WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades can give you boost in specific statistics. Each upgrade increases item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts an unspecified substat.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless it has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or a high stat variance (like the eth Titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as useful for those with lower requirements because of the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be made on any kind of armor or weapons. However, the item used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be applied to enhancements.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities, and can be visited anytime to upgrade your equipment. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every couple of weeks to keep your equipment up-to-date.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the level of the Item level upgrade, however they'll always be cheaper than purchasing new gear. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapons, armor, tools, and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for a variety of currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor. The button will show the preview of an item's next level of upgrade, when there are enough materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the slot of the item and the current level of the item upgrade. For instance, weapons will cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with some upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree, it can be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lesser amount of the two currencies.
Item upgraders can be found at many locations, including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount as well as a chance to acquire a new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items being upgraded. It is also possible to be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are only accessible via a variety of ways. This is both a positive and an issue.
In Season 3, many new features were added to the upgrade system. When a player has an upgrade to a specific item upgrader kit level for a particular armor slot, upgrading further items to that same item level will cost less, even in the event that they are part of another set of gear.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players achieve certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
Players have a number of choices when it comes to upgrading their equipment in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specialized and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are a crucial component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that Crests are only available to gear with a certain rank. Each rank has a different upgrade path. The simplest and simplest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, contingent on the kind of equipment that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through completing content at the appropriate level. This could mean doing outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in all difficulties to get lower-tier gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade paths and steps.
Using these new currencies isn't too complicated however, the system introduces some changes to the overall upgrade process. For example, once an item level upgrade is at the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic), it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible ilvl on all of their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
Another important change is that crests have one usage and it's crucial to use them properly. For instance it's a good idea to use all of your Whelpling-rank crests with the Best item upgrader equipment you have and keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan to make. This is especially true for items such as trinkets and rings that take up several slots. The discount for the entire account is only applicable when all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality equipment.