WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost in certain stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by +3. A random additional substat is also added to each upgrade.
The upgraded gear typically has a more value in trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or has a high stat variance (like Eth titan weapons). Upgrades are not as important for those with higher variance because of the requirement to roll the perfect version.
Recycle Points
The upgrader for items allows players to upgrade gear to a higher level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapons. However, the item used for the upgrade will be consumed for the duration of time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your gear at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
Upgrades can cost more based on the level of the item however they'll always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. If you purchase a similar item, it will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for tools, armor, weapon and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players from NPCs of item upgraders in a variety of currencies. They can also find them in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor. The button will display the item's next level of upgrade, in the event that there are enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item and the current item level. For instance weapons are more expensive than bracers, or gloves. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with certain upgrades offering discounts to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or crests that are used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain amount it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Upgraders for items are available in many places including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of obtaining a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases according to the number of items that are being upgraded. It can also be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or quests.
Contrary to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no upgrader for items available at the start of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades must be acquired through several methods which is both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been tweaked a bit, with some new features added. After a player has earned an upgrade to a specific level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading additional items to the same level will cost less, even when they belong to an entirely different set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones required to upgrade is reduced and the discount is affixed to all accounts. In the same way, the amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also cut and is not available until players achieve certain milestones in their achievement.
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 special and are used for specific upgrades to the level of an item. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system introduced in 10.1, and come in 4 ranks.
The first thing to remember is that the crests can only be purchased for equipment that is of a particular rank. item upgrading comes with a different upgrade path. The simplest and simplest upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the most complex requires as many as 20 crests based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing tasks at the appropriate level. This could mean engaging in outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in all difficulty levels to obtain lower-tier gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons that have a high difficulty for gear in the endgame. Crests can be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to get the appropriate upgrade pathways and steps.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, but it brings some changes to the upgrade process. When a piece reaches the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This change is intended to allow players to get their equipment to the highest ilvl possible on all their characters, rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.
It's also important to use crests with care, since they only have one use. For instance, it's best to use all of your Whelpling-rank crests on the best equipment you have, and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you're planning to make. This is particularly relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The discount on the account will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.