WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades give you boosts in certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also increases an unspecified substat.

The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless the item has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like Eth Titan weapons). Upgrades are not as useful for those with higher variance due to the requirement to roll the 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. The item level upgrade used to upgrade the item level upgrade will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.

You can upgrade your equipment at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear current it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every few weeks.

Upgrades will cost more depending on the item level, however they'll always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item upgrader mod will cost you 105.

Valorstones

Upgrades are items that can be used for weapons, armor, tools and accessory upgrades. Players can purchase them from NPCs of item upgraders for various currencies. They can also find them in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased, it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with a button, which will show an item's preview at its next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.

The cost of upgrades varies based on the item slot and the current item level and the weapon's price is higher than gloves or bracers, for instance. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.

Upgraders for items are available at many locations including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount as well as a chance to obtain a new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrading increases as more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or complete quests.

Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are only accessible through a variety means. This is both a benefit as well as a disadvantage.

In Season 3, the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with numerous new features added. After the player has upgraded to a certain item Level Upgrade level for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same item level, will cost less. This is regardless of whether the items come from an entirely different set of equipment.

The discount is available to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is reduced also, but is only available after certain milestones have been reached.

Crests

When it comes to upgrading gear in WoW, players have a couple of choices. Flightstones are an item 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 introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.

The first thing to note is that crests are only able to be used on equipment of a particular rank, and that every rank has different requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and easiest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complex upgrade requires up to 20 crests, contingent on the type or gear that is being upgraded.

Players can earn crests by finishing tasks at the appropriate level. This could be by doing outdoor activities or taking on dungeons and raids of any difficulty to earn lower-level gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons that have a high difficulty to obtain endgame gear. The crests can then be exchanged with an upgrader, such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and paths.

The new currency system isn't complicated to use, however it does bring some changes to the process of upgrading. When a piece of equipment attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it will no longer require Flightstones. This change is designed to allow players to upgrade their gear up to the highest ilvl possible for all their characters rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.

It's also crucial to choose crests with care, since they only have one use. It's Best item upgrade to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the top-quality equipment that you can find, and save Drake and Wyrm Crests to be used for the next set of upgrades. This is particularly relevant for items like trinkets and rings that fill several slots. The discount for the entire account will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.