WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. A random additional substat is also increased with every upgrade.
The more modernized gear generally has a greater value for trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or a very high stat variation (like eth titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as valuable for those with lower requirements because of the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables players to upgrade items gear to a higher level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. However, the item used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities and is accessible anytime to upgrade your equipment. To keep your gear current it is recommended you visit the upgrader every several weeks.
Upgrades will cost more, based on the item Level upgrade level, however, they are always cheaper than buying new gear. For instance upgrading a Benthic chest piece to ilvl 385 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 bought by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for a variety of currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor with the help of The button will show the preview of an item's next upgrade level, when there are enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item slot and the current level of the Best item upgrader, with weapons costing more than gloves or bracers, for instance. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades give a discount on the Flightstones. After an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it is able to be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Many locations have upgraders for their items in addition to the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and a chance to obtain the latest recipe. The discount for upgrading increases when more items are upgraded. It can also be increased by having players complete certain achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the beginning unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are available only through a variety of methods. This is both a positive and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been tweaked a bit, with some new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a specific level for an item upgrades in an armor slot, upgrading additional items to that level will cost less even when they belong to another set of gear.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is cut too, but it is only available when certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
When upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a few options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special, 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 4 ranks.
First, you should know that crests are only available for equipment that is of a certain rank. Each rank has distinct upgrade paths. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the most complex requires as many as 20 crests based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by working through tasks at the appropriate level. This could be done by doing outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in any difficulty to earn equipment of lower tier or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for gear in the endgame. These crests can be exchanged with an upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and pathways.
The new currency system isn't too difficult to use, but it brings some changes to the process of upgrading. For instance, when an item is at the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic), it will no longer require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible level on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also crucial to choose crests in a wise manner, as they are only used for one purpose. It is recommended to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the top-quality equipment you can locate, and save Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next round of upgrades. This is especially relevant for rings and trinkets that take up multiple slots on the character, which can only be eligible to benefit from the discount for all accounts when all of the slots are filled with top-quality gear.