“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” is a vast and richly detailed RPG where the right weapon can make all the difference in Geralt’s journey across the Continent. With countless swords, crossbows, and other armaments available, choosing the best weapons can significantly impact your combat efficiency and overall experience. This review will delve into the best weapons in “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” including steel and silver swords, crossbows, and unique weapons from expansions like “Hearts of Stone” and “Blood and Wine.” We’ll explore their attributes, how to acquire them, and which playstyles they best complement.
Table of Contents
Best Steel Swords in The Witcher 3
Steel swords are essential for fighting human enemies and non-magical beasts. The right steel sword can turn Geralt into a deadly force against bandits, soldiers, and other human foes. Here are some of the best steel swords in the game:
- Aerondight (Best Overall Steel Sword)
- Overview: Aerondight is arguably the most iconic and powerful sword in “The Witcher 3.” This relic sword scales with Geralt’s level, meaning it becomes stronger as Geralt progresses. Its unique ability to increase in damage with each successful hit until a critical strike is dealt makes it an unmatched weapon in skilled hands.
- Attributes:
- Damage: Scales with player level.
- Unique ability: Each hit increases the weapon’s damage by 10%, stacking up to a maximum of 10 times. Landing a critical hit at full charge resets the counter and increases the sword’s damage permanently.
- Has three rune slots, allowing for customization.
- How to Acquire: Aerondight is obtained in the “Blood and Wine” expansion. You must complete the quest “There Can Be Only One,” which involves proving yourself worthy by embodying the five chivalric virtues: Generosity, Compassion, Honor, Valor, and Wisdom. Once completed, you can claim Aerondight from the Lady of the Lake in Toussaint.
- Playstyle Suitability: Aerondight is perfect for players who focus on precision and skillful combat. Its scaling damage and critical strike bonus make it ideal for those who can maintain long chains of successful hits without taking damage.
- Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword (Best for Blood and Wine Expansion)
- Overview: The Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword is another powerful weapon found in the “Blood and Wine” expansion. It is highly customizable with its multiple rune slots and offers a balanced combination of damage, critical hit chance, and additional bonuses.
- Attributes:
- High base damage, scaling with player level.
- Increased critical hit chance and damage.
- Three rune slots for customization.
- Can be obtained with various secondary bonuses depending on the version found.
- How to Acquire: This sword can be found during the “Blood and Wine” expansion. It is often a reward for completing various quests or exploring hidden treasure locations throughout Toussaint.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is ideal for players who enjoy a balanced playstyle, combining high damage output with critical strikes. It’s a versatile weapon that can adapt to different combat situations, making it a reliable choice throughout the expansion.
- Hjalmar’s Steel Sword (Best for High Crit Build)
- Overview: Hjalmar’s Steel Sword is a weapon obtained through the main questline of the Skellige Isles. This sword stands out for its high critical hit chance and damage, making it a favorite for players focusing on fast, high-impact attacks.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with significant critical hit chance and critical damage bonuses.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Chance to cause bleeding, further increasing damage over time.
- How to Acquire: This sword is obtained during the Skellige quest “King’s Gambit” by siding with Hjalmar during the battle for the throne. It’s awarded as a gift from Hjalmar after completing the quest.
- Playstyle Suitability: Hjalmar’s Steel Sword is perfect for players who build around fast attacks and critical hits. If you focus on agility and dodging, this sword complements your style by maximizing the damage of each hit.
- Viper Steel Sword (Best for Early Game)
- Overview: The Viper Steel Sword is one of the best steel swords you can acquire early in the game. It’s part of the Viper School Gear and provides solid bonuses to poison damage, making it highly effective against human enemies who lack poison resistance.
- Attributes:
- Moderate base damage with a strong poison effect.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Good for low-level enemies and early game challenges.
- How to Acquire: The Viper Steel Sword can be crafted after finding its diagram in White Orchard, the game’s starting area. The diagram is located in the tomb of Kolgrim during the quest “Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear.”
