WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to specific stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. Each upgrade also boosts an unspecified substat.
Upgraded gear generally sees more value in trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or has a high stat variance (like eth titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the necessity to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, the item that is used for the upgrade will be consumed for the duration of time and can't be used again. Upgrades can be used to create enchantments.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities and is accessible anytime to upgrade your equipment. It is recommended to visit the upgrader at least once every couple of weeks to ensure that your equipment is up to date.
Upgrades can cost more based on the item level upgrade (from gaines-hjelm.mdwrite.net) level, but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new gear. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners for various currencies. They can also find them on random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor. button, which will show an image of the item when it is upgraded if the player has sufficient materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item upgrading and the current level of the item. For instance, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with certain upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader for a lower price.
Many locations offer item upgraders, including the main Island and some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and a possibility of getting the latest recipe. The upgrade discount increases with the number of items being upgraded, and can be increased by having players complete specific achievements or quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no item upgrader available in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that are available to facilitate upgrades are acquired via various methods which is both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with numerous new features added. After an upgrade has been completed to a certain level of item upgrader kit for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level will cost less. This applies regardless of whether the items are from another set of equipment.
The discount applies to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is cut as well, but is only available once certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW players have a couple of options. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more specialized and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an important part of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System that was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
First, you should know that the crests can only be purchased for gear that is of a particular rank. Each rank has a different upgrade path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the most complicated can require as much as 20 crests depending on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through completing content of the appropriate level, which involves walking around and engaging in outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, dungeons or raids of any difficulty for higher-tier items, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons to obtain endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't that difficult however, the system does introduce some modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, once an item is at the highest upgrade level of any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic), it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This is to allow players to upgrade their gear up to the highest level possible on all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also crucial to choose crests with care, since they have only one purpose. It is recommended to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the Best item upgrade gear you can locate, and save Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next round of upgrades. This is especially applicable to rings and trinkets that take up multiple slots on the character that will be able to avail the account-wide discount when all slots are filled with top-quality equipment.