WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. A random extra substat is also boosted alongside each upgrade.
The more modernized gear generally has a higher trade value as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or very high stat variance (like eth titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the need to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by offering the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of weapon or armor. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks to keep your equipment up to date.
The cost of upgrades will vary based on the current item level of the equipment being upgraded however, they will always be cheaper than buying new equipment from other sources. For instance, upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to ilvl 385 will cost 20 recycle points while purchasing the same item from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They are purchased by players through NPCs that sell upgrades to items in exchange for a variety of currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor using an button, which will display an image of the item at its next upgrade level in the event that the player has enough materials.
Upgrade costs differ based on the slot for the item and the current item upgrader mod level. For example weapons are more expensive than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to lower the cost of Flightstones or crests used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree it is able to be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Upgraders for items are available in many places including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of getting a new recipe. The discount for upgrading increases as more items are upgraded. It can also be increased by having players finish certain achievements or quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II is no item upgrader available at the start of Icewind Dale. The NPCs who can facilitate upgrades are only accessible through a variety of methods. This is both a positive and a disadvantage.
In Season 3, many new features were added to the upgrade system. After the player has upgraded to a certain level of item for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same item level will cost less. This is regardless of whether the items come from an entirely different set of equipment.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is reduced too, but it is only available when certain milestones are reached.
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 special, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an important component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System that was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
The first thing to note is that crests can only be spent on gear of a specific rank, and each rank has its own requirements for upgrading. The simplest and simplest upgrade route costs 15 crests while the more complex one may require as many as 20 crests depending on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through working through content that is of the appropriate level, which means walking around and doing outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, raids or dungeons with all difficulties for higher-tier items or Mythic+ dungeons or heroic raid bosses for endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an Item level upgrade upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it does bring some changes to the process of upgrading. For example, once an item upgrades is at the highest upgrade item level of any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it will no longer require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change is designed to allow players to get their gear up to the highest possible ilvl on all their characters rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one use and it's crucial to use them wisely. For instance it's Best item upgrader to utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the top equipment you have, and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you plan to make. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up several slots. The discount on the account will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.