14 Common Misconceptions About Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to certain stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. A random substat is also boosted alongside each upgrade.
The more modernized gear generally has a greater value for trade as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or a very high stat variation (like the eth titan weapons). Upgrades are less valuable for those with higher variance due to the need to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by giving the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be made on any kind of armor or weapons. The Item Level Upgrade used to upgrade the item will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can be used to create 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 every few weeks, to keep your equipment up-to-date.
The cost of upgrading will vary based on the current item level of the gear being upgraded, but will always be less expensive than purchasing new gear from other sources. For instance, upgrading a Benthic chest to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points while purchasing the same item from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used for weapons, armor, tools, and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players from NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for different currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade is purchased, it can be used on any weapon or tool using the help of button, which displays a preview of the item at the next upgrade level if the player has sufficient materials.
The cost of upgrading varies based on the slot of the item and the current item upgrades level. For instance, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades give a discount on the Flightstones. Once an item has been upgraded to a certain degree, it can be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of both currency types.
Many locations have upgraders for their items in addition to the main island and a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and a chance to obtain a new recipe. The upgrade discount increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at start, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades must be acquired through a variety of means that are both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and some new features added. When a player has an upgrade to a certain level for an item upgrader kit in an armor slot, upgrading additional items to that same item level will cost less, even when they belong to another set of gear.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is also reduced and is not available until players have reached certain milestones in their achievements.
Crests
Players have a number of choices when it comes to upgrading their gear in WoW. Flightstones are an item upgrade that is available to all players for upgrading. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a crucial component of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
The first thing to remember is that crests are only available for equipment that is with a certain rank. Each rank comes with a different upgrade path. The easiest and most straightforward upgrade is 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade can require up to 20 crests, depending on the type or gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by finishing content at the appropriate level. This could mean engaging in outdoor activities or taking on dungeons and raids of all difficulties to get lower-tier gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with heroic difficulty for endgame gear. These crests are then exchanged with an upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and paths.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it does bring some modifications to the upgrade process. For example, once a piece of equipment reaches the highest upgrade level of any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it will no longer require Flightstones to be upgraded. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible ilvl for all their characters, instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another important modification is that crests have one usage and it's crucial to use them properly. It is best to put your Whelpling-rank Crests on the highest-quality gear that you can find, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests to be used for the next set of upgrades. This is especially relevant for items like trinkets and rings that take up multiple slots. The account-wide discount will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.