Indisputable Proof Of The Need For Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades provide a guaranteed boost to specific stats. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. Each upgrade also boosts the random substatus.
The upgraded gear is usually more valuable, unless the item Level upgrade has a low requirement by nature (like FB sorc shields) or has a high variance in stats (like the eth Titan weapons). Upgrades are less important for the latter due to the requirement to roll a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear to a higher item level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. However, the item used for the upgrade will be consumed for the duration of time and cannot be used again. Upgrades can also be used to create enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended that you visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date.
Upgrades can cost more based on the item level, however they'll always be less expensive than purchasing new equipment. For instance 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 useful items that can be used to upgrade weapons and tools, armor and other items. Players can purchase them from item upgraders NPCs in a variety of currencies. They can also find them on random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade items is able to be used on any tool, weapon or armor. The button will display a preview of an item's next upgrade level, in the event that there are enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item slot and the current item level, with weapons costing more than bracers or gloves, for instance. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones and a variety of crests, with certain upgrades having a discount to reduce the cost of the Flightstones or the crests used. Once an item is upgraded to a certain level it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower price.
Item upgraders can be found at many locations, including the main island and some outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade discount and a chance to acquire a new upgrade recipe. The discount on upgrades increases as more items are upgraded. It can be increased by having players complete certain achievements or quests.
Unlike 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 facilitate upgrades are acquired via several methods which is both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, many new features were added to the upgrade system. When a player has an upgrade to a particular level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading additional items to that same item level will be less expensive, even in the event that they belong to a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones needed for upgrades is reduced, and the discount is affixed to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is cut as well, but is only available once certain milestones are reached.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a few options. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more specific and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They come in four ranks.
The first thing to be aware of is that crests are only able to be spent on equipment that is of a particular rank, and that each rank has its own requirements for upgrading. The easiest and most straightforward upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complex upgrade can require up to 20 crests, based on the type or gear being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by completing content of the appropriate level, whether that means walking around and doing outdoor activities for lower-tier gear, dungeons or raids of any difficulty for higher-tier items, or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses or dungeons to obtain endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an item level upgrade upgrader NPC, like Cuzolth in Dornogal, or Vaskarn in Valdrakken, for the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
The new currency system isn't difficult to use, however it will bring some changes to the upgrade process. When a piece attains 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 upgrade their equipment to the highest level possible on all their characters instead of relying only on seasonal loot.
Another notable change is that crests have one usage therefore it's essential to make use of them in a responsible manner. For instance it's a good idea to utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests on the Best item upgrade equipment you have, and then save Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you're planning on making. This is particularly true for items such as trinkets and rings that fill multiple slots. The discount on the account is only applicable when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.