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is best for early-game players who need a reliable weapon against human enemies. Its poison effect provides an additional damage-over-time effect that can quickly dispatch weaker foes.
- Feline Steel Sword (Best for Fast Attack Build)
- Overview: The Feline Steel Sword is part of the Cat School Gear, known for its focus on quick, agile attacks. This sword is excellent for players who prefer a fast, aggressive combat style, maximizing damage through rapid strikes.
- Attributes:
- Moderate base damage with bonuses to critical hit chance and attack power.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Increased critical damage and chance to cause bleeding.
- How to Acquire: The diagrams for the Feline Steel Sword are part of the Cat School Gear treasure hunts. You can find the enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted versions throughout the game world, with the Grandmaster version available in the “Blood and Wine” expansion.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is perfect for fast attack builds. Its critical hit and attack power bonuses make it ideal for players who prioritize speed and precision over heavy armor and strong attacks.
Best Silver Swords in The Witcher 3
Silver swords are essential for dealing with monsters, specters, and other supernatural creatures. A good silver sword can be the difference between life and death when facing some of the game’s toughest enemies. Here are some of the best silver swords in the game:
- Aerondight (Best Overall Silver Sword)
- Overview: Aerondight is not only the best steel sword but also one of the best silver swords in the game. Its unique ability to increase in power with each successful strike makes it invaluable against powerful monsters.
- Attributes:
- Damage: Scales with player level.
- Unique ability: Increases damage with each hit, stacking up to 10 times. A fully charged strike deals a critical hit and increases the sword’s base damage permanently.
- Three rune slots for customization.
- How to Acquire: As mentioned earlier, Aerondight is obtained in the “Blood and Wine” expansion by completing the quest “There Can Be Only One.”
- Playstyle Suitability: Aerondight’s scaling damage and critical hit ability make it ideal for monster hunts, where long battles against powerful foes are common. Its ability to permanently increase damage also makes it a weapon that grows with Geralt, ensuring it remains effective throughout the game.
- Moonblade (Best for Relict Creatures)
- Overview: The Moonblade is a silver sword with unique bonuses against relict creatures, making it a specialized weapon for certain encounters. Its high damage and critical hit chance make it effective against many of the game’s tougher monsters.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with a bonus against relict creatures.
- Increased critical hit chance and critical damage bonuses.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- How to Acquire: The Moonblade can be found as random loot in treasure chests or by defeating certain powerful monsters throughout the game. It’s not tied to a specific quest, so exploring and looting are the best ways to find it.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is best for players who frequently face relict creatures, such as leshens and fiends. Its specialized bonuses make these encounters easier, though it remains a strong weapon for general monster hunting as well.
- Bloodsword (Best for Causing Bleeding)
- Overview: Bloodsword is a silver sword known for its high chance to cause bleeding, a damage-over-time effect that can significantly weaken enemies over the course of a battle. It’s a great weapon for players who like to see their enemies suffer slowly.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with an increased chance to cause bleeding.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Moderate critical hit chance and damage bonuses.
- How to Acquire: Bloodsword can be found during the quest “Scavenger Hunt: Bear School Gear,” specifically in Skellige. It can also be obtained as random loot from treasure chests or powerful enemies.
- Playstyle Suitability: Bloodsword is ideal for players who enjoy debuffing their enemies and watching them weaken over time. The bleeding effect can be particularly effective against tough, slow-moving monsters that are resistant to direct attacks.
- Griffin Silver Sword (Best for Sign Builds)
- Overview: The Griffin Silver Sword is part of the Griffin School Gear, designed to complement a Sign-heavy playstyle. It enhances Sign intensity, making Geralt’s magic more powerful, and is ideal for players who rely on Signs like Igni, Aard, and Quen to dominate their enemies in combat. The Griffin Silver Sword is a key component for those who focus on a balanced approach, blending melee combat with potent magic.
- Attributes:
- Moderate base damage with a significant boost to Sign intensity.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Additional bonuses such as increased critical hit chance and damage against monsters.
