WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. A random additional substat is also added to every upgrade.
The more modernized gear generally has a higher trade value as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or has a high stat variance (like eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by giving the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be made on any type of armor or weapons. The item upgrader kit used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be applied to enchantments.
The upgrader can be found in every major city, and can be accessed anytime to upgrade your gear. To keep your gear current, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every few weeks.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the level of the item however they'll always be cheaper than purchasing new equipment. For instance upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to 385 ilvl will cost 20 recycle points, while purchasing the same item 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 for items in exchange for different currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor using an button, which will show an image of the item when it is upgraded when the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the item slot, and the current item level. For instance weapons cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to lower the cost of Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain amount, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currency types.
Many locations have upgraders for their items in addition to the main island and a few outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of getting the latest recipe. The discount for upgrading increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at start 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 and a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade item system has been tweaked a bit, with numerous new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a particular level of an Item Level Upgrade for a specific armor slot, upgrading additional items to the same level will cost less even in the event that they are part of an entirely different set of gear.
The discount applies to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also cut and is not available until players achieve certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW players have a couple of choices. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specific and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are a key element of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests can only be used to purchase equipment that is of a particular rank, and that each rank has its own requirements for upgrading. The simplest and easiest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade item could require as much as 20 crests, depending on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level. This could mean engaging in outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in any difficulty to earn lower-level gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with a heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests can then be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
The new currency system isn't complicated to use, however it will bring some changes to the process of upgrading. When a piece attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it no longer requires Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest level possible on all of their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another important modification is that crests have one purpose and it's crucial to use them wisely. For instance it's a good idea utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the best gear you have available, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you're planning to make. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.