Nioh does away with repairs, replacing that system with something new. Weapon Familiarity is a special stat associated with each individual weapon, ranking your skill and adeptness with that weapon — increasing the familiarity gauge up the ranks, up to a maximum, will unlock special heritage bonuses.
These heritage bonuses can be transferred to new weapons at the Blacksmith forge, so there’s no reason to simply throw away useful weapons. Some of the best weapons have bad heritage upgrades, and some so-so swords might come with a powerful heritage potential.
That’s why you’ll want to save cash and spend currency to increase your familiarity. There are four major paths to increasing familiarity. Some will require farming, others are only temporary, but they’ll all increase your rank.
#1: The Most Basic Way — Kill Lots of Enemies
This is how you’ll increase most of your familiarity, and it’s most useful for the weapons you want to upgrade. Killing enemies, depending on their level, your level, and the weapon you’re using, will always provide an upgrade to the weapon familiarity meter. Simply using a weapon is the best way to increase, and your primary weapons will easily rank up.
To farm, select the Yokai Realm arena side-missions for a quick fight. Or, you can replay missions and use the Shrine to re-summon defeated enemies. Just keep hacking and slashing to kill anything in your path. It’s basic, brutal, and it works. For the impatient, there are more items you can use to increase familiarity.
#2: Use Whetstones For An Instant Boost
Want to upgrade a weapon you don’t use much in combat? Need more familiarity to boost your favorite weapon fast? That’s where Whetstones enter the picture. These sharpening stone instantly increase your currently-equipped weapon’s familiarity +150. Early or mid-game, that’s a pretty good boost. They’re pretty cheap too, and available to buy from the Blacksmith.
Purchase a whole load of whetstones and just keep using them to easily increase familiarity, especially with weaker or earlier-game items that don’t have a high maximum. You can then transfer the heritage to another weapon you do want to use — just make sure the weapon has all the upgrades you want.
#3: Temporarily Upgrade Familiarity With Uchiko Powder
If you’re using a weapon with an awesome weapon familiarity boost, like bonus damage depending on your level, than the Uchiko Powder is surprisingly useful. Purchase a stack fro the Blacksmith and apply it to your sword before a tough fight to take advantage of the upgrade. This is only a temporary upgrade, so don’t expect to use Uchiko Powder for anything but a partial buff before combat.
#4: Equip Upgraded Magatama Accessories
Magatama are common accessories you’ll find throughout the game, and often they’ll include weapon familiarity boosts built-in. Make sure to check each Magatama for stat buffs. These increases will stack too, if you equip two at the same time, and more powerful Magatama will eventually unlock as you progress through the game. For better / more frequent drops, don’t forget to collect all the Kodama (green shrine spirits) in each region.
More Nioh guides, walkthroughs and secrets on Gameranx:
- Nioh: 12 Quick Tips To Make Everything Easier | Beginner’s Guide
- Nioh: How to Defeat Every Boss | Locations, Strategies & Secrets Guide
- Nioh: Upgrade Shrines & Get More Blessings | Kodama Locations [Kyushu]
- Nioh: Upgrade Shrines & Get More Blessings | Kodama Locations [Chugoku]
- Nioh: Customization Options Guide | Hair, Beards, Armor & Disguises
- Nioh: How to Respec Your Skill Points | Book of Reincarnation Guide
- Nioh: All 6 Hiragumo Teakettle Fragments Locations | Trophy Guide
- Nioh: Make the Umi-Bozu Boss Easier With These Bonfire Locations
- Nioh: All Illusory Walls (Nurikabe Demon) Locations | Secret Rooms Guide
- Nioh: How to Open Every Locked Door | All Key Locations Guide
