WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades give a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade item boosts the level of the item by +3. A random substat is also boosted alongside every upgrade.

The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless the item has a low requirement 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 for a perfect model.

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 weapons. However, the item used for the upgrade will be consumed forever and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.

You can upgrade your gear at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended that you visit the upgrader at least once every couple of weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.

Upgrades will cost more, based on the item level, however, they are always less expensive than purchasing new gear. For example, upgrading a Benthic chest piece to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points, purchasing a similar piece from another player will cost 105.

Valorstones

Upgrades are items that can be used for weapon, armor, tool and accessory upgrades. They are purchased by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for various currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor using the help of The button will display the preview of an item's next upgrade level, when there are enough materials.

Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot for the item level upgrade and the current item level. For instance, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item level upgrade is upgraded to a certain amount, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currencies.

Upgraders for items are available in a variety of locations on the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount and the chance to obtain a new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrading increases when more items are upgraded. It can also be increased by having players complete certain achievements or quests.

Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are only available through a variety of methods. This is both a benefit as well as a drawback.

In Season 3, several new features have been added to the upgrade system. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a specific item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading other items to that level will cost less even if they are part of an entirely different set of gear.

The discount applies to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also cut and is not available until players reach certain milestones in their achievement.

Crests

When upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a couple of choices. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specific and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.

The first thing to remember is that crests are only able to be used on equipment of a particular rank, and every rank has different requirements for upgrading. The simplest and easiest upgrade is 15 crests. The most complex upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, contingent on the kind of equipment that is being upgraded.

Players can earn crests through completing content of the appropriate level, whether that involves walking around and performing outdoor activities to get lower-tier gear, raids or dungeons with all difficulties for higher-tier items, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons for endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.

Utilizing these new currencies isn't that difficult, but the system introduces some changes to the overall upgrade items process. When a piece of equipment attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This allows players to upgrade their equipment to the highest possible level on all of their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.

It's also essential to use crests in a wise manner, as they are only used for one purpose. It is best to use your Whelpling-rank Crests on the highest-quality gear you can find, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is especially relevant for trinkets and rings that occupy multiple slots on the character, which will only be able to take advantage of the account-wide discount when all slots are full of high-quality gear.