WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost in certain statistics. Each upgrade increases item level by +3. A random substat is also increased with every upgrade.
The upgraded gear typically 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 variance (like Eth titan weapons). Upgrades are less valuable for those with lower requirements due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by offering the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. However, the item used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and can't be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities and can be accessed anytime to upgrade item your equipment. It is recommended to visit the upgrader at least once every couple of weeks to ensure that your equipment is up to date.
The cost of upgrades will be based on the current item upgrading level of the equipment being upgraded however, they will always be less expensive than purchasing 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 items which can be used to level up weapons and tools, armor and other items. Players can purchase them through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners in a variety of currencies. They can also find them on random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased, it can be used on any weapon or tool with an button, which will display a preview of the item at the next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item slot and the current level of the item level upgrade and the weapon's price is higher than bracers or gloves, for example. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to lower the cost of Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item upgrading has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currency types.
A lot of locations offer upgraders for items, including the main Island and a few outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade discount as well as a chance to get a brand new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrading increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased by having players complete certain achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the start, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. Instead, the NPCs that can be used to upgrade require several methods which is both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, many new features were added to the upgrade system. After a player has upgraded to a certain item level for an armor slot upgrading other items to the same item level, will cost less. This is regardless of whether the items are from another set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones required for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is account-wide. 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 equipment in WoW players have a variety of options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to all players for upgrading. Crests are more special and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System, which was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that crests can only be used on equipment of a particular rank, and that each rank has its own requirements for its upgrade path. The easiest and most straightforward upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade requires up to 20 crests, based on the kind of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through completing content of the appropriate level, which involves walking around and engaging in outdoor activities to get lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons with all difficulty for items of higher tier, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons to obtain endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade paths and steps.
The new currency system isn't complicated to use, however it brings some modifications to the upgrade process. For example, once a piece of equipment reaches 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 gear to the highest possible ilvl on all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant change is that crests have one usage and it's crucial to make use of them in a responsible manner. It's best to put your Whelpling-rank Crests on the highest-quality gear you can find and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is particularly true for items such as trinkets and rings that fill several slots. The account-wide discount will only apply when all slots on the character are filled with high-quality equipment.