Crest costs and weekly income
Upgrading is the most predictable part of gearing, which makes it the easiest part to plan and the most expensive part to get wrong.
20 crests per rank, on every track. Five steps takes a six-rank item from 1/6 to 6/6, so 100 crests per item. You earn 100 a week of each type and the cap is hard — so spend them, every week.
What arrives each week
The income the whole plan is priced against. Nothing here is random:
| Week | Hero Mistcrests | Myth Mistcrests | Bonus Rolls | Sparks of Tides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre Season | 100 | — | — | 1 |
| Week 1 | 100 | 100 | — | 0.5 |
| Week 2 | 100 | 100 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Week 3 | 100 | 100 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Week 8 | 100 | 100 | 2 | 0.5 |
Note what is not flat: Myth crests do not exist in Pre Season, bonus rolls start in Week 2 and double in Week 8, and sparks arrive at half a week after the first one — which is one craft every second week.
Why banking crests loses
Income is capped at 100 a week. That cap is the whole argument: a week where you spend nothing is not a week where you saved 100 crests — it is a week of capacity you can never get back, because next week's income is capped too.
The one exception
Hold crests off a slot when a boss you are still bonus-rolling can drop something for it. A roll pays out any eligible item from that boss's table, so an upgrade there may be replaced within the week. That is the only saving that pays — the bonus roll guide covers when it applies.
Where to spend first
- Your lowest slots. Item level is an average; the cheapest average gain is always the worst slot.
- Slots no roll is aimed at. Those upgrades are permanent.
- Not a slot you expect a Myth base for. A Hero item finished at 321 is the same item level as Myth 2/6 — see item levels and upgrade tracks.
Let the ledger do it
GearPath tracks every crest against the week you earn it, deducts what your plan spends, and turns the balance red the moment the route stops being possible.