WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades will give you a boost in certain stats. Each upgrade increases item level by 3. Each upgrade also boosts a random substat.

The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless it has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or a high stat variance (like the eth Titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the necessity to roll to get a 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 weapons. However, the item that is used for the upgrade will remain in use for a long time and will not be able to be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.

The upgrader can be found in every major city, and can be accessed anytime to upgrade your gear. To keep your gear current it is recommended you visit the upgrader every couple of weeks.

The cost of upgrades will be based on the current level of the equipment being upgraded, but will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear from other sources. For example upgrading a chest piece from Benthic to 385 ilvl will cost 20 recycle points, purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.

Valorstones

Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapon, armor, tool and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players through item upgrader NPCs in exchange for different currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be used on any tool, weapon or armor. button, which will display an item upgrading's preview when it is upgraded if the player has sufficient materials.

Upgrade costs differ based on the item upgrader kit slot, and the current level of the item. For instance weapons cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with some upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or crests that are used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currencies.

Many locations have upgraders for their items which include the main island and some outposts. The NPCs provide both 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 by having players finish certain achievements or quests.

Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at beginning, 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 and an issue.

In Season 3, a number of new features were added to the upgrade system. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a particular level of an item level upgrade for a specific armor slot, upgrading further items to that same item level will cost less even when they belong to another set of gear.

The amount of Valorstones required for upgrades is decreased, and the discount is affixed to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players reach certain achievement milestones.

Crests

When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW players have a few options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specific, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System, which was introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.

First, you must be aware that Crests are only available to equipment that is of a certain rank. Each rank has a different upgrade path. The most basic and straightforward upgrade process costs just 15 crests while the most complex can require as much as 20 crests based on the type of equipment being upgraded.

Players can earn crests through completing tasks at the appropriate level. This could be by doing outdoor activities, or by doing dungeons or raids in all difficulties to get lower-level gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, like Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade paths and steps.

The new currency system isn't complicated to use, but it will bring some changes to the upgrade process. For instance, once an item is at the highest upgrade level of any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't need Flightstones to be upgraded. This change is intended to allow players to get their equipment up to the highest ilvl possible for all their characters instead of relying only on seasonal loot.

It's also essential to use crests in a wise manner, as they have only one purpose. For instance, it's a good idea utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the Best item upgrader equipment available and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you're planning to create. This is especially applicable to trinkets and rings that occupy multiple slots on the character which will only be able to take advantage of the account-wide discount if all of the slots are filled with top-quality equipment.