WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boosts in specific statistics. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by +3. Each upgrade also boosts an unspecified substat.
The upgraded gear typically has a higher trade value as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or has a high stat variation (like eth titan weapons). The latter are less valuable from upgrading due to the need to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The upgrader for items allows players to upgrade their gear to a higher level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, item upgrading used for the upgrade will remain in use for a long time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be applied to the enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every couple of weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
The cost of upgrading will depend on the current level of the equipment being upgraded, but will always be cheaper than purchasing new equipment from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to upgrade weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players from item upgrader NPCs in exchange for a variety of 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 show the item's next level of upgrade, in the event that there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs differ based on the slot for the item and the current item level. For instance, weapons will cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a specific number of crests. Some upgrades give a discount on the Flightstones. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currencies.
Upgraders for items can be found in many places including the main island and some outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount and a chance to obtain a 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.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at start, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs who can facilitate upgrades are only accessible through a variety means. This is both a benefit and a disadvantage.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with numerous new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a certain level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading further items to that level will cost less, even when they are part of a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is available across all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is reduced as well, but is only available once certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
Players have a variety of options for upgrading their gear in WoW. They can choose to use Flightstones which are a common upgrade currency that is accessible to everyone, or crests, which are more specialized and consumed during upgrades on specific item levels. Crests are the main component of the Dragonflight gear progression system introduced in 10.1, and come in four ranks.
First, you should know that crests are only available for equipment that is that is of a particular rank. Each rank comes with a different upgrade path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the more complex one requires as many as 20 crests depending on the kind of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through finishing content at the appropriate level. item upgrades could mean doing outdoor activities, or by doing dungeons or raids in all difficulty levels to obtain lower-level gear or Mythicbosses for raids, or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade paths and steps.
Using these new currencies isn't that difficult, but the system will introduce a few changes to the overall upgrade process. Once a piece of gear attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it no longer requires Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible level for all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests wisely, as they have only one purpose. For instance it's a good idea use all of your Whelpling-rank crests with the best gear you have available, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you plan to create. This is particularly relevant for trinkets and rings that occupy multiple slots on the character that will be able to take advantage of the discount for all accounts when all of the slots are filled with top-quality equipment.