- How to Acquire: The Griffin Silver Sword, along with the rest of the Griffin School Gear, can be obtained through treasure hunts that span various locations in the game. The basic diagram is found during the “Scavenger Hunt: Griffin School Gear” quest, and enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted versions are scattered across the world, with the Grandmaster version available in the “Blood and Wine” expansion.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is perfect for players who focus on a Sign-heavy build. The increased Sign intensity makes Geralt’s spells more potent, allowing for more effective crowd control, damage, and defense. This sword pairs well with armor from the Griffin School set, which further enhances Sign abilities.
- Feline Silver Sword (Best for High DPS)
- Overview: The Feline Silver Sword, part of the Cat School Gear, is designed for players who prefer a high damage per second (DPS) playstyle. It emphasizes fast, powerful attacks and is best suited for those who enjoy a more aggressive combat approach.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with bonuses to critical hit chance and attack power.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Increased chance to cause bleeding, making it a lethal choice for quick, brutal combat.
- How to Acquire: The Feline Silver Sword can be obtained as part of the Cat School Gear treasure hunts. The diagrams are hidden in various locations, with enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted versions available throughout the game. The Grandmaster version is accessible in the “Blood and Wine” expansion.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is ideal for players who focus on speed and damage. If your strategy revolves around quick strikes and exploiting enemy weaknesses with high critical hit chances, the Feline Silver Sword will serve you well. It’s best used in combination with light armor that enhances stamina and attack speed.
- Manticore Silver Sword (Best for Alchemy Builds)
- Overview: The Manticore Silver Sword, part of the Manticore School Gear introduced in the “Blood and Wine” expansion, is tailored for players who prefer an alchemy-focused build. It offers bonuses that complement the use of potions, bombs, and oils, making it a versatile weapon for strategic combat.
- Attributes:
- Moderate base damage with bonuses to critical hit chance and critical hit damage.
- Increased toxicity threshold, allowing for more aggressive potion use.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- How to Acquire: The Manticore Silver Sword can be crafted after finding its diagram during the “Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Manticore Gear” quest in Toussaint. The quest involves exploring hidden locations and defeating tough enemies to collect all pieces of the gear set.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is best suited for players who enjoy mixing alchemy with combat. The increased toxicity threshold allows Geralt to use more potions without suffering from toxicity penalties, making this sword an excellent choice for players who want to maximize their alchemy skills in battle.
- Ursine Silver Sword (Best for Tank Builds)
- Overview: The Ursine Silver Sword, part of the Bear School Gear, is designed for players who prefer a tanky, heavy armor playstyle. It emphasizes durability and brute strength, making it ideal for those who want to absorb damage and dish out powerful blows.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with bonuses to Adrenaline Point gain, which enhances the use of powerful combat abilities.
- Two rune slots for customization.
- Increased chance to cause knockdown or stagger effects.
- How to Acquire: The Ursine Silver Sword can be obtained through the “Scavenger Hunt: Bear School Gear” quest, with diagrams found across the Skellige Isles. The enhanced, superior, and mastercrafted versions require further exploration, with the Grandmaster version available in the “Blood and Wine” expansion.
- Playstyle Suitability: This sword is perfect for players who focus on heavy armor and durability. If you prefer to take on enemies head-on, using Adrenaline Points to enhance your abilities, the Ursine Silver Sword will be a powerful asset. Pair it with the Bear School armor for maximum effectiveness.
Best Crossbows in The Witcher 3
Crossbows play a secondary role in combat, useful for attacking enemies from a distance, bringing down flying monsters, or finishing off foes with low health. While not as crucial as swords, having a good crossbow can still be a significant advantage, especially when fighting underwater or against certain airborne enemies.
- Feline Crossbow (Best for Fast Attack Builds)
- Overview: The Feline Crossbow is part of the Cat School Gear and is designed to complement a fast, agile combat style. It offers increased attack power and critical hit chance, making it effective for players who want to keep the pressure on their enemies from a distance.
- Attributes:
- High attack power and critical hit chance.
- Increased bolt speed, making it easier to hit moving targets.
