- What to know
- Quick overview of the Kintaro axe armor build
- Location of Kintaro Armor in Bakumatsu
- How to unlock the Kintaro armor set
- Why the Kintaro armor is best for axe builds
- How the build changes your playstyle
- The Kintaro Axe and completing the build
- Crafting the Kintaro armor at the blacksmith
- Combat effectiveness in endgame
- Why Kintaro defines the axe meta
What to know
- The Kintaro armor set is widely considered the best-in-slot option for pure axe builds.
- You must reach the 1864 Bakumatsu era and complete the first Crucible instance.
- Defeating Nuribotoke unlocks the crafting recipe at the blacksmith.
- The full build requires pairing the armor with the Kintaro Axe for maximum scaling.
Once you reach the later stages of Nioh 3’s Bakumatsu timeline, the game opens access to one of the most powerful heavy melee sets available. If you are building around axes and strength scaling, this is the turning point where your damage and survivability spike dramatically.
Quick overview of the Kintaro axe armor build
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Required Era | 1864 – Bakumatsu |
| Unlock Condition | Clear first Crucible instance |
| Final Location | Honnoji Temple, Temple Lodgings |
| Boss to Defeat | Nuribotoke |
| Unlock Method | Recipe auto-unlocks after boss defeat |
| Core Scaling | Strength |
| Build Focus | Axe damage, sustain, hyper-armor pressure |
| Ideal Weapon Pairing | Kintaro Axe |
The Kintaro set is designed specifically for aggressive strength builds. If you prefer trading hits instead of dancing around enemies, this set allows you to do exactly that while remaining sustainable.
Location of Kintaro Armor in Bakumatsu
Progression is mandatory before the armor becomes available. You must advance the main story until you enter the 1864 timeline within the Bakumatsu era. This section of the game introduces higher-difficulty encounters and expanded build opportunities.
Once you gain access to the first Crucible instance, you are on the correct path. The Crucible acts as a high-intensity challenge area, featuring layered enemy encounters and a culminating boss fight. It is not optional if you want the Kintaro set.
The key objective is to push through this Crucible until you reach the final fast travel shrine labeled Honnoji Temple, Temple Lodgings. That location marks the final phase of the instance.
How to unlock the Kintaro armor set
Step 1
Progress the main campaign until you enter the 1864 Bakumatsu era. Without reaching this timeline, the Crucible and its associated unlocks will not appear.
Step 2
Enter the first Crucible instance available in this era. Prepare for sustained combat encounters and elite enemies, as this area is tuned for mid-to-late game builds.
Step 3
Advance through the Crucible methodically until you unlock the final fast travel point called Honnoji Temple, Temple Lodgings. Make sure to restock and prepare before moving beyond this shrine.
Step 4
Defeat the boss Nuribotoke. This fight tests your ability to manage pressure and positioning. Axe users should focus on stamina control and trading safely using heavy stagger windows.
Step 5
After defeating Nuribotoke, the Kintaro armor crafting recipe automatically unlocks at the blacksmith. There is no random drop involved. Once cleared, it is permanently available for crafting.
This automatic unlock is what makes the set reliable to obtain compared to random drop-based gear.
Why the Kintaro armor is best for axe builds
The Kintaro set is tailored around strength scaling and aggressive melee engagement. It amplifies the natural strengths of axes, which are high stagger potential and devastating single-hit damage.
| Armor Bonus | Combat Impact |
|---|---|
| Damage taken mitigation during attacks | Allows safer trading during swing animations |
| Life steal on melee hits | Provides sustain in prolonged fights |
| Stalwart | Prevents interruption during certain actions |
| Attack bonus (Strength scaling) | Directly boosts axe damage output |
The most important feature is the synergy between damage mitigation while attacking and life steal. Axe builds typically commit to long swing animations. Normally, this leaves you vulnerable. With Kintaro equipped, you can power through lighter hits while simultaneously recovering health through your strikes.
The strength-based attack bonus further increases your scaling efficiency. If you are already investing heavily in Strength for axe damage, the armor multiplies that investment rather than spreading your stats thin.
How the build changes your playstyle
With Kintaro equipped, you shift from cautious spacing into calculated aggression. Instead of constantly disengaging, you can pressure enemies by chaining heavy axe combos. The mitigation bonus reduces punishment during trades, while life steal offsets chip damage.
You still need proper stamina management, but the margin for error becomes significantly more forgiving. In boss encounters, especially those with predictable attack strings, you can punish more frequently and recover health mid-combat.
This makes the set extremely strong for players who prefer high-impact melee gameplay over evasive dexterity builds.
The Kintaro Axe and completing the build
The armor set reaches full potential when paired with the Kintaro Axe. This weapon is located somewhere within the Bakumatsu region, though its exact drop source is not fixed and may vary depending on enemy loot pools or mission rewards.
| Weapon | Importance to Build |
|---|---|
| Kintaro Axe | Optimized synergy with Kintaro armor bonuses |
| High Strength Scaling | Maximizes attack bonus effect |
| Heavy Impact | Enhances stagger-focused combat style |
Because the armor already boosts strength-based attack power, equipping a weapon that scales heavily with Strength compounds your overall output. When optimized with proper affixes and reinforcement, this combination becomes one of the highest raw-damage melee setups available in the current meta.
If you are min-maxing, focus on increasing Strength, optimizing melee damage bonuses, and enhancing life drain effects where possible.
Crafting the Kintaro armor at the blacksmith
Once unlocked, the armor can be crafted at the blacksmith without relying on RNG drops. Crafting allows you to reroll and optimize stats more efficiently than waiting for natural drops.
| Crafting Location | Blacksmith |
|---|---|
| Unlock Requirement | Defeat Nuribotoke |
| RNG Required | No |
| Optimization Method | Reforge and enhance |
Crafting gives you control over affixes and stat improvements. For serious axe builds, this consistency is critical.
Combat effectiveness in endgame
In higher-difficulty content and endgame encounters, survivability becomes just as important as damage. Kintaro addresses both simultaneously.
The damage reduction during attacks reduces burst punishments. The life steal improves sustain in multi-enemy engagements. The strength scaling ensures your damage remains competitive even as enemy health pools increase.
For players focusing entirely on axe mastery, there is currently no more efficient armor set for maximizing output and frontline durability within the Bakumatsu progression tier.
Why Kintaro defines the axe meta
The Kintaro armor set is a milestone upgrade for axe users in Nioh 3. By progressing to the 1864 Bakumatsu era, clearing the first Crucible, and defeating Nuribotoke, you permanently unlock one of the strongest strength-scaling sets in the game. When paired with the Kintaro Axe, the build transforms into a high-damage, sustain-heavy powerhouse designed for relentless melee pressure.
The combination of stagger control, hyper-armor style mitigation, and scaling synergy places Kintaro at the top of axe-focused builds. It rewards commitment and aggressive timing rather than cautious poke strategies.
If your goal is to deal massive damage while remaining durable enough to stay in melee range, this set delivers exactly that balance.
If you are committing to axes, this is the set you build around.
