The Top Witcher 3 Builds: A Detailed Look At the Three Best Builds

What are the best builds in The Witcher 3? With the recent next-gen upgrade and the release of The Witcher: Blood Origin, many players are diving into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the first time, while others are making a return after some time away. Whether you’re embarking on your initial playthrough of this renowned RPG or revisiting as the Butcher of Blaviken, you’re likely considering how to build your Geralt this time. Fortunately, the game’s enduring popularity means the community has had plenty of time to perfect their knowledge of effective builds.

We’ve put together a selection of The Witcher 3 builds to help you make Geralt the most formidable monster hunter ever. Whether you prefer focusing on magic, alchemy, pure combat, or a blend of all three, we have top-notch builds to match your playstyle.

The Witcher 3 best builds you can’t miss

Below you can peruse four top-tier The Witcher 3 builds, each of which takes Geralt in a markedly different direction. After that, we’ll provide you with a few tips and tidbits of wisdom for creating your own builds.

Cat School Build

SKILL

• Body memory (5 lvl)
• Precise strikes (5 lvl)
• Whirlwind (5 lvl)
• Light legs (5 lvl)
• Deadly accuracy (2 lvl)
• Razor blade (5 lvl)
• Knowledge of anatomy (5 lvl)
• Acquired Fortitude (3 lvl)
• Increased Resistance to Potions (5 lvl)
• Cat School Technique – Each piece of light armor increases critical damage by 25% and fast attack damage by 5%.
• Eagle Eye (1 lvl)
• Cheating (3 lvl)
• Fire stream (3 lvl)
• Sweeping Award (3 lvl)
• Of the mutations, it is worth using “Cat’s Eyes”, because the damage from the crossbow increases very much (in my case, from 118 to 891, depending on the crossbow itself).

Decoctions and elixirs

• Brew from Ekimma – restores health.
• Roffar the White’s Potion – instantly restores a significant portion of your health. This elixir will serve to replenish health in critical situations.
• Wyvern Brew – Every successful hit boosts attack power until the battle concludes or Geralt takes damage.
• The decoction from the head eye -alters the damage based on the armor’s weight (the lighter the armor, the less damage received)

Gear

• Grandmaster Cat School Armor
• Grandmaster Gloves of the Cat School
• Grandmaster Pants of the Cat School
• Grandmaster Boots of the Cat School
• Cat School Grandmaster Steel Sword
• Arondite or Grandmaster Silver Sword of the Cat School
• Crossbow as powerful as possible (I use Geralt of Rivia’s Crossbow)

Wolf School Build

Wolf witchers are often portrayed as noble knights, focusing on swordsmanship and herbal knowledge.

• Combat Style: Strong strikes, crowd control, agility.
• Skill Point Recommendations: Prioritize swordsmanship and agility skills, while also investing in herbalism and signs.

SKILL

• Combat: Muscle Memory 5/5 Precise Blows 5/5 Crushing Blows 5/5 Resolve 5/5 Rend 5/5 Razor Focus 5/5 Flood of Anger 2/5 Alchemy: Acquired Tolerance 3/3 Poisoned Blades 5/5 Refreshment 5/5 Tissue Transformation 5/5 Protective Coating 2/5 Synergy 5/5
• General: Griffin School Techniques Rage Management
• Activated Abilities: Muscle Memory Precise Blows / Crush Blows Resolve Rend Razor Focus Flood of Anger Acquired Tolerance Poisoned Blades Refreshment Synergy Griffin School Techniques Rage Management
• Mutagens: Greater Red Mutagen x2 Greater Green Mutagen x2

Decoctions and elixirs

• Ekimmara: Restores 10% of damage dealt to enemies as vitality. Applying conditions like bleeding and burning to enemies also provides health regeneration, especially effective when stacking 4x Crippling Strike Bleed per enemy. This ability is activated manually by drinking.
• Succubus: Increases attack damage by 30% at maximum power, activated manually by drinking.
• Water Hag: Boosts damage output by 50% at maximum power, activated manually by drinking.
• Troll: Grants life regeneration, activated through Metamorphosis.
• Ancient Leshen: Provides stamina regeneration, activated through Metamorphosis.
• Reliever’s: Acts as kryptonite to specters, activated through Metamorphosis.
• Chort: Prevents stagger and converts knock-downs to staggers instead, activated through Metamorphosis.
• Ekhidna: Facilitates life recovery, activated through Metamorphosis.

