WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades can give you an increase in specific stats. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by +3. A random substat is also added to each upgrade.
The more modernized gear generally has a more value in trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or has a high stat variation (like the eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the necessity to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables 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 armor or weapons. However, the item upgrade used to upgrade will be consumed forever and will not be able to be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended that you visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
The cost of upgrades will depend on the current item level of the gear being upgraded but they will always be cheaper than purchasing new equipment from other sources. For instance upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points, purchasing a similar piece from another player will cost 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are useful items that can be used to level up weapons and tools, armor and other accessories. They are purchased by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for various currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be used on any tool, weapon, or armor. button, which displays an image of the item at the next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item upgrade and the current item level. For example, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a specific number of crests. Certain upgrades provide discounts on Flightstones. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree it is able to be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.
Many locations offer item upgraders, including the main Island and a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and the possibility of getting 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 complete quests.
In contrast to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II there is no item level Upgrade upgrader available in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead, the NPCs that are available to facilitate upgrades must be acquired through various methods that are both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with some new features added. When a player has an upgrade to a particular item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading further items to that level will cost less even in the event that they are part of another set of gear.
The discount applies to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is reduced too, but it is only available when certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
Players have several options for upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an important element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
The first thing to note is that crests can only be spent on gear of a specific rank, and each rank has its own requirements for its upgrade items path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the most complicated can require as much as 20 crests based on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level, which involves walking around and engaging in outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, raids or dungeons with all difficulty for items of higher tier or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons for endgame gear. The crests can then be exchanged with an item upgrade upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't that difficult, but the system introduces some modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, when an item is at the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't need Flightstones to be upgraded. This allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest level possible for all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one use and it's crucial to use them wisely. It's best to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the highest-quality gear you can find, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests to be used for the next set of upgrades. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.