WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in certain statistics. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also increases a random substat.
The upgraded gear typically has a more value in trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or has a high stat variation (like 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 allows players to upgrade their gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, the item that is used to upgrade will be consumed for the duration of time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be applied to enhancements.
The upgrader can be found in every major city, and can be visited at any time to upgrade your gear. To keep your gear up-to-date, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every few weeks.
The cost of upgrading will be based on the current item level of the item being upgraded however, they will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear from other sources. For example upgrading a Benthic chest to ilvl 385 will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items that can be used to improve the quality of weapons and tools, armor and accessories. They can be purchased by players from item upgrader NPCs in exchange for different currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be used on any tool, weapon or armor. The button will display the item level upgrade; killer deal,'s next upgrade level in the event that there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the item slot, and the current item level. For example, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or the crests used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain degree, it can be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.
Upgraders for items are available in a variety of locations, including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and the chance to obtain an entirely new recipe. The discount for upgrading increases as 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. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades must be acquired through various methods, which is both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and several new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a certain level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading other items to that 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 needed for upgrades is reduced as well, but is only available after certain milestones have been reached.
Crests
Players have several options when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more special and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are the main component of the Dragonflight gear progression system introduced in 10.1, and come in 4 ranks.
The first thing to note is that crests are only able to be spent on gear of a specific rank, and that every rank has different requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and easiest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complex upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, contingent on the type or equipment that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at 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 for endgame gear. The crests can then be exchanged with an Best item upgrader upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
The new currency system isn't complicated to use, but it does bring some modifications to the upgrade process. Once a piece of gear has reached 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 possible ilvl on all of their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant change is that crests have one purpose and it's crucial to make use of them in a responsible manner. It's Best item upgrade to put your Whelpling-rank Crests on the highest-quality gear you can find and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests to be used for the next set of upgrades. This is especially applicable to items like trinkets and rings that take up several slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.