Two of the most challenging materials to collect in Grounded 2 are Brittle Whetstone and Plating. Initially, you might not need them much, nor know where to get them. However, once you start facing more dangerous enemies and delving into challenging areas, you’ll want to hoard as many of them as possible. For that reason, we’ve prepared a guide on the best ways to obtain Brittle Whetstone and Plating in Grounded 2, and all the things that require these resources.
Brittle Quartzite and Marble Locations in Grounded 2

So, good news and bad news. The good news is that Brittle Quartzite and Marble (the materials you need for Whetstone and Plating) spawn in specific locations, which makes farming them easy. The bad news is that the spawn locations are some of the most dangerous in the game, especially if you’re undergeared.
While many outdoor locations have these resources, such as the surroundings of the Picnic Table and the large Oak Tree, Brittle Quartzite and Marble nodes are less common here. Instead, the best way to farm these resources is by heading inside all the Ant Hills in the park.

After exploring, I discovered that the best way to farm these materials is by heading into the Snackbar Ant Hill. You will need your Red Ant Ridable Buggie first, because most of these nodes are behind the walls that the Ants can break. In these caves, you’ll find at least three to four nodes of each, meaning you can farm as much as possible to bring back to your base. Another great location for farming Quartzite and Marble is in the Toxic Ant Hill, but this one is quite dangerous due to the boss at the end.
Recipes that Require Brittle Whetstone and Plating

Once you obtain some Quartzite and Marble, you can then turn them into Brittle Whetstone and Plating, respectively. With those at hand, you can use them to craft the Smithing Station and then upgrade your weapons.
While that is the only station that needs these materials, upgrading weapons and armor is a whole different thing. You’ll need Brittle Whetstone for weapon upgrades and Brittle Plating for Armor Upgrades. Here are the costs for each level:
- Weapon Upgrades: Two Brittle Whetstones for the initial level up, and the cost increases by five with each level up to level three.
- Armor Upgrades: Two Brittle Platings for the initial level up, and the cost increases by five with each level up to level three.
One thing to keep in mind is that these costs are for Tier II weapons and armor, which are the ones you should be aiming for. Upgrading Tier I equipment is useless, as Tier II is way better in terms of durability, damage, defense, and perks.