WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in specific stats. Each upgrade increases item level by 3. A random extra substat is also boosted alongside every upgrade.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless it has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like Eth Titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader enables players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of armor or weapons. However, the item used to upgrade will be consumed forever and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create the enchantments.
The upgrader is located in all major cities and can be visited at any time to upgrade your gear. It is recommended to visit the upgrader once every couple of weeks to keep your equipment up-to-date.
The cost of upgrades will vary based on the current item level of the gear being upgraded but they will always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment from other sources. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to upgrade weapon, armor, tool and accessory upgrades. They are purchased by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for different currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased, it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with an button, which will display an item's preview when it is upgraded in the event that the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrades varies based on the slot of the item and current item level, with weapons costing more than bracers or gloves, for example. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain level, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of the two currency types.
Upgraders for items can be found in many places including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade discount and a chance to get a brand new upgrade recipe. The upgrade discount increases as more items are upgraded. It can also be increased by having players complete certain achievements or complete quests.
Contrary to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no upgrader for items in the beginning of Icewind Dale. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are available only via a variety of ways. This is both a positive and a disadvantage.
In Season 3, several new features have been added to the upgrade system. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a certain level for an item in an armor slot, upgrading additional items to the same level will be less expensive, even if they belong to a different gear set.
The discount applies to all accounts. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also cut and is not available until players have reached certain milestones in their achievement.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a couple of choices. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone for upgrading. Crests are more special, and are used during specific upgrades to the level of an item. Crests are a key element of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1, and come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that Crests are only available to equipment that is of a particular rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. item upgrading and straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the more complex one requires as many as 20 crests, based on the kind of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through completing content of the appropriate level, whether that involves walking around and performing outdoor activities for gear of lower tiers, raids or dungeons with all difficulties for higher-tier items or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses and dungeons to obtain endgame gear. These crests can then be exchanged at an upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to get the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
Using these new currencies isn't too complicated however, the system will introduce a few modifications to the upgrade process. For example, once an item reaches 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 equipment to the highest possible level on all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests with care, since they only have one use. For instance it's a good idea use all of your Whelpling-rank crests with the best equipment you have, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan to create. This is particularly true for items like rings and trinkets that fill multiple slots on the character which can only be eligible to benefit from the discount for all accounts when all slots are filled with top-quality gear.