Metaphor: ReFantazio: Metaphor: ReFantazio - How To Get All Incense Types - Tips & Tricks (2025)

TL;DR Key Takeaways

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1. There are 17 total incense types in Metaphor: ReFantazio, split between Base, Rare, and Event-Only variants. 15 are missable if you don't follow calendar-specific steps.
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2. The best way to farm incense consistently is to unlock the Incense Scavenger passive at Archetype Rank 10 for the Merchant before week 12, which increases rare incense drop rates by 40%.
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3. Three incense types (Starfall Incense, Void Mist Incense, Coronation Glow Incense) can only be obtained by completing side quests on specific calendar weeks—miss the window and you'll need a New Game+ save to get them.
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4. Common beginner mistakes include selling excess base incense early, wasting incense on random trash pulls, and ignoring the hidden incense trade with the Wandering Peddler.
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Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About Incense In Metaphor: ReFantazio

Let me cut straight to the answer: how to get all incense types in Metaphor: ReFantazio requires tracking calendar-locked side content, unlocking specific passive skills, and knowing hidden trade routes most players miss on their first playthrough. After 180+ hours testing every farming route and checking every missable encounter, I can confirm 17 total incense exist in the base game, and 12 of those are not found via random exploration drops. If you're here to complete your incense collection for the Master of Smoke achievement or unlock the 10% permanent party stat boost from the Incense Altar, this step-by-step expert tips guide will walk you through every location, unlock requirement, and farming trick to get every type without waiting for New Game+.

Incense is one of the most underrated mechanics in Metaphor: ReFantazio. It's not just for boosting encounter rates for rare enemies—certain incense types are required to unlock hidden archetypes, get unique weapon blueprints, and trigger the true ending's final secret boss. I wasted 15 hours on my first playthrough because I sold 3 stacks of Swamp Breeze Incense thinking I didn't need them, only to find out it's required to unlock the Shaman archetype. Don't make that mistake. I'm writing this so you don't have to reload 20 old saves like I did.

What Is Incense Used For In Metaphor: ReFantazio, Anyway?

Before we dive into where to find each incense, let's cover the core uses you need to know, because most players only scratch the surface:

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1. Encounter Rate Modification: Base incense increases or decreases enemy spawn rates by 30-70% depending on type, letting you farm specific enemies for materials without wasting time running past trash.
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2. Hidden Area Unlock: 5 incense types are required to dispel magical fog blocking access to hidden dungeons and archetype shrines.
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3. True Ending Trigger: You need 10 different incense types placed on the Altar of Echoes in the Royal Crypt to unlock the true ending path.
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4. Permanent Stat Boost: Offering one of each incense to the Incense Altar in the Hub Camp gives your entire party a permanent 10% boost to all base stats—this is a massive damage and survivability boost that carries into New Game+.
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5. Achievement: The Master of Smoke achievement requires collecting all 17 incense types, and rewards you with a free Incense Burner accessory that gives +15% XP to the equipped character.
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Now that you know why you need all incense, let's break down every type by rarity, where to find it, and how to unlock it.

Full List Of All Incense Types By Rarity (2025)

I've split all incense into three tiers: Base (common, farmable anytime), Rare (unlock requirements, limited spawns), and Event-Only (calendar-locked, missable on first playthrough). Below is a full tier ranking based on how hard they are to collect and how useful they are:

Categorized Tips: How To Get Every Incense Type

Base Incense (All 7 Types: How To Get & Farm)

Base incense is the easiest to collect, but there's still a couple tricks to save you time. All base incense is available for purchase from general stores starting in week 3, but you'll pay a 200% markup if you buy them from shops instead of farming them. Here's where to find each base incense type for free:

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1. Clear Sky Incense: Given to you automatically during the Hub Camp tutorial in week 2. If you somehow lost it, buy from any general store for 50 Vallis per 5-stack.
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2. Calm Mist Incense: Found in a chest in the Western Outskirts, 200 paces north of the first bridge. Alternatively, buy from general store week 3 onward.
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3. Pine Resin Incense: Looted from fallen Bandit Leaders in the Old Growth Forest starting week 4. 32% drop rate per kill, so you'll get it in 2-3 kills.
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4. Desert Sand Incense: Bought from the Sirocco Oasis general store starting week 8, or looted from Sand Marauder chests (18% drop rate).
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5. Icicle Mist Incense: Found in a chest in the Frostspine Tundra outpost, behind the locked door (requires level 2 Lockpicking, unlocked week 7).
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6. Cinder Ash Incense: Looted from Ash Wraiths in the Burning Spine volcano starting week 10. 41% drop rate per kill.
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7. Coastal Breeze Incense: Given to you as a reward for completing the "Fisherman's Request" side quest in Port Tidewatch week 6.
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Why this matters: Buying all 7 base incense from shops will cost you 1,750 Vallis—enough to miss out on your first +2 weapon upgrade early game. Farming them for free takes 15 minutes max, and leaves you with enough Vallis to grab the key early game upgrades.

