11 Ways To Fully Redesign Your Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to specific stats. Each upgrade increases the level of the Item Level Upgrade by +3. A random additional substat is also increased with each upgrade.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless the item upgrader kit is not required by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a large variance in stats (like eth Titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the need to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader lets players upgrade their gear by transferring the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any kind of armor or weapon. However, the item level upgrade that is used to upgrade will be consumed forever and can't be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enhancements.
The upgrader can be found in all major cities, and can be visited anytime to upgrade your equipment. To keep your gear up-to-date, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every few weeks.
Upgrades will cost more depending on the level of the item, however, they are always less expensive than purchasing new equipment. For example upgrading a Benthic chest to 385 ilvl will cost 20 recycle points purchasing a similar piece from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are useful items which can be used to improve the quality of weapons tools, armor, and accessories. They are purchased by players from item upgrader NPCs in exchange for a variety of currencies, and may also 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 an image of the item upgrade at its next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
Upgrade costs vary depending on the slot of the item and the current level of the item. For instance, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each step costs 15 Flightstones and a few crests, with certain upgrades offering discounts to lower the cost of Flightstones or crests that are used. After an item has been upgraded to a certain level it is able to be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Many locations offer item upgraders, including the main Island and a few outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade coupon and a possibility of obtaining an entirely new recipe. The upgrade discount increases depending on the amount of items that are being upgraded. It can also be boosted by having players complete some specific achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the start unlike Cromwell from Baldur's gate II. The NPCs who are able to facilitate upgrades are available only through a variety of methods. This is both a positive and a drawback.
In Season 3 the upgrade system was tweaked a bit, with numerous new features added. When a player has an upgrade to a certain level for an item in an armor slot, upgrading additional items to the same level will cost less, even if they belong to another set of gear.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is available across all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required for upgrades is also reduced and is not available until players have reached certain achievement milestones.
Crests
When upgrading equipment in WoW players have a variety of choices. Flightstones are a currency that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specialized, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are a key element of the Dragonflight gear progression system that was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.
First, you must be aware that crests are only available for equipment that is of a certain rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The easiest and most straightforward upgrade is 15 crests. The most complicated upgrade could require as much as 20 crests, based on the kind of gear that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests through finishing tasks at the appropriate level. This could mean doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of any difficulty to earn lower-tier gear or Mythic+ raid bosses or dungeons with heroic difficulty for endgame gear. Crests can be exchanged at an upgrader NPC, such as Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to get the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it brings some changes to the process of upgrading. For instance, once an item is at the highest level of upgrading for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic), it won't need Flightstones to be upgraded. This change lets players upgrade their gear to the highest possible level for all their characters rather than relying on seasonal loot.
Another significant modification is that crests have one purpose therefore it's essential to use them properly. For instance, it's a good idea to use all of your Whelpling-rank crests on the best gear you have available and then keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan on making. This is especially relevant for items like rings and trinkets that occupy multiple slots. The discount on the account will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.