Upgrade Your Gear Efficiently in The War Within Expansion

How to Upgrade Gear in The War Within

In The War Within, the gear upgrade system remains consistent with the one introduced in Dragonflight. While no major changes have been announced, the system now features a new currency: Harbinger Crests, replacing previous upgrade items like Awakened Crests and Dreaming Crests.

This guide provides all the essential and currently available information about Harbinger Crests, including farming strategies and how to use them effectively for upgrading your gear.

The War Within Upgrading Materials

Upgrading gear in The War Within requires two types of currency, following a similar system to Dragonflight. Players will need Harbinger Crests alongside another yet-to-be-named currency akin to Flightstones. While the exact name is currently unknown, this secondary currency will play a crucial role in the upgrade process.

Secondary Currency

The unnamed currency can be earned by participating in a variety of activities, including:

• Completing quests and world quests;
• Engaging in open-world activities;
• Defeating raid bosses;
• Completing Mythic+ dungeons.

This currency will likely be more accessible than Harbinger Crests, ensuring players can steadily accumulate it as they progress through the content.

Harbinger Crests

Harbinger Crests are the rarer and more valuable component in the upgrade process. These crests are capped weekly, and the most sought-after versions can only be obtained from Mythic+ dungeons and raids.

The quality and level of the Harbinger Crests will depend on the difficulty of the content where they are earned. For instance, higher-tier Mythic+ dungeons or Heroic and Mythic raids will provide superior crests.

Given their limited availability, Harbinger Crests will be a highly valuable resource, especially during the initial weeks of The War Within Season 1. Players should use them strategically to upgrade key pieces of gear that will provide the most benefit.

Gear Upgrading Paths in The War Within

In Season 1 of The War Within, Harbinger Crests will be the primary resource for upgrading gear. However, the upgrade process will vary depending on the item's type and its initial item level. Items can be upgraded multiple times, but higher tiers of crests or greater quantities will be required for advanced upgrades. Below is a breakdown of gear types and their item level ranges.

Types of Gear and Item Level Ranges

Gear Type	Item Level Range
Explorer	558 to 580
Adventurer	571 to 593
Veteran	597 to 619
Champion	693 to 715
Hero	610 to 626
Mythic	623 to 639

Obtaining Harbinger Crests

Players can acquire Harbinger Crests through a variety of activities, depending on the crest tier. Understanding these sources will help maximize efficiency in farming and gear upgrading.

• Weathered Harbinger Crest:
  • Available from regular quests, world quests, and defeating bosses in Nerub’ar Palace on Raid Finder difficulty.
  • Can also be earned in Mythic+ dungeons up to level +3.
• Carved Harbinger Crest:
  • Earned from specific quests and defeating bosses in Nerub’ar Palace on Normal difficulty.
  • Also obtainable in Mythic+ dungeons up to level +3.
• Runed Harbinger Crest:
  • Gained by defeating bosses in Nerub’ar Palace on Heroic difficulty.
  • Can be acquired in Mythic+ dungeons from level +4 to level +8.
• Gilded Harbinger Crest:
  • Obtained by defeating bosses in Nerub’ar Palace on Mythic difficulty.
  • Also rewarded in Mythic+ dungeons from level +9 and higher.

Key Insights

Raids and Mythic+ dungeons remain the primary sources for Harbinger Crests, but they are not the only options. Players can also earn lower-tier crests through regular quests, world quests, and world events. However, upgrading gear to Mythic raid level will require Gilded Harbinger Crests, obtainable only from high-level Mythic+ dungeons and Mythic raids.

By understanding these methods and planning crest acquisition carefully, players can efficiently upgrade their gear and achieve the highest item levels in The War Within.

Upgrade Discount System in The War Within

Harbinger Crests are a rare and valuable resource, making it frustrating to use large quantities on gear that may soon be replaced. To address this, The War Within introduces a discount system for upgrades, providing more flexibility in using Crests.

Here’s how the system works: if you’ve already upgraded a piece of gear, you’ll receive a significant discount when upgrading another item for the same slot. This allows players to upgrade intermediate gear without worrying about wasting resources, even if they know the item will eventually be replaced.

