WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost to certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. A random substat is also boosted alongside every upgrade.
Upgraded gear generally sees more value in trade, unless it has inherently low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or a very high stat variation (like eth titan weapons). Upgrades are not as useful for those with higher variance due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The upgrader for items allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of weapon or armor. The item used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To ensure that your equipment is up-to-date it is recommended you visit the upgrader every few weeks.
Upgrades can cost more based on the item level, however they'll always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to 385 ilvl will cost you 20 recycle points. If you purchase a similar item, it will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for tools, armor, weapon and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for various currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be used on any weapon, tool or armor. button, which will show an item level upgrade's preview at the next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item upgrading slot and current item level, with weapons costing more than gloves or bracers, for instance. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a specific number of crests. Some upgrades give discounts on Flightstones. After an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.
Upgraders for items can be found in a variety of locations on the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount and the chance to acquire a new upgrade items recipe. The upgrade discount increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the beginning unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are available only through a variety of methods. This is both a positive and an issue.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with several new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a particular level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading further items to that level will cost less even in the event that they belong to an entirely different set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones required for upgrades is decreased, and the discount is available across all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is reduced as well, but is only available when certain milestones are reached.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a few choices. Flightstones are an item that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral 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 used on gear of a specific rank, and every rank has different requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and simplest upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the most complicated can require as much as 20 crests based on the type of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by completing content of the appropriate level, whether that involves walking around and performing outdoor activities for lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons of any difficulty for higher-tier items, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons to obtain endgame gear. These crests can then be exchanged at an item level upgrade upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
The new currency system isn't too difficult to use, but it does bring some modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, once an item reaches 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 lets players upgrade their gear to the highest possible level on all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one purpose, so it's important to use them properly. For instance it's a good idea make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests with the best gear you have available, and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you're planning on making. This is especially true for items such as rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The discount on the account will only apply when all slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.