14 Common Misconceptions About Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boost in certain stats. Each upgrade increases item level by +3. A random extra substat is also added to every upgrade.
Upgraded gear is generally more valuable, unless the item has low requirements by nature (like FB sorc shields) or a high stat variance (like Eth Titan weapons). These types of gear get less value from upgrading due to the need to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The upgrader for items allows players to upgrade their gear to a higher level by providing the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. The item used to upgrade the item will be consumed and can't 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. To ensure that your equipment is 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 cheaper than buying new gear. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest up to ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are items that can be used to purchase weapons, armor, tools, and accessory upgrades. Players can purchase them from item upgrades upgraders NPCs in a variety of currencies. They are also available on random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be applied to any tool, weapon or armor. button, which will display an image of the item upgrading at the next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the slot of the Item Level Upgrade and the current level of the item and the weapon's price is higher than bracers or gloves, for instance. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones and a number of 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 degree it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lesser amount of the two currencies.
A lot of locations offer upgraders for items, including the main Island and a few outposts. The NPCs provide both an upgrade coupon and the chance to obtain the latest recipe. The discount for upgrades increases with the number of items being upgraded. It is also possible to be increased by having players complete some specific achievements or quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an item upgrader at beginning 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 which is both an improvement but also a drawback.
In Season 3, a number of new features have been added to the upgrade system. After a player has earned an upgrade to a particular level for an item in an armor slot, upgrading further items to that level will cost less even in the event that they are part of a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones needed to upgrade is reduced and the discount is affixed to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests needed to upgrade is reduced as well, but is only available once certain milestones are reached.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading equipment in WoW, players have a couple of options. Flightstones are an item that is available to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special, and are used during specific item level upgrades. Crests are an integral part of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System, which was introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
First, you should know that the crests can only be purchased for equipment of a certain rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The most basic and straightforward upgrade path costs 15 crests, while the more complex one requires as many as 20 crests based on the type of equipment that is being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by completing content at the appropriate level. This could be by doing outdoor activities, or by taking on dungeons and raids of any difficulty to earn lower-level gear or Mythicbosses of raids or dungeons with heroic difficulty to obtain endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to upgrade the item in the proper steps and pathways.
Using these new currencies isn't that difficult, but the system introduces some modifications to the upgrade process. For instance, when an item reaches the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This allows players to upgrade their gear to the highest possible level for all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
Another important modification is that crests have one purpose, so it's important to use them wisely. For instance, it's a good idea to utilize all of your Whelpling rank crests with the best equipment you have and save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you're planning to create. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy multiple slots. The discount on the account will only be applicable if all slots on the character are filled with top-quality gear.