Rare Incense (All 6 Types: How To Unlock & Find)

Rare incense is where most players get stuck. None of the rare incense are sold in regular shops, and 4 of them are required to unlock hidden archetypes. Here's the step-by-step for each:

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1. Wispwood Incense: How to unlock: First, reach Archetype Rank 10 with the Merchant (unlocked week 3 after completing the "Caravan Escort" side quest). Once you hit Rank 10, the Merchant will give you Wispwood Incense as a rank reward, along with the Incense Scavenger passive that increases rare incense drop rate by 40%. Alternate way: If you skipped the Merchant archetype, you can trade 3 stacks of Pine Resin Incense to the Wandering Peddler that spawns in the Old Growth Forest on even-numbered weeks.
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2. Verdant Bloom Incense: How to unlock: Complete the "Lost Gardener" side quest in the Whispering Glade, available week 7 onward. The side quest requires you to retrieve the gardener's trowel from a boar den west of the glade. Once you return it, he gives you Verdant Bloom Incense as a reward. Use it to dispel the fog blocking the Druid archetype shrine.
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3. Swamp Breeze Incense: How to unlock: Defeat the Rot Hydra mini-boss in the northern Rotmarsh. The Rot Hydra spawns only after you complete the "Missing Caravan" side quest available week 9 onward. It has 12,800 HP and deals 350-420 poison damage per hit, so bring antivenom potions. Once you kill it, it drops Swamp Breeze Incense 100% of the time. This is required to unlock the Shaman archetype—don't sell it like I did.
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4. Mountain Ash Incense: How to unlock: Found in a chest at the top of Frostspine Peak, after climbing the hidden path behind the ice fall. The hidden path is only visible after you use a Seer's Lens (bought from the Hub Camp artifact shop for 1,200 Vallis). The chest contains 1 stack of Mountain Ash Incense, which increases high-level enemy spawn rates by 60%—perfect for farming XP and materials mid-game.
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5. Shadowveil Incense: How to unlock: Reward for completing the "Ghost Caravan" side quest in the Eastern Plains, available week 8 onward. The side quest requires you to sneak past 5 level 25 ghosts without fighting—use Shadowveil once you get it to explore any late-game area without being harassed by trash packs. It decreases all spawn rates by 80%, which cuts exploration time in half.
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6. Saltwind Incense: How to unlock: Dropped 100% by the Tide Tyrant mini-boss that spawns in the Sunken Reef after week 11. It has 15,200 HP and deals 400-480 water damage per hit. Bring fire damage to melt its 40% water resistance. Once you kill it, you get Saltwind Incense, which increases aquatic enemy spawn rates by 50% for farming rare pearls and scales.
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7. Emberglow Incense: Oops, that's 7 rare incense total—my bad on the earlier count, that brings us to 17 total. Emberglow increases fire enemy spawn rates by 50% for farming ember crystals and fire gems. How to unlock: Trade 2 stacks of Cinder Ash Base Incense to the blacksmith in the Burning Spine after you complete his "Forged in Fire" side quest week 12.
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Event-Only Incense (All 3 Missable Types: Step-by-Step Unlock)

These are the big ones that almost every first playthrough misses. All three are locked to specific calendar weeks and specific side quests, and if you miss the window, you can't get them until New Game+. I've got the exact steps for each so you don't miss out:

1. How To Get Void Mist Incense

Void Mist Incense is required to dispel the fog blocking the Abandoned Observatory, which is where you unlock the Astrologer archetype (one of the best endgame DPS archetypes in the game, capable of dealing 2,400 damage per critical hit at level 50). Here's exactly how to get it:

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1. Wait for week 10—the side quest "Astrologer's Final Request" only spawns between week 10 and week 12. If you progress the main story past week 12, the side quest disappears forever.
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2. Travel to the Lower Town district of the Capital and talk to the old astrologer sitting on the bench near the clock tower. He'll ask you to retrieve his star chart from the watchtower north of the Capital.
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3. Travel to the watchtower, beat the level 28 Shadow Assassin mini-boss guarding the chart (it has 8,200 HP and uses instant-kill backstabs, so bring a Tank with Taunt).
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4. Return the star chart to the astrologer, and he'll give you Void Mist Incense as a reward 100% of the time.
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Why this matters: Astrologer is the only archetype that can get the Premonition passive, which lets you see enemy attack patterns 2 frames earlier—this is a game-changer for beating the final boss on Hard mode. Missing Void Mist means you can't unlock Astrologer until NG+.

2. How To Get Starfall Incense

Starfall Incense is required to unlock the true ending's secret boss, the King of Stars, and is also required to complete the Incense Altar for the 10% permanent party stat boost. Here's how to get it:

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1. Complete the "Collect 5 Star Shards" side quest from