WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade increases the item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts the random substatus.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless the item has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a high variance in stats (like 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 allows players to upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. The item used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear current it is recommended you visit the upgrader every couple of weeks.
The cost of upgrading will depend on the current item level Upgrade level of the gear being upgraded, but will always be less expensive than buying new equipment from other sources. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to upgrade tools, armor, weapon and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players from NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for various currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade items is purchased it can be used on any weapon or tool with an button, which will show a preview of the item at its next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.
Upgrade costs differ based on the item upgrader kit slot, and the current level of the item. For instance weapons cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of Flightstones or the crests used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
Upgraders for items can be found in a variety of locations, including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount as well as a chance to obtain a new upgrade recipe. The upgrade items discount increases as more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the beginning unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are only available through a variety of methods. This is both a positive and an issue.
In Season 3 the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and several new features added. Once a player has upgraded to a certain level of item for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same item level, will cost less. This applies even if the items are from an entirely different set of equipment.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is account-wide. Similarly, the amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players have reached certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
Players have several choices when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are an item upgrader mod that is available to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more specialized and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests can only be used on gear of a specific rank, and each rank has its own requirements for its upgrade items path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the more complex one can require as much as 20 crests depending on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by finishing content at the appropriate level, which involves walking around and performing outdoor activities to get lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons with any difficulty for higher-tier items, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons for endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC, like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
The use of these currencies isn't too difficult however, the system introduces some changes to the overall upgrade process. Once a piece of gear has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This change is intended to allow players to get their equipment up to the highest ilvl possible on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another important change is that crests only have one purpose, so it's important to use them wisely. For instance, it's a good idea use all of your Whelpling-rank crests on the best gear you have available and save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you plan on making. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The account-wide discount will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.