WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades can give you boosts in specific statistics. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by +3. Each upgrade also increases a random substat.

Upgraded gear generally sees greater value for trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or very high stat variance (like the eth titan weapons). Upgrades are not as useful for those with higher variance due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.

Recycle Points

The item upgrader enables players to upgrade their gear to a higher level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied on any kind of armor or weapons. The item used to upgrade the item upgrader mod will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enhancements.

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

The cost of upgrades will vary based on the current item level upgrade level of the item being upgraded, but will always be less expensive than purchasing new gear from other sources. Upgrades such as 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 to purchase weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be purchased by players from NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for different currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be used on any weapon, tool or armor. The button will show the item's next level of upgrade, if there are enough materials.

Upgrade costs differ based on the item slot, and the current item level. For instance weapons cost more than bracers, or gloves. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones and a number of crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to lower the cost of Flightstones or crests used. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain degree it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currency types.

Upgraders for Item Level Upgrade items can be found at many locations including the main island, as well as a few outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount and the chance to acquire a new upgrade recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items that are being upgraded. It is also possible to be boosted by requiring players to complete specific achievements or quests.

Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. Instead the NPCs that can be used to upgrade items require a variety of means, which is both an improvement but also a drawback.

In Season 3 the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with several new features added. Once a player has upgraded to a specific level for an armor slot, upgrading other items to the same Item level Upgrade level, will cost less. This applies even if those items come from another set of gear.

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

Crests

When upgrading equipment in WoW players have a couple of options. Flightstones are a currency that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a crucial element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.

The first thing to note is that crests are only able to be spent on equipment that is of a particular rank, and that each rank has different requirements for its upgrade path. The simplest and simplest upgrade route costs 15 crests while the most complicated can require as much as 20 crests depending on the type of gear that is being upgraded.

Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level. This could be done by doing outdoor activities, or by completing dungeons and raids in all difficulty levels to obtain equipment of lower tier or item level upgrade Mythicbosses for raids, or dungeons with a heroic difficulty for gear in the endgame. The crests can later be exchanged at an item upgrader NPC, like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade paths and steps.

Using these new currencies isn't too complicated however, the system does introduce some changes to the overall upgrade process. When a piece attains the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer) it will no longer require Flightstones. This change is designed to allow players to upgrade their gear up to the highest level possible for all their characters rather than relying solely on seasonal loot.

It's also important to use crests wisely, as they are only used for one purpose. For instance it's a good idea make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests with the Best item upgrader equipment you have and then save Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you plan to make. This is particularly 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 slots are full of high-quality equipment.