WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost to specific stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by +3. A random additional substat is also increased with every upgrade.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless the item is not required by nature (like FB sorc shields) or a high stat variance (like Eth Titan weapons). The latter are less valuable from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by giving 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 also be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended that you visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks, to ensure that your equipment is 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 gear from other sources. For instance, upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to ilvl 385 will cost 20 recycle points while buying a similar item upgrader kit from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapon, armor, tool and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners in a variety of currencies. They are also available on random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be applied to any weapon, tool or armor. button, which displays a preview of the item when it is upgraded in the event that the player has enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item level upgrade (simply click for source) and the current level of the item. For example, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Certain upgrades provide discounts on Flightstones. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain level it is able to be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
Item upgraders can be found at many locations including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount as well as a chance to get a brand new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items that are being upgraded, and can be increased by having players complete some specific achievements or quests.
In contrast to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II is no upgrader for items at the start of Icewind Dale. The NPCs who can facilitate upgrades are available only through a variety of methods. This is both a benefit and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with numerous new features added. Once an upgrade has been completed to a specific level for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level, will cost less. This is even if the items come from another set of equipment.
The amount of Valorstones required for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is available across all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is cut also, but is only available once certain milestones are reached.
Crests
Players have a number of options when it comes to upgrading their equipment in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specific, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a key element of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1 and are available in four ranks.
First, you should know that the crests can only be purchased for gear of a certain rank. Each rank has a different upgrade path. The easiest and most straightforward upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complex upgrade requires up to 20 crests, depending on the type or gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through finishing tasks at the appropriate level. This could be done by engaging in outdoor activities or completing dungeons and raids in all difficulties to get equipment of lower tier or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with a heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests are then exchanged with an upgrader for the item like Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and paths.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't that difficult however, the system will introduce a few modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, when an item reaches the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't need Flightstones to be upgraded. This change allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest possible ilvl on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one use, so it's important to use them properly. It's Best item upgrade to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the highest-quality gear you can find and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is particularly true for items such as trinkets and rings that fill several slots. The discount for the entire account will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.