Wolf School Gear

Find the Wolf School Gear in The Witcher 3, a balanced medium armor set that boosts both attack power and Sign Intensity for versatile builds.

The Wolf School Gear, also known as the Wolven Gear, is a medium armor set in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, offering a balanced approach for Witchers who blend swordplay with powerful Signs. This versatile gear set excels in hybrid builds, providing bonuses to both attack power and Sign Intensity, making Geralt a formidable force on any battlefield.

Acquiring the Wolf School Gear

Unlike some other Witcher Gear sets, the Wolf School Gear is not available in the base game upon release. It was introduced as part of a free DLC pack. To begin your quest for this iconic gear, you must first download and install the "Wolf School Gear" DLC.

Once the DLC is installed, the hunt for the Wolf School Gear commences through a series of Scavenger Hunt quests. These quests will lead you to various locations across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige, where you'll uncover diagrams for each piece of the set and its subsequent upgrades.

Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear (Basic)

The journey begins with finding the basic diagrams. You can initiate this quest in a few ways:

• Reading a Map: Purchase the "Adalbert Kermith's First Map" from the Blacksmith in Lindenvale (Velen). Reading this map will automatically add the quest "Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear" to your journal.
• Discovering a Diagram: Stumbling upon any of the basic Wolf School diagrams in the world will also trigger the quest.

The basic diagrams are scattered across Kaer Morhen, Geralt's ancestral home. Be prepared for some exploration and combat:

• Wolf School Steel Sword Diagram: Found in the signal tower at Kaer Morhen. Climb to the top to locate it.
• Wolf School Silver Sword Diagram: Located in the ruined watchtower near the main Kaer Morhen fortress. Look for a chest on the upper levels.
• Wolf School Armor, Gauntlets, Trousers, and Boots Diagrams: These are all found within the main Kaer Morhen fortress itself. You'll need to navigate through the ruins, potentially dealing with Wraiths or other spectral enemies. Specifically, look for a chest in a collapsed section of the main hall, and another near the training grounds.

Wolf School Gear Tiers and Upgrades

The Wolf School Gear, like most Witcher Gear, can be upgraded through several tiers, significantly increasing its defensive capabilities and offensive bonuses. Each upgrade requires you to find new diagrams and gather specific crafting components. The tiers are:

1. Basic (Common)
2. Enhanced
3. Superior
4. Mastercrafted
5. Grandmaster (Requires the Blood and Wine expansion)

Each upgrade tier requires a higher-level crafter (Armorer or Blacksmith) to forge the items. For basic and enhanced gear, a Journeyman crafter will suffice. Superior and Mastercrafted gear require a Master crafter. Grandmaster gear, exclusive to the Toussaint region in the Blood and Wine expansion, can only be crafted by the Grandmaster Armorer and Blacksmith in Beauclair.

Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear Upgrades

Each upgrade tier has its own Scavenger Hunt quest. These quests are typically initiated by finding a specific map or by discovering one of the upgrade diagrams in the world. The maps can often be purchased from various merchants and armorers throughout Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige.

Enhanced Wolf School Gear

The diagrams for the Enhanced Wolf School Gear are primarily found in Velen and Novigrad. Look for maps from merchants in these regions, or explore locations like:

• Enhanced Wolf School Steel Sword: Found in the ruins of the Signal Tower on Ard Skellig (Skellige).
• Enhanced Wolf School Silver Sword: Located in the cave beneath the Fyke Isle lighthouse (Velen).
• Enhanced Wolf School Armor: In a chest within the cave at the bottom of the lake near the Crossroads (Velen).
• Enhanced Wolf School Gauntlets: Inside the bandit camp near the Dragonslayer's Grotto (Velen).
• Enhanced Wolf School Trousers: In the ruins of the Est Tayiar elven ruins (Velen).
• Enhanced Wolf School Boots: Within the bandit camp at the Devil's Pit (Velen).

Superior Wolf School Gear

The Superior diagrams are more spread out, requiring travel across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige. Purchase maps from armorers in Novigrad or explore:

• Superior Wolf School Steel Sword: Found in the ruins of the Kaer Gelen castle on Ard Skellig (Skellige).
• Superior Wolf School Silver Sword: In a cave on the eastern side of Ard Skellig, near the village of Arinbjorn (Skellige).
• Superior Wolf School Armor: Inside the ruined fort of Kaer Almhult on Ard Skellig (Skellige).
• Superior Wolf School Gauntlets: In a chest within the bandit camp at the Coast of Wrecks (Velen).
• Superior Wolf School Trousers: Located in the cave system beneath the Ancient Crypt (Velen).
• Superior Wolf School Boots: Within the bandit camp at the Ruined Tower (Velen).

