WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give a guaranteed boost to specific stats. Each upgrade increases item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts a random substat.
The upgraded gear is usually more useful, unless the item is not required by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like the eth Titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of armor or weapon. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enhancements.
You can upgrade your equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended that you visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up to date.
The cost of upgrades will depend on the current level of the item being upgraded however, they will always be less expensive than buying new equipment from other sources. For example upgrading a Benthic chest piece to 385 ilvl will cost 20 recycle points, purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items which can be used to upgrade weapons and tools, armor and accessories. They can be purchased by players through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners for various currencies. They can also find them on random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor using a button, which displays a preview of the item at the next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
The
upgrade item cost depends on the slot of the item and the current
item upgrader kit level and the weapon's price is higher than gloves or bracers for instance. Each step costs 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Some upgrades offer a discount on the Flightstones. After an item has been upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currency types.
item level upgrade upgraders can be found in a variety of locations including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of obtaining a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases depending on the amount of items that are being upgraded. It is also possible to be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the start, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades must be acquired through several methods which is both an improvement as well as a disadvantage.
In Season 3, several new features were added to the upgrade system. After an upgrade has been completed to a specific level for an armor slot upgrading other items to the same item level, will cost less. This is even if those items come from another set of equipment.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is decreased, and the discount is affixed to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is cut too, but it is only available after certain milestones are reached.
Crests
Players have a variety of options for upgrading their equipment in WoW. Flightstones are an item that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specific and are used for specific
item upgrading level upgrades. Crests are the main component of the Dragonflight gear progression system introduced in 10.1, and come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that crests can only be spent on gear of a specific rank, and each rank has different requirements for upgrading. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the more complex one requires as many as 20 crests based on the type of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level. This could mean engaging in outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in any difficulty to earn equipment of lower tier or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons that have a high difficulty to obtain endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to get the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
Utilizing these new currencies isn't too complicated however, the system introduces some modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece of equipment attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it will no longer require Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible level for all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant change is that crests only have one purpose, so it's important to use them properly. For instance it's a good idea utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the best equipment you have and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you're planning to make. This is especially applicable to rings and trinkets that take up multiple slots on the character, which will only be able to benefit from the discount for all accounts when all slots are filled with top-quality gear.