WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades give a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the item level by +3. Each upgrade also increases an unspecified substat.

The upgraded gear typically has a more value in trade regardless of whether it has low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or a very high stat variation (like the eth titan weapons). Upgrades are less valuable for the latter due to the need to roll a perfect version.

Recycle Points

The item level upgrade (visit my website) upgrader enables 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 armor or weapon. However, the item that is used to upgrade will be consumed forever and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be applied to enhancements.

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

The cost of upgrades will vary based on the current level of the equipment being upgraded but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment 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 to purchase weapons, armor, tools, and accessory upgrades. Players can purchase them through NPCs who sell upgrades to item owners in a variety of currencies. They are also available on random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with a button, which displays a preview of the item upgrade at the next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.

The cost of upgrading varies based on the item slot, and the current level of the item upgrade. For example, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with some upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and sold back to the upgrader for a lesser amount of the two currencies.

Many locations have upgraders for their items, including the main Island and some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount as well as a chance to obtain a new upgrade recipe. The upgrade discount increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased by having 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 who can facilitate upgrades are only accessible through a variety of methods. This is both a benefit and a disadvantage.

In Season 3, many new features were added to the upgrade system. When a player has an upgrade to a specific level for an item in an armor slot, upgrading other items to that level will cost less even in the event that they belong to a different gear set.

The discount is available to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is reduced too, but it is only available after certain milestones are achieved.

Crests

Players have several options when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are an item that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specific, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an important element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System, which was introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.

The first thing to remember is that crests can only be used to purchase equipment of a particular rank, and every rank has different requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the most complex can require as much as 20 crests based on the kind of gear being upgraded.

Players can earn crests through working through content at the appropriate level. This could mean doing outdoor activities, or by doing dungeons or raids in all difficulties to get equipment of lower tier or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons that have a high difficulty for endgame gear. These crests are then exchanged with an upgrader for the item upgrader kit such as Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and paths.

Using these new currencies isn't that difficult however, the system does introduce some modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it no longer requires Flightstones. This change lets players upgrade their gear to the highest possible level on all of their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.

It's also essential to use crests with care, since they are only used for one purpose. For instance it's a good idea to make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the top gear you have available and keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you're planning to make. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The account-wide discount will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.