WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boost in certain statistics. Each upgrade increases item level by +3. A random additional substat is also increased with each upgrade.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless it has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (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 upgrader for items allows players to upgrade their 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. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear up-to-date it is recommended you visit the upgrader every couple of weeks.
The cost of upgrades will be based on the current level of the equipment being upgraded, but will always be less expensive than buying new equipment from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar Item level Upgrade will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are useful items that are used to improve the quality of weapons, tools, armor, and other accessories. They can be purchased from NPCs of item upgraders for a variety of currencies. They can also find them in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor. The button will display a preview of an item's next level of upgrade, if there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item and the current level of the item. For example weapons cost more than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to lower the cost of the Flightstones or crests used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain level it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.
A lot of locations offer upgraders for items which include the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and the possibility of getting a new recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items being upgraded. It can also be boosted by having players complete specific achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are available only through a variety means. This is both a positive and a drawback.
In Season 3, a number of new features have been added to the upgrade system. When a player has an upgrade to a certain item upgrade level for a particular armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level will cost less, even when they belong to a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones required to upgrade is reduced and the discount is available across all accounts. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players have reached certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
When upgrading equipment in WoW players have a variety of options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are the main component of the Dragonflight gear progression system introduced in 10.1 and are available in four ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests can only be spent on equipment of a particular rank, and each rank has its own requirements for upgrading. The most basic and straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the most complicated can require as much as 20 crests, based on the type of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level. This could be by doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of all difficulty levels to obtain lower-level gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with heroic difficulty for endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an item upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken to upgrade the Best item upgrader in the proper steps and pathways.
The use of these currencies isn't that difficult however, the system does introduce some changes to the overall upgrade process. For example, once an item 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 allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest possible ilvl on all of their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also crucial to choose crests in a wise manner, as they have only one purpose. It's Best item upgrader to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the top-quality equipment that you can find and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests to be used for the next set of upgrades. This is especially relevant for items like rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.