Nioh 3 All Smithing Texts – Locations & Farming Guide
Smithing Texts allow you to craft specific weapons and armor at the Blacksmith. Each text is a rare drop from specific bosses or found in fixed locations. This guide lists every smithing text in Nioh 3 with its drop source and the most efficient farming methods.
How Smithing Texts Work
Smithing Texts are special items that permanently unlock the ability to forge specific weapons or armor pieces at the Blacksmith. Once you obtain a smithing text in Nioh 3, you can craft that equipment as many times as you want using materials and gold. This makes smithing texts one of the most valuable collectible items in the entire game, especially for players who want to min-max their builds with perfectly rolled gear.
Most Nioh 3 smithing texts drop from boss enemies with a low drop rate, typically between 2% and 5%. Some smithing texts are guaranteed rewards from specific missions or side quests, so always check mission completion rewards before farming bosses. The Item Drop Rate stat on your equipment directly increases the chance of receiving smithing texts from bosses, making it the single most important stat to stack when farming.
Smithing Texts are shared across all difficulty levels in Nioh 3 — you only need to obtain each text once, and it permanently unlocks the recipe at the Blacksmith. However, farming on higher difficulties often feels faster because you can build for maximum Item Drop Rate without worrying about combat difficulty. Once you have a smithing text, you can forge that weapon or armor set at any level and rarity available to you.
Smithing Text Farming Tips
Weapon Smithing Texts
Below is a complete list of all weapon smithing texts available in Nioh 3. Each weapon smithing text unlocks the ability to forge that specific weapon at the Blacksmith. Weapon smithing texts cover every weapon category in the game, from swords and spears to the newer talons and ninja swords. Pay close attention to the drop source column — knowing which boss drops which smithing text saves you hours of wasted farming time.
| Smithing Text | Weapon Type | Drop Source | Mission | Drop Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithing Text: Raikiri | Sword | Yamagata Masakage | Battle of Mikatagahara | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Doji Cutter | Sword | Ibaraki Doji | Demon's Den | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Firefly Blade | Sword | Hino-Enma | Spider's Web Castle | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Onikiri & Ubadachi | Dual Swords | Aggrieved Warrior | Restless Spirits | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Tombokiri | Spear | Honda Tadakatsu | The Warrior's Challenge | ~2% |
| Smithing Text: Bloodspider Blade | Switchglaive | Jakotsu-Baba | Web of Deceit | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Mikazuki Munechika | Odachi | Baba Nobuharu | Futamata Castle | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Demon King's Axe | Axe | Takeda Shingen (Yokai) | Demon's Last Stand | ~2% |
| Smithing Text: Sarutobi's Kusarigama | Kusarigama | Hattori Hanzo | Shadow of the Ninja | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Flying Kato's Hatchets | Hatchets | Kamaitachi | Wind of Blades | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Iron Fists of Nio | Fists/Cestus | Nuppeppo | The Rotting Temple | ~5% |
| Smithing Text: Dragon Ninja Sword | Ninja Sword | Naito Masatoyo | Path of the Assassin | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Thunder God's Tonfa | Tonfa | Kajiwara Kagetoki | Sacred Mountain Defiled | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Monk's Splitstaff | Splitstaff | Ryomen Sukuna | Temple of Two Faces | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Tiger Claws | Talons | Otazu-no-Kata | The Tiger's Bride | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Champion's Odachi | Odachi | Complete 'The Final Challenge' side mission | The Final Challenge | Guaranteed |
| Smithing Text: Demon King's Cestus | Fists/Cestus | Demon of Pride (Secret Boss) | Eternal Rift Depth 10+ | Guaranteed |
Armor Smithing Texts
Armor smithing texts in Nioh 3 unlock the ability to craft full armor sets at the Blacksmith. Unlike weapon smithing texts that unlock a single piece, armor smithing texts typically unlock an entire set — all five pieces at once. This makes armor smithing texts especially valuable because each one effectively unlocks five craftable items. The armor sets below include some of the most powerful light, medium, and heavy armor options available in Nioh 3.
| Smithing Text | Armor Type | Drop Source | Mission | Drop Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithing Text: Warrior of the West Set | Heavy Armor | Honda Tadakatsu | The Warrior's Challenge | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Night Raider Set | Light Armor | Hattori Hanzo | Shadow of the Ninja | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Kingo's Set | Medium Armor | Yamagata Masakage | Battle of Mikatagahara | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Demon Horde Set | Heavy Armor | Takeda Shingen | Battle of Mikatagahara | ~2% |
| Smithing Text: Shrine Maiden Set | Light Armor | Otazu-no-Kata | The Tiger's Bride | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Master Archer Set | Medium Armor | Anayama Nobutada | Archer's Ridge | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Onmyoji Vestments | Light Armor | Enenra | Smoke and Mirrors | ~4% |
| Smithing Text: Iron Fortress Set | Heavy Armor | Great Tengu | Sacred Mountain Defiled | ~3% |
| Smithing Text: Yokai Slayer Set | Medium Armor | Complete all Warring States Sub Missions | Various | Guaranteed |
| Smithing Text: Shinsengumi Set | Medium Armor | Complete 'Echoes of the Shinsengumi' | Echoes of the Shinsengumi | Guaranteed |
Best Smithing Text Farming Spots
Not all boss runs are created equal. The best farming spots for Nioh 3 smithing texts combine a short run distance from the Shrine to the boss arena, a boss with low health and predictable attacks, and high-value smithing text drops. Here are the four most efficient farming locations for smithing texts in Nioh 3, tested and optimized for maximum runs per hour.
Hino-Enma
Boss arena is directly after the Shrine. Hino-Enma has a small health pool and is easy to one-cycle with strong builds. One of the fastest smithing text farms in Nioh 3.
Nuppeppo
Shortest boss run in the game. The Shrine is in the room before the boss. Nuppeppo is slow and predictable, making this the absolute fastest smithing text farm available.
Yamagata Masakage
Drops both a weapon and armor smithing text. Excellent value per run. Human boss with predictable patterns that experienced players can stunlock.
Honda Tadakatsu
Drops the iconic Tombokiri spear smithing text and one of the best heavy armor sets in Nioh 3. Challenge mission format means immediate boss access with no run-up.
Smithing Texts FAQ
Do smithing texts carry over to NG+ in Nioh 3?
Yes, all smithing texts you collect are permanently unlocked and carry over to New Game Plus and all subsequent difficulty cycles. You never need to re-farm a smithing text.
Can I increase the smithing text drop rate?
Yes. Stack Item Drop Rate on your gear (aim for 25%+), use the Hunter Kodama Blessing, and equip accessories with the Lucky Drop (Smithing Text) special effect. These stack together for a significant improvement.
How do I know which smithing texts I already have?
Visit the Blacksmith and open the Forge menu. Any weapon or armor piece you have the smithing text for will show a checkmark icon. Items without a checkmark require you to find the corresponding smithing text first.
Are smithing texts shared between characters?
No, smithing texts are character-specific. Each character must farm their own texts independently. However, you can forge equipment on one character and transfer it to another via the storehouse.
What is the fastest smithing text farm in Nioh 3?
The Nuppeppo fight in 'The Rotting Temple' mission is the fastest at roughly 60 seconds per run. The Shrine is directly before the boss room, and Nuppeppo has very simple attack patterns.