WoW Upgrades - The item upgrade Upgrader
Upgrades can give you boost in certain stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by +3. A random additional substat is also boosted alongside each upgrade.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless it has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a high variance in stats (like Eth Titan weapons). Upgrades are not as valuable for those with higher variance because of the requirement to roll the perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables players to upgrade their gear to a higher level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of weapon or armor. However, the item that is used for the upgrade will remain in use for a long time and will not be able to be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader once every few weeks, to ensure that your equipment is up to date.
The cost of upgrading will depend on the current item level of the item being upgraded however, they will always be less expensive than buying new equipment from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items which can be used to upgrade weapons, tools, armor, and other items. Players can purchase them from NPCs of item upgraders for various currencies. They can also find them in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with an button, which will show a preview of the Item Level Upgrade at the next upgrade level in the event that the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrading is based on the slot of the item and the current level of the item as well as the level of the weapon, which is more than bracers or gloves, for instance. Each step costs 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades give discounts on Flightstones. Once an item level upgrade has been upgraded to a certain amount, it can be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currencies.
Many locations offer item upgraders, including the main Island and some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount and the chance to obtain a new upgrade recipe. The discount on upgrades increases according to the number of items that are being upgraded. It can also be increased by requiring players to complete specific achievements or complete quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no item upgrader available at the start of Icewind Dale. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are available only via a variety of ways. This is both a positive and a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with numerous new features added. After the player has upgraded to a certain item level for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same item level, will cost less. This is even if those items are from a different set of equipment.
The discount is available to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is reduced as well, but is only available once certain milestones have been reached.
Crests
Players have a number of options when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more special and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.
First, you must be aware that Crests are only available to equipment that is that is of a particular rank. Each rank comes with a different upgrade path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the most complex may require as many as 20 crests based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by completing content at the appropriate level. This could mean doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of any difficulty to earn lower-level gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with a heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an item upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
Using these new currencies isn't too complicated however, the system introduces some modifications to the upgrade item process. When a piece of equipment attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it will no longer require Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest level possible on all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests wisely, as they have only one purpose. For instance, it's Best item upgrade to make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the best equipment you have and keep Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you're planning on making. This is particularly relevant for rings and trinkets that fill multiple slots on the character, which can only be eligible to avail the discount for all accounts when all slots are full of high-quality equipment.