Mastercrafted Wolf School Gear

The Mastercrafted diagrams are typically found in the more dangerous corners of Skellige and Novigrad. Seek out maps from master armorers or explore:

• Mastercrafted Wolf School Steel Sword: Found in the ruins of the Dorve Ruins on Ard Skellig (Skellige).
• Mastercrafted Wolf School Silver Sword: In a cave on the small island east of Ard Skellig, near the village of Blandare (Skellige).
• Mastercrafted Wolf School Armor: Inside the ruins of the Elven Ruin on Undvik (Skellige).
• Mastercrafted Wolf School Gauntlets: In a chest within the bandit camp at the Fyresdal fortress (Skellige).
• Mastercrafted Wolf School Trousers: Located in the cave system beneath the Ancient Crypt (Velen).
• Mastercrafted Wolf School Boots: Within the bandit camp at the Ruined Tower (Velen).

Grandmaster Wolf School Gear (Blood and Wine DLC)

To acquire the Grandmaster Wolf School Gear, you must own and have access to the Blood and Wine expansion. This quest begins in Toussaint. Speak to the Grandmaster Armorer in Beauclair, who will give you the quest "Scavenger Hunt: Grandmaster Wolven Gear."

The Grandmaster diagrams are found in various locations across Toussaint, often requiring you to delve into ancient ruins and confront dangerous foes:

• Grandmaster Wolf School Steel Sword: Found in the ruins of the Termes Palace.
• Grandmaster Wolf School Silver Sword: Located within the Mont Crane Castle ruins.
• Grandmaster Wolf School Armor, Gauntlets, Trousers, and Boots: These are typically found together in the same area, often requiring you to solve a puzzle or defeat a powerful monster. One notable location is the ancient elven ruins of Arthach Palace, where you'll need to navigate a series of illusions and traps.

Wolf School Gear Set Bonuses (Grandmaster)

The Grandmaster Wolf School Gear offers powerful set bonuses when multiple pieces are equipped:

• 3/6 Pieces Equipped: Up to three different oils can be applied to a sword at a time. This significantly increases your combat versatility, allowing you to prepare for multiple enemy types simultaneously.
• 6/6 Pieces Equipped: When a bomb is thrown, the next Sign cast within 3 seconds will consume no Stamina. This bonus is incredibly potent for Sign-focused builds, allowing for rapid, high-impact Sign usage after a well-placed bomb.

Crafting Components

Crafting each piece of Wolf School Gear, especially at higher tiers, requires several common and rare crafting components. These include:

• Metals: Steel ingots/plates, silver ingots/plates, dark iron, meteorite, dimeritium, and eventually enriched dimeritium.
• Monster Materials: Monster hides, monster teeth, monster claws, monster blood, monster brains, etc. (specifics vary by item and tier).
• Relic Components: Infused dust, enchanted dust, monster essence, etc.
• Leather: Hardened leather, draconid leather, etc.

It's advisable to loot thoroughly and dismantle unwanted gear to accumulate a good stock of crafting materials. Merchants and armorers will also sell some of the more common components.

Recommended Playstyle

The Wolf School Gear is ideal for players who enjoy a dynamic combat style, seamlessly transitioning between sword attacks and powerful Signs. The bonuses to both attack power and Sign Intensity complement each other, allowing Geralt to adapt to various combat situations. The Grandmaster set bonuses further enhance this hybrid approach, rewarding strategic bomb usage and rapid Sign casting.

• Sword Focus: Invest in abilities from the Combat tree, particularly those that boost fast and strong attacks, critical hit chance, and adrenaline generation.
• Sign Focus: Allocate points into the Signs tree, enhancing your preferred Signs like Igni for damage, Quen for defense, or Aard for crowd control. The Grandmaster set bonus makes Aard sweeps followed by a free Igni burst particularly devastating.
• Alchemy Integration: While not directly boosted by the gear, a strong alchemy build can further enhance your combat effectiveness, especially with oils. The 3/6 Grandmaster bonus synergizes perfectly with this.

Common Pitfalls and Tips

• DLC Requirement: Ensure the "Wolf School Gear" DLC is installed before attempting to find the diagrams. Without it, they simply won't be there.
• Kaer Morhen Access: The basic Wolf School Gear diagrams are located in Kaer Morhen, which becomes fully accessible during the main questline. If you try to find them too early, you might be blocked by story progression.
• Crafter Level: Pay attention to the required crafter level for each upgrade. Don't waste time trying to craft Mastercrafted gear with a Journeyman armorer. Visit the Master Armorer in Crow's Perch (Velen) or the Master Blacksmith in Novigrad. For Grandmaster, you must be in Toussaint.
• Exploration: Many diagrams are in hidden corners, caves, or bandit camps. Use your Witcher Senses liberally to spot chests and quest items.
• Enemy Encounters: Be prepared for combat. The locations where diagrams are found often house dangerous monsters or groups of bandits.