WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades can give you boost in specific stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. Each upgrade also boosts a random substat.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless the item has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or a high stat variance (like eth Titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as useful for those with higher variance due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The upgrader for items allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be made on any type of armor or weapons. The item used to upgrade the item level Upgrade is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be applied to the enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear current, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader each few weeks.
The cost of upgrading will be based on the current level of the gear being upgraded but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new gear from other sources. For instance upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to ilvl 385 will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapon, armor, tool and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players from NPCs of item upgraders in a variety of currencies. They are also available on random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be applied to any weapon or tool with an button, which will show a preview of the item level upgrade at its next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the item slot, and the current level of the item upgrader mod. For instance, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Some upgrades offer discounts on Flightstones. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Many locations have upgraders for their items in addition to the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon as well as the chance to obtain a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players finish certain achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the start, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. The NPCs who can facilitate upgrades are available only through a variety means. This is both a benefit as well as a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with some new features added. After a player has earned an upgrade to a certain level of an item upgrader mod for a specific armor slot, upgrading other items to that same item level will be less expensive, even in the event that they are part of an entirely different set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones required for upgrades is decreased, and the discount is account-wide. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is reduced too, but it is only available when certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
When upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a couple of choices. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specialized and are utilized during specific item level upgrades. Crests are the main component of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1, and come in four ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests are only able to be used on equipment of a particular rank, and each rank has its own requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and easiest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, depending on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through finishing content at the appropriate level. This could be done by engaging in outdoor activities or taking on dungeons and raids of all difficulty levels to obtain lower-tier gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with heroic difficulty for endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't too difficult, but the system will introduce a few changes to the overall upgrade process. For instance, when a piece of equipment reaches the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change is intended to allow players to upgrade their equipment to the highest level possible for all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant change is that crests only have one use and it's crucial to use them properly. It is best to use your Whelpling-rank Crests on the best gear you can find and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up several slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.