World of Warcraft Item Upgrades
Item upgrades provide players with the ability to upgrade equipment that they already have. This can be done at any upgrader NPC.
Upgrades increase the main stat of an item, and can also add additional features based on the type of item. Examples include Whistan’s shield for FB Sorcs or Goldwraps for build casters.
Armour
Link's armor is a key element to protect him from harm. Although it isn't able to be upgraded like weapons, it can be improved in a variety of ways to increase its defence capabilities.
The basic idea of armour is to safeguard the person or animal from physical harm or injury whether from physical attack or from an array of environmental and activity hazards. Historically, most armour was made from leather or fabric, but metal protections were also utilized particularly for military purposes like heavy cavalry or combat drones.
As with weapons, there are a number of ways that armor can be upgraded but the majority of them require visiting one of the four Great Fairy Fountains located throughout Hyrule. Each fountain comes with its own level of upgrades available, with more granting greater levels of protection and requiring a higher cost in rupees and other materials to unlock.
The first thing to note about Armor Upgrades is they are permanent upgrades which means that once they've been applied they are not able to be replaced unless you have another piece of equipment that has the same upgrade. You should only apply the highest-level upgrades to your equipment, and ensure that you have the equipment needed to complete them.
You can find the upgrades you need in many locations throughout Hyrule. These include merchants, shrines and even enemies. They are usually marked with an gold circle or blue triangle symbol, and are available in large quantities as you advance through the game. They can appear randomly, but there is a chance that obtaining certain upgrades will trigger a quest that will reward you with even more.
It is also important to note that although the level of protection offered by each upgrade varies however, it's the same across all upgrades and will always be better than nothing. This is because a full set of upgraded armor will grant you a high defense boost that will protect you from all types of attacks, excluding magic, making it a powerful weapon for any class.
Weapons
You can upgrade your guns by using special upgrades to create a truly unique weapon. They can increase the damage, change the weapon's stats so that they are suited to your build, and even unlock new attachments such as unique ammo types, enchantments and other options for aesthetics.
To upgrade a weapon you'll need an upgrade component available as well as the item level upgrade itself. The weapon must be at or near a certain level to upgrade it. Most weapons can only be upgraded by one upgrade.
Weapon upgrade components can be found all over the world from enemies or from merchants. Upgrade components are a mixture of ingredients that you can slot into weapons, armors trinkets, gathering tools and trinkets to earn an attribute bonus. The equipment must be at a certain level to accept the upgrade. It can be upgraded the same way as other items.
The upgrades themselves are a combination of Smithing Stones and Runes, and are used for enhancing the stats of the base weapon and improving its scaling with other stats. They can be obtained from enemies that are dropped into the open world, bought from certain vendors or through drops during combat.
There are two NPCs who can upgrade your weapons: Blacksmith Hewg in the Roundtable Hold hub area and the Smithing Master Iji in the Road to the Manor hub area. Both of these NPCs will take your Smithing Stones and Runes in exchange for a higher-level version of the weapon and an upgrade.
It's essential to prioritize upgrading your most-used items first, followed by items that you won't need to replace in the near future. If you're planning on playing a melee build, for instance, upgrade your weapon, then your chest and shoulders followed by your hands and feet. The same principles apply to Magic and Utility Items, with the caveat that certain products may be superior to others, based on your style of play. Armour is no different, with some reforges better than others.
Magic Items
A character can upgrade only one item of magic at one time. If an upgrade plan has been cancelled, no more upgrades will be offered for that item. Upgraded magic items cost twice as much gold to create or purchase, but can provide other benefits.
A magical item can be any item that has special properties or effects. The majority of these items are weapons, however some include armor, shields as well as cloaks, potions rings, scrolls, and other items. Some of these items are telepathic.
Most magic items can enhance their capabilities. This could make them more beneficial to a player or help them to overcome a difficult situation. A weapon that contains an ingredient that is unique could be able to provide additional damage against a specific enemy type. This is particularly beneficial for characters who have reached a stage at which they will likely face the same type of monster in dungeons over and over again.
A ring that is infused with magic may provide immunity to nonmagical attacks that bludgeon, pierce, or cut (excluding attacks that are silvered) until the character is given a second rest. This is particularly beneficial for combatants who are melee or anyone who wishes to avoid the expense and hassle of buying a shield.
Some enchanted objects have special abilities that allow the character to cast spells that aren't on their list of classes. This can be useful for a character who has difficulties keeping their spell slots full because of multiclassing. These items with enchanted abilities generally require an Intelligence (Arcana) check prior to use them, and the spell's effectiveness is determined by rolling a table based on the number of Intelligence points spent.
Other objects that are enchanted can allow the player's appearance to be altered, or they could even create a brand new one. These items are especially beneficial for characters who have been forced to leave their home, or are located in an area in which they are not welcome. A magical item may give them the ability to disappear or make them invisible to anyone, excluding the person they choose to.
Utility Items
Utility items are any equipment that does not fall into the categories of Armor or Clothing and come with a range of capabilities. In contrast to weapons and armor they are not a single utility item upgrading that will be in conflict with the other. Most utility items have a passive effect which players can activate by using them. However, some have additional abilities that are activated by pressing a button, or by activating an ability.
The Flashlight is the most popular utilitarian Item Upgrade. It lights up the area around it. Other items of utility include the Helicopter Hat and Rocket Boots, which allow the player to float in the air while moving, and the Jetpack which allows players to accelerate in any direction while on the ground. In the Engineering section you can create instantly a variety of utility items, while others are available only through Research projects or experimental projects on the Proving Ground.
Players can unlock more powerful utility items in addition to the ones that are available in their normal inventory by purchasing them from the Atomic Shop or from seasonal Scoreboard rewards. Some of these items are upgradeable to increase their effectiveness.
The majority of utilitarian items provide the player with an advantage in navigation or enhance the ability to fight. For instance, Sharpening stones made by the Weaponsmith boost Ferocity and Power and Maintenance Oils made by the Huntsman increase the concentration and healing power. Other items of utility can be used by players to increase Damage or Condition Damage.
All XCOM soldiers are capable of equipping one useful Best item upgrader at the beginning of the campaign. Eventually, an additional slot can be obtained through the use of certain types armor or completing engineering, research or other projects in the Proving Ground. During the Alien Hunters DLC, additional slots are created by equipping the Grenade Launcher which allows the player to equip an Smoke Grenade or Bomb in an additional grenade slot, while an offensive grenade is placed in the main slot for grenades.