WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades can give you an increase in specific statistics. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts an unspecified substat.
Upgraded gear generally sees more value in trade regardless of whether it has low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or a very high stat variation (like Eth titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be made on any type of armor or weapons. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be applied to the enchantments.
You can upgrade items your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To ensure that your equipment is up-to-date it is recommended that you visit the upgrader each few weeks.
Upgrades will cost more, based on the level of the item, but they will always be cheaper than buying new equipment. For instance upgrading a Benthic chest piece to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items which can be used to level up weapons tools, armor, and accessories. They are 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 applied to any weapon, tool or armor. The button will display the preview of an item's next upgrade level in the event that there are enough materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the slot of the item upgrade and the current level of the item. For instance, weapons will cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with some upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain degree and is degraded, it can be sold and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of the two currencies.
Upgraders for items can be found in a variety of locations on the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and a chance to obtain an entirely new recipe. The upgrade discount increases with the number of items being upgraded. It is also possible to be increased by requiring players to complete specific achievements or complete quests.
In contrast to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no upgrader for items available in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades are acquired via a variety of means that are both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3, several new features have been added to the upgrade system. 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 true even if the items come from another set of equipment.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is also reduced and is not available until players achieve certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
When upgrading gear in WoW, players have a variety of choices. Flightstones are an item that is available to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more specialized and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are a key element of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1, and come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that crests can only be used to purchase equipment of a particular rank, and each rank has its own requirements for upgrading. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the more complex one can require as much as 20 crests depending on the kind of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by completing content of the appropriate level, which involves walking around and engaging in outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, raids or dungeons with all difficulties 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 item level upgrade (Telegra.Ph) upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken to upgrade the item upgrades in the proper steps and pathways.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't too complicated, but the system will introduce a few changes to the overall upgrade process. When a piece of equipment has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This is to allow players to upgrade their equipment up to the highest ilvl possible on all their characters rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests with care, since they only have one use. For instance, it's Best item upgrade to make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the top gear you have available and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you're planning to create. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy multiple slots. The discount on the account will only apply when all slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.