by having players finish certain achievements or quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II is no item Upgrade upgrader available at the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead, the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades must be acquired through several methods which is both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with some new features added. Once a player has upgraded to a certain level of item for an armor slot upgrading other items to the same level will cost less. This is true even if those items come from an entirely different set of equipment.
The discount applies to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is cut as well, but is only available once certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
Players have several choices when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific upgrades to the level of an item. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1, and come in 4 ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests are only able to be used on equipment of a particular rank, and that each rank has its own requirements for its upgrade path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the more complex one requires as many as 20 crests, based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by working through content that is of the appropriate level, whether that involves walking around and engaging in outdoor activities to get lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons with all difficulties for higher-tier items or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons to obtain endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an item upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
Using these new currencies isn't too complicated, but the system will introduce a few modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This change is designed to allow players to get their equipment to the highest possible ilvl on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests with care, since they only have one use. For instance, it's a good idea utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests with the Best item upgrade equipment available, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you plan on making. This is particularly relevant for items like rings and trinkets that occupy multiple slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.