WoW Upgrades - The item level upgrade Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a an increase in specific statistics. Each upgrade increases the level of the item level Upgrade by +3. Each upgrade also increases an unspecified substat.
Upgraded gear generally sees more value in trade regardless of whether it has low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) 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 for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind 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 equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the item level, but they will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to 385 ilvl will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items which can be used to improve the quality of weapons and tools, armor and accessories. They can be bought by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for different currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased, it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with the help of button, which will show a preview of the item at its next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item upgrader kit slot and current item level, with weapons costing more than bracers or gloves, for example. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades offer discounts on Flightstones. Once an item is upgraded to a certain amount it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
Many locations have upgraders for their items which include the main island and a few outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and a chance to obtain the latest recipe. The upgrade discount increases according to the number of items being upgraded. It is also possible to be increased by requiring players to complete specific achievements or quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II is no item level upgrade upgrader available at the start of Icewind Dale. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are only accessible via a variety of ways. This is both a benefit and a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and numerous new features added. When a player has an upgrade to a certain item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading additional items to that same item level will be less expensive, even in the event that they belong to an entirely different set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is account-wide. Similarly, the amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is also reduced and is not available until players reach certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
When upgrading gear in WoW players have a few choices. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specific and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1, and come in 4 ranks.
First, you should know that the crests can only be purchased for gear that is of a particular rank. Each rank comes with an upgrade path that is different. The simplest and easiest upgrade is 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, based on the type or gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by completing content of the appropriate level, which means walking around and doing outdoor activities for lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons with any difficulty for higher-tier items or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons for gear that is used in the endgame. The crests can then be exchanged with an upgrader for the item such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and pathways.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it does bring some modifications to the upgrade process. For example, once an item reaches the highest level of upgrading for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't need Flightstones to be upgraded. This change lets players upgrade their equipment to the highest possible level for all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another important change is that crests only have one use, so it's important to use them properly. It is Best item upgrade to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the top-quality equipment you can find, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is especially true for items such as trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The account-wide discount will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality equipment.