WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost to specific stats. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by 3. A random extra substat is also increased with each upgrade item.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless it is not required by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like the eth Titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by offering the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, the item that is used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader once every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
Upgrades will cost more, based on the level of the item, however, they are always cheaper than purchasing new gear. For example upgrading a Benthic chest piece to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from a different player will cost 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items which can be used to upgrade weapons, tools, armor, and other accessories. They can be purchased by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for various currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be used on any tool, weapon or armor. The button will show a preview of an item's next level of upgrade, if there are enough materials.
The cost of upgrades varies based on the slot of the item and current item upgrade level and the weapon's price is higher than gloves or bracers, for example. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Some upgrades give a discount on the Flightstones. Once an item level Upgrade (pediascape.science) is upgraded to a certain level it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
Item upgraders can be found in a variety of locations including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of obtaining the latest recipe. The discount on upgrades increases with the number of items that are being upgraded. It can also be boosted by having players complete some specific achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades require various methods, which is both an improvement as well as a disadvantage.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was modified a bit, and several new features added. After a player has upgraded to a certain item upgrader mod level for an armor slot upgrading other items to the same item level will cost less. This is true even if the items are from another set of gear.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players achieve certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
Players have a variety of choices when it comes to upgrading their equipment in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a crucial component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System, which was introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
First, you should know that Crests are only available to gear that is of a particular rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The simplest and simplest upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the more complex one can require as much as 20 crests, based on the type of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through completing content of the appropriate level, which involves walking around and performing outdoor activities to get lower-tier gear, dungeons or raids of any difficulty for higher-tier items or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons for gear that is used in the endgame. 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.
The use of these currencies isn't that difficult, but the system does introduce some modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, when a piece of equipment reaches 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 is intended to allow players to get their equipment up to the highest possible ilvl on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant modification is that crests have one usage therefore it's essential to use them properly. It's best to use your Whelpling-rank Crests on the highest-quality gear you can locate, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next round of upgrades. This is especially relevant for rings and trinkets that fill multiple slots on the character which can only be eligible to avail the account-wide discount if all slots are filled with high-quality gear.