WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades give you boosts in certain statistics. Each upgrade increases the item level by +3. A random extra substat is also added to every upgrade.

The more modernized gear generally has a higher trade value, unless it has inherently low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or very high stat variation (like the eth titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as important for those with higher variance due to the need to roll an exact version.

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 weapon or armor. The item used to upgrade the item level upgrade will be consumed and can't be used again. Upgrades can be applied to Enchantments.

The upgrader can be found in all major cities and is accessible at any time to upgrade your gear. To ensure that your equipment is up-to-date, it is recommended that you visit the upgrader every couple of weeks.

The cost of upgrades will vary based on the current level of the equipment being upgraded however, they will always be less expensive than buying new equipment from other sources. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. Buying a similar item will cost you 105.

Valorstones

Upgrades are useful items which can be used to level up weapons and tools, armor and accessories. They can be purchased by players from NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for various currencies, and can be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade is able to be applied to any weapon, tool, or armor. The button will show the preview of an item's next upgrade level, if there are enough materials.

Upgrade costs differ based on the item slot, and the current level of the item. For example, weapons will cost more than gloves, bracers or bracers. Each upgrade cost 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Some upgrades offer discounts on Flightstones. After an item upgrades has been upgraded to a certain level it is able to be downgraded and sold to the upgrader at a lower cost.

Many locations have upgraders for their items in addition to the main island and some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade discount and the chance to acquire a new upgrade recipe. The upgrade discount increases with the number of items that are being upgraded. It is also possible to 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 that can assist with upgrades are only accessible through a variety means. This is both a benefit as well as a disadvantage.

In Season 3 the upgrade system has been altered a bit, with some new features added. Once the player has upgradedr, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it will no longer require Flightstones to be upgraded. This change is designed to allow players to upgrade their gear up to the highest level possible for all their characters instead of relying only on seasonal loot.

Another notable change is that crests have one purpose, so it's important to use them properly. It's Best item upgrader to use your Whelpling-rank crests on the highest-quality gear you can find, and keep Drake and Wyrm Crests for the next set of upgrades. This is particularly true for items like rings and trinkets that take up multiple slots on the character which can only be eligible to benefit from the account-wide discount if all of the slots are filled with top-quality equipment.