WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by 3. Each upgrade also increases a random substat.
The upgraded gear typically has a more value in trade, unless it has inherently low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or very high stat variance (like the eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by giving the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. However, the item that is used for the upgrade will be consumed forever and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear 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.
Upgrades can cost more based on the level of the item but they will always be cheaper than purchasing new equipment. For example upgrading a Benthic chest to 385 ilvl will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for tools, armor, weapon, and accessory upgrades. They are purchased by players through NPCs that sell upgrades to items in exchange for different currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor with a button, which displays a preview of the item at the next upgrade level in the event that the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the slot of the item level upgrade (Read This method) and the current item level. For example weapons cost more than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each upgrade 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 upgrader kit has been upgraded to a certain level and is degraded, it can be sold and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of the two currency types.
A lot of locations offer upgraders for items in addition to the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon and a chance to obtain the latest recipe. The upgrade item discount increases depending on the amount of items that are being upgraded, and can be increased by having players complete some 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 positive and a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with several new features added. After a player has earned an upgrade to a particular item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading further items to that same item upgrader mod level will cost less, even if they belong to a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones required to upgrade is reduced and the discount is affixed to all accounts. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players have reached certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a variety of choices. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System that was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
First, you should know that crests are only available for gear of a certain rank. Each rank comes with an upgrade path that is different. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the more complex one may require as many as 20 crests based on the kind of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing tasks at the appropriate level. This could mean doing outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in all difficulty levels to obtain lower-level gear or Mythicbosses for raids, or dungeons that have a high difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests can then be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC, like Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it will bring some changes to the upgrade item 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 will no longer require Flightstones to be upgraded. This is to allow players to get their gear up to the highest level possible on all their characters rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.
Another significant change is that crests only have one usage and it's crucial to use them wisely. For instance it's a good idea to utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the top equipment you have, and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you plan to make. This is particularly relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The account-wide discount will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.