WoW Ethereal Crests Guide - Upgrade System in The War Within Season 3

The WoW gear upgrade system is Blizzard’s way of letting you take almost any piece of gear you earn and push it higher, without waiting for pure RNG drops. In The War Within Season 3, it still revolves around two main currencies:

• Valorstones: the universal currency you’ll spend on actual upgrades.
• Ethereal Crests: the seasonal tokens that determine how far you can upgrade a given item.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Ethereal Crests: the different types, how to farm them efficiently, where they drop, what the weekly caps mean, and how to use them smartly for upgrades and crafting.

Types of Ethereal Crests in WoW Season 3

There are four tiers of Crests, each linked to a specific item level range and activity difficulty. As you climb higher, you’ll need stronger Crests to keep pushing your gear.

Where to Upgrade and Exchange Crests

Cuzolth: Upgrade Vendor
Dornogal, Mythic Aspirations shop
This is your main hub for upgrades. Bring Valorstones + the right Crest tier to boost item level.

Vaskarn: Crest Exchange Vendor
Dornogal, right next to Cuzolth
Handles all conversions:

• Upgrade lower Crests: higher ones (once you unlock the achievement for that tier).
• Downgrade higher Crests: lower ones if you’re short for smaller upgrades or crafting.

Crafting Enchanted Crests
Available at crafting hubs in Dornogal, or through Profession Work Orders.

• Combine Nascent Crests (made from regular Crests) + extra mats to create Enchanted Crests.
• Example: 60 Gilded Crests, Nascent Gilded, Enchanted Gilded.

How the WoW Gear Upgrade System Works

At its core, the WoW gear upgrade system in Season 3 lets you take almost any piece of gear and steadily push it higher without being locked behind RNG.

• Get the item: from dungeons, raids, Delves, PvP, or outdoor events.
• Earn Valorstones: the universal upgrade currency you’ll spend every time you improve an item.
• Collect the right Crests: each tier of gear requires a specific Ethereal Crest to unlock its maximum potential.
• Visit an upgrade vendor: for example, Cuzolth in Dornogal, and spend your Valorstones + Crests to push your gear further.

Upgrade Tracks Explained

Every piece of gear sits on one of several upgrade tracks, and each track dictates how high that item can go:

• Adventurer: lower-level gear, typically from world content and normal dungeons. Uses Weathered Crests.
• Veteran: higher-quality dungeon and world rewards, requiring Carved Crests.
• Champion: raid and Mythic+ gear, pushing into higher item levels with Runed Crests.
• Hero: stronger raid/Mythic+ gear, extending progression further with Gilded Crests.
• Mythic: the absolute top tier, only available through cutting-edge content.

One important detail: Crests are consumed each time you upgrade. That means you can’t just farm a stack once and reuse them endlessly. You’ll need to plan your upgrades strategically:

• Don’t blow your Gilded Crests on a mediocre piece early in the season.
• Save them for your BiS items or weapons that will last.
• Mix and match upgrades so you don’t stall out progress waiting for the perfect drop.

How to Farm Ethereal Crests

Farming Ethereal Crests in WoW: The War Within Season 3 is essential for progression. Each tier of Crest drops from different sources, and understanding where to get what you need will save you a ton of time.

• Weathered Crests come from Heroic dungeons, LFR, low-tier Delves, and repeatable outdoor activities.
• Carved Crests drop from Normal raids, world bosses, Mythic 0 dungeons, and mid-tier Delves.
• Runed Crests are earned in Heroic raids, Mythic+ keys from +2 to +6, and high-tier Delves.
• Gilded Crests are the top tier. They drop in Mythic raids, Mythic+ keys +7 and higher, and Tier 11 Delves.

The best strategy for efficient farming is to chain together multiple sources:

• Start with the world boss: easy Carved Crests and a chance at Champion-track loot.
• Clear all Mythic 0 dungeons for guaranteed Carved Crests and a solid baseline of gear.
• Run Delves: higher tiers award Runed and even Gilded Crests, and they’re less stressful than pushing high keys.
• Do a few Mythic+ dungeons. Keys from +2 to +6 give Runed, while +7 and above give Gilded.

Weekly Caps

Runed and Gilded Crests are capped at 90 per week. Weathered and Carved Crests, however, are essentially uncapped, you can farm them endlessly. If you miss a week, the catch-up system increases your cap for the following weeks, so you’ll never permanently fall behind.

Enchanted & Gilded Crests

Not every Ethereal Crest is just for upgrades at the vendor. Some transform into Enchanted Crests, which are used in high-end crafting.

• Enchanted Weathered/Carved/Runed/Gilded Crests are made by enchanters and allow crafted gear to reach much higher item levels.
• The most important one is the Enchanted Gilded Crest, which is needed to push crafted gear to its max potential of 723 ilvl.

Enchanted Gilded Crests are expensive. One costs 60 Gilded Crests, meaning you’ll want to plan your upgrades and crafts carefully. Blowing them on a filler piece is almost always a mistake.

How to Farm Gilded Ethereal Crests

They’re capped weekly and primarily tied to high-end content.

• Raids (Manaforge Omega): Each boss drops Gilded Crests, the most reliable source for raiders.
• Mythic+ Keys (+7 and higher): Offer Gilded Crests with scaling rewards based on key level and timer completion.
• Tier 11 Delves: At higher tiers, Bountiful and Overcharged Delves can grant significant amounts of Gilded Crests, especially with bonus objectives.

Because Gilded Crests are the most limited and valuable, you should never spend them recklessly.

Best Upgrade Path in WoW Season 3

So, how do you make the most of this system without wasting time or resources? Here’s a smart upgrade approach most players follow:

• Use Weathered and Carved Crests freely. They’re uncapped, so it’s safe to pump them into Mythic 0 or Normal raid gear. These crests keep your character raid-ready without regret.
• Save Runed and Gilded Crests for BiS slots. These are capped weekly, so you only get so many. Prioritize:
  • Weapons (always the biggest power jump).
  • Trinkets (especially raid-exclusive or M+ ones).
  • Tier set pieces (if you’re unlucky with drops).
• Time your crafts. Use your Spark of Starlight wisely. Combining it with an Enchanted Gilded Crest should be reserved for pieces you know you’ll use all season long.

Final Thoughts

Season 3’s upgrade system shows that progress in WoW doesn’t have to be random. With Ethereal Crests, every dungeon run, raid boss, or Delve pushes you forward. Want to farm as much as possible? We will help you clear raids, and you will get not only them but also everything else the raid offers in our WoW Raid Carry boost.