WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader

Upgrades will give you a boost in specific statistics. Each upgrade increases the level of an item by 3. A random substat is also added to 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 variance (like the eth titan weapons). Upgrades aren't as useful for those with lower requirements due to the need to roll the perfect version.

Recycle Points

The item upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by offering the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of weapon or armor. The item upgrades used to upgrade the item will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.

The upgrader can be found in every major city, and is accessible anytime to upgrade your equipment. To keep your gear current it is recommended that you visit the upgrader each couple of weeks.

The cost of upgrades will depend on the current level of the gear being upgraded, but will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear from other sources. Upgrades such as upgrading a Benthic chest to the level of ilvl385 will cost you 20 recycle points. A similar item upgrades will cost you 105.

Valorstones

Upgrades are items that can be used to upgrade weapon, armor, tool, and accessory upgrades. They can be bought by players through NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for different currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased, it can be used on any weapon, tool, or armor with an button, which will display a preview of the item at its next upgrade level when the player has enough materials.

The cost of upgrading is based on the item slot and the current item level as well as the level of the weapon, which is more than gloves or bracers for instance. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a certain number of crests. Certain upgrades provide discounts on Flightstones. After an item level Upgrade has been upgraded to a certain degree it can be re-downgraded and sold to the upgrader for a lower price.

Upgraders for items can be found in a variety of locations, including the main island as well as some outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade coupon and the possibility of getting the latest recipe. The discount for upgrading increases when more items are upgraded. It can be increased if players complete certain achievements or complete quests.

In contrast to Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II there is no item upgrader available in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that are available to help with upgrades require several methods which is both an improvement and a drawback.

In Season 3 the upgrade system was modified a bit, and several new features added. When a player has an upgrade to a certain item level for a particular armor slot, upgrading additional is with care, since they have only one purpose. For instance it's Best item upgrade to make use of all your Whelpling-rank crests on the Best item upgrader gear you have available and save Drake and Wyrm crests to use for the next set of upgrades you plan to create. This is especially applicable to items like trinkets and rings that fill multiple slots. The discount for the entire account will only apply when all the slots on the character are filled with top-quality equipment.