How to Farm Familiarity in Nioh 3 (And Where the Heck Are Whetstones?) -

So you’re a few hours into Nioh 3, trying to unlock weapon skills and get your build going… and then you notice it.
Your weapon familiarity is barely moving, whetstones are nowhere to be found, and the game does a pretty terrible job of explaining what’s going on.

If you’re wondering whether you missed a tutorial, a hidden NPC, or some early farming trick — relax. This is one of the most common early-game questions players have. Familiarity progression in Nioh 3 is slower by design, especially at the start, and whetstones are intentionally rare early on.

The good news? Your game isn’t bugged, you’re not locked out of anything, and you’re not playing wrong. Familiarity is increasing, just more gradually than you might expect. Here’s how familiarity actually works in Nioh 3, why whetstones are scarce early, and how to farm familiarity efficiently so you can unlock weapon skills without wasting time or stressing over missing items.

How Familiarity Works in Nioh 3 (Quick Breakdown)

Familiarity in Nioh 3 is tied directly to using a specific weapon in real combat. The more you fight with a weapon — landing hits, defeating enemies, and clearing encounters — the more familiarity that weapon gains over time. There’s no shortcut required to start progressing, and you don’t need special items just to make it work.

A few important things to keep in mind as you farm familiarity:

Familiarity is per weapon, not per weapon type, so swapping to a new drop resets progress
It increases through hits and kills, not by simply equipping the weapon
Higher familiarity unlocks weapon skills, passives, and bonus effects
Whetstones only speed up familiarity gain — they are helpful, but not required

So yes, even if you haven’t found a single whetstone yet, you’re still making progress just by playing, fighting, and sticking with the weapon you want to level.

Best Ways to Farm Familiarity Early Game in Nioh 3

1. Just Keep Using the Same Weapon

This is the simplest and most reliable way to farm familiarity early on, even if it doesn’t feel flashy. In Nioh 3, familiarity rewards consistent weapon use, not constant upgrading or swapping.

To make this work:

Equip the weapon you actually want to level
Stick with it across multiple missions and encounters
Avoid swapping to every new drop unless you’re testing a different build

Early familiarity gain is intentionally slow, especially in the opening regions, so don’t expect instant results. The key is consistency. The longer you stay with one weapon and keep fighting, the faster its familiarity will build up over time.

2. Farm Enemy-Dense Areas Near Shrines

If you want to farm familiarity faster in the early game, focus on areas packed with weaker enemies, especially ones located close to shrines. These spots are perfect because they let you fight often without much downtime.

For best results:

Fight groups of weaker enemies instead of single tough targets
Clear patrols and side paths rather than rushing straight to objectives
Use nearby shrines to reset enemies if you want to repeat the loop

Since familiarity increases through repeated hits and kills, more frequent combat means faster progress. Bosses may be exciting, but they aren’t ideal for farming familiarity — steady, repeatable enemy fights are far more efficient.

3. Rotate Between Two Equipped Weapons

If you’re still experimenting or can’t decide on a main weapon, rotating between your two equipped weapons is a smart way to farm familiarity without wasting time. In Nioh 3, both equipped weapons gain familiarity as you fight, even if one is used less frequently.

Here’s how to make the most of it:

Swap weapons mid-mission to spread familiarity gain
Level two weapons at the same time instead of focusing on just one
Perfect for testing playstyles while still making progress

Familiarity gain per weapon will be a bit slower compared to focusing on a single weapon, but overall it’s more efficient if you’re unsure which weapon you want to commit to long-term.

How to Get Whetstones in Nioh 3 (Early Game Reality Check)

Are Whetstones Available Early?

Yes — but they’re rare, and that’s completely intentional.

Most players don’t see consistent whetstone drops in the first region at all, especially during their first few hours. If you’ve been clearing missions, checking loot, and still haven’t found one, that’s normal. Whetstones are not guaranteed early-game loot, and Nioh 3 doesn’t really explain this upfront, which is where a lot of the confusion comes from.

Early on, the game clearly wants you to build familiarity the old-fashioned way — by actually fighting with your weapon — rather than skipping progression with items. As you move into later regions, whetstones start appearing more often through drops, rewards, and other systems, but early scarcity is part of the intended pacing.

Best Early Method: Shrine Offerings

Right now, the most reliable way to get whetstones early in Nioh 3 is by offering gear at shrines. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s the one method that consistently works for players in the early game.

Here’s how it works:

Visit any shrine during a mission
Offer unused or unwanted equipment
Receive Amrita along with random item rewards
Occasionally get whetstones (this part is RNG-based)

Based on player experience, offering higher-rarity gear (purple or above) appears to improve your chances, though it’s still not a guaranteed drop. If you’re clearing missions and drowning in extra gear anyway, making regular shrine offerings is easily the best way to slowly build up whetstones early on.

Other Early Sources for Whetstones

Outside of shrine offerings, early-game whetstone sources in Nioh 3 are very limited, which is why so many players feel stuck at first.

Here’s what you can expect:

Enemy drops: Extremely rare in the early regions and not something you can reliably farm
Mission rewards: Inconsistent and usually tied to later progression
Shops or NPCs: These typically unlock later in the game, not in the opening areas

If you’re still early on, shrine offerings remain your best and most reliable option — and even then, you shouldn’t expect a steady or fast supply of whetstones yet. As you progress further, additional sources open up and whetstones become much easier to obtain.

Why Whetstones Are So Rare Early On

This isn’t an oversight — it’s completely intentional.

Nioh 3 leans heavily into its crucible weapon and skill-unlock system, which is designed to slow things down early and push players to actually learn how their weapons work. By limiting whetstones at the start, the game encourages:

Learning weapons through real combat, not item shortcuts
Preventing instant or early skill unlocks
A slower, more deliberate early-game progression curve

In short, Nioh 3 wants you out there fighting, experimenting, and getting comfortable with your weapons first — not skipping that process by dumping items into familiarity right away.

What to Do If You Have Zero Whetstones

If you’ve reached a point where you have no whetstones at all, don’t panic — this is a very common early-game situation in Nioh 3 and it doesn’t mean you’re falling behind.

If you’re stuck without any:

Keep fighting — familiarity still increases naturally through combat
Farm enemy-heavy areas instead of rushing objectives
Offer unused or excess gear at shrines whenever possible
Don’t stress about being “behind” in progression

Once you push into later regions, whetstones become noticeably more common through drops, rewards, and other systems. Early on, patience and consistency are far more important than items.

Quick FAQ

Can you farm familiarity without whetstones?
Yes. You can farm familiarity in Nioh 3 just by using your weapon in combat. Whetstones only speed up the process — they aren’t required.

Is my game bugged if I haven’t seen any whetstones?
No. Many players don’t see whetstones at all in the early regions. This is normal and part of the game’s intended progression.

Are whetstones missable?
No. Whetstones become more common as you progress and cannot be permanently missed, so you don’t need to worry about locking yourself out of weapon familiarity upgrades.

Bottom Line

Familiarity farming in Nioh 3 works simply by playing and fighting with your weapon
Whetstones are intentionally rare in the early game, so not finding any is normal
Shrine offerings are the best early source for whetstones, even though they’re RNG-based
Familiarity progression speeds up naturally as you unlock later regions and systems

If you’re still early in Nioh 3, you’re exactly where the game expects you to be — even if the game doesn’t do the best job of explaining it. Stick with your weapon, keep fighting, and the familiarity (and whetstones) will come.