- Faster reload time.
- How to Acquire: The Feline Crossbow diagram can be found during the Cat School Gear treasure hunt. It’s located in a chest in the ruins of Est Tayiar, accessible after completing the associated quest.
- Playstyle Suitability: This crossbow is best suited for players who prioritize speed and precision. If you’re using the Feline swords and armor, this crossbow will perfectly complement your fast attack build, allowing you to maintain a relentless offense.
- Ursine Crossbow (Best for Tank Builds)
- Overview: The Ursine Crossbow, part of the Bear School Gear, is designed for players who prefer a more defensive, tanky playstyle. It offers increased damage and durability, making it a reliable weapon for those who want to focus on surviving tough encounters.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with additional bonuses to armor-piercing.
- Slower reload time, balanced by higher damage output.
- Increased durability, meaning it requires less frequent repairs.
- How to Acquire: The Ursine Crossbow can be found during the Bear School Gear treasure hunt. The diagram is hidden in a cave in Skellige, accessible after completing the associated quest.
- Playstyle Suitability: This crossbow is ideal for players who focus on heavy armor and durability. It’s best used in conjunction with the Ursine swords and armor, allowing you to withstand more damage while still delivering powerful ranged attacks.
- Elven Crossbow (Best for Underwater Combat)
- Overview: The Elven Crossbow is a unique weapon designed specifically for underwater combat. While crossbows are the only weapons you can use underwater, the Elven Crossbow offers superior damage and range compared to standard options.
- Attributes:
- Increased damage and range for underwater combat.
- Faster bolt travel time, making it easier to hit fish and other underwater enemies.
- How to Acquire: The Elven Crossbow is obtained during the quest “Through Time and Space” in the main storyline. It’s given to Geralt by Avallac’h and is essential for the underwater segments of the quest.
- Playstyle Suitability: This crossbow is best suited for underwater combat scenarios, which are relatively rare in the game. However, when you do need to fight underwater, this crossbow will ensure you’re well-equipped to handle any threats.
- Nilfgaardian Crossbow (Best for Early Game)
- Overview: The Nilfgaardian Crossbow is a good early-game option, providing a reliable ranged weapon for the initial stages of the game. It’s not as powerful as some of the later options, but it’s a solid choice when you first start encountering flying or underwater enemies.
- Attributes:
- Moderate base damage with balanced reload time and accuracy.
- Available early in the game, making it accessible for new players.
- How to Acquire: The Nilfgaardian Crossbow can be purchased from various merchants, including the one at Crow’s Perch in Velen. It’s also sometimes found as loot from defeated enemies or in treasure chests.
- Playstyle Suitability: This crossbow is best for players in the early stages of the game. It’s a practical, no-frills weapon that will serve you well until you can acquire more powerful crossbows later in the game.
- Zireael Crossbow (Best for Mid to Late Game)
- Overview: The Zireael Crossbow is a powerful ranged weapon available in the later stages of the game. It offers high damage and a fast reload time, making it a great choice for players who want to add some ranged power to their arsenal.
- Attributes:
- High base damage with increased critical hit chance.
- Fast reload time, allowing for quick follow-up shots.
- Effective against both flying and underwater enemies.
- How to Acquire: The Zireael Crossbow is obtained during the “Hearts of Stone” expansion. It’s given to Geralt by Shani as a reward for helping her with a personal quest.
- Playstyle Suitability: This crossbow is ideal for mid to late-game players who need a reliable and powerful ranged weapon. It’s versatile enough to be effective in various combat scenarios, whether you’re dealing with flying foes, underwater threats, or just needing an extra edge in battle.
Conclusion
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the best weapons are those that complement your chosen playstyle and enhance your combat effectiveness. Whether you prefer fast, agile attacks, powerful magic, tanky durability, or strategic alchemy, there are gear sets and enhancements tailored to your needs. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon, and by strategically applying runes and glyphs, you can ensure that Geralt is always prepared to face the dangers of the Continent with the utmost efficiency and power.