This system encourages players to invest in temporary upgrades, improving their overall power progression without the fear of depleting limited resources unnecessarily.

Harbinger Crest Categories and How to Use Them

In The War Within, all types of Harbinger Crests will remain relevant throughout the season. Upgrading a single item often requires multiple crest types, depending on the item's level and upgrade tier. Below is a detailed table outlining the crest categories and the types of gear they can be used to upgrade.

Crest Type	Upgradable Items
Weathered Harbinger Crest	Higher item level Adventurer gear and lower item level Veteran gear.
Carved Harbinger Crest	Higher item level Veteran gear and lower item level Champion gear.
Runed Harbinger Crest	Higher item level Champion gear and lower item level Heroic gear.
Gilded Harbinger Crest	Heroic and Mythic gear.

Key Insights

Each type of Harbinger Crest serves a specific range of gear levels, ensuring its continued value throughout the season. Lower-tier crests like Weathered and Carved are essential for upgrading intermediate gear, while higher-tier crests like Runed and Gilded are critical for advancing high-end equipment, including Heroic and Mythic items.

By understanding how to use each crest effectively, players can strategically plan their upgrades and optimize their gear progression in The War Within.

How to Craft Gear Using Enchanted Harbinger Crests

Enchanted Harbinger Crests are a key resource for upgrading player-crafted gear in The War Within. While crafted gear typically starts at a lower item level, it can be significantly upgraded using these specialized crests. Only players with the Enchanting profession can create Enchanted Harbinger Crests, but you don’t have to craft them yourself—you can request help from a friend, guildmate, or another enchanter.

Required Ingredients for Each Enchanted Crest

• Enchanted Weathered Harbinger Crest
  • x1 Nascent Weathered Harbinger Crest
  • x50 Storm Dust
  • x5 Gleaming Shard
• Enchanted Runed Harbinger Crest
  • x1 Nascent Runed Harbinger Crest
  • x100 Storm Dust
  • x10 Gleaming Shard
  • x1 Refulgent Crystal
• Enchanted Gilded Harbinger Crest
  • x1 Nascent Gilded Harbinger Crest
  • x150 Storm Dust
  • x15 Gleaming Shard
  • x2 Refulgent Crystal

How to Obtain Nascent Harbinger Crests

To craft an Enchanted Harbinger Crest, you first need the Nascent version of the corresponding Harbinger Crest. These can be purchased using regular Harbinger Crests:

• Nascent Weathered Harbinger Crest: Costs 30 Weathered Harbinger Crests.
• Nascent Runed Harbinger Crest: Costs 45 Runed Harbinger Crests.
• Nascent Gilded Harbinger Crest: Costs 60 Gilded Harbinger Crests.

Item Level Upgrades with Enchanted Harbinger Crests

Crest Type	Item Level Upgrade Range
Enchanted Weathered Harbinger Crest	577–590
Enchanted Runed Harbinger Crest	606–619
Enchanted Gilded Harbinger Crest	623–636

Key Points

Each Enchanted Harbinger Crest has a specific item level range it can upgrade crafted gear to. The final upgraded item level depends entirely on the skills of the crafter who makes the item, not on the enchanter’s skill level. This makes finding a skilled crafter essential for maximizing the potential of your upgraded gear.

Enchanted Harbinger Crests allow players to make substantial improvements to crafted items, offering a powerful way to keep gear competitive throughout The War Within.

Overall Conclusion

The item upgrade system introduced in Dragonflight and carried forward into The War Within stands as the most effective to date. It offers players unparalleled flexibility in upgrading their gear while providing pathways to obtain high-level BiS (Best-in-Slot) items with minimal restrictions. The only challenge left is to acquire the base item itself.

Sometimes, obtaining the required item can be more difficult than upgrading it. That’s where assistance becomes invaluable. With Dving's services for The War Within, you’ll find everything you need to upgrade your character’s gear effortlessly to any level, simplifying the entire process. Prepare for your adventure and maximize your potential with ease!