WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost to certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also increases a random substat.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless the item has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like the eth Titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as important for those with lower requirements due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrade r allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied on any type of armor or weapons. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can be used to create Enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every few weeks, to keep your equipment up to date.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the level of the item, however, they are always cheaper than buying new gear. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items which can be used to level up weapons and tools, armor and accessories. They can be bought by players from item upgrader NPCs in exchange for various currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased, it can be used on any weapon or tool using an The button will display the item's next level of upgrade, if there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item and the current item level. For example weapons cost more than gloves, bracers, or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with some 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 degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lower amount of the two currencies.
Many locations offer item upgraders which include the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount and the chance to get a brand new upgrade recipe. The discount on upgrades increases as more items are upgraded. It can also be increased by having players complete certain achievements or complete quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no item upgrader available in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that can be used to upgrade must be acquired through a variety of means that are both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and some new features added. After an upgrade has been completed 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 a different set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is account-wide. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is also reduced and is not available until players reach certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading gear in WoW players have a variety of choices. They can choose to use Flightstones that are a common upgrade currency that is accessible to everyone players, or crests, which are more specialized and consumed during upgrades at specific levels of items. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that the crests can only be purchased for equipment that is of a particular rank. Each rank has distinct upgrade paths. The most basic and straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the more complex one may require as many as 20 crests based on the type of equipment being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through working through content at the appropriate level. This could be by doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of all difficulties to get equipment of lower tier or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons that have a high difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests are then exchanged with an upgrader such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and paths.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't that difficult, but the system introduces some modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest level possible for all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
It's also important to use crests in a wise manner, as they have only one purpose. For instance, it's a good idea make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the best equipment available, and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you're planning to create. This is especially true for items such as trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.