GEAR

Wolven Gear Full Set:

• Armor Glyphword: Levity
• Armor Slots: Greater Glyphs of Mending
• Steel Sword Runeword: Preservation
• Silver Sword Runeword: Invigoration

In this build, your resources (adrenaline and stamina) regenerate rapidly, ensuring consistent availability. The combination of Griffin School and Wolven Gear significantly enhances your sign intensity, making your magical abilities formidable. Synergy and Poisoned Blades maintain your combat effectiveness, while stamina or adrenaline can be used for casting. When the situation demands it, Flood of Anger provides a powerful sign boost. For healing, rely on potions like Swallow and Thunderbolt. To bypass enemy shields, master the Rend ability. Against formidable foes, consider swapping Precise Blows for Crushing Blows to maximize Rend damage.

Griffin School Build

Griffin witchers are steadfast warriors, skilled in medium armor and magic.

• Combat Style: Balanced melee and magic.
• Skill Point Recommendations: Enhance magic, armor, and damage resistance.

SKILL

1. General Tree (Griffin School Techniques):
   1. Invest in Griffin School Techniques for extra stamina regeneration and increased Sign intensity.
2. Alchemy Tree:
   1. Prioritize HEIGHTENED and ACQUIRED TOLERANCE to raise your toxicity and overdose threshold.
   2. Use Ancient Leshen and Ekhidna decoctions: Ancient Leshen boosts stamina regen for each sign cast, and Ekhidna heals you when using stamina (casting signs).
   3. Consider SYNERGY for a 50% boost to mutagens (save it for late game).
   4. Safely use Tawny Owl and Petri’s Filter for extra sign intensity.
3. Signs Tree:
   1. Slot FAR REACHING AARD, AARD SWEEP, and SHOCKWAVE:
      • FAR REACHING AARD provides a hard-hitting AoE.
      • AARD SWEEP knocks down small enemies.
      • SHOCKWAVE stuns enemies that can’t be knocked down.
   2. Ignore Igni skills; your intensity already gives a 100% burn chance.
   3. Optional: Consider Aard, Igni, and Yrden Intensity skills.
4. Yrden:
   1. Cast SUSTAINED GLYPHS frequently for defense and extra sign damage.
   2. MAGIC TRAP zaps and stuns enemies; SUPERCHARGED GLYPHS drains their health.
5. Quen Tree:
   1. EXPLODING SHIELD provides another knockdown AoE.
   2. QUEN DISCHARGE damages attackers who get close.
   3. ACTIVE SHIELD offers powerful healing based on absorbed damage.
   4. Combine Quen with Ekhidna Decoction for even more healing.

GEAR

1. Grandmaster Griffin Gear (All 6 Pieces):
   1. Cast a second basic sign without stamina cost.
   2. Increase Yrden field size by 40%.
   3. Gain 100% sign intensity while standing in Yrden.
   4. Use Greater Veles runestones in both swords for an extra 15% intensity when a sword is drawn.
   5. Slot sign intensity runes in pants, boots, and gloves.
2. Armor Enchantments:
   1. Choose “Rotation” to turn Igni into an AoE circle (useful when surrounded).
   2. Protection is viable but has a one-time use at the start of combat.
   3. Avoid “Entanglement”:
      • Entanglement places a new Yrden circle each time the trap zaps an enemy.
      • Running between circles can be cumbersome if enemies are zapped far away.

Tips for Creating Your Own The Witcher 3 Builds

1. Reset Skills with a Twist:

• Imagine Geralt strolling into a mystical apothecary’s shop, the air thick with incense. The old alchemist, Keira Metz, leans over the counter, her eyes twinkling. “Ah, Witcher,” she says, “in need of a change, are we? A Potion of Clearance, perhaps? Just a sip, and your skills shall dance anew.”
• Remember, dear adventurer, that the path to mastery is ever winding. Choose wisely.

2. Skills: The Symphony of Progress:

• Picture Geralt atop a windswept hill, silver hair catching the moonlight. His skill tree unfurls before him like a star map. “Survival Instinct,” he murmurs, tracing a constellation. “For when monsters hunger, and I hunger back.” And there, nestled among the stars, “Gourmet”—a feast in every bite.
• Choose your notes carefully, for they compose your destiny.

3. Swap, Adapt, Conquer:

• In the heat of battle, Geralt’s fingers dance across his medallion. The runes glow, and his skills shift like tides. Strong Back for hoarding treasure, Delusion for sweet-tongued persuasion. “Adapt,” Vesemir once said, “or perish.”
• Remember, Witcher, your blade is not your only weapon.

4. The Console’s Hidden Whispers:

• Beneath the game’s surface, a secret chamber awaits. Geralt steps through, and reality bends. “Console,” he intones, and the world shifts. Skills rearrange, mutations bloom. He grins. “A Witcher’s playground.”
• Explore, test, and let chaos be your muse.

Conclusion

In the world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, your choices shape Geralt’s destiny. Whether you wield magic, alchemy, or a blade, these top-notch builds will help you become the ultimate monster hunter. So, prepare your potions, sharpen your steel, and embark on an epic adventure!