WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost in certain statistics. Each upgrade increases the item Level Upgrade level by +3. A random additional substat is also increased with each upgrade.
The upgraded gear typically has a higher trade value as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or a very high stat variance (like the eth titan weapons). The latter are less valuable from upgrading due to the necessity to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables players to upgrade gear to a higher level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. However, the item used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear up-to-date, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every several weeks.
The cost of upgrades will depend on the current item level of the item being upgraded, but will always be cheaper than buying new equipment from other sources. For example upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to ilvl 385 will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are useful items that are used to upgrade weapons tools, armor, and accessories. Players can purchase them from item upgraders NPCs for a variety of currencies. They can also find them on random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased it can be applied to any weapon or tool using the help of button, which will show a preview of the item when it is upgraded if the player has sufficient materials.
The cost of upgrading is based on the item slot and the current level of the item and the weapon's price is higher than bracers or gloves, for example. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of the two currency types.
Many locations offer Best item upgrader upgraders which include the main island and a few outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade items coupon and the chance to obtain a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases with the number of items being upgraded, and can be boosted by having players complete specific achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. Instead the NPCs that are available to facilitate upgrades are acquired via various methods which is both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with several new features added. After a player has earned an upgrade to a particular item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level will cost less, even in the event that they belong to another set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is account-wide. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players reach certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading gear in WoW, players have a couple of options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more specific and are used for specific Best item upgrade level upgrades. Crests are an important element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
First, you should know that the crests can only be purchased for equipment that is that is of a particular rank. Each rank comes with distinct upgrade paths. The simplest and easiest upgrade is 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade requires up to 20 crests, depending on the kind of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level, whether that means walking around and doing outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, raids or dungeons with all difficulty for items of higher tier or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses and dungeons to obtain endgame gear. These crests are then exchanged with an upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and paths.
The use of these currencies isn't too difficult however, the system does introduce some modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it no longer requires Flightstones. This change allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest level possible on all of their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one use therefore it's essential to use them wisely. For instance it's a good idea use all of your Whelpling-rank crests on the top equipment available and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan on making. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The discount for the entire account will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.