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The Family Blade — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Walkthrough
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Family Blade — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Walkthrough

Master The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt combat with our guide on melee, ranged, signs, alchemy, potions, oils, bombs, and defensive maneuvers. Become a true Witcher!

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Master The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt combat with our guide on melee, ranged, signs, alchemy, potions, oils, bombs, and defensive maneuvers. Become a true Witcher!

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Melee Combat: Geralt uses a Silver Sword for monsters and a Steel Sword for humanoids. Basic attacks are light (fast, low damage) and heavy (slow, high damage). Skill tree upgrades offer abilities like Whirl (AoE spin) and Rend (armor-piercing slash).
  2. 2
    Ranged Combat: Geralt has a crossbow. Time slows slightly when aiming. Different bolts offer various effects. Skill tree upgrades enhance aiming, critical damage, and ability disabling.
  3. 3
    Finisher Attacks: Triggered by a prompt when an enemy's health is low, resulting in a stylish execution. Can be toggled on/off; recommended to disable on higher difficulties.
  4. 4
    Avoiding Attacks:
    • Blocking: Nullifies most melee attacks but is less effective against elemental/magical damage.
  5. 5
    Staggering: Timed block before an enemy attack deflects and stuns them briefly. Only works against melee.
  6. 6
    Dodging: Quick side/back step to evade attacks while maintaining close distance. Useful for unblockable attacks.
  7. 7
    Rolling: Similar to dodging but covers more distance, better for large boss attacks.
  8. 8
    Magical Signs: Consume Stamina. All five are available early on, with upgrades in the Sign Skill Tree.
    • AARD: Force push to knock down or stagger enemies. Can break weak walls out of combat.
  9. 9
    AXII: Temporarily stuns single enemies. Can be used in dialogue or to calm animals.
  10. 10
    IGNI: Fire wave that damages and can ignite enemies, causing damage over time. Can light torches.
  11. 11
    QUEN: Creates a protective barrier, drastically improving defense. Drains Stamina over time.
  12. 12
    YRDEN: Creates a magical trap that slows enemies and makes spectral creatures corporeal.
  13. 13
    Alchemy: Geralt can craft Bombs, Potions, and Oils using acquired recipes. Once crafted, they auto-replenish when meditating if sufficient alcohol is available.
    • Bombs: Usable like grenades with various effects.
  14. 14
    Potions: Provide buffs in and out of combat.
  15. 15
    Oils: Applied to swords for bonus damage against specific enemy types.
Tips
  • Experiment with dodging and rolling to find the best defensive tactic for your playstyle.
  • Consider disabling automatic finishers on higher difficulties to avoid accidental deaths.
  • Upgrade Signs and Combat skills based on your preferred combat approach.
  • Alchemy items can provide significant advantages; keep a stock of potions and bombs.

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