The Witcher 3: All Gwent Decks, Ranked

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has many interesting things for players to do and discover. Not only is the map of the Continent and the Skellige Isles vast and brimming with NPCs who can give Geralt quests, but there are also many great armor sets to withstand the vicious attacks of the monsters of the land.

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Those who’ve already completed the game once, might be looking for ways to make their playthrough as hard as possible. And while this can be done through the use of various tactics, raising the game’s difficulty can be one of the best—and that includes Gwent. Here are all the Gwent decks in The Witcher 3, ranked.

5

Monsters

Its Strength Lies In Numbers

• This deck is mostly Melee
• Some monsters can summon others to the battlefield

The Monsters Gwent Deck consists of 38 cards. Like other decks, it consists of regular and special cards, some of which can be really powerful. The cards also feature many monsters that Geralt can encounter throughout The Continent, adding another layer of complexity to this deck.

The faction of the Monster deck is to keep one random unit card after each round on the battlefield. Unfortunately, though, this deck does not contain any spy or medic cards, so players used to taking advantage of such helpers will find it hard to adapt to it. As opposed to other debts where players should opt to keep their deck as light as possible, the Monster deck relies on its numbers for strength, as many cards can summon other monsters to fight.

That said, since the monster cards are mostly Melee, if the opponent uses Biting Frost, the deck becomes almost useless. This is why having several Clear Weather cards on players’ decks is essential to counteract this effect. Some of the monsters featured in the Monster Deck are: Arachas, Botchling, Cockatrice, Crones, Draugs, Fiends, Gargoyles, Earth Elementals, and, of course, the leader cards, featuring Eredin. Many of these monsters are part of some of the most difficult boss fights in The Witcher 3’s story, so it’s nice to see them on the deck.

4

Scoia’tael

Great Normal And Special Cards

• The deck’s strength lies in Agility and Muster cards
• Fewer cards with high points as opposed to other decks

The Scoia’Tael Gwent Deck isn’t by any means the best deck in the game, but it has some attributes to it that still make it worthwhile. First of all, it’s really flexible as opposed to the Nilfgaard or the Northern Realm decks. It focuses mainly on combat debuffs and some mildly strong units.

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Unlike the Monsters deck, which focuses primarily on brute force and mealy cards, the Scoia’Tael deck has several ranged combat cards that keep the user safe from effect cards, such as Biting Frost. Unfortunately, another one of its disadvantages is that its cards are not as strong as those in other decks, featuring lower hit points. Also, there are not as many power-multiplying cards as there are in other decks. That said, this deck shares a trait with the Monsters deck, as there are a few Muster cards that can summon other cards to the board, increasing players’ numbers on the battlefield. Some of the cards featured on the Scoia’Tael Gwent Deck are: Barclay Els, Ciaran aep Easnillien, Dennis Cranmer, Dol Blathanna Archer, Dol Blathanna Scout, Dwarven Skirmisher, and five leader cards featuring Francesca Findabair. Some cards in this deck can be purchased, but others are obtained by challenging other players and doing some of the best optional side quests available in The Witcher 3.

3

Skellige

Introduced In The Blood And Wine Expansion

• Can be used with a brute force approach
• Features two leader cards as opposed to five

The Skellige Gwent Deck is not part of the base game and was first introduced through the Blood and Wine expansion. It’s heavily inspired by the Skellige Clans and legends and is given to players by Count Monnier in Toussaint. One of the most curious aspects about this deck is that the deck’s faction ability doesn’t trigger until the beginning of round 3. This deck also has two unique features that can give players an edge if used at the right moment:

• The Cerys card has the swarm ability, which allows her to summon Shield-Maidens that possess a Tight-Bond that makes them stronger.
• The Berserker feature buffs units once mutation-inducing cards are introduced to the board.

While the Monster deck remains the one with the highest focus on brute force, players can also choose to use this approach with the Skellige Gwent Deck, making it really versatile and allowing for various playstyles. Some of the cards featured in this deck are: Berserker, Birna Bran, Blueboy Lagos, Cerys, Clan Brokvar Archer, Clan Dimun Pirate, Clan Drummond Shield-Maiden, Clan Heymaey Skald, Donar an Hindar, and, as opposed to other decks in the game, two unique leader cards featuring King Bran and Crach an Craite. The Skellige Isles are full of surprises and various secret side quests that many players have missed in The Witcher 3.

2

Nilfgaardian Empire

Tons Of Spies For Players Who Choose That Route

• Tons of Spy cards
• High-point standalone cards

The Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent deck is one of the best in the game as it features tons of spies and other special cards that can give players an edge, even against the toughest of challengers. As opposed to other decks, the Nilfgaardian empire Gwent Deck focuses mostly on strong standalone cards that don’t need to rely on numbers, but rather on their high-point ranking. This can be a great advantage, or a massive disadvantage, as having more units that can strengthen each other can turn the tides of a Gwent match in the blink of an eye, so if players are pitted against an opponent with a Monster or Skellige deck, they could find themselves in trouble.

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That said, the Nilfgaardian Empire Gwent deck features three distinctive Spy cards: Stefan Skellen, Vattier de Rideaux, and Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen, which have 9, 4, and 7 points respectively. Spy cards can be a great advantage to have, as they allow players who use them to draw two cards from their deck. However, they can also play against them, as each Spy card’s points are counted towards the opponent’s total after placing them on their side of the board. This Gwent Deck also benefits greatly from Decoys, so if players have any in hand, they should use them when the time is right. The Nilfgaardian Empire is known for its power, and for having some of the best armor sets in the game. Some of the best Silver Swords in The Witcher 3 can be found elsewhere, but even then, there are great items to discover related to this massive empire.

1

Northern Realms

It’s Simple To Make A Good Deck With A Few Cards

• The best deck in the game
• Cards like Biting Frost can quickly negate the effects of Tight-Bond in units

The Northern Realms Gwent Deck is the first one Geralt gets in the story and is based on the heroes of the region. One of the greatest things about this deck is that it has tons of cards with the Tight-Bond feature, which increases each affected unit’s strength by 100%. Along with this, the Commander’s Horn Neutral card can be a great asset to combine with the previously mentioned units.

Unfortunately, this deck is also quite susceptible to Weather cards, which can negate the effects of the Tight-Bond in some of its units, dropping their points considerably. Having a Clear Weather card at hand at all times can help counteract this, restoring the power to the unit cards. Some of the cards in this deck are: Ballista, Blue Stripes COmmando, Catapult, Crinfrid Reaver’s Dragon Hunter, Dethmold, Dun Banner Medic, John Natalis, and the leader cards Esterad Thyssen, Foltest: King of Temeria, Foltest: Lord Commander of the North, Foltest: Son of Medell, Foltest: The Siegemaster, and Foltest the Steel-Forged. What makes this Gwent deck better than all the others, is that it’s much easier to build a strong deck without having to include too many cards, thus increasing the chances of getting good cards instead of fluff. The Witcher 3 has many great aspects to it that are not limited to playing Gwent, including interesting romance options, amazing combat mechanics, and a compelling story.

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You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.

PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.

EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.

Released

May 19, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content