WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades can give you boost in certain stats. Each upgrade increases the item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts an unspecified substat.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless it has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like Eth Titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade gear to a higher level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, the item that is used to upgrade will remain in use for a long time and can't be used again. Upgrades can be applied to enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear up-to-date, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader each few weeks.
The cost of upgrading will vary based on the current level of the item being upgraded however, they will always be less expensive than buying new gear from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest 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 for weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be 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 or tool using a The button will show the preview of an item's next level of upgrade, when there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs differ based on the item slot, and the current item level. For example weapons are more expensive than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades offer a discount on the Flightstones. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree and is degraded, it can be sold and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
Upgraders for items can be found in many places on the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer an upgrade coupon as well as the possibility of getting an entirely new recipe. The upgrade discount increases depending on the amount of items being upgraded. It is also possible to be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at the beginning, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. Instead the NPCs that can be used to upgrade are acquired via several methods which is both an improvement as well as a disadvantage.
In Season 3, the upgrade system was modified a bit, and some new features added. Once an upgrade has been completed to a certain level of item for an armor slot upgrading other items to the same level will cost less. This applies even if those items come from an entirely different set of equipment.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is cut as well, but is only available when certain milestones are achieved.
Crests
When upgrading gear in WoW, players have a variety of choices. They can use Flightstones which are a common upgrade currency available to all players, or crests, which are more specific and used to upgrade specific levels of the item. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.
First, you must be aware that crests are only available for equipment with a certain rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The most basic and straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the more complex one can require as much 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 taking on dungeons and raids of all difficulties to get equipment of lower tier or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with a heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. The crests can then be exchanged with an upgrader, such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn, in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and pathways.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, but it brings some changes to the upgrade process. For instance, once an item is at the highest level of upgrading for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change lets players upgrade their gear to the highest level possible on all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
It's also crucial to choose crests wisely, as they have only one purpose. It is recommended to use your Whelpling-rank Crests on the top-quality equipment that you can find, and save Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next round of upgrades. This is especially true for items such as trinkets and rings that take up several slots. The discount for the entire account is only applicable when all slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.