WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a an increase in specific stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also increases the random substatus.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless the item level upgrade (why not look here) has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like the eth Titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the need 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 weapon. The item used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
The upgrader is located in all major cities, and can be accessed anytime to upgrade your gear. To keep your gear up-to-date it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every few weeks.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the level of the item, but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for weapons, armor, tools and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners in a variety of currencies. They are also available on random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be applied to any tool, weapon or armor. button, which will display a preview of the item at its next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the item upgrader kit slot, and the current item upgrader kit level. For example, weapons will cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be downgraded and sold to the upgrader for a lower price.
Upgraders for items can be found at many locations, including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade coupon and the possibility of obtaining a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases depending on the amount of items being upgraded, and can be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or complete 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 means. This is both a benefit as well as a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and numerous new features added. After a player has earned an upgrade to a particular level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level will cost less even in the event that they belong to a different gear set.
The discount is available to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players reach certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW players have a few choices. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more special and are used for 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 remember is that the crests can only be purchased for equipment that is with a certain rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The most basic and straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the more complex one may require as many as 20 crests, based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by working through content at the appropriate level. This could be done by doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of any difficulty to earn equipment of lower tier or Mythicbosses for raids, or dungeons with a heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to get the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
Using these new currencies isn't too difficult however, the system will introduce a few changes to the overall upgrade process. When a piece attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This change lets players upgrade their gear to the highest possible level on all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
It's also crucial to choose crests wisely, as they have only one purpose. For instance it's a good idea to utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests with the Best item upgrader equipment you have and keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan to make. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The account-wide discount is only applicable when all slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.