WoW Upgrades - The Item level Upgrade Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in specific statistics. Each upgrade item increases item level by +3. A random extra substat is also increased with each upgrade.
The upgraded gear typically has a higher trade value, unless it has inherently low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or very high stat variation (like Eth titan weapons). Upgrades are not as useful for those with lower requirements because of the requirement to roll the perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. The item used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every couple of weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
The cost of upgrading will depend on the current Best item upgrader level of the equipment being upgraded but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new gear from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. If you purchase a similar item, it will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for different 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 an button, which will display an image of the item level upgrade at the next upgrade level in the event that the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the slot of the item and the current item level. For instance weapons are more expensive than bracers, or gloves. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with some upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of Flightstones or crests used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it is able to be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currency types.
Upgraders for items are available in many places on the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and the chance to obtain the latest recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items being upgraded, and can be increased by having players complete specific achievements or quests.
Contrary to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II there is no item upgrader available at the beginning of Icewind Dale. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are only available via a variety of ways. This is both a positive and a disadvantage.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with several new features added. After the player has upgraded to a certain item level 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 is applicable to all accounts. Similarly, 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
Players have a number of choices when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specialized and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a crucial part of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System that was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that Crests are only available to equipment of a certain rank. Each rank comes with distinct upgrade paths. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the more complex one may require as many as 20 crests depending on the type of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through working through content at the appropriate level. This could be done by doing outdoor activities, or by completing dungeons and raids in any difficulty to earn lower-tier gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
The use of these currencies isn't too complicated however, the system does introduce some modifications to the upgrade process. Once a piece of gear has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it no longer requires Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest possible level on all of their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests wisely, as they have only one purpose. For instance it's a good idea make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the top gear you have available, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you plan on making. This is especially applicable to rings and trinkets that fill multiple slots on the character, that will be able to benefit from the discount for all accounts when all slots are filled with high-quality gear.