The 2023 System: Track First, Currency Second
An item’s upgrade track set its ceiling; Flightstones and Shadowflame Crests paid for eligible steps within that track. This is an archival guide to Dragonflight Season 2 in 2023, including the Myth track added during 10.1.5. Its item levels and currencies describe that season.
Blizzard’s original developer explanation published the progression table. A lower track could overlap the next track’s item levels, but upgrading did not change its track.
The Launch Tracks and Their Actual Ceilings
These are the five tracks present in the original 10.1 system. A drop could begin partway through its track; the starting item level shown here is the first rank, not a claim that every item dropped at that rank.
| Track | Ranks at 10.1 launch | First rank | Maximum item level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer | 8 | 376 | 398 |
| Adventurer | 8 | 389 | 411 |
| Veteran | 8 | 402 | 424 |
| Champion | 8 | 415 | 437 |
| Hero | 5 | 428 | 441 |
Overlap example: Veteran 8/8 and Champion 4/8 both reached item level 424. Champion could continue to 437; Veteran could not. The meaningful difference was the remaining upgrade path, not a rule that every Champion item immediately beat a fully upgraded Veteran item.
Likewise, “LFR upgrades to Normal” was shorthand for overlapping item levels, not a promise that an LFR item could reach every Normal drop’s ceiling. Read the individual item’s track and maximum rank.
Which Shadowflame Crest Paid for Which Step?
Blizzard’s April 2023 release overview explains the currencies. Flightstones had a 2,000 holding cap and no weekly earning limit. Fifteen matching fragments formed one Crest. The following brackets describe the original Season 2 upgrade destinations and ordinary dungeon/raid sources.
| Crest | Upgrade destination item levels | Mythic+ fragment bracket | Raid fragment source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whelpling’s Shadowflame | 402–411 | +5 and below | Raid Finder |
| Drake’s Shadowflame | 415–424 | +6 to +10 | Normal |
| Wyrm’s Shadowflame | 428–437 | +11 to +15 | Heroic |
| Aspect’s Shadowflame | 441; later Myth steps | +16 and above | Mythic |
The dungeon bracket for earning a Crest is different from the upgrade track on a particular reward. Do not use one table as a substitute for the other. Outdoor activities and Loamm vendor exchanges supplied additional lower-tier fragments.
The initial allowance grew by 150 fragments, equivalent to ten Crests, per type each week. It accumulated across the season rather than forcing a missed week’s allowance to disappear. One-time fragment rewards had separate cap exceptions. Wyrm and Aspect availability began with Season 2, one week after the lower tiers.
Read the Vendor’s Whole Cost, Not Just the Item Level
Eligible items showed their track, target rank and combined price in the upgrade interface. Blizzard’s example selects Champion 8/8 for a piece starting at Champion 2/8: the displayed total includes 970 Flightstones, two Drake Crests and four Wyrm Crests. It is an illustrated item cost, not a universal price for every slot.
For a historical upgrade decision, inspect the final rank, the full cost and what item would replace it. An available upgrade can be useful immediately even if another track eventually goes higher. The comparison should depend on the actual item and available progression, not a blanket rule to avoid an entire track.
10.1.5 Added a Sixth Track: Myth
The July 11 Fractures in Time notes added Myth retroactively to eligible Season 2 gear created at 441, 444 or 447. Its three ranks were 441 → 444 → 447. Each upgrade required Flightstones and an Aspect’s Shadowflame Crest, subject to discounts.
Hero still stopped at 441. Myth’s addition did not turn Hero items into Myth items, and a Myth 3/3 ceiling of 447 was not a statement that every possible Season 2 drop had that maximum.
Replacement Discounts and the Two-Slot Exception
If the character had already obtained higher-level gear for a slot, qualifying replacement upgrades needed no Crest and cost half the Flightstones. Another character’s higher-level item provided the account Flightstone discount, while the alt still needed the appropriate Crest.
For rings, trinkets and one-handed weapons, the system used the second-highest qualifying item rather than treating one strong item as proof that both slots were covered. Weapon arrangements had additional main-hand/off-hand rules, so the vendor’s displayed price was the practical check.
Crafted Items Used Recrafting, Not Veteran Ranks
Profession gear followed a separate route. Enchanters supplied Enchanted Shadowflame Crests as optional crafting reagents, and crafter skill affected the resulting quality. Further improvement used recrafting; crafted items were not Veteran 1/8 pieces upgraded through eight vendor ranks.
The 10.1 profession notes introduced the new Spark of Shadowflame choice in recipes. A Spark and an Enchanted Crest served different purposes; neither was a replacement name for Flightstones. Check the recipe, optional reagent and attainable quality together.
Where This Reference Stops
Season 3 changed the system again. Blizzard’s October developer update describes longer Hero and Myth tracks, Crest currency replacing bag fragments, and PvP integration. Those later rules should not be read back into the original five-track launch.
For current DPS item choices, our Raidbots comparison guide explains how to evaluate the complete set you can use. Keep that current model separate from these historical 2023 prices and item levels.
